Darren Lee
Shannon Quirk dances with abandon in Non è Normale.
Madison Ballet’s She is at the Bartell Theatre this (and only this) weekend, so it is with a sense of urgency that I inform you: There is a lot to like and think about with respect to this performance and the impetus for it.
Artistic Director W. Earle Smith designed the program to celebrate the work of female ballet choreographers and this is an ideal time to do so. It’s also time to ponder why — as former board president Betty Custer did in her eloquent opening remarks on Feb. 2 — with so many female dancers on stages across the world are there relatively few female artistic directors and works from female choreographers being performed? Custer also wisely contrasted George Balanchine’s famous quote “Ballet is woman” with choreographer Pam Tanowitz’s: “Ballet is a man’s idea of woman.”
The program opened with Katherine Kramer’s Bow. The program notes indicate that the piece is inspired by the “beauty and insanity of living on a sailboat.” It does evoke traveling across the water; the dancers undulate as a group, chests often pitched forward as though cutting through the wind. The final section “Letting Go,” a sunny, island romp, is such a departure in tone that it feels a bit jarring until the dancers regroup in their original formation, this time heading in the opposite direction.
Gait N Heel from Jacqueline Stewart was provocative from the start. Catherine Rogers arrives on stage in a hot pink leotard, bare legs, pointe shoes and her long hair flowing freely. Her body is manipulated, petted and tossed around by three male dancers. But again and again, she extricates herself to stride toward the audience as if to confront us. Later, more women appear wearing impossibly high heels and long black vests over their pink leotards. This group is then infiltrated by three dancers in pointe shoes, and the dynamic between the two different shoe factions is often a polarizing one. All these sexy limbs made me think of how footwear can fetishize a woman’s body parts — and of course that is inherent in ballet where long, supple limbs are desired and extolled.
Les Noces (The Wedding) was an ambitious restaging from Smith of Bronislava Nijinska’s ballet, which she choreographed for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1923. It’s an interesting choice for the company, and I’m glad they tackled it, even though it might have benefitted from a few more rehearsals. The unison is so raw and necessary here that any missteps or timing issues are amplified. Igor Stravinsky’s score is complex, and the unusual counts are potentially vexing for dancers. Dancers Shannon Quirk and Shea Johnson are a young couple preparing for their wedding who receive the blessings of their families and friends. The movement is stark and jarring: biting strings of bourrees and low jumps with the feet in parallel. The stunning way Nijinska creates shapes and tableaus with the dancers still feels revolutionary. Several times the bride’s friends make a tower for the bride to rest her head on by leaning over to stack their heads one on top of another, creating one of the most iconic images in ballet history. I appreciated Quirk’s intentionally flat affect and her pure, uncluttered movement. This simplicity contrasts with some other dancers, whose flouncy arm moves seem out of place in this work. Smith eschews the ballet’s typical peasant costumes and the bride’s exaggerated long braids and instead keeps things basic with black leotards.
Nikki Hefko’s Mingus Dances was a breezy joy set to two works from jazz great Charles Mingus. The opening pas de deux for Kaleigh Schock and Damien Johnson was one of the loveliest things I’ve seen on stage in a while. Clad in simple tunics, the two share a palpable connection, dancing Hefko’s pleasing choreography with sincerity and skill.
Six female dancers were playful without being too cutesy, and the three solos were all well done. Kelanie Murphy was excellent the entire evening, combining a sparkling stage presence with solid technique.
Non è Normale from Stephanie Martinez closes the program and plays to the strengths of the company. The dancers, in nude leotards or tanks paired with shiny silver skirts or tights, look like they are from a planet of sexy aliens. Quirk, who dances with abandon, is teamed with Damien and Shea Johnson, and this trio provides some indelibly beautiful moments. Murphy and Jackson Warring have a snappy encounter to a Spanish version of It’s Not Unusual.
I left thinking that Madison Ballet is bursting with talented and versatile dancers — and that Smith was prescient about the need for (and timing of) this production. I wish a larger audience would have the opportunity to see it.
The opening night performance appeared to be sold out or close to it, and just the 8 p.m. show remains on Feb. 3.
