This weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Ballet BC welcomes Miami City Ballet for their Vancouver debut, Balanchine, a collection of three works by dance legend George Balanchine. Widely regarded as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th Century, Balanchine is not only revered for his artistic skill, but also for the breadth of his oeuvre. This weekend’s triple bill was selected to highlight both of these features. Indeed, aside from their masterful choreography and expert execution, the three pieces chosen for Balanchine are about as different as you can get.
The first ballet, Ballo della Regina, was performed by a male principal and an all-female corps. The piece is challenging and fast paced—so challenging, in fact, that Miami City Ballet is one of the few dance companies in the world granted the right to perform it. A tale of a fisherman in search of the perfect pearl, Ballo della Regina is vibrant and dynamic, replete with high jumps and complex footwork. Despite the demanding nature of the piece, however, The Miami City ballerinas made it seem almost effortless. Quick and light-footed, they seemed to flutter across the stage.
Second on the program was Symphony in Three Movements, a plotless, large-ensemble work, first choreographed by Balanchine for the opening night of the New York City Ballet’s Stravinsky Festival in 1972. Over 40 years later, it is still impressive. Edgy and contemporary, this invigorating ballet pairs a flair for drama with a subtle sense of humour. The dancers’ high kicks, angular movements, and unexpected twists gave the piece a jazzy feel, reminiscent of West Side Story.
Concluding the evening was one of Balentine’s masterpieces, Serenade. Although meant to be plotless, it is almost impossible not to imagine a narrative in the sorrowful swells of Tchaikovsky’s Serenada in C Major for String Orchestra to which the ballet is set. Lit by a bluish glow, sixteen dancers formed a long, graceful curve across the stage, dancing in synch. The ballerinas’ slow, languid movements resembled waves upon a quiet sea, their intertwined bodies like the vertebrae of some giant beached whale. In the foreground, two female dancers vied daringly for the attention of a single male companion. The pair mirrored and inverted each other’s movements, each woman becoming the imperfect shadow of her counterpart, until the two were almost indistinguishable. Concluding with a startling finale, Serenade was an eerie, but beautiful, finish to an exceptional evening.
Ballet BC Presents Miami City Ballet in BALANCHINE
Queen Elizabeth Theatre (649 Cambie)
February 19 – 21, 2015 • Performances at 8:00 pm
February 21, 2015 • Performance at 2:00pm