This past week I've been studying at the Jillana School in the Taos Ski Valley, NM. Last Wednesday, August 1, we took a trip into Santa Fe to attend a performance of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
The company was founded by Bebe Schweppe. The current directors are Jean-Phillipe Malaty as executive and Tom Moesbrucker as artistic. The company is small, made up of eleven dancers.
From July 30-August 4, they performed a show of mixed repertory. They opened with the Santa Fe premiere of "Everyday Incarnation", by Nicolo Fuente. This piece was set to music by Vivaldi, "Concerto della Natura". The lighting was subdued, highlighting the dancers, designed by Michael Mazzola. The men were clothed in loose trousers, with bare chests, and the women in flowing tunic and pants - both in burgundy, designed by Billie Meyer.
The piece was a modern ballet danced by seven members. It started off a bit slow, but as the piece went on the dancers seemed to warm up to it and performed with more strength and energy. The piece was in several short parts, consisting of group dances and duets. The choreography was sensual in some parts and almost violent in others.
After an intermission, they performed David Parson's "The Envelope". It was set to music by Gioacchino Rossini. The lighting was simple, designed by Howell Binkley. The dancers wore baggy, black pants, tanktops, hoods, and goggles, designed by Kathy Scoggins.
The piece was staged by Gail Gilbert, who actually is my modern teacher at the Jillana School. Seven dancers performed this piece. This was a modern piece, choreographed around a comic storyline. As the name describes, the piece centers around an envelope, which is found by a strange, human-like person. He starts by trying to get rid of it, but for some mysterious reason, the envelope always stays with him. The rest of the piece shows how the envelope is passed around from person to person. The choreography was definitely interesting and entertaining, and the performers carried off the comic aspects well.
Go To Page: 1 2
