The first impression left by Pacific Northwest Ballet’s opening performance of an all-Forsythe repertory (through March 22 at McCaw Hall) was that this choreographer’s work suits the company through and through. The choice of pieces gave an opportunity to show off large numbers of the company from principals to corps members in solo or semi-solo roles, and everywhere there was good dancing, sometimes stellar.
There were three pieces on Friday’s program at McCaw Hall, two new to Seattle: “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude” and “New Suite,” and one already in the company’s repertoire: “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated.”
“Exactitude” has been described as 30 minutes telescoped into ten, and requires lightning speed of movement–which nonetheless never looked rushed on Friday. Danced by three women, Leta Biasucci, Carrie Imler and Margaret Mullin; and two men, Benjamin Griffiths and Jonathan Porretta; it uses music from Schubert’s Ninth Symphony. Biasucci danced these fast and intricate steps so cleanly she sparkled, Porretta’s energy lit up the stage, with the other three dancers closely with them.
Forsythe’s genius lies in his creative use of classical ballet moves and the way he combines them both for individuals and in couples, and in relation to the music. He also makes use in his own way of the oppositional balances used to such effect in Greek and Roman statuary, as was pointed out in the preconcert lecture, and this is noticeable throughout, though in fleeting images. Nothing ever looks contrived and it’s totally, imaginatively original.
All this showed particularly in “New Suite,” nine short pas de deux for eighteen different dancers: four set to Handel’s music, one to Bach, and three to that of Luciano Berio.
A slow, flowing Handel largo became embodied in the performance by Elizabeth Murphy and William Lin-Yee. Murphy’s entire body carried through the beautiful shapes of the music’s phrases and the two married to that the unceasing flow of their movements. This set the tone for a series of fine performances, the choreography for the Berio much edgier, very different in emotional quality from the Handel and Bach. Ezra Thomson, Angelica Generosa, Karel Cruz, Sarah Ricard Orza and Jahna Frantziskonis all stood out in what was a very high level of company dance.
In between these two, the PNB orchestra under Emil de Cou played the overture to Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro. This season the orchestra has been showcased with a work by itself at every performance in celebration of its 25th anniversary. This time, its unfortunate placing in the program meant there was a buzz of conversation as everybody discussed “Exactitude” after the curtain went down, and they went on talking throughout the orchestra’s performance.
The longest piece, “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated,” doesn’t use the orchestra but is set to electronic music. Setting, costumes and music are reminiscent of a large gym in which one can hear in the background what could be the thwack of balls on rackets, the clang of machines, and the thuds and bumps of crashing cacophony. Add to this nine dancers in dark leotards, with the muscles rippling on the men, particularly Seth Orza and, for the set, just an interrupted band of lighter color high on the back curtain.
An undercurrent of competition goes on and even a little sexy encouragement with some hip sways by at least one–Lindsi Dec in this performance–as one dancer or two comes to the fore to show off prowess. It’s a long piece, perhaps a little too long given the unremitting clash of the music, though not for the dance itself; and high energy, which the dancers kept up to the end.
All in all this is a fascinating program, the first time in this country that there has been a program entirely of works by William Forsythe. It had enough variety to sustain that, and indeed it might take more than one visit to assimilate it.
