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In the News and On the Air: Printed Articles & Reviews; Radio & Television; |
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Ballet executes exuberant leap REVIEW Atlanta Ballet's "Sinfonietta Giocosa" with "Carmina Burana" 2 and 8 p.m. today; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $10-$76. Atlanta Ballet. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-817-8700, www.ticketmaster.com. The verdict: Sassy chic meets grand ballet --- seamlessly. It's early to be dubbing something the "event of the season," but the Atlanta Ballet's sizzling double bill at the Fox Theatre is an assured contender, a feast for the eye and ear that showcases the range, elasticity and spunk of this talented troupe as it continues to climb in the ranks of the country's finest ballet companies. Christopher Hampson's choreography for "Sinfonietta Giocosa," which opens the program, is so high energy and requires such technical finesse as to be positively scary at times. Witness Kristine Necessary's airborne spin into Jonah Hooper's arms, Christian Clark's flawless double turns, John Welker's graceful, long-limbed leaps across the stage. These are artists who appear unafraid --- indeed eager --- to take chances and experiment, yet who remain grounded in their art form. Set to the music of 20th-century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu and premiered last spring at the Ferst Center for the Arts, "Sinfonietta" was created specifically for Atlanta by Hampson, a British choreographer of substantial repute. It uses a dozen of the company's finest, all dressed in simple yet stylish black leotards, dramatically lit (by Robert Hand Jr.) and skillfully designed (by Bruce French) to reveal every ripple of every muscle and tendon. The women sport sparkling chokers, matching earrings and French twist hairdos; there is no set to speak of --- just dancer against colored backdrop. The art is all in the movement and in the soul that guides it. Fitting Martinu's score to a jazzy, nervy T, Hampson's moves buzz with sass and energy; Anne Harshbarger's hippy sashays on pointe (to a wonderful fluttering flute in the pit) are the very essence of this piece --- cheeky, cocky, but cute. Kudos to Shirley Ireck's cascading pianism and to music director Dan Allcott's snappy, rhythmic command in the pit. Juxtaposed with such brisk, bare-boned stuff, Fernand Nault's 1967 setting of Carl Orff's ever-popular oratorio "Carmina Burana" comes as a bit of shock. Highly theatrical and overstuffed with symbolism, the piece fluctuates between the slow, methodically labored movement of heavily robed monks (the opening "O Fortuna") and the fluttery, flowery moves of classic, gossamer-clad ballerinas. Couples gambol and flirt in springtime, boys beat their chests in macho playfulness, girls strike artfully coy, come-hither poses. Christine Winkler and Christian Clark's soulful, poetic pas de deux in "In Trutina" is as mesmerizing to watch as Brian Wallenberg's writhing, sinewy Roasting Swan in "Olim Lacus Colueram." This "Carmina," a company mainstay, gets added dramatic impact from the presence of four very fine soloists from the Southeastern Festival of Song, plus the Michael O'Neal Singers and the Atlanta Boy Choir. It's a major, collaborative milestone for this town's arts community.
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