Serenade for Strings

The choreography reflected the highs and lows of the music quite clearly. Whether it was with their head, feet or with a specific embellishment the movement followed along with the notes. The movement was more playful and flirtatious than any previous ballets I have seen. Each woman was paired with a man and they were given their moment to shine. They reminded me of swallows or small delicate birds who were wooing one another. The choreography had highlights of flexed feet, head nodding and eye contact which all emphasized the playful and flirtatious setting. There was a considerable amount of contact, mainly men supporting women. I really loved the moments of connection; I thought they balanced intimacy and tenderness very well. Of course the level of technique was phenomenal. I greatly appreciate the attention to detail that seems to naturally appear in the movement.

The music was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. I am not a huge fan of classical music but this was quite a nice piece. It ranged between intense to soft and light. They shared with us during their rehearsal that the music had not been used to perform to since its creation, which made this feel more impressive and original.

The set was bare. There were no props onstage for the dancers or any physical setting. The ten dancers all wore pastel colours. The women wore dresses with paisley detail. Each wore the same one with fabric buttons up the front. They also had petticoats underneath. Lighting was fairly simple. Most of the time the stage was washed in pinks, oranges or yellows. The light matched the mood of the piece; joyful, warm, happy, and flirty. Many of the larger sections used soft blonde lighting and the duets had more pink tones.

Overall I enjoyed watching a ballet piece that was light and airy, but sometimes found the playful and flirtatious details a little cheesy. I understand that ballet can be very serious and it is difficult to combine acting elements in, so I appreciated that attempt. I found the duet of Sarah Nyfield and Robert Moore the most believable and engaging when it came to this combination and their interaction with one another.

Objects of Curiosity

In my perspective the choreography was much more contemporary for this piece. There was more room for interpretation around the movement. The two most engaging moments of choreography for me were a duet and the very beginning of the second dance. The duet was very simple and the goal was clear - to make it to the other side. They made their way across the stage slowly, selectively placing their bodies according to one another to move forward. Both the women and the man looked forward and up as they crossed horizontally. They never faltered; they never questioned their placement and their gaze never lowered. The simplicity and consistency was pleasant for me especially in comparison to the style of choreography in Serenade for Strings. The beginning of the second piece captivated me for two main reasons, one negative and one positive. A woman was placed center stage in plié on point. This was a powerful stance to open with and fully grabbed my attention, which was positive. The negative was how she dismounted and lost her control. Unfortunately, in the show I saw, I believe she almost fell and therefore stumbled out of the position. It was incredibly distracting and tainted this part of the piece.

Other than the botched dismount the technique was again impeccable. Obviously Smuin Ballet chooses their dancers and performers well. I am thankful to have gone to the rehearsal because the performance I chose to see showcased the newer dancers. You could absolutely tell the difference between their stage presence and technique. In rehearsal the older dancers seemed more confident, strong and comfortable with their performance whereas the younger dancers felt very fresh, less solid and comfortable with the stage.

The music was Philip Glass and Foday Musa Suso. I have listened to quite a lot of Philip Glass and enjoy the texture of his music. I thought that the music they chose represented the industrial feel of the movement and setting. Foday Musa Suso was a nice contradiction to the feeling that Philip Glass creates, a lot more musical. It injected a little more urgency and speed into the movement.

The setting of the stage involved an industrial looking plate or plaque dangling over the dancers. It was upstage center and painted to look rusty. It is the main reason I interpreted most of the movement and the setting to be industrial, metallic, factory-like, and less human. Costumes played with nudity and colour. The dancers wore bodysuits or tight clothing that had panels of red, white, beige, and yellow. The costumes were the same for both the men and the women. There were no props that the dancers interacted with. The lighting was actually amazing. The piece began with blackout and timed spotlights for individual solos. The light would come up and go down on specific men. Each had very athletic movement, some even using the floor or going upside down. The above plate/plaque was lit with a grainy filter enhancing the details of the paint. The beginning of the second dance I mentioned earlier was washed in deep red which was partly why it was so captivating. They also played with silhouettes often, opening the back like two panels to emphasize a duet.

The juxtaposition between this piece and the first one was obvious to me. I preferred the relationship of the characters and the details of the movement. I appreciate the organization of the show itself and how each piece helps enhance the others in how they are different.

Frankie & Johnny

The choreography was highly sexualized and pantomimed many real actions. The relationships were enhanced in the movement, either as positive or threatening. The dancers had characters to act out. They pantomimed various actions ranging from love scenes to death scenes. One of my favourite parts was actually observing the dancers as they interacted behind Frankie and Johnny while they performed. It was obvious how much attention to character development the choreographer had given.

The dancers’ level of technique was palpable. The main dancers were chosen for a reason as they had the technical skill to emphasize their character. The music reflected the setting. It felt very Cuban and as if we were all sitting in the bar listening to the music that would play in that cultural context. The set was complex involving a staircase, doorway, table with spinning top, large bar, fans and chandelier. The lighting created shutters and wallpaper like background. The room was smoky with light as if they had been smoking cigars. They used spotlights and strobe lights to create the plot. The colours were highly saturated. This was also present in the costumes. Men wore large suits with even larger shoulder pads in colours like purple and dark blue with orange or pink shoes. Women wore little glittery dresses each having their own character. Frankie was dressed in a light pink (much more innocent). Props included alcohol money, cigarette, holder and a gun, which was how Johnny met his death.

This was an entertaining piece. The set was magnificent and I fell right into the storyline. I thought that it would have been better to see it performed by the older dancers but was delighted just to see how Frankie and Johnny lived.