Balanchine's Ballets Russes

I usually prefer seeing full-length ballets rather than a grouping of one-acts but my friend convinced me to see Ballet West's production of Jewels last season and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to see Balanchine's Ballets Russes last night.  I am glad that I did because it was wonderful.  This production features three of George Balanchine's earliest works as a choreographer when he was under the tutelage of Sergei Diaghilev in Paris while a member of the famed company Les Ballets Russes.  The first piece is Le Chant du Rossignol (The Song of the Nightingale) which tells the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a Nightingale (Sayaka Ohtaki) who saves an ailing Chinese Emperor (Christopher Sellars) from Death (Katlyn Addison) and features music from Igor Stravinsky.   The sets and costumes for this ballet are recreations from the originals by Henri Matisse and I found them to be very striking.  I liked the athleticism of the choreography for the Warriors, Chamberlains, and Mandarins. Both Ohtaki and Addison (one of my favorites in the company) danced their roles beautifully.  The next piece is Apollo and it was definitely my favorite of the evening.  This ballet depicts the birth of the Greek god Apollo, his interactions with the Muses of poetry (Calliope), mime (Polyhymnia), and dance (Terpsichore), and his ultimate ascension to Mount Parnassus.  The choreography is very elegant and I especially enjoyed the innovative patterns and shapes created when Apollo (Chase O'Connell) dances with Calliope (Emily Neale), Polyhymnia (Chelsea Keefer), and Terpsichore (Beckanne Sisk).  I was particularly struck by how well the choreography interprets each particular Muse (my favorite was Polyhymnia).  I liked the simple costumes and the stark set with just a staircase representing Mount Parnassus.  Stravinsky's music for this ballet is incredibly beautiful and I was very moved by it.  The final piece is Prodigal Son, based on the parable from the Bible, and it is very dramatic.  The Prodigal (Christopher Sellars) is a rebellious young man who leaves his home only to be seduced by a Siren (Allison DeBona) and robbed by her followers.  Wretched and alone, he returns home and is forgiven by his father (Trevor Naumann) and sisters (Lillian Casscells and Victoria Vassos).  The costumes and set for this ballet are recreations of the originals by the expressionist artist Georges Rouault and, once again, I thought they were quite striking.  The choreography between the Prodigal and the Siren is frenzied and provocative but the final scene of forgiveness between him and his family is quite affecting.  I enjoyed hearing the music of Prokofiev, who wrote the score for this ballet, for the second night in a row!  After this production, as well as Jewels last season, it looks like I am becoming a fan of the one-act ballet!  Balanchine's Ballets Russes is an evening of three compelling ballets that is not to be missed!  Go here for tickets.