Boston Ballet's "Mirrors" Reflects Dazzling Diversity of Styles - Through May 28th at The Boston Opera House

Running in parallel with the classical "Swan Lake," "Mirrors" is a program that combines elements of classical ballet with modern dance moves in four separate programs, two of which are World Premieres.  These two offerings by Boston Ballet to cap off their current season reflect not only the breadth of vision of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen, but also highlight the broad talents of the company's soloists, principals and corps de ballet, toggling nightly between markedly different styles of dancing and telling stories through movement.

Principal Dancer Lia Cirio
Boston Ballet in José Martinez's "Resonance" 
"Mirrors"
Through May 28th
Boston Opera House
Photo by Gene Schiavone

I will report on the dancers that performed for the Press Opening.  The program began with "Resonance" by Jose Martinez and with music by Franz Liszt.  The piece had its World Premiere with the Boston Ballet in 2014.  One piano was positioned on the floor to the side of the orchestra pit, and a second grand piano was placed upstage behind the dancers. Pianists Alex Foaksman and Freda Locker alternated playing movements of "Transcendental Etudes" as the dancers performed. The piece, set in shades of off-white, grays and blacks, utilized shadows throughout, thanks to brilliant lighting by John Cuff and subdued costumes by Jean-Marc Puissant. The riveting beginning had Principal Dancer Lia Cirio - always stunning and elegant - slowly gliding backwards onto the stage with her larger than life shadow projected on the back wall.  As the piece evolved, she was joined by Lasha Khozashvili, Dusty Button and Patrick Yocum.  Also having significant time in the light - and shadows - were Maria Alvarez, Ji Young Chae, Anais Chalendard and Seo Hye Han.  In all, 19 dancers swarm the stage like bees moving among movable elements of the set.  On one occasion, several of the male dancers choreographed the moving of a set piece - usually done by anonymous stage hands - as part of the action.  This piece was one of my favorites of the evening.

Boston Ballet in José Martinez's "Resonance"
"Mirrors"
Through May 28th
Boston Opera House
Photo by Gene Schiavone

Following the first Intermission, Lia Cirio returned with Eris Nezha for a prolonged pas de deux entitled "Belong."  The piece, with choreography by Norbert Vesak, was receiving its Boston Ballet Premiere.  Set to the atmospheric electronic music of Syrinx, the piece celebrates the intimate connections that are formed between the two dancers.  It culminates with a breath-takingly beautiful tableau of the two dancers sitting quietly on the floor with arms, legs and torsos intertwined.  This moment was the highlight of the evening for me, and the intensity of the applause and number of curtain calls told me that many others shared my enthusiasm for the piece and its flawless execution by Ms. Cirio and Mr. Nezha.

The World Premiere of "Smoke and Mirrors" followed, with Choreography by former Boston Ballet Principal Dancer Yury Yanowsky and music by his cousin, Berklee College of Music alumnus Lucas Vidal. This unusual piece was inspired by Yanowsky's wife's pregnancy, which triggered a discussion of the old practice of having pregnant women wear corsets to conceal their expanding girth.  Special costumes were designed by Charles Heightchew to mimic those corsets, and the ladies' costumes featured handles that allowed their male counterparts to hold them and support them in unusual ways and at unexpected angles. Featured in this work were Ji Young Chae, John Lam, Anais Chalendard, Sabi Varga, Maria Baranova, Paul Craig, Erica Cornejo and Issac Akiba, supported by Shelby Elsbree, Emily Mistretta, Dalay Parrondo, Andres Garcia, Lawrence Rines and Matthew Slattery.  I really enjoyed this piece for its originality, joie de vivre and celebration of life.

After a second Intermission, the World Premiere of "Bitches Brew" was uncorked and let out of the bottle.  It is a dance interpretation of Miles Davis' iconic jazz album of the same name. Choreographed by Karole Armitage, the number features costumes by Peter Speliopoulos that combined metallic elements with lycra.  I must confess to not being a jazz aficionado, so I did not know what to expect from the music. The choreographer used the dancers' hair as an additional bodily element to be programmed, including a scene in which the long bangs of the female dancers covered their faces like curtains. For me, the piece went on far too long, and did not capture my imagination or appreciation.  As always, the dancers were skillful and committed to telling an abstract story.  The featured dancers were Ji Young Chae, Dusty Button, Ashley Ellis, Misa Kuranaga, Lasha Khozashvili, John Lam, Ricardo Santos, Irlan Silva and Patrick Yocum.

Despite my lack of appreciation for this last piece, the evening was a rousing success.  I join the many thousands of audience members who eagerly await the fascinating program that Boston Ballet has put together for its next season.

There is still time to enjoy both "Swan Lake" and "Mirrors."

Boston Ballet Website

Enjoy!

Al