Above: Charis Haines and Brian Flynn in Pascal Rioult’s ON DISTANT SHORES; photo by Sofia Negron
Monday April 29, 2013 – For me, there are few choreographers currently creating who can rival Pascal Rioult for musicality, structure and dramatic nuance. This evening at the Paul Taylor Studios an invited audience watched an excerpt from one of Pascal’s most perfect works, ON DISTANT SHORES; and we were then treated to a preview of his current work-in-progress, set to a score by Michael Torke. Both ballets draw their inspiration from the stories of legendary women: Helen of Troy for DISTANT SHORES and Iphigenia for the new creation.
The except from ON DISTANT SHORES was danced this evening by Charis Haines, a charismatic and mysterious beauty; seeing her as the iconic Helen seems like a providential case of type-casting, for her presence is as mesmerizing as her face. She is surrounded by the spirits of four warriors, Greek or Trojan, with the torsos of demi-gods and each with his own indivdual allure: Jere Hunt, Brian Flynn, Holt Wilbourn and Josiah Guitian. The ballet is set to an ethereal and evocative score by Aaron Jay Kernis.
The dancers have been up at Katsbaan preparing IPHIGENIA; the Michael Torke score for this ballet will be performed live when it premieres at The Joyce in June. This new work is something of a fresh departure for Pascal Rioult in that it takes on the aspects of a dance-drama; there will be a spoken narrative, and the dancers’ acting skills will be to the fore. In this evening’s preview-showing the four principal roles were danced by Jane Sato, Marianna Tsartolia, Brian Flynn and Jere Hunt – all looking splendid, and vibrantly committed – while the other dancers of the Company take on the classic duties of the Greek chorus.
RIOULT will be at The Joyce June 9th thru 14th, 2013. Information here. Ah, and they are doing BOLERO…yet another of Pascal’s masterpieces.
Oberon's Glade 