All Pointes West Reaches Even South

The Colorado Ballet is opening its 2009-2010 season with a delightfully eclectic collection of ballets from Classical to Contemporary, and with that mix finding most appreciative audiences. One ballet speaks to audiences' love of 19th Century storybook ballets, one juxtaposes the sacred and erotic, and two are just plain fun to watch.

One delight is the opening work, "Great Galloping Gottschalk," as choreographed by Denver native Lynn Taylor-Corbett to piano music of New Orleans born Louis Moreau Gottschalk - a work filled with delightful and well executed comedy. On September 13th the work presented Dana Benton in lovely solos that exploded and/or simply arose out of a relatively minimalist ensemble bass background, a lovely pas de deux set on Janelle Cooke and Alexei Tyukov, a mesmerizing solo along a light path by Janelle Cooke, and a rollicking can-you-do-this one upmanship dance by Koichi Kubo and Adam Still. Taylor-Corbett uses Gottschalk's multiple piano scores well, usually agreeing in dynamic and articulation, but departing from that just enough to keep it interesting.

Marius Petipa's Act III pas de deux from "The Sleeping Beauty" was well executed by Marina Mosina and Igor Vassine after some minor shakiness in the opening partnering. Caitlin Valentine and Luis Valdes were compelling in a short and erotic duet set to Giulio Caccini's "Ave Maria," music so powerful in its "sacredness" that for decades the Catholic church banned it from being played in church, seeing it as being a distraction from worship. Clearly the juxtaposition of the sacred and eroticism is in itself compelling.

Agnus de Mille's "Rodeo" closes the "All Pointes West" program. Thousands of reviews must have been written about this work, and it seems another would be superfluous. Suffice it to say the work was well performed and staged by The Colorado Ballet - with Dana Benton dancing the part of the butt slapping cowgirl, a part Agnes de Mille - seen as too homely to act and too fat to dance - reserved for herself, and Koichi Kubo as her tap dancing champion roper. Both found convincing characters. De Mille uses stereotypical cowboy mannerisms and movements throughout "Rodeo," abstracting them just enough to avoid pantomime, but keeping them recognizable.

It is nice to see that Artistic Director Gill Boggs and Executive Director Jack Lemmon take time to mingle with Colorado Ballet patrons pre-show and during intermission, answering any questions asked of them.

Donald K. Atwood MFA, Ph.D.

© Copyright World Dance Reviews 2009