New Jersey Ballet performed for two nights only on April 24th and 25th at the Victoria Theatre at the NJPAC. The company, under the artistic direction of Maria Kowroski, performed two pieces choreographed by Twyla Tharp and Harrison Ball. Even though the show only presented two pieces, the night was filled with a range of storytelling and interpretation that left the audience satisfied with the consumption of art that was presented. The dancers embodied the choreography bringing the steps to life in a gentle remembrance of the past. The audience was given a treat of a performance, that was, in my opinion, one of the warmest performances the company had performed.
The first piece, “Nine Sinatra Songs” choreographed by Twyla Tharp was a whimsical and reminiscent piece that enraptured the jazz of Frank Sinatra’s music in a myriad of ballroom inspired pieces ranging with choreography cherry picked from history. The nine separate Sinatra songs were paired with a traditional male and female ballroom partnership, each performing their own flavor of ‘time’ within their dance. The performance started with a mirror ball lowering onto the stage and a waltz like duet between a female performer wearing a pink flowing cocktail dress and her male counterpart in a bow tie and patten leather shoes. The two floated on the stage as they moved across the floor, with a sprinkle of ballet movements woven in throughout the piece. The following duet came out with the female performer wearing a dark purple cocktail dress. The developpe was sharp and spicy giving the essence of a tango, with more elements of ballet. The caress of the head into the dip of the body incorporating a semi port de bras conveyed the sensuality of the movement and continued the storyline of the characters.
The third part of piece brought onto stage a dancer in a long black flowy dress and her partner in a untied bow tie with pure jazz piano lilting through the air around them. The simplicity of a dropped head, the lift, or the front developpe on a blended supported leg, gave the sultry, maturity and seasoned undertone to the piece. Soft turns and lifts by the hips were as smooth as silk with a hint of darkness that filled the stage with 1920’s speakeasy style. The following duet stepped onto stage with a the familiar piece of “My way” by Frank Sinatra gradios-ing its melody onto stage with the dancers following close behind. It set a clear elegant and grand feel. The dancers from all previous duets share the stage as they are dancing their own styles with explosive and awe-inspiring lifts that felt like they soared through the air. A symphony of dance vocabulary reflected the lyrics of “I did it my way” as each couple lifted their partners in the air. The bounding music perfectly grasped the intricacies of each duet and their differences within the piece encapsulated in joy.
The music continued as another previously unseen couple, comes onto stage in a childish, humorous way. Facial expressions of uncertainty, jest and disapproval made the audience laugh as the couple bounded through a comically clumsy ballroom number. The male partner, uncertain with his role, or the next move was constantly put in line by his female counterpart. The jest of it all was frequently played out in the movements like the two pulling away from each other, jumping on each others backs and holding her waist in a novice and jovial way. The following piece with a partnership that emulated a jazz room, with movement that was close, confident and full of seasoned love. The tangible show was performed through a semi split, and lifts to the shoulder exemplified a partnership that was solidified for many years. That duet moved off stage as another came on in a bright pink, ruffled dress with her partner. The two bounced around the stage with essences of Cuban ballroom styles prominently at the forefront of the piece. The male dancer’s performance was larger than life, truly embodying the style of dance and affect of Mickey Rooney which was a wonderful thing to watch. That piece was followed by another duet with the female in a small red cocktail dress, where the movement was faster paced and edged in fluidity and trust. The entire ensemble came together at the end, creating the compiled picture of a ballroom piece, layered with the various stages and kinds of love that the world holds today. The piece was exciting, riveting and reinvigorating of one’s journey and remembrance of love in their life.
The following piece, “New Ancient Strings” choreographed by Harrison Ball with music by Toumani Diabate and Ballaké Sissoko, was the perfect example of how movement can transcend memory, tradition and lineage. The piece opened on a stage of wilted dancers surrounded in their red, silky dresses, as they rose from the ground. The dancers held out their skirts to display a beautifully delicate picture of what resembled a ginkgo leaf, a symbol of longevity and balance. This performance was a wonderful taste of time and memory through movement. The company truly embodied the simplicity of movement and executed each intricacy with the sharpness that was striking to the viewer.
From the rolling of the wrists to the patterned exactness of circular groups, the choreography showed both nature and creation in the form of movement. Hands were a big part of this piece and to many might have been overlooked by the viewer. The dancers held their hands over the edges of their eyes, flitting their fingers forward. Those same hands transcended into palms facing upward and caressing the dancers’ face. With the sheer number of dancers on stage, the gestures of the hands and fingers created incredible pictures of a larger single body of movement. The connection of the body to the earth and the sky was also a constant theme within the piece; a return to spiritual balance of one with the universe. The bass drum and the movement in and out of sync with the rhythm, created space, unexpectancy and a simple heartbeat listened to by the dancers. With the number of dancers, the sense of community and generations was clear within the piece especially utilizing the isolated unison movements.
One of the most stunning parts of the piece was the last section of the dance where all the male dancers were in starkly sharp formations, holding quiet space but strong attention. From the power of the dancers lifting a male dancer above their head, to the duality of soloist and flanking dancers, the quietness of this dance held the viewer in the grip of the performance. The stance of masculinity was prominent but in a soft and vulnerable way. Dancers faced sideways, arching their back showing the strain and extension of the dancer. The music faded out, and the breath of the dancers was audible and stunning.
The lighting and costuming played a huge roll in the impact of this piece. The lighting shifted from bright to an ominous white backdrop with front lighting, creating massive shadows of the dancers and shading their faces and bodies in shadows. The use of lighting here showed the present dancers while honoring the complexity of the past. The costumes were used elegantly and with such intention that it created more depth to the movements. From circular formations, to twisting torsos and grand plies, the flowing bottom part of the costumes followed the movements and held space for the audience to take it in. The likeness of costumes from the female to male dancers also brought attention to the many similarities but slight differences that we all have as humans on this earth.
This performance was a powerful show of tradition, memory, lineage and history of one’s experience with the whimsy and strength of one’s journey. The New Jersey Ballet’s performance of these two pieces was a treat to watch and showed the viewer a glimpse beyond the traditional ballet repertoire for all, from young viewers to seasoned ballet patron.