'Illuminations'
Steals the Show
Surrealistic Joffrey piece reveals
the dark side of humanity
By Darcelle Infante
The Joffrey Ballet's opening number, "Cotillion," dubbed choreographer George Balanchine's "lost ballet," was indeed lost on the audience at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion over the weekend.
"Cotillion" ("The Ball") was pure Balanchine, providing dance for its own sake with simple storytelling devoid of strong emotions or flamboyance.
Balanchine aficionados probably enjoyed the simplicity of the dance about a young girl's first ball; however, it paled in comparison to the program's "Illuminations," based on violent images from Arthur Rimbaud's poems, and the powerful "Green Table,"
an international anti-war ballet classic.
"Illuminations" leads the audience on a twisted journey that spans the gamut of human emotions—first frivolous and playful, then turning violently angry.
Choreographed by Frederick Ashton, "Illuminations" lends itself more to drama than tradition. Peter Narbutas, who dances the part of the poet, masterfully interacted with a cast of white-clad dancers capped in comical hats of different colors.
As the curtain opens on this sideshow of bizarre characters, the music is festive and arranged playfully. But soon the corps of dancers transforms from innocent players participating in the poet's reckless fun to demons that torment him as he
travels trhough the dark side of the human experience.
The artist is confronted with the duality of exist-
ence throughout the ballet. This dual nature is
evident even in the costumes, as dancers appear on stage with one leg clothed and the other bare.
The setting is also ominous—starkly dark. A
midnight-blue painted backdrop with wire stars is suspended from the ceiling and haunting music by Benjamin Britten add to the eerie mood. Rimbaud's poems are sung in French during the performance
by tenor Grayson Hirst, whose lone voice has a supernatural quality and adds to the impact of this Kafkaesque performance.
In one scene, the poet is confronted by two
female dancers. "Sacred Love" is costumed in a virginal white dress while Beatriz Rodriguez as "Profane Love" is bare-legged, dancing with one
shoe off and one shoe on. The two women vie for
the poet's attention but he quickly turns his back
on conventional love and explores his sexuality
with
the profane temptress.
Sensuous Rodriguez steals the audience's heart
as she and the poet traverse the stage in an interwoven series of lascivious chasses, then slide down to the floor to complete their suggestive dance.The choreography finally allows the dancers
A dancer from the Joffery Ballet's production of "The Green Table," above.
to step over the line of drama and demonstrate their fluidity and mastery of
technique. Rodriguez must navigate the stage with one foot bare, which is difficult, but she makes the off-centered movements looks easy by deftly shifting weight and height while maintaining a delicate balance.
While "Illluminations" seems to be the audience favorite, Kurt Jooss' anti-war piece, "The Green Table," was equally provocative. Part of the ballet's appeal was established by the dramatic opening, staged artfully around a green table, offering dancers a platform to spring and pose from during this mischievous, acrobatic ballet.
The wonderful masks, worn by the white-gloved "Gentlemen in Black," looked like caricatures of diplomats and brought exclamations of delight from many in the theater.
The ballet's staging was simple but powerful and dancers were accompanied by a lone piano rather than the full orchestra used in the other two ballets.
Edward Stierle deserves kudos for his spirited performance as "The Profiteer" of war, which combined mime and dance.
These three classics will be presented again at 8 tonight and on May 26. It's a performance worth seeing.
