San Francisco Ballet: Don Quixote! Labayen Dance/SF
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Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. Photo © Erik Tomasson |
San Francisco Ballet - Outstanding Don Quixote!
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Sarah Van Patten in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. Photo © Erik Tomasson |
Originally choreographed by Alexander Gorsky and Marius Petipa premiering in 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, SF Ballet’s Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson and Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov restaged Don Quixote in 2003 for SF Ballet.
The story tells how Don Quixote (sharply played by Jim Sohm) accompanied by his trusty servant Sancho Panza (the comedic Pascal Molat) searches for his ideal woman, Dulcinea, based on a book he read, thus he sets off on an adventure to find her: Don Quixote arrives on a white horse and Panza on a donkey at a market square in Barcelona to find Kitri, a lovely young woman (refreshingly and elegantly danced by the ethereal Vanessa Zahorian) whose father, Lorenzo (Ricardo Bustamante) wants her to marry the grotesque, older - and very rich – Gamache (brilliantly played by Myles Thatcher). However, this plan never works – and of course Kitri already has a true love, the young, handsome – and poor – barber, Basilio (the athletic and vibrant Joan Boada).
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Vanessa Zahorian and Joan Boada in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. Photo © Erik Tomasson |
Highlights of Act I are the tour de force solos and the pirouette sequence by Zahorian passing a line of Toreadors in vibrant orange, turquoise and black costumes by Pakledinaz, and the lovely duo of Kitri’s two friends (Dores André) and (Courtney Elizabeth) who related well to each other and the audience, whenever they were on stage throughout the ballet. Act I ends with so much fun and movement from the corps of Sequidilla as well as the Toreadors twirling their capes in the air.
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Pauli Magierek and Hansuke Yamamoto in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. Photo © Erik Tomasson |
Kitri and Basilio escape and find short lived solace among a group of gypsies. If Act I was light and festive, Act II comprised three different sensory moods. The first scene with colorful characters was dark and sultry with a group of earthy gypsies. The Gypsy Leader (Hansuke Yammoto) and Gypsy Woman (Daniele Santos) danced together with sexy charisma and presence, supported by a wonderfully athletic gypsy ensemble.
Pakledinaz’ imaginative set comprised a windmill with frayed edges of the canvas sails, a silhouette of a tree and a beautiful moon, lit beautifully by James F. Ingalls with a blue/gray sky. Costumes were of many colors - a highlight dance was Santos’ Gypsy Woman in a long skirt that swirled in interesting sections as she pirouetted. Minkus’ music was interesting and moodier than the sunny Act I.
Next came a lovely pas de deux by Kitri and Basilio, elegant, light and precise yet romantic and fluid to rapturous music.
A Cart opened to show two marionettes – what a joy, they move carefully - and then the realization that they were very young students from the SF Ballet School was magical as they moved without strings so authentically. I loved this moment. Audible gasp from the audience, too!
Mime was very well used to tell certain moments in the story, such as when Quixote and Panza arrive on horse and donkey again, as Kitri and Basilio escape. Don Quixote mistakes the heroine as Dulcinea and he rips the cart apart in anger.
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Clara Blanco in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. Photo © Erik Tomasson |
Don Quixote’s dream sequence was one of the loveliest moments I have experienced in a ballet. Breathtaking. Pakledinaz’ fairy tale set with green boughs overhanging a giant archway with a dark blue starry twinkling sky – glimmering pastel shades of green/blue silky costumes was simply stunning. The corps de ballet of Driads staged in different formations around the space performed exquisitely, led by their Queen (Sofiana Sylve) and a very compelling Cupid (Clara Blanco). This scene included about seven Little Cupids (students of the San Francisco Ballet) who did a wonderful job. How exciting for them to have such an experience as part of this production.
The final Act included several magnificent solos and duos by Zahorian and Boada and ended on a very high note. This is a world class production that is well worth seeing – and a wonderful way to spend an evening.
The next SF Ballet Season resumes in San Francisco in 2013 but you can see a SF Ballet School Student Showcase on May 30th – June 1st 2012.
SF Ballet is on Tour Summer / Fall 2012:
Hamburg, Moscow and Sun Valley Idaho (June);
London (September);
Washington D.C. (November)
http://www.sfballet.org/tickets/ontour
More Information - SF Ballet Website:
Jo Tomalin Ph.D.
Follow @JoTomalinJo Tomalin Ph.D.
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| Jillian Davis in Prayer is Not Enough. | Photo by Andrew Faulkner |
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| Labayen Dance in Prayer is Not Enough. Photo by Andrew Faulkner |
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| Labayen Dance in Prayer is Not Enough. Photo by Andrew Faulkner |
Labayen's Dynamic Spring Season
The Labayen Dance/SF Spring Season 2012 of Revivals & Premieres at San Francisco’s ODC theatre April 20-22 showcased seven pieces by three choreographers. Inspiration for the dances ranges from environmental stewardship, to human relationships, unrequited emotions, and the expression of memory and reasoning.
Award winning choreographer, Enrico Labayen, the company Artistic Director, welcomed the audience at the start of the program. From the warm reaction of the audience to him and after each of the evening’s offerings, it is obvious that this artist is held in high esteem, supported by a loyal community of knowledgeable fans.
Premieres of the evening’s program of April 20th were Sacred Stones, For 2, Marriage Song, and the concert centerpiece world premiere of Labayen’s Kulang Ang Dasal (Prayer is Not Enough).
Sacred Stones choreographed by Enrico Labayen is a stirring piece of meditative slow movement, which emanated from the accomplished guest artist Laura Bernasconii. Bernasconii travelled in a diagonal line, sustaining several long-held arabesques, which melted into fibrous movement to the hauntingly beautiful and trancelike music by Sheila Chandra.
Marriage Song, is a fleeting dance, with elegantly stylized intricate footwork and arm movements, brilliantly performed by Victor Talledos & Daiane Lopes da Silva, to Bernasconii’s choreography and the music of Gregg Ellis.
For 2, choreographed by guest artist Frederick Gaudette was beautifully danced by Jaidah Terry and Gaudette. The wonderful sustained fluidity of the movement between the two was lyrical, with dynamic changes of pace as they turned and entwined themselves exploring dimensions of human interactions and relationships to Mark O’connor’s music. Terry and Gaudette were well matched as partners and communicated with a sincere and joyous rapport.
Labayen’s World Premiere Kulang Ang Dasal, (translated from Tagalog, means “Prayer is Not Enough”) incorporated his company of twelve dancers. This longer piece was dramatic, moving and seamlessly progressed through five sections of increasing emotional intensity: Invocation, Guilt, Conscience, Wailing Confession, and Children of the Light. With creative choreography, visual & the striking cream and black costume design, all by Labayen, and Andrew Faulkner’s additional photographs projected on the large back wall, the themes explore the perception of memory and reason and allude to the atrocities of holocaust poignantly.
Dancers Jillian Davis, Josie Sadan, Margaret Tappan, Peta Barrett and Victor Talledos were standouts in this Prayer and danced with compelling energy in their combinations of ones, pairs and threes. And the entire company was committed to the emotion and storytelling of the narrative through their movement and occasional stillness. Some attention to the unison of the full company dances would enhance this new and interesting work. Music by Silver Mt. Zion Band & Peter Garland complemented the atmosphere of this dance well, including pulsating rhythms, eerie sound effects and sporadic spoken words. Lighting for Prayer is Not Enough and the entire program was well designed with dramatic effect by Jose Ma. Francos.
The three Revivals of the program en-Gulf-ed, Cloth and Glass – are all choreographed by Labayen.
en-Gulf-ed, re-staged and movingly danced by Daiane Lopes da Silva, was conceived as a response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The visual & costume design by Labayen comprised wrinkled black trash bags strewn across the stage, where da Silva, costumed in the same bags, became part of the oil as she walked, recoiled, pulled and pushed herself through the “oil slick” soulfully to David Lang’s emotive music.
Labayen received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Cloth, a male duet inspired by King Solomon’s Songs. The amazing Victor Talledos & guest artist Brendan Barthtel explore human connections and un-requited emotions as they stretch and move in and around a long piece of white fabric with imagery and athleticism. They find powerful, edgy and one or two almost tender moments in their bold rapport throughout the motifs and themes. The combination of Labayen’s choreography and visual design, Talledos’ and Barthel’s high level of athletic performance, Mark Tibenham’s music, and Francos’ lighting make this a complete and accomplished work.
Glass was a feast of high energy driven by moody and dramatic Philip Glass’ music with the full company. In the Second Movement Jillian Davis was charismatic and dynamic, with great extensions, in her solo. Victor Talledos and Daiane Lopes da Silva danced a stylish duo and related well to each other as partners, very nice work. The final moments with the full company were powerful and used the space well visually.
Future performances of Labayen Dance/SF include a Russian Tour in June/July 2012 and a Home Season at San Francisco’s Z Space in October 2012. Website: http://www.labayendancesf.org
Jo Tomalin Ph.D.
Critics World
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Jo Tomalin Ph.D.
Critics World
forallevents.com