February 10-16, 2005

dance

Playing the Numbers

by Janet Anderson

Pennsylvania Ballet put away costumes and sets, threw out story lines and just danced. And no one made the dancers look better than their own in-house choreographer, Matthew Neenan, in his premiere 11:11.

This is no small accomplishment when you consider the bill's headline choreographers were New York City Ballet's Peter Martins and the fabulously inventive Twyla Tharp.

Neenan's been following his choreographic muse for a while, both for PAB, where he remains a corps dancer, as well as with his own Phrenic New Ballet, but his work has never been as effective as this piece. In 11:11, Neenan created a totally abstract dance that constantly engaged the audience emotionally.

Working with a large cast of 20 and pensive Rufus Wainwright songs, Neenan effortlessly kept his dancers in motion while shifting stage sequences in ways that not only made sense but were lyric and pretty to watch. This is big-talent stuff: real choreography, not just movement-doodling. Fellow dancer Martha Chamberlain designed silky, floaty dresses and slacks, polishing off the dance's sophisticated look.

Excellent Meredith Rainey and his lithesome partner, Julie Diana, stood out in a cast where Neenan provided many opportunities for his cohorts to shine. It dazzled most, however, as an ensemble piece. One of Neenan's nicest bits of invention was a corps dance for the men; instead of a bevy of swans, PAB's outstanding men held the stage. Neenan deserved his ovation.

Martins' The Waltz Project is all about difficult, sometimes even unattractive, technique as only Martins can do it. The score is equally challenging — 10 truly experimental waltzes by world-class innovative composers, including John Cage.

The Pennsylvanians rose to the challenge of choreography that required them to be dragged nose-down along the floor or carried on a partner's shoulder in a position, where, with heels together and knees apart, the ladies looked more like frogs than ballerinas. Arantxa Ochoa has the sharp body line and pure technique that looks dazzling in Martins' stuff. Valerie Amiss and Alexander Iziliaev charmed in a flirtatious waltz that had Amiss pirouetting in jogging shoes while her partner wooed her with open arms and big gracious turns.

After dancing like demons in the first two selections, it's no surprise that the Nine Sinatra Songs cast looked tired. (The standard on Songs was set by Tharp herself, dancing with Barsyhnikov.) There were exceptions. Amy Aldridge got it absolutely right, as she had earlier in Waltz. And Meredith Reffner was ballroom elegance itself, dancing with suave James Ihde to All the Way.

PENNSYLVANIA BALLET Feb. 2, Merriam Theater