Mod Squad

It's been a long time, probably almost a century, since ballet simply meant ladies dancing on pointe.

by Janet Anderson

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Published: May 2, 2007

It's been a long time, probably almost a century, since ballet simply meant ladies dancing on pointe. Last week, Pennsylvania Ballet's Modern Masters program celebrated Twyla Tharp, Kevin O'Day and Val Caniparoli, three choreographers who've re-imagined ballet as something current and malleable. But it many ways, it was all about Tharp and her lifelong career deconstructing ballet to absorb everyday stuff like boxing punches and tennis shoes. O'Day has a direct connection to Tharp, having danced for eight years with her troupe, and Caniparoli also owes a lot to the lady who used hard rock and graffiti in ballet.

O'Day's Quartet for IV (and sometimes one, two or three...) is deceptively easy-looking. It's a series of solos, duets and quartets for four dancers who slip effortlessly between difficult balances, unexpected leaps and jaunty moves. It often seems more a game than a dance. Kevin Volan's lilting string music suits this playful mood. The dancers were terrific, especially Alexander Iziliaev, who sauntered easily through a variation originally created for Baryshnikov in 1994.

Caniparoli's Lambarena weaves together African movement, which is ground-oriented and focused in the hips, with ballet's torso-driven thrust upward. He sent the dancers moving straight up and then landed them flat-footed and waggling their hips. Caniparoli had fun with the contradiction by setting his piece to Bach and African traditional songs, and then asking dancers to sway to Bach and pirouette to African sounds. If may not be great dance, but the an engaging crowd-pleaser provided a star turn for Heidi Cruz-Austin.

The big gun came out last. Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room is staged in hazy lighting, giving the wonderful effect of dancers appearing and disappearing into mist. From the moment the gray-clad dancers mysteriously materialized, the mood was galvanizing, thrusting � part dance, part conflict. Many ballerinas performed in sneakers, while four women wore red toe shoes, making their every move an exclamation point in the mist. Philip Glass' score was like a siren calling the dancers to action. Sound poured out in deep resonant growls and lovely lyric passages. This is vintage Tharp: boxing jabs, tap dance, ballet balances, walking, hesitating and even full stops midmove. Tharp shouts choreographically: Look, this is ballet! With smoke and light, the show ends as dancers march toward the wildly applauding audience.

(j_anderson@citypaper.net)

Penn Ballet Modern Masters Program, April 25, 8 p.m., Merriam Theater

 

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