Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre presented an exhilarating variety of repertoire at weekend performances. Four diverse works were separated by two intermissions at the Benedum Center, Downtown.
"Company B" by Paul Taylor was the extended curtain raiser. It uses nine songs by the Andrews Sisters to evoke the spirit of America during World War II. The entire cast was infectiously exuberant during the opening "Bei Mir Bist du Schon." Solos, duos and solos with women or men had winning romantic flair.
Audience enthusiasm is almost always welcome, but premature audience applause stepped all over the ending of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B." Taylor's commentary on war is often links of london charms subtle in this ballet, especially with characters at the very back of the stage. Christopher Budzynski was riveting as the bugle boy, who is shot dead in the final seconds of this number. Audience applause all but obliterated what should be a shattering moment.
The second third replica hublot watches of the program began with Dwight Rhoden's "Ave Maria," which is set to baroque music. Eva Trapp and Robert Moore gave a sensuous performance that was also excellent for its precision in executing the angles of the inventive choreography.
It was followed after less than a minute's pause by the "Don Quixote Pas de Deux," the classical ballet on the program. Christine Schwaner and Alexandre Silva were the ardent pair. Silva's athleticism and finesse were breathtaking in the first solo variation. Schwaner projected an equally strong personality with precise technique in the second variation.
Twyla Tharp's "In the Upper Room" was the stimulating final third of the evening. Tharp divides the dancers into "stompers" who perform in modern dance style and "bombers" who uses imaginative versions of classic ballet moves. The nine sections are a crescendo of physical excitement that garnered an enthusiastic audience response at Saturday night's performance.
Her dance was in perfect sync with the musical score by Philip Glass. The music sounds like a series of introductions to music that never arrives, but its pulsing rhythms are perfect, in a way, for dance and, certainly, for this dance piece.
Clip on charmsThere was some striking imprecision during the performance, but also some remarkable solo work from Erin Halloran and Julia Erickson.
Company artistic director Terrence S. Orr deserves credit for the stylistic challenges he threw at the ballet dancers by programming Taylor and Tharp. He should do it again.
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