Jay's Responses: InDance (Joyce SoHO); NYCB @ Lincoln Center (Koch Theater)

In Dance
By Jay Reist

In Dance’s performance has many original interpretive creations. I walked out loving it and would see it again in a heartbeat. All the pieces have a mysterious sensuality that links them together in perfect harmony. Inverse, the first creation of the night is filled with jungle-like pulses and sways from the dancers. The lighting is forest-inspired with many deep, vividly rich colors. The second creation, BOX, has bright lighting against the black stage. The movements are very quick and precise. The costumes contrasted each other, one dancer in black and the other in an Indian cultural costume. The live music was splendid and brings more life to the meticulous movements. OWNING SHADOWS shows an erotic version of the tale of Ramayana. MEA CULPA is another entertaining creation. IT is the depiction of the god Siva the Destroyer. The dancing was very sexy and playful and had a very ballet-gone promiscuous theme. BOLLYWOOD HOPSCOTCH is extremely entertaining with a S & M theme. It incorporated typical Bollywood film clips with some Bollywood-style dancing. I recommend In Dance to anyone looking for a alternative look at dance and at Indian culture.

New York City Ballet Response
By Jay Reist

New York City Ballet’s Spring Season holds a variety of ballet pieces. The first piece, Four Temperaments has the original choreography by George Balanchine with love orchestra music written by Paul Hindermith. The costumes are very formal; black and white. I have seen ballet before, mainly “Nutcracker” style dances, but this is very new to me. The dancing, you could say is traditional but I did see movements that I would never see anywhere else. Each variation holds a new emotion that is portrayed by the dancer’s movements. La Stravaganza is an original piece by Angelin Preljocaj, a choreographer new to the New York City Ballet. It portrays the relationship between native people and European colonists. The dancing is a breath of fresh air to ballet, with its deep stretching and partnering that displays an intimate relationship between dancers. The music is recorded, bouncing between techno and classical. Chaconne has original choreography by George Balanchine with live orchestra music written by Christoph Willibald von Gluck. It is a “traditional” ballet piece, with defined hierarchy and even princes. It shows a lovely tale (with many frills and white) between royal characters. This is my second time attending New York City Ballet and I may return in the near future.