Review: DANCE by Lyon Opera Ballet-A Stunning Performance at New York City Center

New York City Center continues their successful season of dance with Lyon Opera Ballet that performed on the midtown stage from 10/19 to 10/21. This world-renowned company is led by Artistic Director, Cedric Andrieux. All those who had the pleasure of attending the shows at City Center experienced a stunning and inventive presentation of exquisite ballet.  Lyon Opera Ballet’s production is part of the “Dance Reflections Series” by Van Cleef & Arpels that is being presented at various venues throughout the city in October, November and December.

We attended the Friday evening performance. The program titled Dance was presented in three parts and lasted for a full hour without an intermission.  The stunning choreography is by Lucinda Childs; film by Sol Lewitt; film recreation (2016) by Marie-Helene Rebois; lighting design by Beverly Emmons; and costume design by A. Christina Giannini. The Production Manager is Alexandre Mesta and the Stage Manager is Eugenie Bourdy.  Dance made its premiere on November 29, 1979 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  The dancers were all uniformly clad in white that added the perfect touch to the aura of the piece. The musical selections by Philip Glass were ideal for Dance.

“Dance I” was performed by eight dancers that included Anna Romanova, Jacqueline Baby, Jade Diouf, Dorothee Delabie, Tyler Galster, Edi Blloshmi, Raul Serrano Nunez, and Leoannis Pupo-Guillen.  The dancers criss crossed the stage in pairs while projections at various angles and dimensions mirrored their movements and mingled with the dancers adding a stunning perspective. As the performers repeated their movements in unison, it was truly fascinating.

“Dance II,” a solo performed by Noellie Conjeaud, proved to be very powerful.  Conjeaud’s graceful, flawless performance was once again accompanied by spectacular projections.

“Dance III” was performed by Marie Albert, Katrien De Bakker, Amanda Lana, Abril Diaz, Jackson Haywood, Roylan Ramos, Marco Merenda, and Giacomo Todeschi. The covers for the performance are Albert Nikolli and Eleonora Campello. This energetic segment featured upbeat music, the dancers working in perfect precision, and awe-inspiring projections. “Dance III” was a perfect conclusion to the full program.

Lyon Opera Ballet brought their abundant talents to New York City Center.  Lucinda Child’s masterpiece, Dance offers a unique aesthetic that fuses dance, music, and the visual arts.  For more information on the company, readers can visit https://www.opera-lyon.com/en.  

New York City Center is located at 131 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019.  For upcoming performances, schedules, and more information, call  (212) 581-1212 and visit https://www.nycitycenter.org/.

Photo Credit:  Photographer, Agathe Poupeney

 

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