Bloody Mr. B

dance

Mobsters, murder and mayhem. Sopranos episode? Sure. Ballet? That, too. In George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, a guy falls in love with a stripper who happens to be a gangster's girl. Ever so in love, the illicit couple swoons, swishes and kicks up a storm. The gal makes an especially sensual show of it, shimmying and showing off her gams in all their leggy glory. Of course her mobster man will have none of that, and while I'll not spoil the bang-up ending, the title fits.

The humorous, Broadway-style ballet is one of three pieces by Mr. B on Pennsylvania Ballet's season opener. Slaughter's lightheartedness is balanced by two serious numbers, one of which is Ballo della Regina. The name means "dance of the queen," and the style is indeed courtly. Set to music from Verdi's Don Carlo, the work showcases the troupe's expertise in the extreme classical mode.

In a similar vein, Agon is based on court dances; however, this interpretation is purely abstract. Performed to music by Stravinsky, its angular moves are really twists on familiar poses of the ballet genre. When Agon debuted in 1957, it was ruled revolutionary; nowadays, it's just cool.

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Pennsylvania Ballet, Wed.-Sun., Nov. 3-7, $20-$99, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust sts., 215-893-1999.

—Deni Kasrel

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