Smuin Ballet, Palace of Fine Arts, Celebrating Twenty Years

Choreographers Amy Seiwart, Jiri Kylian and Michael Smuin provided three works for this twentieth year inaugural program of Smuin Ballet. Translated emotionally it was adroit folksy, spare elegy and adroit sensuality.

But first, it was evident that Robin Cornwell had left the troupe as well as Jonathan Magonsing, both intrinsic movers, at home in their bodies, the classical technique having honed a natural pleasing sensuality. I remember Lew Christensen once remarking “ Michel Fokine taught me that it is the transitions that make the dancing,” and both dancers were gifted with that quality. Fortunately, two experienced newcomers, Pauli Magierek and Eduardo Permuy, have joined the ranks of Smuin Ballet’s eighteen dancers.

Amy Seiwert’s Dear Miss Cline traces the mood and words of nine songs sung by Patsy Cline,a work premiered on a spring program at Yerba Buena Center’s Theater. Seiwert and Jo Ellen Arntz collaborated on the costumes, set off before a visual and lighting design by Brian Jones, outlines of doors and windows against a butterscotch pudding-hued scrim. Erin Yarborough was featured prominently in “Tra le la le la Triangle” with Weston Krukow and Christian Squires and again with Krukow in “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down.” Nicole Haskins made a nice impression in “She’s Got You,” originally danced by Susan Roemer, losing Joshua Reynolds, Jonathan Dummar and Aidan de Young. As with these numbers the overall tone was light, perky, occasionally a tad ironic, well handled by the dancers.

Jiri Kylian’s Return to a Strange Land was premiered by Stuttgart Ballet May 17, 1975 in tribute to John Cranko, Stuttgart’s artistic director who died en route from New York to Germany. Kylian was responsible for the lighting concept, costumes, the set in addition to the choreography for just six dancers, appearing as trio, pas de deux, pas de deux and trio format to Leon Janacek’s Sonata October 1, 1905.

Kylian’s patterns move smoothly, seemingly seamless, ending almost abruptly, a conversation swifly terminated, important content conveyed succinctly, adornment absent. Eduardo Permuy, Ben Needham-Wood and Joshua Reynolds, stripped to the waist, wearing lightly dyed leotards, conveyed this in understated though clearly classical ballet vocabulary. Jane Rehm and Terez Dean danced with sincerity but seemed shy of a necessary edge or pause to the finish of their arabesques. Somehow I expected more subject crystal, melancholy tones in execution. Conveyed seamlessly and fast, so rapidly I wanted to call out, “Please do it again so that I can check what I saw.”

Carmina Burana has invited several choreographic versions; some I have seen, others I have only heard about; Michael Smuin’s boasts a spectacular commencement and a repeat finale finale. I had the good fortune to see Pauli Magierek in the central female role, joining the company after attaining soloist status with San Francisco Ballet. Magierek’s maturity, dramatic qualities and ability to sustain motion and sculpt a movement reminded me how interesting she is to watch. She would be spectacular in Smuin’s Medea.

Smuin’s Burana opener and closer has the woman, here Magierek, supported by the feet of the men, raising and lowering her to the explosive chorus and the beat of the music, the women circling the men, making one wonder whether the elevated figure is worshiped or being prepared for sacrifice. This central role provided two solos and a pas de deux with Eduardo Permuy, who proved to be an effective partner, both complementing each other.

Smuin Ballet programs a decent balance, which keeps the entertainment aspect of some dance lovers happy and coaxing the serious with at least one absorbing offer in their mixed bills. The adrooitness keeps audiences coming.

Smuin Ballet’s Spring Bouquet May 17

It took a while to register why Helen Pickett’s Petal took so long to be introduced to Bay Area audiences by Smuin Ballet.  As the seventeen person ensemble closed its season at Yerba Buena’s Lam Research Theatre I remembered a comment about Yuri Possokhov’s Cinderella to the effect that the Bolshoi had exclusive rights to the production for five years.  I suspect the same reasoning may have applied to Petal, premiered by the Aspen Ballet in 2007.

It was worth the wait, an eight-person sleek sunny-toned work between Smuin’s Chanson’s d’Auvergne and Jazzin’ by Darrell Grand Moultrie, with handsome lemon-lime tights for the women with the men bare-chested dancing within lemon yellow to orange orange walls, athletic when on pointe or in grand jetes. Set to the deliberate repetitiveness of Philip Glass with additions by Thomas Montgomery Newman, it reminds one again how balletic abstraction and Glass work well together, clean sculptural work en pointe as evidence.

Rounding out the program with yet another texture was Moultrie’s Jazzin’ with its wonderful collection of jazz songs, creating an ambiance of textures – from gentle, slightly romantic French folk song tradition, to contemporary music and finishing with the immediacy of jazz singing: excellent programming.

There were one or two gutsy sets of lyrics for which Moultrie created amusing skits, allowing for chuckles, that comparative rarity with serious dance ensembles. “Spring in My Step” featured blonde Erica Felsch whose bottoms up postures in black were a little disconcerting but delivered with a nonchalance saving the dance from vulgarity. Jane Rehm danced “Takin’ No Mess” dealing with furniture in a second hand store replete with double entendre again freed froom burlesque, but such fun.  Joshua Reynolds’ “So Low” testified to the benefit Smuin Ballet has derived from his addition to the dancers’ list.

If this program is indicative Smuin Ballet is well on its way to new and rewarding adventures.

Post Epiphany – The Hip Hop Festival and Smuin Ballet

First it was January 7, but now January 29. I regard with chagrin the program pile, minus assembled comments.  The enterprises will survive without my prose.  But will I – after all reviewing in not supposed to be a charity process!  So with an obsequious obeisance, I set forth snippets of impressions.

The Hip Hop Festival came and went the weekend of November 16-18 at the Palace of Fine Arts, the marathon of Programs A & B November 18 with only two or three ensembles bridging both programs.  I had noted the spread of groups earlier,but only two or three linger in my mind.  Lux Aeterna from Los Angeles employed Arvo Part as its musical basis, permitting the six person ensemble to display sustained movements possible in hip hop mixed with acrobatic elements.  Like the later use of classical music it demonstrated the degree of cultural sophistication which has filtered through this original street genre.

III Style & Peace Productions from Philadelphia included young men working in Washington.  Their strong number “KINGZ” demonstrated laudable commitment and the skillful kaleidoscopic images fashioned by Brandon “Peace”Albright, fusing African, Caribbean, Southern and contemporary styles quite adroitly.

Featured in both programs were the Ill-Abilities, a quintet of dancer/ choreographers with major handicaps, converging from Canad Chile, France, the Netherlands and apparently San Francisco.  One was near midget size with a powerful chest; one claimed “lazy legs” due to a spinal problem; another had lost a leg to cancer.  All of them, however, were ajzzed and inspired by hip-hop and gave the audience amazing rhythmic renditions to the music of their choice, the aural support to feats associated with able-bodied exponents.  At each program Sunday’s audiences were mesmerized.

Following each performance, Micaya exhorted us to give the individual groups, all on stage, ‘losts of love.’  She herself is her own comely performance, jeans for the matinee, short black following the evening performance, continuing to woe us with her elegant legs and monumentally tall shoes.

Smuin Ballet’s The Christmas Ballet was seen at December 22’s matinee.  The ensemble possesses talented dancers performing with energy and conviction executing a format which bridged contemporary culture and the formidable training and tradition of classical ballet.  The ensemble continues to salute its founder-choreographer whose record spanned virtually all the fields where professional dancers can exercise their skills.

The pre-act curtain visuals remain the same, if Act I’s traditional images seemed shorter.  I give Act I’s decor full marks.  There’s much that can be evoked with white drapery strategically changed throughout the numbers.  The problem with Act I’s solemnity is endemic to the repetition over the course of the season.  When heard less, one can experience a genuine frisson of the spirit; heard too frequently, the ears tune out.  The stately, serious nature of this half, therefore, experiences the same problem.  While one admires and responds to the steady standards of the dancers, the overall impression has  become rather bland.  I’m sure this is a minor opinion.

The children’s art for Act II was reinforced by the Jackson 5 warbling Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  Satchmo’s voice makes its mark each season.  Following by Christmas in New Orleans, the two belong together,perennial favorites.  Santa Baby, danced by Robin Semmelhack [formerly Caldwell] is consistently good for a smile, reinforced by the seductive cooing tones of Eartha Kitt.

I missed seeing Shannon Hulbert’s masterly solo to The Bells of Dublin, a high point in the trek to Yerba Buena Center for me.  Replaced by Shannon Hulbert’s tapping invention to Rudolph The Red Nosed Raindeer, Erica Chipp and Janica  Smith tapped pertly, popping red noses to their own at the finale.  The Christmas plaintive discard was also missing.  Val Caniparoli’s Jingle Bells Mambo provided some wit and off-center bravura display.  Linda Ronstadt’s rendering of La Calandria featured Semmelback again with a swooping red ebozo.  Baby It’s Cold Outside is not specifically Christmas in theme, but it’s wintry, and has been danced by most of the ensemble at one time or another, for this matinee by Susan Roemer and Joshus Reynolds.  Bing Crosby’s rendering of White Christmas provided the cue for the phony snowflakes cascading on the orchestra center audience.

The Christmas Ballet enjoys a good formula.  I haven’t a clue how it could be enhanced.

Eastern Odyssey, a film by Quinn Wharton

This mostly interesting film received its visual premiere Monday night, April 16, at the Vogue Theatre, Sacramento Street near Presidio in San Francisco;  it covers the two performance appearance June 2011 in Tiit Helimets’ native Estonia with a company he assembled from San Francisco Ballet, Ballet San Jose and Milwaukee Ballet. The presentation was facilitated by Deborah du Bouwy, the force behind the dance documentary series, Words on Dance.

Obviously a work of dedication and affection, it suffers from some technical difficulties and the filmmaker’s “inside” view; he’s a member of San Francisco Ballet. It does emphasize Helimets narrating how his dream received its chance to be realized and commenting on his necessary shift in focus from  self- centered artist to leader responsible for the direction and execution of the ensemble’s brief tour.

One of the most obvious problems was the use of white print for explanatory passages; fine when the background was sufficiently dark, but maddening when light or pastel shades tended to wash out the text.  Another was the uneven nature of the musical score when the sound frequently overwhelmed the visuals, instead of underscoring the action.  This is something  a better sound mix can adjust.

Almost before we see Tiit Helimets interviewed about the genesis of the project we are confronted with backstage images which ultimately seem to have nothing to do with the tour. Wharton later mentioned he had been influenced by some catchy commercials.  We listen to Helimets’ describing the genesis of the film and are introduced to the dancers and the four supporting players. Besides Helimets, the San Francisco dancers were Frances Chung, Nicole Cioppini,  Daniel Deivison-Oliveira,  Sasha de Sola, James Sofranko, Sarah Van Patten; Ballet San Jose dancers Jeremy Kovitch and Alexsandra Meijer; from Milwaukee Ballet  Julianne Kepley and Joshua Reynolds.  Val Caniparoli was the choreographer; his ballet Ibsen Suite was part of the repertoire.  Katita Waldo was ballet mistress, Dan McGary company manager, Jane Green stage manager, Michael Leslie physical therapist.  The entire roster was clearly and nicely identified.

From what I glimpsed Balanchine’s Apollo, Tarantella, and Le Corsaire were on the repertory roster in addition to Ibsen Suite; what else was rehearsed or performed was not easily determined, nor did we enjoy strains of the appropriate music. The program sequence, presumably the same in both cities where the ensemble performed, was not clarified, footage shifting forward and back in kaleidoscopic fashion.

It might have been a salient addition to include more of Helimets as Apollo with his three Muses;  if the role switches actually occurred this needed  to be clear.

Pre-performance rituals, makeup, toe shoe lineup, hair arrangement , warm up, along with muscular mishaps helped to create the atmosphere of tension caused by the unexpected. Helimets’ cool under fire was nicely depicted, as well as his incredibly straight back and pointed feet.

The initial rehearsal venue, one of the major studios of Ballet San Jose, could have been identified.   The Amsterdam airport was prominent as the transfer point for the plane to Tallin, Estonia, part of the most engaging footage in the documentary.  Wharton lingered on this transition, catching qualities of the dancers admirably. Understandably, clinking of beer glasses played their role, and one or two clowning sequences of the ensemble on narrow cobblestone streets.

In the Q & A following the showing, presided over by Garen Scribner, Katita Waldo gave observations which could have been touched upon in the film. (She’s a woman for all seasons.) One was the quality of Tallin’s historic center as one of Europe’s  best preserved medieval cities.  The other involved the differing operation of a small ensemble from a large company relating to costume maintenance.

Tiit Helimets provided valuable information when he disclosed using San Francisco Ballet tour organization format as a model: information, tour guide, ticketing, etc. Inclusion of this information would be salient; in one or two instances we got  a glimpse but no explanation.

Wharton mentioned his problem with the cost of music rights with popular songs used in the documentary’s current form.  The music supplied by his friend seemed far more adequate than the distracting tunes several decibels too loud.

Whether or not Wharton decides to revise the current documentary, carved out of seventy hours of videotape, Eastern Odyssey is an admirable first effort. A lot  depends on where he wishes to take his footage. Seeking an outsider’s view and plotting out his editing with the aid or a story board, will advance   Wharton’s  admirable dance doumcentary debut considerably.