Ballet Idaho’s second concert of the season shows growth, while pointing to challenges. “Fiery and Magical” opened Friday to a sold-out audience, a good sign for this burgeoning company.
The program features three pieces — ballet master Alex Ossadnik’s “Circus,” dancer and choreographer Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and artistic director Peter Anastos’ “The Firebird.”
Ossadnik’s “Circus” is a showy, splashy piece set to Shostakovich.
Costumer Megan Ann Richardson’s whimsical transformations of dancers into tigers and horses give the piece the look of a story book.
Circus scenes are interspersed with a sweet love story between a Pierrot, danced by Graham Gobeille, and ballerina of the high wire, Monique Betty. Their romance plays out between acts: dynamic Adrienne Kerr as the Tiger Tamer, elegant Angela Napier as the Horse Trainer and super flexible Jessica Sulikowski and James Brougham as acrobats.
A dark turn in the story is an opportunity for Ossadnik to conjure beautiful images. At one point, he lowers the stage borders (the rails that hold curtains and lights overhead). Dancers swing from them in opposition. More of that, please.
Overall, the choreography was a bit simplistic, especially in the group scenes that packed a lot of people onto the compact stage. Crowding became a theme of the night, confirming that Ballet Idaho has outgrown this venue. Executive director Paul Kaine has said the company will move its repertory concerts to the Morrison Center next season.
Jolicoeur-Nye’s “Romeo and Juliet,” set to a Tchaikovsky overture, deconstructed the familiar story into a non-linear loop told from the point of view of Friar Laurence (Brougham). Laurence watches the tragedy unfold, tortured by his inability to stop it. Brougham gave a strong performance, including a dramatic recitation to open the piece.
John Frazer and Phyllis Affrunti were beautifully affecting as the title characters. The always-dramatic Andrew Taft was fun to watch as Tybalt.
Nye’s attempt to tell the whole story was a bit too much, but he had some interesting choreography.
“Firebird” was perhaps too ambitious for the space. The ballet is based on a Russian folk tale about a magical bird, danced here by Heather Hawk, who is captured, then freed by Prince Ivan (Nye). Before flying away, the bird gives him one of her magical feathers, vowing to come to his aid whenever called.
Anastos has a flair for story ballets. He did an admirable job of editing Stravinsky’s score into a manageable length. He made great use of the company’s academy students as monsters and court people.
Hawk appeared tentative in the title role and seemed to struggle at times. Even Nye was uncharacteristically low-key as Ivan but did a great job of struggling with the monsters.
Dana Oland: 377-6442
