Each season Joffrey Ballet Company presents a show comprised of works of various influential artists; this winter’s repertoire is a worldly combination of five works by four contemporary choreographers: British-born Christopher Wheeldon’s Commedia, Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili’s Mono Lisa and The Sofa, Chicago’s Stephanie Martinez’ Bliss!, and Chicago premiere of Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing.
Opening the performance is Commedia (created in 2008), which takes us to the French-influenced 1920’s world of dance. For this piece, Christopher Wheeldon drew inspiration from Igor Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite”, which was originally composed in 1920 for a ballet featuring harlequin costumes by Pablo Picasso. Commedia is the longest piece of the evening, with several scenes set to the beautiful, albeit occasionally disturbing, Stravinsky’s music. It starts out with a group dance (Sinfonia) which sets the tone for a gorgeously expressive and athletic ballet. Dancers are wearing very Picasso-ish black and white harlequinade costumes designed by Isabel Toledo, which also bring out the whimsical nature of Wheeldon’s choreography. This ballet is mesmerizing in its entirety. Pas des deux dances (such as Serenata by Brooke Linford and Yoshihisa Arai, and Gavotta by Gayeon Jung and Edson Barbosa) all have some hypnotic fluidity that takes one’s breath away. The ballet’s highly creative choreography is only matched by Joffrey dancers’ exquisite skills, resulting in a piece that is simply stunning.
After the first intermission, the next three pieces are united by a common theme of modern courtship. Mono Lisa and The Sofa, both choreographed by Itzik Galili, playfully explore the nature of romantic relationships. Mono Lisa, created in 2003, features the fabulous Victoria Jaiani and Stefan Goncalvez. He likes the girl; she plays hard to get – the old game of cat and mouse. Percussive sounds of an old typewriter set to a cool bit (original music by Itzik Galili and Thomas Hofs) create intensity, as in some futuristic tribal music. Completed by the dancers’ precise moves and skilled acrobatics, Mono Lisa is decisively void of any romantic quality. This is further enhanced by the set design consisting of steel frames and bright lights.
Galili’s second piece of the evening, The Sofa, has certain elements of a pantomime. The sofa on the stage becomes piece de resistance, where the couple fights for space and independence. The boy is a little aggressive towards his girl, but then he gets a taste of his own medicine in a comical gender-reversal twist half-way through the dance. Danced by Temur Suluashvili, Anna Gerberich and Fernando Duarte, it’s a fun and highly energetic piece set to music by Grammy Award-winner Tom Waits.
Included in the program is Chicago choreographer Stephanie Martinez’ ballet The Bliss! which she created for the Joffrey Ballet Company as a part of an Igor Stravinsky evening. For this piece, Martinez was inspired by Mildred and Robert Bliss who commissioned Stravinsky to compose Dumbarton Oak Concerto for their 30th wedding anniversary. On stage there’re six handsome topless male dancers, possibly looking for a testosterone-fueled action. A pretty girl enters and a scene out of Michael Jackson’s video “The Way You Make Me Feel” immediately comes to mind. It’s a mating game, no doubt, full of flirt and seduction. A beautiful as well as an interesting piece whose many different flavors and textures develop as it moves through Stravinsky’s music.
The program concludes with The Times Are Racing, Justin Peck’s so called “sneaker ballet” for 20 dancers. Dancers wearing street clothes (costumes by Humberto Leon) including shirts with word-messages such as “defy”, “change”, “protest”, “shout”, and “fight”, move with purpose and grace. Set to the last four tracks of Dan Deacon’s album America, it’s a very youthful and explosive ballet, which draws its inspiration from a variety of dance styles. Featuring an incredibly expressive dancer Edson Barbosa, as a boy lost in the city, exploring and seeking, trying to learn and ultimately fit in.
Through February 23rd
