dance writer

Solidifying its identity as a midwest repertory ballet company, in its varied and well-balanced concert, Madison Ballet's LOVE  spanned history and style in a concise evening of dances highlighted by its bookends—the opening re-staging of Paquita (first performed in 1846) and a rousing 2021 contemporary closer brought in by guest, Stephanie Martinez. Sandwiched between came three brief and light dances contributed by Madison Ballet Artistic/Executive Director, Ja' Malik, and an earthy duet from Richard Walters. Traditional in every sense of the word, Paquita , opened the program, exhibiting the companies classical bravura abilities. Staged by Andrea Long (after the original Makarova and Petipa choreographies), this dance-for-dance-sake for ten was tightly done with a stiff, presentational beauty matching the customary tutu costumes. After a bit of a shaky start with the old-school vocabulary, the corps grew into the demands of speed and dexterity as the piece evolved. Solo sec...

Everything about this the Joffrey Ballet's remount of the 2019  Anna Karenina  tragedy at the Lyric Opera House is lavish and high-end. Although there are moments of clarity and nuance, the action in Yuri Possikhov's choreography falls short of the clear narrative that the program notes suggest. Even the t op notch production values and impeccable dancing cannot save the weak story-telling .  The dancers have the chops to take on this work, but Possikhov hasn't found the nuance and grit that the story needs. Tackling a tome such as this Tolstoy's epic and translating that to 2.5 hour-long ballet is no-doubt a daunting task. And thank goodness a written condensed scene by scene synopsis in the printed program provides a simple outline of the story. Even so, this does not seem to be the same story being told onstage. Some key moments are apparent, as in the opening scene of a man's sudden death by train as depicted using projections on a large downstage scrim. Likewis...