Ballet West's Carmina Burana

I usually prefer seeing full-length ballets that tell a story but I have been trying to be bolder with my choices (especially with Ballet West and Utah Opera) so I went to Ballet West's production of Carmina Burana last night.  I am so glad that I did because this performance was simply amazing!  The first ballet was Glass Pieces with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Philip Glass.  It is meant to represent the random movements of New York commuters passing through Grand Central Station.  I really liked the entire ballet but my favorite was Movement 1.  The music is very chaotic and almost discordant as several groups of dancers walk back and forth across the stage in opposite directions.  Three main couples, Katlyn Addison and Dominic Ballard, Amy Potter and Hadriel Diniz, and Jenna Rae Herrera and Jordan Veit, dance individually and as a group before they begin interacting with the other dancers.  At first the other dancers simply step around them to get to their destination but the couples eventually begin to have an impact on select groups who join them and dance with abandon.  It is incredibly dynamic and I especially enjoyed seeing Addison, my favorite dancer in the company, perform a main role.  After the intermission, the entire company performed Carmina Burana with choreography by Nicolo Fonte and music by Carl Orff.  The text, which is based on a collection of medieval poetry, describes a wheel of fortune as it turns and features themes of luck and fate.  It is unbelievably dramatic and I had goosebumps multiple times!  The Cantorum Chamber Choir, under the direction of Chorus Master Steven Durtschi, is elevated above the stage on a platform with arches and columns holding it up and there were audible gasps from the audience when the curtain rose to reveal it for the first time.  Soprano Melissa Heath, Tenor Christopher Puckett, and Baritone Christopher Clayton also perform on stage, and even interact with the dancers at times, during several of the sections.  My favorite was "O Fortuna" at the opening and conclusion because it is so powerful!  The first section is about the rebirth found in Spring and the choreography is really energetic.  The second section is about feasting and drinking and the dances include a bit of debauchery which had the audience chuckling.  The third section involves romantic love and the movements of the dancers are incredibly tender.  I really liked Glass Pieces but Carmina Burana is absolutely brilliant and is not to be missed!  There are only three more performances so act quickly (go here for tickets)!

Note:  Ballet West has had an incredible season!  I have loved every production but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Dracula.