Seated in the notoriously scratchy blue seats of Palmer Auditorium, the audience of the Friday, Jan. 26 onStage show was treated to a graceful yet modern performance by BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company. BalletX combines distinguished choreographers and dancers who work together to challenge “the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique,” as stated on Connecticut College’s website. Members of the company performed “Gran Partita,” choreographed by Jorma Elo; “Malasangre,” choreographed by Cayetano Soto; and “The Last Glass,” choreographed by Matthew Neenan. Each of these pieces captured the audience and—through choreography, lighting effects, music, and costumes—effectively intertwined both ballet and contemporary into one dance form.
The show opened with fog sprawled across the stage as dancers slowly began to appear with spotlights directed on them. The female dancers wore simple tan leotards and the male dancers wore white pants; both apparel choices allowed the audience to focus on the dancers’ magnificent abilities, rather than potentially being distracted by elaborate costumes.
“Gran Partita” was composed of several pas de deux—all of which demonstrated classical ballet form. However, these duets were intermixed with more contemporary choreography throughout the piece. Thus, when the audience felt like the performance was turning into solely a ballet piece, the choreography would slowly begin to morph into more modern movements. Although sometimes abrupt, the choreography worked to unite forms of dance not always thought to work well together in the same piece. However, BalletX shows that these forms can in fact go hand in hand. The most striking performance in “Gran Partita” was by Francesca Forcella and Gary W. Jeter II. The complex choreography performed by both dancers are perhaps the reason why one of their more complicated lifts was the cover of the program for the show.
After the first performance, Malasangre transitioned the show from a primarily ballet piece to one with more variety. This piece opened with what appeared to be gray squares of paper on the stage—in fact, toward the end of the piece the dancers actually picked these up and threw them into the air. Both female and male dancers wore knee-high black socks, but the female dancers wore tan turtleneck long-sleeved shirts, and the male dancers wore crisp, tan kilts with pleats. While “Gran Partita” was performed to primarily classical music, “Malasangre” was performed to a variety of upbeat music, the majority of which was sung in Romance languages. The opening segment of this piece began with a sassy song that shocked the audience and was danced solely by male dancers. This was unorthodox, yet intriguing as it reversed the often stereotypical female-male roles in dance: the performance by male dancers of BalletX evoked traditional notions of femininity, and female dancers later performed strong and bold movements. While this piece diverged from classical ballet and instead was composed of mostly contemporary and modern choreography, there were some moments when ballet movements and technique shone through.
The last performance returned the show to ballet in a less subtle way, but contemporary dance was not forgotten. Female dancers entered wearing pale-colored leotards and frilly tutus. In contrast, the male dancers wore pants and simple shirts, almost like street clothes. Two dancers were even on pointe, which means they wore pointe shoes that allow them to appear as though they are dancing on their toes. Skyler Lubin’s performance on pointe was particular impressive as she carried out difficult choreography ranging from leg lifts to turns with the grace of a prima ballerina. The only female dancer not in a classic tutu was Andrea Yorita. She was dressed in a pink shirt and bermuda shorts. While her costume set her apart from her peers, it was Yorita’s beautiful technique and expressive performance that held my attention throughout the show.
This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of performing arts at Connecticut College. Moreover, BalletX was the perfect show to celebrate this incredible achievement. BalletX was a performance looked forward to by many—including myself—and it did not disappoint. From riveting choreography, to outstanding dancers, to music and costumes that highlighted the show’s tone, it was onStage’s best guest performance yet this year. I hope the company returns to Conn’s campus in the future to once again capture the audience and transport them to a different world—one filled with grace and imagination.
