Utah Arts Review

Ballet West escaped to Neverland Friday night with the opening of Peter Pan at the Capitol Theatre. Based on J.M. Barrie’s original tale of a daring boy who wouldn’t grow up, choreographer Trey McIntyre explores themes of childhood and belonging set in a magical world of fairies, pirates, mermaids, and adventure. 

This is the Ballet West premiere of Peter Pan, and it is a thrilling addition to the company’s repertoire of story ballets. 

Peter Pan leaves behind many of the traditional elements such as pantomime and a grand pas de deux. McIntyre’s choreography tells the story and develops the characters while keeping the action moving quickly. The choreographyis a study in contrasts, taking the graceful language of classical ballet and iterating it through the perspective of childlike movement and wonder. 

Peter Pan incorporates many theatrical elements beyond ballet. Puppetry appears throughout, showing grotesque nannies in the exposition, butterflies for the Lost Boys to chase, and darting sea creatures to transition the setting to a mermaid lagoon. Peter Pan is also noteworthy for its extensive aerial choreography, with six characters throughout the ballet dancing and flying through the air. 

As Wendy, Jenna Rae Herrera was beautifully cast. As a girl starting to explore the line between childhood and adulthood, she rapidly changed between the boisterous jumping steps of the nursery to vulnerable uncertainty while copying the formal turns of her parents. Her acting brought insight to the character, but it was the delicacy of footwork and focus on simple, graceful lines that made her Wendy feel believably young.

William Lynch as Peter Pan was a powerhouse of strength, and even when his character was sleeping, you could feel the dynamism waiting to be released. Peter’s choreography— whether soloing or as a partner—was a non-stop series of jumps, leaps, and pirouettes. His Act I pas de deux with Wendy featured a series of lifts that ingeniously varied in height and shape, making the moment when Wendy and her brothers first fly feel like the natural evolution of dance. 

The fairies were an extension of Peter’s frenetic energy as they bounced around the stage entertaining and caring for the Darling children. Rylee Ann Rogers as Tinkerbell didn’t imitate the jumps of Peter, but instead built tension through repeated arabesques and balances executed with patience and precision.  

The choreographic progression in Herrera and Lynch’s partnering in each act was subtle, but delivered crucial emotional impact. The lifts and joy of Act I shifted in Act II to more grounded and complex turns that showed the mixed emotions of enjoying Neverland but longing for home. Their final goodbye in Act III reflects the gestures from earlier, but with more individual soloing showing both characters assured in the future. 

McIntyre also created nuanced movements for John, Michael, and the Lost Boys. Big, waving hands paired with tiny lifted steps easily showed Michael as the baby of the group, and James Jobson-Larkin combined the movement with innocent glee. Jacob Hancock was a mischievous John, pulling Wendy’s hair and later embracing the chance to fight pirates. The Lost Boys each had their individual quirks, but their cohesion in unison was a forceful presence. Their flexed arms and legs as they travelled across the stage as a group felt like a joined unit, not individual dancers. 

Tyler Gum was an enthusiastic and villainous Captain Hook, alternating between looming over Wendy aggressively before softly trying to elicit her sympathy. His enraged solo after realizing he won’t sway her opinion was captivating, his height adding additional torsion in the upper body. 

The score is an amalgamation of multiple suites, symphonies, and incidental music by Edward Elgar, adapted and arranged by Niel DePonte. The Ballet West Orchestra was sturdy and dynamic under Music Director Jared Oaks, highlighting the emotional landscape of the ballet with finesse.

Ballet West’s Peter Pan continues through February 21. balletwest.org