Ballet West's West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond

Yesterday I was able to attend a matinee of Ballet West's repertory program West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond which featured two choreographers known for their success on the Great White Way.  I thoroughly enjoyed this program (I usually prefer full-length ballets) and I was very impressed by how innovative and groundbreaking it was.  The program began with Antique Epigraphs with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Claude Debussy (the piece was bookended by a solo flute performing Debussy's Syrinx with his Six Epigraphes Antiques played by the full orchestra in between and it was quite dramatic).  Eight female dancers, including Katlyn Addison, Lillian Casscells, Kye Cooley, Nicole Fanney, Victoria Vassos, Rylee Ann Rogers, Anisa Sinteral, and Claire Spainhour, wearing flowing gowns in earth tones formed dynamic patterns inspired by Greek mythology, both individually and as a group moving in unison, while gliding across the stage. I was struck by how elegant and fluid their movements were, particularly the graceful extension of their arms.  I was really happy to see Addison, my favorite dancer in the company, in a prominent role. The next piece was Carousel (A Dance) with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Richard Rodgers from the musical of the same name.  On a stage swathed with carnival lights, Amy Potter and Jordan Veit danced a lovely waltz emphasizing the push and pull of a possible romance after Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan first meet each other.  The members of the ensemble acted as a carousel while jumping and spinning around the couple in a circle.  There was a fun effect when the women held poles as they were lifted up and down by the men because they really did look like the horses on a moving carousel in their colorful dresses (the two young girls sitting in front of me loved this).  Following this was the Pas De Deux from After the Rain with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Arvo Part.  Cellist Lauren Posey and Pianist Vedrana Subotic performed Spiegel im Spiegel on stage as Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz performed elaborate lifts and shapes that were slow, deliberate, and intimate.  This was absolutely stunning and I was blown away by the strength, concentration, and control required of the dancers.  The program concluded with West Side Story Suite, the piece that I was most interested to see, with iconic choreography by Jerome Robbins, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  This was incredible because the company, who were joined by guest artists Robbie Fairchild as Tony, Georgina Pazgoquin as Anita, and several guest vocalists, performed the big ensemble numbers from the stage musical with dancing, singing, and acting.  I especially loved the "Prologue" because the choreography communicated the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks through movement brilliantly, "Dance at the Gym" because the contrast between the Jets and Sharks was so dramatic (the Jets were primarily costumed in blue, orange, and yellow and the Sharks were costumed in black, pink, and purple) and seeing them intermingle was riveting, "Cool" because the choreography was thrilling with acrobatic leaps and spins (I was beyond impressed by David Huffmire's singing as Biff), and "Somewhere Ballet" because it was so moving that I had tears in my eyes by the end.  I had to exchange my ticket in order to see this but I am so glad that I made the effort because this was really unexpected and exceeded my expectations!  Unfortunately, last night was the final performance but you can go here to see the remaining productions this season.