Joyce Theater Presents BalletX: 3 NYC Premieres Review — Grace and Whimsy Both

Affected voices share banter at a tea party.  A badminton game is played with proper posture, no strain and clearly no sweat as if to protect hairdo and dandy costume.  When a softball pitching machine takes over batting out birdies to a dancer in frozen proper pose we all laugh. The adults are meanwhile thinking— OH, THAT’s what dandy means…

This Joyce Theater Family Matinee Day finale was Macaroni (Choreographer:  Loughlan Prior), a satire of Yankee Doodle Dandy. We learn that this anthem is actually a homophobic song we unwittingly sing without a clue that the lyrics lampoon the queer style of that day.  Like a good episode of The Simpsons, there is a dual track. Kids of all ages enjoy the clowning and grown ups can marvel at the camp satire. All can enjoy the dance prowess pressed into service for storytelling mode.

Joyce Theater’s Program Let’s Philadelphia’s BALLET X Show Its Considerable Range

The fun explosion of Macaroni came after intermission and the performance of two works in part I — Beautiful Once and Heroes.  

For this reviewer, it was the lighting effects (Lighting Designer: Michael Korsch)  in the opening Beautiful Once (Choreographer: Jodie Gates) that immediately grabbed attention to focus us on the skill of the dancers. Ten dancers stride on to the stage and seem to take turns in solo or duet in a central spotlight, while others stride or float as a moving frame around the wide spotlight.  We see and feel ensemble at work— sometimes with pairs flying in mirror precision.  

 There are embraces and torsos rippling into pecks of kisses.  Female dancers seem to slide into angled poses on their male partners as if by magnets.  When the music by Ryan Lott hits an extended note the dancer’s limbs follow suit.  Visuals and music remain in sync.  The work memorably concludes with several smaller spotlights converging to one.

The brilliant crimson billowing pantaloons with oversized coat costumes (Costume Designer: Eugenia P. Stallings) are like a shot of espresso when the curtain rises on Heroes (Choreographer:  Takehiro Ueyama).  Two live musicians add to a vocal musical track to perform John Adams’ signature repetitive tension-mounting composition The Chairman Dances - Foxtrot for Orchestra.  After a relatively slow duo intro the similarly crimson-clad thirteen dancers move with and on contrasting wood plank chairs in unison and sometimes rippling action. We read in the program notes that this piece means to salute all of the Japanese citizens who helped repair their nation after World War II.  In a movement refrain we see these workers boarding a bus or train in orderly fashion .  That intent notwithstanding, those similarly familiar with Ohad Naharin’s ensemble-on-chairs work conveying the ecstasy of ultra-orthodox Jews will have a feeling of déja vu.  This is not a complaint by any stretch, but rather a nod to their similar brilliant strokes of letting dancers use chairs to highlight their fast-moving gestures-in-unison. 

There is never a moment in Ballet X’s performances when you think the dancers are less than perfect.  More than anything though, this is a showcase of choreography that dazzles. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Photos courtesy of Ballet X by Christoopher Duggan, unless otherwise indicated

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