Utah Arts Review

Ballet West captured an energetic New York state of mind with “West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond.” This mixed-repertory program, which opened Friday night at the Capitol Theatre, featured four Utah premieres, examining the intersection and divergence of ballet and musical theater.   

The program opened with Jerome Robbins’ Antique Epigraphs, loosely inspired by Greek mythology, but exploring forms and representation of ancient cultures. Robbins’ movements in this work begin as an interaction between geometric and organic configurations. 

There are brief solos, but it is really an ensemble piece as eight women weave through moments of graceful unison that become more complex through different spacing up and down stage while facing different directions. Pointe work and elongated lines in some parts are contrasted with grounded, flat-footed turns and flexed hands in others. 

The piece is set to Six Epigraphes Antiques by Claude Debussy, but the final section strips away the orchestra and leaves the dancers accompanied only by solo flute in Debussy’s Syrinx. Scattered across the stage, languid gestures slowly bring the dancers together in a line, feet touching with connected arms. They rotate and pivot as one, creating one final, dramatic tableaux.  

The middle section of the program featured two 21st century works by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. In Carousel (A Dance), the company twirls and jumps through the celebrated  nostalgic waltz from Carousel by Richard Rodgers. Wheeldon uses the dancers to recreate the whirling structure of a carousel, with repeated skips and bending while the dancers travel around in circles. This motion veers into silliness near the end as the women are raised above the men while holding carousel poles, moving up and down like horses.

Amy Potter and Jordan Veit danced the central pas de deux with nuanced complexity, highlighting the hesitancy and doubt of possible romance. A series of lifts in the first half built tension through asymmetrical balance, before resolving into a more traditional and flirtatious pairing. 

Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz followed in the pas de deux from After the Rain. The unhurried nature of the choreography only accents the extreme skill and control the dancers have while moving across the stage. Wheeldon uses repeated nudges by the dancers, pushing each other’s shoulder or knee to spur movement after stillness. Adams and Diniz were exquisite in this ballet, with exceptional control through complex contracted and extended lifts and balances that hinged on mutual counterbalance and support. 

With only two dancers in simple costuming and two musicians on stage, this work is about precision and intention. Cellist Lauren Posey and pianist Vedrana Subotic perfectly matched the intensity and focus of the dancers while performing Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. 

The evening closed with Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, a collection of dances from the Broadway musical and Hollywood film with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Robbins’ insight into movement is delightful to watch. He is able to infuse purpose and emotion in the simple act of walking across the stage, but West Side Story Suite adds explosive levels to everything through jumps, leaps, and tumbling. The majority of the pieces were for the whole ensemble, adding captivating energy. 

This suite is designed as a musical theater work with dancing, acting, and singing. In addition to the company dancers, and  vocal soloists in the orchestra, Ballet West was joined by two guest artists, former New York City Ballet dancers Robbie Fairchild and Georgina Pazgoquin in the roles of Tony and Anita. 

Pazgoquin was a strong Anita, dancing throughout and singing in “America”. Fairchild had a powerful and sensitive stage presence as Tony, but since he did not have a singing part one was left puzzled why a company dancer wasn’t in the role.

Jenna Rae Herrera as Rosalia and David Huffmire as Riff both surprised and satisfied the audience with their singing talents in “America” (Herrera) and “Cool” (Huffmire.)

The Ballet West Orchestra performed well under music director Jared Oaks, with a gentle, warm tone throughout the Debussy pivoting to the robust, syncopated orchestration of Rodgers and Bernstein.

Ballet West’s “West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond” continues through April 18. balletwest.org