Richmond Ballet Swipes a Dance

Antonia Florence, assistant editor

The Richmond Ballet performed March 8 in the Dickinson Auditorium for a packed house. Swipe opened the show with strong beats, bold moves and no storyline.

The dancers approached center stage in costumes of earthen browns and various shades of black.

This commissioned piece for the company is an upbeat mix of digital sounds including full percussion which was composed by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of famed Russian classical composer, Sergei Prokofiev, who died in 1953. San Francisco-based Choreographer Val Caniparoli incorporated movements from various forms of dance including hip-hop, jazz, contemporary and African tribal with ballet.

Richmond Ballet’s website states, “The dance swipes movements from other genres and cultures, such as the undulating spines and grounded movements that look more like African dance than ballet. . . there’s no hidden meaning, there’s no background of anything other than music, dancers and dance.”

Classical ballet followed with “Pas Glazunov.” Abundant grace exuded from the music of Alexander Glazunov and the choreography of Malcom Burn which included jetes (a jump where a dancer springs from one foot leaving that leg extended in the air outward from the body and landing on the other foot), pirouettes (spinning on one foot, with the raised foot usually touching the knee of the supporting leg)  and pointe (on tips of toes).

Susan Cologne’s graduated blue costumes captured the spirit of the piece completing the ensemble. The dancers used the entire stage strategically with leaps and spins, throws and gentle bends while on pointe. I remember thinking about the female dancers aching toes. Male dancers rarely dance on pointe due to their higher weight and differing bone structure.

“Polaris,” the celestial North Star, portrays a cosmic experience as it moves in and out through constellations. The space-themed music by Murcof built suspense.

The stage was dark, and I was not sure what to expect. It was only a split second before the dancers appeared and their bodies floated, being hoisted by other dancers. Sparkling stars were released from above into the spotlight as the dancers moved about forming different constellations.

“Polaris” was choreographed by Katarzyna Skarpetowska. A collaboration including Emily DeAngelis’ costumes and Brittany Dilberto’s lighting design culminated in this breathtaking performance. During brief pauses in the music, all that could be heard were the shallow shuffles of ballet slippers on the stage floor.

The final dance, “Lift The Fallen,” started as a light and jaunty piece with the dancers wearing soft yellow and white. However, this ballet has an intense storyline. Ma Cong, the choreographer, drew on his experiences as he dealt with his mother’s death.

It began with vibrant life expressed by open and carefree movement among a long piece of yellow fabric spanning the length of the stage that had the illusion of silk. Then the movement of two dancers became intimate and restricted to tight movements and the music became more reserved leaving me with the feeling of despair. This stage did not last long before my spirits were lifted by a change in tempo and the beautiful open, airy movements of the dancers filling the stage with leaps and jumps of blossoming accomplishment.

In an interview posted on the Richmond Ballet website, Cong said, “[it is a] process of how they [people] heal their scars, and continue on with their lives, to even make their lives more extraordinary, is a process about becoming stronger. And even though our loved ones may be gone, they want you to live better. So, I wanted to create a work that can encourage and lift the fallen.”

The Richmond Ballet is a professional dance company founded in 1957 and has endured many changes and expansions. The company attracts multinational and heavily sought after talent. The company tours worldwide, but they continue to support their community outreach which introduces dance to youngsters in the greater Richmond area through free classes.

For more information about Richmond Ballet, visit their website at www.richmondballet.com