MISSING THEM. In February, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal Julia Erickson and soloist Alexandre Silva performed Swan Lake, which was a sentimental favorite for me this past year, she for magnificently fluid, almost boneless arms, he with his superb partnering technique and their long-term contributions to PBT. Alexandre would retire at the end of the season, while Julia received a commemorative performance with a 30-minute parade of well-wishers on stage at the end last fall. When Alexandre stepped onto the stage near the end of it all, Julia laid down a large assemblage of flowers and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.
PIFOF. This strange acronym stood for Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, now a Pittsburgh Cultural Trust event only once every five years. It was hardly strange, though. Maybe curious, imaginative, challenging. We toured the world as we simultaneously revisited local art. This edition was more family-friendly, more accessible than previous versions, like Mrs. Krishna’s Party, where children frolicked as assistants, and Andrcocles and the Lion, a Danish presentation where the audience surrounded the storyteller while relaxing in hammocks and gazing at the ceiling projections. The accessibility continued with the spaceship design of the tunnel in Beyond and Manifold, the free outdoor light show projected against the Benedum Center with a live original score. Dance, however, played an important part, with Brazilian Deborah Colker Dance taking on the environment and Yabin Wang Dance bringing an updated choreographic view of China in Moon Dance. It was longer than usual — eight glorious weeks — but I have to say my favorite was ESPÆCE, a U.S premiere from a French company with a giant rumbling wall that surrounded and interfered and offered startling imagery ala Waiting For Godot. A brilliant production — dance, theater, opera and more — by mastermind Aurélien Bory.
MORE OF THE BENCH. A Point Park University student said, “I don’t know how she does it,” meaning staff member, choreographer, mom and so much more (like two or three other jobs), Kiesha Lalama. She premiered the original version at Point Park and now, after a journey that took 10 years, The Bench had its official full-length premiere with Dayton Contemporary Ballet early last October. A real coup for this local artist.
A TALK WITH RALPH LEMON. A very savvy Pittsburgh dance crowd showed up Oct. 14 for Staycee Pearl’s chat with Ralph at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. They all knew who he was, even though he was last seen in the city in 2005 with Come Home Charley Patton, the number one dance event of the year for me. This time the self-described conceptualist, who has delved into the African American experience like no other, was back to accept the 23rd Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities for $250,000. Well worth it!
NPN. That stands for National Performance Network, a pretty big deal, and the Kelly Strayhorn was the sponsor, an exclamation point for a seminal 2018 year and one that established the local organization as a national figurehead. Kudos not only to executive director janera Solomon and program director George, but to a remarkably small, but hard-working staff. Audiences could sample top Pittsburgh talents like slowdanger, STAYCEE PEARL dance project, Bill Shannon and Afro Yaqui Music Collective.
A NEW NUT. This was from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, in the middle of its 2018 run at the Benedum Center, and a microscope on the inner workings of the company dancers. Corps member (and a performer far above that title) Jessica McCann starred as Marie (in spades) and pulled the rest of the cast with her that night. Lucius Kirst (Nephew/Nutcracker) responded to her idea of first love and became the dancer we thought he could be. But it didn’t end there. The company, sensing a night to remember, capitalized on their emotional/dance journey. It turned out to be one of the best (if not the best) PBT Nut performance that I have witnessed.
ANOTHER NUT. I was asked to attend a performance of Pittsburgh Youth Ballet’s Nutcracker, the first without the ailing founder, Jean Gedeon, in attendance. But the support was obvious, with no less than six former PBT members attending to rehearsals and making plans to continue PYB’s stellar reputation over the past 30 years. Ballet master Dana Arey. Corps member Alan Obuzor. Soloist Alexandre Silva. Soloist Susan Stowe. Soloist Ernie Tolentino. Bravo!
THE PRESENTERS! Pittsburgh’s vibrant dance scene continues to grow and we have to give snaps to the local presenters who are instrumental in nurturing local companies and independent artists. So we have KST, as mentioned above, with not only experimental national groups, but a newMoves Festival. In addition, there’s the New Hazlett Theater (Rene Conrad), a sometime/most of the time home to a bevy of groups like Beth Corning’s Glue Factory, Texture Contemporary Ballet and others. And the brilliant emerging duo, Staycee and Herman Pearl of PearlArts, who are forging their own path through PearlDiving Residency, with local artists like Sidra Bell, slowdanger, Shamel Pitts and Maree ReMalia.
ALAN! Speaking of the New Hazlett and Texture, founder and choreographer Alan Obuzor unfurled Glass Walls, where he performed en pointe. We’ve seen groups like the Trocks and ballets like La Fille Mal Gardee, where the men perform en masse or in a character. But there he was, clad in black bicycle shorts amid a female cast in traditional female garb, all in toe shoes. While there is a national trend supporting this idea, it appears that there has been nothing like this. Alan continues to bend the genders and push the boundaries of ballet (he also programmed an extensive and challenging tap number). A Pittsburgh treasure!
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