In short, not quite.
Under the vaulted ceilings of the City Center theater, viewers found themselves observing a variety of styles in one universal medium — dance. Viewers new to this sort of performance quickly realize the boisterous enthusiasm of all those in the audience. This excitement stems from either extensive knowledge of dance or the appreciation of movements that look, in a word, difficult.
The Australian ballet, “Le Spectre de la rose” won points for limitless extensions and poised sophistication. However, there was a clinical quality to its execution, like it was supposed to be respected rather than enjoyed. It is true the crowd responded well to this performance, but that’s because it felt like a classic. It would have seemed blasphemous if there was no fanfare for it.
Another notable performance was Snow, which took the cake as the most esoteric performance of the night. While many appeared to appreciate it as a social climber appreciates a fine wine, there was quite a bit of head scratching going on. Snow was supposed to be an internal journey to…it is unclear what or where. It was a ‘hit or miss performance,’ achingly bold, with dancer Sang Juia often dancing out of the sight of peripheral viewers. The performance was also long, which didn’t do any favors to the controversy surrounding its complexities. On a high note, the snow was beautiful. It added much-needed imagery to an otherwise drab stage.
FInishing the show was Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Revelations, which revealed that the average man can enjoy himself at a chef’s sample of ballet. Where other performances were dark and introspective, Revelations was bright and extroverted. It filled a much-need void in the round of performances — it put a smile on people’s faces. People enjoyed clapping their hands along with the soulful gospel music, all the while taking in the movements, how the dancers timed large movements with crescendos, how they remained still in the absence of music. This performance was a gem, a feast for the eyes and ears that was unforgettable. The bright lighting and uniform costumes added to this sense of occasion. The Alvin Ailey dancers knew that though their moves lacked a certain complexity found in other performances, grouping dancers on stage, in uniform costumes, with uniform movements, infuses vitality in a dance performance. Viewers felt like they were transported to a southern baptist church during Revelations. It was the most unexpected performance of the night. It was a revelation.
