The Year of the Woman has begun at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. The public has begun to become acquainted with new artistic director Susan Jaffe, who, in turn, has decided to feature an international list of award-winning female choreographers on her inaugural season, a first in the United States to my knowledge.
Not that women haven’t choreographed for other ballet companies, but never in such diverse, welcome and knowledgable numbers. At PBT’s Open Air performing arts festival on Flagstaff Hill, the buzz was starting as the company performed two different programs, which will be performed over the course of eight programs through May 30, yet with some differing casts. So multiple visits always could yield surprises.
It’s a perfect way for Jaffe to see how her company performs and a perfect way for Pittsburgh to get acquainted with her aesthetic, a truly smart mix of the classics and contemporary. And, for those who prefer the classics, they will find that enthusiastic applause greeted the contemporary selections.
Both programs began with congenial classical tidbits: Program A with selections from “Sleeping Beauty” and Program B with “Raymonda.”
With their sparkling costumes from costumier extraordinaire Janet Groom Campbell blazing in the spotlights, the dancers showed a cohesive style of movement that is beginning to take over the company. The detailed use of epaulement, that is, the tilting of the head and shoulders to enhance the movement. A generous presence, complete with discipline, so inviting for the audience. Confidence! A genuine love of performance in their faces, communicating more meaningfully with each other and out into the audience. In fact the women’s faces rivaled those crystals on their tutus.
There were other classical bonbons to satisfy traditional tastes, beginning with “The Flower Festival in Genzano,” a pas de deux ripe with youthful Italian exuberance but filtered through the sunny Danish Bournonville style. The complete list of improvements from the previous paragraph was encapsulated in the airy jumps and effortless beats. “White Swan Pas de Deux” and “Kingdom of the Shades” excerpt seemed to be chosen for beautiful long lines of soloist Marisa Grywalski, who has added an alluring and mysterious quality to her presence. And mention must be made of corps member Cooper Verona, who took over for the injured principal dancer Alejandro Diaz, in addition to his own roles, a great opportunity for him.
“Don Quixote Pas de Deux” is one of the most difficult pieces to perform, particularly in an outdoor setting. Filled with Spanish flair and audience-pleasing pyrotechnics, veterans Gabrielle Thurlow and William Moore made the most of it all, with Thurlow throwing in double turns and arm changes during the whipping fouetté segment. Jessica McCann was making her live debut and hit a few snags — her fan dropped to the floor (which she quickly retrieved) and the light post that served as a spot to aid the dancers’ turns in the darkness was almost toppled right before her fouettés. But, with Yoshiaki Nakano at her side, there were many savory moments and a weighty flamenco fire from this husband-and-wife couple.
Now for the tasty contemporary duets that were sandwiched in between, like the creamy filling in a package of Oreos. Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Lacrimosa” was infused with the religious aura of Pergolesi’s haunting “Stabat Mater.” (The composer created it in a monastery and died shortly thereafter at age 26.) Right at the start there is the image of the man lifting the woman and suspending her at length, as if on an invisible cross, before ever-so-slowly lowering her down. She seemed weak, seamlessly doubling over, turning up, bending and overlapping into the movement. Nakano and McCann, who was almost unrecognizable , a true chameleon here, handled Lopez Ochoa’s vision with uncommon grace.
Pittsburgh native Gina Patterson was the second of the three females on the programs. The title was convoluted: “Trinity Bust: Sculptor. Clay. Muse.” But it spoke directly of the main images in the arresting, highly dramatic story of French sculptor Camille Claudel, lover and subsequent rival of the more famous Auguste Rodin. Three set pieces further defined the 10-minute solo: a standalone gray skirt (the clay, designed again by Groom Campbell), a large block with images of what it might become (the marble) and a large hand (perhaps symbolic of Claudel’s expertise with hands and feet).
Patterson began in an imaginative manner, with either Alexandra Kochis or Tommie Kesten on separate nights, crouched behind the skirt. Their hands appeared, caressing the drape, which immediately engaged the audience. The soloists then emerged, trapped by the era in which they lived. They gradually discarded the skirt and bustier in order to move more freely in a contemporary dress that they wore underneath, to embrace the intensity of that creative process in a myriad of ways. Another fine touch — the piano accompaniment came from another woman, Venezuelan virtuoso Teresa Carreño, who lived during the same era.
Patterson’s own creative process allowed for two totally different interpretations by the PBT women. Kochis internalized the passion, developing an internal white heat, while Kesten did a virtual star turn, openly displaying the fervor that enveloped her. Both approaches worked, leaving us to wonder, “Could a longer version of Camille Claudel’s story be in PBT’s cards?”
The final woman, Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton brought “Awáa” duet, part of a full evening work. “Awáa” means “one who is a mother” in the indigenous Haide Gwaii language from a chain of islands on the west coast of British Columbia. Evidently the ballet centered around themes involving women and water. This particular section focused on the intimacy between a man and a woman. Barton’s vocabulary was full of quirky, totally non-balletic shapes, while it challenged the man and woman to use their flexibility. Even with this small dance morsel, it was easy to gauge her singular talent.
And in case you were wondering, yes, there were men. “Loss,” by Sasha Janes, was his second duet to already appear on Jaffe’s choreographic roster and it was heart-wrenching. Although Janes isn’t well-known, he has done exciting work for Charleston Ballet at Chautauqua and got a great mention in The Washington Post after a Kennedy Center performance: That said “this ‘Four Seasons’ remount makes it clear that higher-echelon companies now need to step up and stage Janes’ ballets, and “The Four Seasons” is a prime candidate to export.” (PBT seems to be on the way…)
Inspired by a couple mourning the loss of their child, this duet packed a big story into its tiny time frame. Filled with the originality of Janes’ lifts and partnering, it never descended into a physical display. In fact, the ending, where the woman twice backs away from joining her partner, had the most emotional impact, as it should. Nakano’s “A Frame of Mind,” a reference to the free-wheeling mobile set piece, more like a door with a clear acrylic sheet, served as the inspiration for a male duet. Swirling and whirling, “Frame” showed Nakano’s development as a choreographer, where he edited and codified his vocabulary.
Each performance was/is completed by Jaffe’s own version of Ravel’s famiiar, throbbing piece, “Bolero.” Even by her own admission, this was a pandemic ballet, the dancers carefully spaced in a rhythmic Greek chorus, except for three married couples who dance like flames among them in complex and spectacular lifts. Jaffe has hit the Pittsburgh nail on the head. To attract even larger, sport savvy audiences, she will need a muscularity, physicality and brilliance from this company. Towards that goal, PBT seems to be well on its way to developing what could be termed a Jaffe Style, just right for the Jaffe Era.
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