BWW Reviews: American Repertory Ballet Wows Audience with RITE OF SPRING

The American Repertory Ballet presented "In Full Bloom" at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, New Jersey on Saturday, March 23rd. The much anticipated premiere of "The Rite of Spring," newly choreographed by Artistic Director, Douglas Martin, was on the program.

The evening opened with the world premiere of Caress, with choreography by Patrick Corbin and music by Kate Jewel. With simple, yet elegant costuming by Michelle Ferranti, the 14 member troupe performed pieces as pleasing as they were unique. The lively solo, Storm, by Euphrosyne Avery contrasted nicely with the romantic duet, Meditation, by Alice Cao and Cameron Auble-Branigan. Dance with Me paired two male dancers and two female dancers in a piece that evoked gentility and romance. The diverse elements of Caress were well placed, and clearly pleased the audience.

Five Men and a Concerto by ARB's resident choreographer, Mary Barton, set to Antonio Vivaldi's "Concerto for Oboe" came next. Here was a dance for five male dancers, whose strength, grace, and versatility were evident. Alexander Dutko's flawless precision in the piece was outstanding. The male troupe performed with the energy and passion that is characteristic of ARB's excellence.

Dance enthusiasts familiar with Stravinsky's 1913 groundbreaking Rite of Spring were delighted by Douglas Martin's innovative choreography. Martin developed Rite of Spring in a modern office setting to illustrate society's changes from the pagan, ancestral times to today. Rich in symbolism, ARB's eighteen dancers performed the dance with lively and passionate movements, emphasizing the inherent message of struggle and power that characterizes The Rite of Spring. As Martin said, "Usually the individual who is willing to take great risk is the one who helps create the greatest progress."

Metropolitan area audiences can continue to enjoy performances by American Repertory Ballet. The Rite of Spring will once again be performed at South Orange Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 5th in their "Viva Spring" program. The company will also be performing Romeo and Juliet at the Union County Performing Arts Center on April 12th and 13th. For more information on these and other American Repertory Ballet performances, and their Princeton Ballet School, visit their website at www.americanrepertoryballet.org.

Photo Credit: Leighton Chen

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