BalletX: Fall: 2024 Season

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The effervescent Philadelphia-based BalletX presented two interesting ballets and one masterpiece in its mini-season at The Joyce Theater in Chelsea.

The 16-member troupe, under the direction of Christine Cox, displayed unabashed personality, style and fine technique

Jodie Gates, who was a fine dancer in her prime, choreographed “Beautiful Once” to music by Ryan Lott.  Despite a pretentious program note about “inclusion” and “divine resilience,” the work proved to be a classical ballet workout for the BalletX dancers who were certainly up to her demands.

Dressed in Martha Chamberlain’s simple costumes in shades of grey and lit sensitively by Michael Korsch, the dancers, after first appearing in a mostly unison full cast introduction, separated into fleeting solos, duets and group dances.

Gates presented classical ballet steps adorned with sharp turns, angular partnering and upper body twists, making cliched steps look fresh, especially given the enthusiastic performance of these dancers.

Towards the end of “Beautiful Once” Gates superficially explored her theme of inclusion by having the dancers pair off in couples, same sex and otherwise.  These newly minted duos then proceeded to perform gentle partnering, each different.  It was sweet to see how Gates’ choreography expressed affection in its various forms.

“Macaroni,” choreographed by Loughlan Prior to ingenious variations on “Yankee Doodle Dandy” composed by Claire Cowan, took on the fey reputation of the “macaronis”—the un-masculine fops—of the 18^th century.

This tongue-in-cheek take on the subject was exaggerated by Emma Kingsbury’s hilarious costumes:  tiny white wigs, red period jackets over green-hued unitards painted with portraits of men and women in 18^th century garb.

Prior put the dancers through their paces, prancing, jigging and racing about with limp wrists—all illustrating his program note about this period being “queer phobic.”  It was all amusingly campy, enthusiastically performed.

The costumes and colorful lighting by Korsch kept the gaiety flowing entertainingly.

The final work of the evening was Takehiro Ueyama’s “Heroes,” dedicated to the brave, hard-working citizens of Japan who helped pull themselves out of the devastation of World War Two.

Set to darkly emotional music by Kato Hideki and Ana Milosavljevic (played live) and a recording of John Adams’ moody, but energetic “The Chairman Dances – Foxtrot for Orchestra,” “Heroes” was filled with a wide range of emotions beginning with a long duet, a portrait of a deeply emotionally involved couple who, heartbreakingly, wind up parting, Ueyama’s choreography skillfully, but subtly illuminating a wealth of emotions.

The rest of the large cast entered marching onto chairs arranged in a straight line.  The chairs were subsequently rearranged into constantly surprising formations, used by the dancers as pathways and launching pads for eye-catching leaps.  As the music thundered on, the movements became more and more frenetic, the partnering more daring.

Gradually a portrait emerged of a community on edge, their energy ebbing and flowing. Unison movements of seated dancers’ torsos and arms segued into sudden leaps.  At one moment two dancers were attached to each other by their heads, an image both loving and weary.

The brilliant lighting by Christopher Ham and Korsch turned the Joyce stage into myriad discrete spaces occupied by the choreographer’s imaginative movements.  Even more vital to Ueyama’s rich invention were the costumes designed by Eugenia P. Stallings: richly red Japanese inspired creations that added a note of mystery and agelessness to “Heroes.”

This was a thrilling work.  Ueyama sat in front of me, strangely unacknowledged by the cast.  When I leaned forward to congratulate him, others in the audience overheard me and this very modest man was surrounded by admiring audience members who wouldn’t let him go.

This modest troupe from Philadelphia presented a thoroughly well-danced, first class program of beautiful, thoughtful works that would be the envy of larger ballet companies.

BalletX (September 25 – 29, 2024)

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, in Manhattan

For tickets, call 212-242-0800 or visit http://www.Joyce.org

Running time: one hour and 45 minutes, including one intermission