The crowd noisily resounded into the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts or better known as The Soraya in Northridge, California with many excited dance enthusiasts filling their seats. This Vancouver based dance company, Ballet BC has built a loyal following for their programs at this Los Angeles Theater and fans commented on how they had attended the company’s previous two appearances. The most elite supporters and aficionados were in attendance including dedicated supporters of the arts, Ms. Gloria Kaufman and Ms. Soraya S. Nazarian. Ballet BC’s appearance on May 6th, 2023, debuted two World premieres, the audience was on the edge of their seat and it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Instead, we listened intently as the sounds came from dancers on stage.
The first World Premier titled Passing opened to find a man and a woman in opposite ends of the stage pouring dark black ashes from a container onto the floor. Swedish born, former Netherlands Dance Theater dancer, and award-winning choreographer Johan Inger took the audience on an earnest journey through different relatable moments in one’s lifetime. The first couple Sarah Pippin and Orlando Harbutt were musically engaged, lightheartedly playful, and they moved effortlessly through the heartfelt acoustic guitar of “The Joy of D.H. Lawrence,” created by Swedish sound artist Erik Enocksson. This hypnotic Nordic melody imprinted into one’s soul and was beautifully accompanied by the couple’s spirited jetés kicking up ashes, lively lifts and dead drop catches that nearly touched the floor. Following the nature of things, the man held the labor pained woman while she inventively gave birth to eighteen dancers who rolled in succession onto the stage. The colorful costume design by seasoned seamstress Linda Chow added to the fanciful flow of the segments with alternating skirts and pants.
Ballet BC in PASSING by Johan Inger – Photo by Luis Luque – Luque Photography
In the third segment, and a standout of the evening, was Kiana Jung who dominated the space and time of each measure while gracefully achieving her movement phrases. Ms. Jung had a nimble lengthy quality that brought agility to her strides. Other notable artists in Johan’s piece were Michael Garcia, Sidney Chuckas, and Rae Srivastava who moved exquisitely together and apart with expansive and expressive gestures. Some of the company members wore socks, others were barefoot and, adding another element of sound, a few performed in tap shoes. Rae Srivastava was attractively debonaire and sophisticated in his approach; his tapping portions durable and solid. In a pivotal moment of truth and sadness, Mr. Srivastava and other tappers (Kaylin Sturtevant, Benjamin Peralta, Ben Waters, and Michael Garcia) became a forceful angry mob that surrounded Jacob Williams as he collapsed on cue.
In a handsomely paired pas de deux, Sidney Chuckas, in a skirt, was emotively vulnerable in the hands of her strong and secure partner, Jacob Williams. Making a lovely couple, one endearing and memorable lift was when Sidney ended curled onto Jacobs back. While lying on the ground, the talented Williams sang with demanding skill despite his diaphragm facing the floor. Later on, Emily Chessa projected vividly towards the audience adding to the many memorable filmmaking moments. In addition, a stunning snowfall with human bodies costumed to appear naked moved beneath the snow impervious to the cold. Inger’s use of snow and ashes on the ground was a salient and effective visual as the dancers slid into their movements.
Ballet BC in PASSING by Johan Inger – Photo by Luis Luque – Luque Photography
Built in approximately eight sections, Johan Inger’s remarkable work, Passing, with dance, spoken word and song was divinely performed. Inger’s transitions organically flowed into the oncoming sections and his extra layer of ash and snow where symbolically sublime. The uniformity within the groups was powerfully magnetic while also engaging the full company. Inger gave each dancer the opportunity to naturally shine as he infused a storytelling component into each section.
Passing’s ending was a striking cinematic fantasy of people walking over rolling bodies. It was such a strong visual that I wanted to watch it forever as it slowly faded away into the back curtains, leaving an obscure dim empty stage for the spectators to contemplate.
Ballet BC – “20 People” by Roy Assaf – Photo by Luis Luque -Luque Photography
It appears that today’s artistic inclination is to have a negative release effect by getting the audience to feel angst, anger, or uneasiness. In the second World premiere, 20 People, choreographer Roy Assaf decided to evoke vocal sounds, words, and movement into a performance art piece mischievously taunting and poking into these human sentiments. The first section however was oddly dissimilar than the rest of the work. In it, the woman sat sensually in the front of the stage as the soulful Donny Hathaway sang “A Song for You,” originally written by Leon Russell. The women, with their hair loose and dressed in striking velvety fuchsia leotards, stared straightforward towards the audience. In 20 People, the tall and elegant Éline Malègue with her natural stage presence was a stunning standout. Her activity was resilient yet elegant.
Ballet BC – “20 People” by Roy Assaf – Photo by Luis Luque -Luque Photography
In the next section, the sliding “ah” sounds projected by the dancers started a vast variety of emotionally charged highs and lows; their mouths directed toward and away from the audience. Groups of dancers vocalized sensational ranges in tones of creepiness, loud to soft, funny, sexy, light, weak, awkward, strong, and exhausting. Assaf mixed in sharp angular poses like those seen in voguing, with identifiable ballet and contemporary dance.
Assaf’s choreographic element of picking up or leaving a person made for polished transitions. There were enjoyable partnering sections especially one during which pairs were seen doing the identical sequence at different times. This involved sexy, stimulating alternating positions and reverberations of the vocal utterances of “ah.” These and the repetitive steps summoned frustration and when you that you could not take it anymore, the dancers began to speak.
“Honored guests we are close to the end,” they said. “If you put it in everything, it becomes everything. If you put it in nothing it becomes nothing,” uttered the highlighted duo Michael Garcia and Rae Srivastava. This impressive pair featured a resemblance of a classroom improvisation exercise but their duet was clearly choreography by Assaf in advance. For me, it conjured an “Alice in Wonderland” skit that became so absurd that I thought I might want to pull out my hair. Assaf achieved his goals of irritating the viewer, while also physically and vocally challenging the performers.
Ballet BC – “20 People” by Roy Assaf – Photo by Luis Luque -Luque Photography
Many dance companies are now inserting sound, cinematic elements, release art, and different genres of dance. Ballet BC continues to innovate while combining an awareness of current social injustices and realities. They are led by the creative Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, who has done a brilliant job in the art direction, and choosing choreographers that highlight the company. The big crowd on opening night proved that the Los Angles community and throughout Southern California should look forward to experiencing more of Ballet BC’s creative and groundbreaking work. The Soraya’s Executive Director Thor Steingraber presents quality programs and Ballet BC is a reoccurring successful and thrilling event for patrons and audiences alike.
Additional Music credits for Passing: “Westward. Ho!” “Barn Dance,” “Bumbo,” and “Theme – Instrumental written and performed by Louis T. Hardin. “Harsh and Stubborn that River Bends” composed and performed by Erik Enocksson. “Composition” by Amos Ben-Tal.
Additional Music credits for 20 People: “Touch Me” by Robby Krieger and performed by Ballet BC Company.
If you missed this chance to see Ballet BC, the company will be performing on June 3, 2023 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. From more information and tickets, please click HERE.
For more information about Ballet BC, please visit their website.
To see the full performance schedule at The Soraya, please visit their website.
Written by Alice Alyse for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Ballet BC in PASSING by Johan Inger – Photo by Luis Luque – Luque Photography
