City Ballet of San Diego
The 2008/2009 season opener for City Ballet of San Diego was a mainly classical ballet program with one lyrical dance piece. The November 8 performance at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre featured City Ballet's co-director/choreographer, Elizabeth Wistrich's short version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Diane & Acteon Pas de Deux" and "Grand Pas Classique." The finale, Wistrich's 2004 work, "Leave the Light On," added a special twist to the evening affair.
The music of Felix Mendelssohn played as the curtain rose to reveal the simple forest backdrop for "A Midsummer Night's Dream." A recorded version of the music was used and accompanied by a recorded narration of the play used during mime segments. The poor sound quality of the narration was an unfortunate miss that only detracted from the ballet. Getting past the sound was one issue; having a clear view of the stage was another. Main floor seating was on a virtually flat surface. Without an incline, nearly 50 percent of the view was obstructed by those in the preceding rows. The size of the stage also seemed to be a problem for several dancers, as falls and collisions were a recurrence.
The character Puck is synonymous with "Midsummer." As such, expectations for this key character are often quite high. Cast in the part of Puck was Daniel Salvador; a dancer that projects good energy and enthusiasm, but underplayed his role as the mischievous character. Among the mortals, Janica Smith’s Hermia and Geoff Gonzalez’s Demetrius were convincing, and Ariana Samuelsson was delightful and giddy as Helena. Gerardo Gil as Lysander danced skillfully, but seemed emotionally detached from his character. The King and Queen of the Fairies, with Sarah Bek as Titania and Taurean Green as Oberon, were strong technically, but the connection between them was not evident. In the role of Bottom, David Levy brought a playful quality to his character. The romance between the smitten Titania and the transformed Bottom, turned donkey, was charming and one of the most memorable scenes.
During the first intermission, it was a prime opportunity to move to higher ground to watch the remainder of the program. From this vantage point, Agrippina Vagonova's, "Diana & Acteon Pas de Deux," music by Cesare Pugni, was far more satisfying. Sarah Bek, all dressed in pale blue with arrow in hand, was a vision of beauty and strength as her character Diana, the hunting goddess, depicts. Taurean Green was well suited for this role and gave a solid performance in this ever-popular ballet.
Gerardo Gil and Ariana Samuelsson, City Ballet of San Diego
Photo by Dale Stokes
The only tutu on stage that evening was worn by Ariana Samuelsson in Victor Gsovsky's dazzling "Grand Pas Classique," set to music by Daniel-Francois Auber. Samuelsson and her partner, Gerardo Gil, were elegant in white and danced together with grace and precision. Samuelsson demonstrated unfaltering strength with her intricate pointe work. Facial expression was missing in Gil's performance, but his solo was beautifully executed, showcasing clean lines and excellent timing with the music. Afterward, Gil's energy level started to fade resulting in an anti-climactic finish.
"Leave the Light On," a five part piece, was performed to the rock/blues music of Beth Hart. Women danced barefoot with loose hair and in simple dresses, which seemed fitting for this representation of Hart's turbulent emotional journey through life, as expressed in her lyrics. The dance style had modern and contemporary influences such as loose movements with big free-flowing arm and body rolls. Technical elements were in their turned out, pointed feet, long, extending straight legs and turns and leaps with their bodies in upright positions. The men had shorter dance sequences, but their presence didn't go unnoticed. During one segment, the audience hollered as the men strut downstage in unison while sustaining a lift with one of the female dancers. The dancers were clearly enjoying themselves as they performed and the positive vibe was infectious. When the performance was over, the audience left the theater feeling energized.
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