|
|
|
|
The Israel Ballet Triple Bill: 'Xta,' 'Gurrelieder,' 'Ni-Na'
February 27, 2010 -- Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center, Silver Spring, Maryland For the first time in 25 years, the Israel Ballet is touring the United States. I’m sure there are many reasons why that is the case. One reason for the long hiatus since the company’s last visit to the US is probably politics. I was surprised to learn that protesters greeted patrons coming to see the Israel Ballet’s opening night performance of “Don Quixote” at a community college in Maryland, near Washington, DC. I wasn’t present that evening, but I gathered from a report from a friend who was there that the protesters were Palestinian/human rights activists objecting to the Israel Ballet because of the company’s presumed support by the Israeli government. A quick internet search revealed that the Israel Ballet faced similar protests at the other venues on their US tour. Another reason for the lengthy interval since the company’s last visit to the US may be finances. After all, international travel is expensive, especially when you’re traveling with two dozen or so dancers, plus sets and costumes, and arts funding seems harder and harder to obtain. After having seen the Israel Ballet, however, I wondered whether they have not toured the US for over two decades because of the company’s subpar artistry. The Israel Ballet’s triple bill showcased works of one of the company’s founders and Artistic Directors, Berta Yampolsky (the other founder and Artistic Director is Yampolsky’s husband, Hillel Markman). Although program notes indicate that these original works are the company’s “greatest pride,” I wished I had attended the performance of “Don Quixote” instead. I chose to attend on Saturday night because I wanted to see something totally new. I was also looking forward to seeing dance in a new venue – Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center. I could not have anticipated what awaited me. The recently opened campus theater imparted an industrial feeling, with concrete floors in the lobby and lots of metal, including hanging mesh curtains of metal that divided the aisles for entering and exiting the theater from its seats. There were no protesters in sight on Saturday night, but there were tons of Montgomery College benefactors on hand, along with tables filled with hors d’oeuvres. I had seen on Montgomery College’s website that Saturday night tickets were $100 each, which included pre- and post-performance receptions and an opportunity to meet the dancers. What the publicity materials did not explain was that the evening’s performance would be preceded by prolonged speeches honoring a successful fundraising campaign for Montgomery College. When the Israel Ballet’s dancers finally took the stage, their performance, unfortunately, did not prove worth the long wait. The three works on display – “Xta,” “Gurrelieder,” and “Ni-Na” – were underwhelming. Discerning the level of talent of the dancers posed a problem. Yampolsky’s choreography certainly didn’t play to their strengths, whatever they may be. In “Xta,” dancers wearing tight, shiny black costumes moved robotically. Drums provided the bulk of the music. Hips jutted forward and shoulders rolled back. They flexed and pointed their feet and struck positions unenthusiastically and repetitively, as if completing boring ballet exercises. A group of dancers stood in a line, like Irish dancers, rarely using their arms. Peculiarly, some movement led with the chin, trying perhaps to look snaky. Males performed a breakdance move in which one foot jumped over a leg rotating underneath. The unison was off, one dancer completely lost her balance, and overall, the work came off as a contemporary ballet experiment gone awry. The second work of the evening, “Gurrelieder,” featured music by Arnold Schoenberg. Again, dancers flexed and pointed their feet mechanically. Again, their faces lacked emotion. Again, the timing was off. Despite technically pretty extensions and the like, the choreography was dull, and the dancers performed it lifelessly, as if they were dancing in their sleep. The work looked as sterile as the new theater in which it was being danced. When one dancer entered from the wings with a gauzy veil over her face, it woke me up because it was inadvertently comical, conjuring images from “La Bayadere,” but without that ballet’s marvels. The final work, “Ni-Na,” was livelier than the rest, and the choreography was more enjoyable, with more classical lines. Like in the other works by Yampolsky, the dancers flaunted high kicks in abundance. Unlike in the other works, the personalities of the dancers began to shine. Partnering featured surprising moves, like a woman, leaning backward, held firmly at the base of her neck or fluttering her legs while held aloft as if swimming. The quirkiness, and even humor present in “Ni-Na,” was a welcome antidote to the monotony and heaviness of the “Xta” and “Gurrelieder.”
|
|
about us • writers' guidelines • faq • privacy policy • copyright notice • advertising • contact us |
by Carmel Morgan