Tag: Roberto Villanueva

Christopher Williams ~ NARCISSUS @ NYLA

Above: from NARCISSUS; photo by Andrew Jordan

Saturday October 30th, 2021 matinee – At New York Live Arts this afternoon with Roberto Villanueva for a performance of Christopher Williams’ NARCISSUS. It was a purely delightful hour, wherein the music, choreography, lighting, costumes, and the beautiful cast of dancers all combined to create a dreamworld at once quirky, erotic, and poignant.

NARCISSUS is set to Nikolai Tcherepnin’s score “Narcisse et Echo” which was composed in 1911 for Michel Fokine’s ballet of the same title, produced by Serge de Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes. In Mr. Williams re-imagining of the ballet, he takes a fresh look at the timeless tale of Nacissus, a young man very much taken with his own beauty. The enticing production features costume and set designs by Andrew Jordan and lighting by Joe Levasseur.

In a brief prologue, in which bouche fermée voices are heard, a group of Boeotians are silhouetted against the breaking dawn. We then meet the Oreads: a brotherhood of mountain nymphs with Spock-like ears. Dancers Casey Hess, Jack Blackmon, Alexander Olivieri, Michael Parmelee, and Logan Pedon cavort, their heavenly, nearly nude bodies adorned with fantastical red penises. For all the intimacy of their partnering, they paradoxically seem chaste. The music underscores the ecstatic feeling of these youthful males, savoring their delight in nature and in each others company. Throughout this provocative scene – and indeed, throughout the entire ballet – the choreography in superbly musical.

The music shifts with the arrival of Echo, who has both a penis and female breasts; Mac Twining plays the part handsomely. Echo is a lonely creature, and is rejected by the Oreads who hiss at him like animals. Now the Boeotians return: hetero and same sex couples of varying ages are danced by Janet Charleston, Alan Good, Ching-I Chang, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Justin Lynch, and Jake Montanaro. They are joined by a trio of Bacchantes (Christiana Axelsen, Breckyn Drescher, and Caitlin Scranton), dressed in flame-coloured gowns, their faces painted white, their dark hair almost Medusa-like. Their dance is a highlight of the ballet. Now the music becomes tumultuous, the dancing joyous.

The Oreads re-appear, and we are only too happy to see them again; and finally we meet Narcissus himself – in the magnetic person of New York City Ballet principal dancer Taylor Stanley. Clad in a short blue tunic, his solo depicts the character’s self-love.

For Narcissus has fallen in love with his own reflection: a reflection danced by Cemiyon Barber in a yellow tunic. Their duet of mutual admiration is danced in-sync; meanwhile, their shadows follow them on the wall.

Echo returns; smitten with Narcissus, his dance is a visual lament. As the music veers from powerful to eerie, he sustains a balance as if teetering on the verge. Mr. Twining excelled here. Now Narcissus and his double return; the music gets big as they fill the space with swirling leaps and mirror-image passages. They embrace, sink to the ground, their bodies communing whilst the forlorn Echo watches them in despair. Narcisssus expires; reaching under his dead idol’s tunic, Echo brings forth a yellow narcissus as darkness falls.

The dancers were enthusiastically applauded; though I thought solo bows for Mssrs. Stanley, Barber, and Twining were in order, they were not forthcoming. The choreographer was warmly greeted by dancers and audience alike.

One of the many reasons I wanted to see this production was the presence in the cast of my friend Justin Lynch. Justin has danced for Amanda Selwyn, Lydia Johnson, and Nai-Ni Chen, and in 2014 he appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s controversial production of DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER. In 2010, he participated in Kokyat’s photoshoot at the Secret Theater. Justn’s such a handsome fellow: it was great to see him again.

~ Oberon

October 29, 2021
Destinations: A Dancer’s Journey

Above: Francesco Pireddu

In 2011, the Sardinian dancer Francesco Pireddu appeared with Roberto Villanueva’s BalaSole Dance Company here in New York City. Francesco’s solo, Silence, was a highlight of the show. A few weeks ago, I heard from Francesco; together we arranged for him to write an article for my blog. And here it is:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Destinations: A Dancer’s Journey ~ Guest Author: Francesco Pireddu

“Hi. My name is Francesco Pireddu. And, like each one of us, I have a story.

When I look at my childhood I see a small, very small village in the middle of the mountains, in the beautiful Italian island called Sardinia. My parents, myself, three brothers and one sister. A big Italian family surrounded by gorgeous nature, visited by particularly cold winters and delighted with bright and hot summers. There was not much to do, apart from going to school, doing the homework and help my mother out in the house. Discipline, simplicity and rigor were the key notes of my family’s life. I was profoundly drawn to everything that wasn’t there: dance, performance, self-expression in the deepest form. I needed to explore. And, as soon as I finished high school, I left.

> First destination: Rome. I was excited, determined and scared. Dance and acting: that’s all I wanted to do, and I ran to register at the most prestigious acting school. I was told that, first things first, there was a “three-monologues-audition” to prepare. Three monologues? Did I have to perform three monologues in front of a bunch of people? No, thanks. I was too shy. Very self-conscious. The day after, I registered at one of the most famous dance schools and I felt so much better. Ballet, modern and improvisation classes: I was in my element. The movement was a beautiful journey. My body language was exposed and explored.

> Second destination: Tuscany. Without a formal audition I was chosen to perform with Micha Van Hoecke, the renowned Belgian director. He was preparing RIGOLETTO, one of the greatest Italian operas by Giuseppe Verdi. Later, I joined Lindsay Kemp’s ensemble and toured the country with LE MASCHERE, a joyful and engaging operetta by Mascagni based on La Commedia dell’Arte. I was happy and proud of being part of such huge productions, and working with Lindsay Kemp, the great choreographer and director who worked closely with artists such as David Bowie and Kate Bush, is definitely one of the best experiences of my career.

In Tuscany I also kept working on my craft and I intensely studied ballet with Marina Van Hoecke, a gifted and demanding teacher who trained Maurice Bejart’s male dancers for more than a decade. Her gentle and tough personality, her immense knowledge and captivating spirit defined profoundly my journey and improved my foundation.

> Third destination: London. One day, Marina, out of the blue, said to me: “I don’t want you in my class anymore. Go somewhere else”. I was devastated. Speechless. I could not understand. I didn’t do anything wrong and I was a devoted student. Why was she pushing me away? It took me many years to understand that the people who really love you and believe in you are the ones who let you go or make you go. Since then, rejection hurts me minimally. I like to believe that that lesson was part of the training.

In London I performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in productions such as BORIS GODUNOV and LA FORZA DEL DESTINO, and I studied ballet with teachers such as Roland Price, Romayne Grigorova, Joan Hewson and Raymond Chai.

> Fourth destination: New York. On my first day in the Big Apple I walked from 42nd street to 75th and Broadway and I ended up at Steps Dance Studio. I still remember the energy, the vibrancy that only a dance studio emanates. I was watching a ballet class and eating a massive walnut muffin. A tall and gentle lady was next to me. She was staring at me and started to ask me simple questions such as: what’s your name? Where are you from? Are you a dancer…..? And a conversation was born. She asked me to audition for her company and, a week later, I found myself in Hartford, Connecticut, rehearsing the Albano NUTRACKER. We performed in different cities and at Mohegan Sun arena.

I am still in New York City and so many beautiful things have happened: I performed at New York Live Arts with Balasole Dance Company (photo above, by Kokyat); at Dixon Place I co-created a solo with the director Albert Andrew Garcia for his new show “Tryptych”, and I was cast as a dancer and actor in the off-Broadway musical “The Raja’s Son and Princess Labam”. Last season I was in AIDA at the Metropolitan Opera and I am currently in their production of TURANDOT. Along the way I was cast in numerous commercials such as: Chase Bank Holiday, JA Bank, Mountain Dew, Bud Light beer and Pima cotton sheets. I made my screen debut in the movie “Top Broker” and I just finished shooting the first season of the series “Play Love”.

Above: Francesco performing in Table of Silence

Last September I joined the Buglisi Dance Company at the Lincoln Plaza in Table of Silence: with a beautiful and emotional dance tribute we remembered and honored the victims of 9/11 and the event was seen livestream all over the world. I was honored to be part of such a remarkable event.

Oh, and in New York City I closed the circle: I trained full-time for two years at HB Studio, the prestigious acting school.

I treasure my experiences. From a village of 600 people, zero money and infinite obstacles, my journey surprises me every day. Next destination: the next rejection(s)! Only then and there do miracles happen.”

~ Guest Author: Francesco Pireddu

October 19, 2017
BalaSole Presents SALMAGUNDI

Above: Alexandra Jacob, a guest soloist in tonight’s performance by BalaSole Dance Company.

Friday July 17th, 2015 – The word “salmagundi” refers to a type of salad, but also to any kind of assortment, medley, or montage. Celebrating their fifth anniversary season tonight at Ailey Citigroup, Roberto Villanueva’s Balasole Dance Company offered a smorgasbord of dance, with a tasty array of solos – everything from tap to toe shoes – in a skillfully arranged and nicely lit production.

As is the custom at BalaSole performances, the evening opened and closed with ensemble works which are prepared and danced by all the participating soloists and emerging artists in the week leading up to the show. Roberto often uses baroque music for these group dances, but this time around he chose contemporary music with a seductive throb; the dancers seemed very much at home in this milieu.

LAURA ASSANTE was the first soloist; her piece entitled “Cancelled Stamp” was danced to the voice of the inimitable Nina Simone singing her classic “Love me or leave me”. Ms. Assante, a lively blonde with a great range of facial expressions, filled the song – which has a long piano riff midway thru – with energy and charm.

ANNA CUFFARI performed a pensive, searching solo entitled “Maktub“. She awakens in a pool of light to the sound of a harp. As the music expands into a passionate romantic theme, the dancer made excellent use of the space with her questing movement and expressive face and hands.

FREDRICK DAVIS (from Dance Theatre of Harlem, making a guest appearance tonight) displayed his striking classic technique in an excerpt from “Undisputed Love“. Set to the celestial sounds of Arvo Part’s “Fratres”, the danseur, in tights and a white shirt, seemed like a contemporary Albrecht lamenting his lost Giselle. Fredrick’s dancing had a fine sense of nobility and quiet ecstasy.

The comely ANDREA SAMONILOVA appeared next, reciting poetry for her solo entitled “Možná Jednou” (translation: ‘Maybe One Day’). Meshed with the spoken words is the sound of water flowing. The sad poetess seems like a lost soul as she stares into the audience, in search of someone. A winsome melody evokes memories of another time and place to which she cannot return. This solo, and Ms. Samonilova’s dancing of it, was both moving and mysterious.

XAVIER TOWNSEND made remarkable moves in his solo “Return”, including some risky B-boy passages that had the audience gasping. Running in place and enmeshed in a struggle for self-expression, the lithe and handsome dancer was able to combine his explosive energy with more lyrical moments to make his solo a big hit with the crowd.

CAMILLE SCHMOEKER performed a tap solo “Gilgal“, to an arrangement of the old gospel song “Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho”. Using subtle shifts in the speed and volume of her tapping, the dancer, in a simple country frock, sometimes evoked line dancing in this solo which had a taste of Americana as well as a feeling of personal narrative.

The powerful physique of ELIJAH LAURANT made a commanding impression in “Delimited Connection“; music from Kangding Ray underscored the dancing with a pounding beat, but the dancer steered clear of literalism and held our interest with his unfolding, expressive moves and the strength of his technique.

ALEXANDRA JACOB, a guest soloist, was for a decade a star of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Tonight, she performed “Anástasis” (translation: ‘Resurrection’), choreographed on her by Roberto Villanueva. Clad in midnight blue and with her hair flowing free, Ms. Jacob’s on-pointe dancing showed a luminous quality as she moved among pools of light. Music by Olafur Arnalds, rather ominous of mood, set the dancer on her path: a restless feeling imbued with lyricism, and a gorgeous ability to communicate directly with the audience thru the poetry of movement.

BRIANA BUTLER enters in silence; on the ground, she pulls herself into a circle of light. Her solo, “Unstoppable“, is danced to music that is alternately mystical and thunderous. Ms. Butler’s strength and control developed the solo with propulsive energy, and she added some impressive gymnastic elements along the way before things settled again into silence.

ROBERTO VILLANUEVA always dances the closing solo at all BalaSole performances, and invariably his solos are highlights of the show. Today, his ‘awakening’ solo, “Air”, was danced to music by Max Richter. Roberto’s solos have an improvisational air but they are always carried off with the polished artistry and committed musicality of a born mover.

Prior to the show I watched the dress rehearsal, hoping to get some useful photos of all the participants; but that did not go so well for me and my camera today. I include a few here, but it’s totally random and I’m sorry to say not all the dancers are represented in their solos.

Above: the soloists, lined up in performance order – Assante, Cuffari, Davis, Samonilova, Townsend, Schmoeker, Laurent, Jacob, Butler, Villanueva

Above: the emerging/re-emerging artists – these dancers appeared in the ensemble works at the start and end of the performance. They are (left to right) Gabriella Perez, Sasha Smith, Laurel Higa, and Ezra Goh.

Above: Laura Assante

Above: Anna Cuffari

Above: Camille Schmoeker

Above: Elijah Laurant

Above: Briana Butler

Above: Roberto Villanueva

Above: the guest artists, Alexandra Jacob and Fredrick Davis, taking a bow

July 17, 2015
MÉLANGE @ BalaSole Dance Company

Friday July 18th, 2014 – Roberto Villanueva’s BalaSole Dance Company presenting MÉLANGE at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre. BalaSole’s evenings of concert dance afford a rare opportunity for dancers in all genres to present solo works in a professional setting, with expert lighting and sound, before a large audience. Roberto Villanueva has made a niche for his Company in the New York City dance world: I don’t know of anyone else who organizes this kind of programme, a boon for both emerging and established dance artists who need to have their work seen.

This evening’s program was one of BalaSole‘s strongest to date. Roberto likes to stress variety in his presentations, and this evening there was something for everyone. The audience – a packed house – watched in attentive silence and warmly applauded all the participating dancers. I had watched the dress rehearsal (a couple hours before curtain time) and I tried to take some pictures, but I wasn’t having much luck this time around.

BalaSole‘s programming follows a set blueprint: eight or ten artists are chosen by audition to present their solo works. They are mentored by Roberto, getting their dances stage-worthy. In the week prior to the show, ensemble pieces are created which will open and close the evening. This time around, Roberto chose wonderfully ‘danceable’ music by Franz Joseph Haydn for these group numbers, and the dancers – in vividly coloured leotards – evoked the joy of the sharing the stage with colleagues. Following a welcoming speech by Roberto, the solos began.

To an Al Kooper blues tune, Sara Braun strolls coolly onto the stage, wearing sunglasses. Removing her shades seems also to remove her self-confidence. The dance takes on a restless quality, though her poise is restored when she dons the glasses again. The dancework, entitled Amy W 27, clearly carries some meaning in the dancer’s life; the fact that we don’t know what inspired her to create the piece adds to the mystique of the character.

Tall and commanding, Steven Jeudy performs a balletic solo to the Callas recording of “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHI. Moving with supple grace, the bare-chested dancer shows off a fine line and an impressive extension. He continues to dance after the aria ends. The title of the solo is Resplendent – a title that well-describes Mr. Jeudy himself.

In the solo Steady Tread (choreographed by Monica Hogan), Courtney Liu danced on pointe to music by the Carolina Chocolate Drops – music which somehow has a Mid-Eastern sway to it. Pausing in balanced arabesques or bringing a jogging motif into play, the pretty dancer covered the space with lively charm.

Alvaro Gonzalez danced a solo (choreographed by Tatiana Martinez) entitled En La Ausencia (In The Absence) in which the dancer, to a poignant Yann Tiersen score, is filled with loneliness. An empty embrace evokes the sense of loss; even Mr. Gonzalez’s hair seems to be expressive. The dance evolves to an agitated coda, until the dancer finally curls up on the floor in despair.

In a daffodil-yellow frock, Kendra Ross takes the stage with a striking command of sensuous musicality for Manifest Divine, danced to an Everett Saunders song. A natural mover, Ms. Ross explores her own private world for our delectation, at the end dissolving into marvelous laughter as she rushes away.

Exquisite artistry marked Misei Daimaru’s performance of her solo Stars in The Dark. Having seen Misei performing with Sunhwa Chung/KoRyo Dance Company and with Janusphere, I was very pleased to see her in a solo work. To music by Pierre and Gaspard Genard, Misei’s solo begins in a pool of light. Many dancers have used a chair in their solo works over the years, but few have made such compelling use of it as Misei; it became her virtual partner in the scheme of things. Misei’s dancing has a lovely internalized feeling, and a deeply expressive movement quality.

Roberto Lara’s personal magnetism underscored his spell-binding performance of Via Crucis (The Way of the Cross), a poignant rendering of Camille Saint-Saens’ classic Dying Swan. Dancing in toe shoes, Roberto’s black tutu contrasted with his creamy alabaster torso. This justaposition of male and female characteristics was played out without any hint of Trockadero-style camp from the muscular dancer with his dark eyes and scruffy beard. The audience responsed to this tantalizing solo with genuine enthusiasm.

In The First Ten, Katie Kilbourn appears in childish innocence. She evokes a nursery-like atmosphere while the music, by CoCo Rosie, makes us think of a music box. Sometimes sucking her thumb, the dancer moves with a doll-like feeling of naïveté. In the end, she slowly winds down while standing in a pool of light, her girlish white dress enveloping her in the virgnial purity of youth.

Schubert’s Ave Maria served as the basis for Journey, a solo by Chloe Cappo. Using her flexible physique, the dancer wove elements of pure ballet technique into her solo which used the space well and responded clearly to the music in its sense of phrasing.

In a slow progress along a lighted path across the stage, Roberto Villanueva displayed his physical control in the opening passage of Caught Up; the sound of clapping hands is later swept into ecstatic phrases for violin in a musical mixture of Steve Reich and Max Richter. Roberto pauses in a lighted circle to dance an animated section, seemingly wishing to escape. Then he continues on his way until the light fades to darkness.

BalaSole have announced their next audition for August 1st, 2014 with performances in October.

July 18, 2014
BalaSole: VISAGES

Thursday October 24th, 2013 – Roberto Villanueva’s BalaSole Dance Company presenting VISAGES, a programme of solo danceworks, mostly self-choreographed, which was given at Ailey Citigroup Theater. Roberto provides a rare opportunity for dancers to perform solo works in professionally-staged productions before sizeable audiences of dance-lovers. His ever-changing roster of dancers is marked by diversity of race, body-type, age, style and individual expression.

Christa Hines (above) performed the opening solo entitled Falling Together, Falling Apart which was choreographed by Teal Darkenwald. Wearing a soft white belted tunic and heavy black boots, the dancer began in silence, moving haltingly about the space and periodically collapsing to the floor. The plaintive voice of Mimerose Beaubron seeps into our senses as the dancer continues her struggle against unseen forces. Ms. Hines, with an appealing quality between vulnerability and hope, signaled the start of a programme which was especially strong in its musical offerings.

Janina Clark performed the solo Sining (Art) to the delicate sounds of the koto. In a black tunic with a ruby-red sash, the dancer moved gracefully across the space, evoking images of a young geisha dancing alone in her own private world.

Steven Brown’s solo Revealed was set to a haunting rendition (in Italian) of Nadir’s aria from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers sung by the late tenor Salvatore Licitra. I had never heard this particular version before, and it was quite moving. Mr. Brown’s performance – he remained stationary throughout, communicating with his expressive arm and hands – had a reverential and introspective quality, and he sustained the mood beautifully.

Ursula Verduzco, the tall and stately ballerina, let her hair down for the solo Nothing To Hide, danced to the contemporary lyricism of Yann Tiersen. Eminently at home on the stage, and using the space with expressive assurance, the dancer’s sense of urgency moves inevitably to a silent scream. This solo was a cohesive blend of music, movement and personal commitment.

Jason Garcia Ignacio, a compact and muscular dancer from the Philippines, used harpsichord music by Louis Couperin to excellent advantage for his handsomely-danced solo My Brother’s Keeper. Jason’s supple body, finely lit to delineate his sculpted torso, showed compelling flexiblity in some deep backbends (that’s Jason in the costume-photo at the top of this article).

The evening’s most unusual work, Go To The Limits Of Your Longing, was created and performed by Anna Brown Massey (above).

Ms. Massey’s solo opens with vocalist Julia Patinella seated onstage, clapping a rhythmic phrase. As dancer enters (above photo), Ms. Patinella bursts into song: her is voice rich, earthy and powerful. The dancer takes a seat across the stage and her entire solo is performed from this seated position, with Ms. Massey using her arms, hands, shoulders and neck to convey an interior monolog. The voice of Ms. Patinella filled the hall with passionate clarity.

Looking striking with her long hair and vivid make-up, dancer Katherine Alvarado showed a strong dramatic flair in her solo Distancia; the music, by Max Richter, seems Glassian at first but then evolves into expansive, full-blown lyricism. Ms. Alvarado, in a backless black outfit, used her entire body as a communicative vessel.

A strong house beat set Delphina Parentiv (above) in restless motion for her solo Body Rebellion. A vivid gestural language and space-covering combinations marked the dancer’s high-energy performance which drew an enthusiastic reaction from the audience.

Roberto Villanueva’ s solo Seconds Remain The Same showed this magnetic dancer’s presence and his flexibility of physique as he moved across the stage in a contemplative state, seemingly lured by some far-off vision. Eventually the dancer is seen in silhouette as he retreats from us into the distance.

The BalaSole tradition of opening and closing their programmes with ensemble works created in a brief rehearsal period was particularly rewarding tonight as the dancers introduced themselves (and bade us good-night) to the music of Franz Joseph Haydn, marked by celebratory getures and a series of pas de trois in which individual personalities emerged. The evening’s performers were joined by emerging artist Ashley Peters who – it seemed to me – deserved a solo shot. Maybe in the next BalaSole show?

I apologize for the darkness and lack of focus in some of these photos from the dress rehearsal: I am still trying to capture motion, but I have a long way to go…

…though I can do well enough when dancers stand still (Jason and Christa, above).

October 24, 2013
JANUSPHERE at the IATI Theater

Photo: Rachel Neville

Sunday July 28, 2013 – JANUSPHERE at the IATI Theater down on East 4th Street. I met my friend Roberto Villanueva (of BalaSole Dance Company) there on an overcast afternoon.

Aqura Lacey, Dora Kovac, Grace Song, Jason Jordan, Luke Manley and Matt Van appeared in KinderPlatz (Children’s
Place) which is set to a darkish, at times almost ominous score by Adyo and Deepbass. Despite its title, there’s nothing juvenile about this work. The dancers,
clad in soft creamy outfits, perform a series of trios and duets, often changing partners and configurations. They run and slide across the smooth floor, or stand still waving their arms in
unison windmill patterns; in these motifs the illusions of children’s
games are expresssed, but the mood remains distinctly ‘adult’.

A geodesic dome serves as a jungle gym, a cage, a bowl. At one point Ms Lacey climbs up onto the shoulders of the men, as if trying to escape thru the ceiling.

KinderPlatz is accompanied by original video projections created by visual artist Aleksandar
Cosic, featuring elements of architecture and shifting perspectives. What makes the work appealing though is the movement quality and the clarity of personal expression of the six indivdual dancers.

A Dancer’s Life opens with the diverse group of Janusphere
dancers appearing one-by-one in practice clothes, telling their stories of “why I became a dancer”. A solemn narrator calls the group to order and they start doing classroom pliés and
tendus, and working on partnering.

Then the competitive spirit takes over: to the ‘Lone Ranger’ theme from Rossini’s WILLIAM TELL overture, the dancers race about the space, bumping one another off in an effort to get ahead of the pack. In an audition scene, the dancers vie
fiercely for available work…and then comes the anguish of waiting for
a callback. When all but one dancer are called,
there’s relief and rejoicing, as well as a defensive narrative from the unchosen one. The work ends with the start of another day, another class.

In A Dancer’s Life, the cast of KinderPlatz are joined by Misei Daimaru, Stephanie van Doreen, and Ashley Whitson. In the theater’s intimate space, the personalities and individual attractiveness of the dancers gave the performance a sense of direct communication.

July 28, 2013
BalaSole: VOCES

Sunday January 27, 2013 – Roberto Villanueva’s current programme for BalaSole, entitled VOCES, was originally scheduled for late October 2012 but was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. The presentation finally took place at Ailey CitiGroup Theater yesterday and today, with a slightly different lineup of participating dancers than originally planned. The performances played to sold-out houses both nights.

Roberto Villanueva created BalaSole Dance Company as a platform for dancer/choreographers to present their work in a concert setting. For each BalaSole presentation, ten artists are usually chosen in an audition process. In the time frame between audition and performance, Roberto mentors the dancers and helps them get their solos stageworthy. A week before the performances, the entire group work on new ensemble pieces which will open and close the show. Roberto creates a solo for himself, and his dancing is always a highlight of the evening – as it was again tonight. Fine lighting and sound enhance the work of the particiating artists, and Roberto has developed a faithful following so that the dancers have a chance to be seen in a very auspicious setting.

Tonight’s collection of dancers was a strong one, with some beautiful individual work. The ensemble pieces were set to the heavy, relentless beat of Black Violin as the dancers – all clad in black – moved in unison or in canonic phrases in smaller groups against deeply-hued changing colours on the back panel.

I sometimes wish the performers (both here and in general on the dance scene) would give a bit more thought to their musical choices. So many pieces seem to come with a rather anonymous, vaguely ominous sound track. It usually works, but if they would put a bit more thought into their music something really memorable might result.

Aaron Gregory’s choice of Zoe Keating is a good one, his solo #Lovesick had a nice hesitant stillness to it. Lauren Alpert, a beautiful dancer I know from her performances with Columbia Ballet Collaborative, brought elements of classical ballet to her spacious solo, Surface Interface. Emily Pacilio’s somewhat androgynous presence and her gorgeous dandelion-coloured leotard, maintained our focus as did her use of chiming Eastern/gamelan style music (her solo an except from Keeping Company With Cage). In 2 tears in a Bucket, Troy Barnes made a handsome impression in a solo limned in weeping and despair, though rays of hope seemed to manifest near the end. My companion Javier Chavez and I were both impressed by Sarah J Ewing in her solo Inside Looking Out which further benefitted from Dario Marinelli’s harp-textured, other-worldly score.

Excellent lighting enhanced Morgana Rose’s well-danced solo Sacred, and then Roberto Villanueva’s solo – again turning to Black Violin for his music – was so expressively danced in a tuxedo and open white shirt. Roberto moves so sinuously, his face always beautifully poetic in the lighting. the solo Ssssssssshallow was – he told me – rather a last-minute affair. I never would have guessed, so compelling was his presentation. Nicole Calabrese moved from a chair into a pool of light in her restless solo Chaos/Contained, and Javier and I both especially loved Jessica Cipriano’s moonlit solo We Could What If All Day with its opening setting of spoken poetry. The final solo came from Andrew Nemr, the first tap-dancer to appear in a BalaSole programme; his dancing was subtle and savory, performed to his own music in a solo called Node Beat.

The closing ensemble work had a sexy sway, and then Roberto bade us goodnight, inviting us to the next performances which will be happening in July.

I’d like to urge all my dancer-friends – in whatever genre and at whatever point in your dance-career – to take Roberto’s next audition (Sunday March 24th – details here). BalaSole‘s concept is a unique one which provides a rare opportunity to present your work in a theatrical context to an audience who really care about dance.

January 27, 2013
BalaSole @ Ailey Citigroup Theater

Saturday September 24, 2011 – Earlier this year we discovered BalaSole, the brainchild of dancer/choreographer Roberto Villanueva. In a series of concerts, Roberto brings together dance artists of varied backgrounds and provides them with a platform to show their work both as creators and dancers. For his July 2011 presentation, Roberto had assembled a very interesting mix of dancers and styles; for tonight’s showing, entitled SPECTRE, an equally fine line-up came together in a very appealing programme. A large and attentive audience at Ailey Citigroup Theater clearly enjoyed this well-paced and finely lit production.

Click on the images to enhance.

The participating dancers in BalaSole’s concerts win their spots in the programme thru an audition process. Entrants come from all over and they spend a week here in NYC preparing for the performances. Each BalaSole production opens and closes with an ensemble piece put together by the dancers and supervised by Roberto Villanueva. The creation of these two pieces turns a group of solo artists into a collective.

Roberto chose a setting of the familar ‘White Swan’ theme from the Tchaikovsky masterpiece for the opening and closing dances tonight; at first rendered on the celesta, the music then goes into a rather grandiose disco beat: off-putting? Not in the least…actually I thought it was a lot of fun. It gave us an opportunity to see all the dancers – clad in long black skirts – before the solo presentations started. In Kokyat’s photo above: Gierre Godley and Ellena Takos.

Following a brief pause so she could slip into costume, Lauren Putty (above) opened the procession of soloists with a space-filling solo set to a song by Sade. As with almost all the dancers, Ms. Putty’s solo was self-choreographed. Laced with vivid leaps and showing the dancer’s strong dramatic presence, this piece – entitled Reflections – got the evening off to a fine start.

Her tutu-like skirt tied in the back with a large black bow gave Ellena Takos (above) a Degas feeling but her style was contemporary, well-suited to her choice of an Alicia Keys song. I Love You, I Love You Not shows a woman in a romantic quandry, sometimes collapsing to the stage like a crushed marionette.

Daisuke Omiya from Japan has a long resume of experience as a tap dancer but now he’s working on developing a broader style of modern dance. Using an industrial-sounding track from Aphex Twin, the slender danseur moved fluently – but with an edge – in the gritty solo Life Sound which made me think at times of Marco Goecke’s contemporary classic Mopey.

Beautiful and exotic, with luminous eyes, Jasmine Domfort (above) rose from a pool of light to dance Counter Existence, set to Arvo Part’s quietly radiant Spiegel im Spiegel played by Angele Dubeau and La Pieta. Using her hands and even her hair as expressive tools, she created a highly personal atmosphere.

Allison Kimmel (above) began her solo Pursuit with a slow backbend. Dancing to music by Max Richter (excellent choice: a first-rate exponent of the contemporary-classic genre), Ms. Kimmel let the music lead her from pensive to animated as she seemed on a quest for someone or something that eluded her. We saw Allison earlier this year at TAKE Dance‘s summer intensive; we love seeing dancers we’ve seen before…

…which was another reason we were so entranced by Gierre Godley’s performance of Kept? We first saw Gierre (above) in November 2010 dancing with Eryc Taylor Dance. For Kept?, Gierre also used a Max Richter score and he danced it with an intense air of mystery. Drawing his shirt up over his face, a shroud-like image gave the work an ominous feeling; throughout, Gierre’s hands were spell-binding.

Following a brief intermission, Cailin Murtha’s solo Corner of Your Heart had a lamenting quality. Using music of Kurt Bestor and Sam Carlson, the dancer in a simple black dress conveyed an aura of regret and resignation.

Ren Xin Lee (above), dancing an excerpt from Somewhere…We Hear choreographed by Kuik Swee Boon to music of David Darling, conveyed the anxious vulnerability of a traveler in a strange land. With her heavy suitcase in tow, the dancer reminded us of the uncertainty of immigrants searching for a new life.

With his slender form clad in ripped blue-jeans, Peter Mills looked very much an au courant young man, but his solo actually had a timeless quality, greatly enhanced by the music of Dario Marianelli in which instruments from cello to musette were heard. Moving into an agitated state, the dancer’s trembling form confronted the audience directly as From Behind ended.

M.E.A.N. is a solo by Courtney J Cook in which the dancer, in dark trousers and a white shirt, fidgets nervously and paces about restlessly as she deals with a romantic breakdown. “It’s over,” says singer Jill Scott succintly. As evening falls, Ms. Cook lights up another cigarette to sooth her nerves.

Julie Halpin’s solo Alone begins with the dancer seated in a straight-back chair and wrapped in a red scarf. Music by Fire Horse propels the dancer into activity but she eventually resigns herself to her lonely vigil. For what or whom is she waiting?

Percussive fanfares precede a ritualistic yet lyrical solo danced by Roberto Villanueva in white briefs and a long sheer white veil. Set surprisingly to Chopin, this work (entitled Be) evoked images of some of Isadora Duncan’s mythic solos. Roberto danced this in a state of serene contemplation…

…kneeling silently as the drums marked the end of the rite.

All the dancers returned for a Tchaikovsky finale: a fantasy of black swans who have wandered far from the lake.

Final curtain call.

All images by Kokyat. Photos of the individual dancers here.

September 24, 2011
BalaSole Dance Company @ DTW

Thursday July 28, 2011 – BalaSole Dance Company opening their season tonight at Dance Theater Workshop. Founded by Roberto Villanueva, BalaSole offers young dancers/choreographers a stage for performing their work and for introducing themselves to a wider public. In this, the second season of Balasole offerings, thirteen dancers (including Mr. Villanueva) were presented in self-created solo works. Click on the above photo to enlarge.

This evening’s participants:

Teal Darkenwald

Rockshana Desances

Odman Felix

Liz Fleche

Marie-Christine Giordano

Martha Patricia Hernandez

Yuki Ishiguro

Alan Khoutakoun

Francesco Pireddu

Jessica Smith

William Tomaskovic

Roberto Villanueva

To open and close the evening, Roberto Villanueva and his fellow performers devised a sunny, beachy ensemble number (top photo) set to Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance.

A full evening of solos might have become an exercise in tedious repetition but the individuality of each dancer assured that the programme maintained freshness from start to finish. The performance was well-paced with nary a lull, and the excellent lighting and stage management of Miriam Crowe were a big plus in this kind of presentation.

We had attended the dress rehearsal (where Kokyat took all these photos) which was really good but it seemed for the performance that all the dancers really raised their communicative and technical level.

Needless to say, some of the dancers and works presented were more appealing or impressive than others; it’s interesting that no one chose music that could be considered ‘classical’ (aside from the de Falla for the ensemble) but each dancer’s music worked well for his/her individual style.

The evening started beautifully with Marie-Christine Giordano in silhouette (above) as she began her solo entitled In and Out, a work-in-progress. Ms. Giordano is perhaps the best-established and most familiar name among the participants; her artistry and stage experience shone throughout this expressive solo.

Thereafter it was the men who seemed to offer both the widest variety of dance-styling, personal appeal and technical polish. The women were all attractive and had lovely things to say but in a more generalized sense.

Here’s a detailing of the dancing boys:

Odman Felix (above) from Brazil gave a supple physicality to his solo. Masculine and posessed of raw power, his solo Forces had a contained sexuality that was somehow also spiritual.

Alan Khoutakoun’s solo (above) benefited not only from his subtle and intense delivery and his sleek physique but also from the most distinctive lighting of the evening.

William Tomaskovic (above) used the space with real command, his physical elasticity and brilliant dramatic focus making a particularly fine impression. His choice of Laurie Anderson to dance to was also inspired: quirky, yet oddly touching: “Come as you are, pay as you go…”

Yuki Ishiguro (above) from Japan called upon a fusion-style that incorporated elements of break-dance, hip-hop and ballet. In his solo Another World, Yuki seemed encased in glass and used his hands with subtle texturing to express his captivity. Sometimes collapsing like a broken marionette, his solo was perhaps the most personal of the evening. Having escaped his glass prison, he seems at the end to be pondering whether he had been safer inside.

Francesco Pireddu (from Sardinia) pictured above in his aptly-named solo Silence? There was nary a sound as this intriguing dancer evoked images of Marcel Marceau with his fluent mimetic gestures.

Roberto Villanueva: a boy and his bear. Roberto, a virtuoso by nature, tonight presented a playful solo called The Child Inside. I was left wondering which is cuddlier: Roberto or his teddy?

The sub-title of this evening’s programme by BalaSole was True Colors and the multi-cultural background of the participants gave the evening a fine sense of diversity and a perspective on dance that is broader than we usually see in a single evening’s presentation.

There is an additional gallery of Kokyat’s images from this presentation here.

Roberto Villanueva’s inspired concept of providing a stage for dancer-types that are under-represented in larger companies and his valuable mentoring of the participants make BalaSole as a unique venture in the contemporary New York dance scene. I’ll look forward now to keeping Roberto and BalaSole on my A-list.

All photos by Kokyat, with my ever-lasting gratitude.

July 28, 2011