Review: AMERICAN INGENUITY Showcases Powerful Performances From Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet opens the 2016-2017 season with three one-act ballets that are as thrilling as they are disparate. AMERICAN INGENUITY showcases the work of three prominent choreographers: George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Jerome Robbins' Other Dances, and William Forsythe's Artifact Suite.

Balanchine's Theme and Variations is just what you'd expect from the ballet master. It is regal yet joyful, and technique plays a starring role. Balanchine meant to pay to tribute to his alma mater, the Imperial Russian Ballet. Set to Tchaikovsky's felicitous Suite No. 3, Theme And Variations reminded me of a garden filled with happy blue and yellow flowers. Connor Walsh dances the male principal role with pure joy, enacting precise turns and a lyrical style. Yuriko Kajiya is an example of pristine symmetry and clean lines. This is a piece that feels classic and traditional, but also just plain happy.

Jerome Robbins' Other Dances is the jewel of the night. Karina Gonzalez has arguably the most beautiful arms in the company, and her languid, slightly sensual portrayal is stunning. Gonzalez is like liquid silk, whether performing lighter-than-air turns or easing into a fluid lift. Charles-Louis Yoshiyama is an apt counterpart to Gonzalez, dancing cleanly yet with plenty of personality. The piece entails comedic flair, as well, and this only strengthens the pensive, curious mood of the ballet. The setting is oddly moving in its simplicity. There is a pianist onstage, playing Chopin, as the dancers work the stage. With a clean blue backdrop and nuanced playing by pianist Katherine Ciscon, it makes for a pure platform for Robbins' bewitching choreography.

The concluding ballet of the evening, Forsythe's Artifact Suite, is a runaway train of multiple personalities. It begins with a stage full of dancers in a very ugly shade of mustard. The lighting is strange, as it creates shadowing that impedes the ability to see the choreography at times. The choreography zigzags between being random and stark to meaningful and athletic. The dance is set to Bach's Chaconne from Partita and the music increases the sense of repetition and chaos. Some of the steps remind me of wind up dolls on a conveyor belt. Other aspects of the dance bring to mind dictatorship and loss of identity. There is much about the piece that seems improvised, and I couldn't help but wonder, "What does this all mean?" Artifact Suite is very long, about fifteen minutes too long in my opinion, and my hat's off to the dancers for exhibiting admirable endurance. This is the last ballet of the night and it's a bugaboo, physically. Bridget Kuhns owns her bright place in this contraption of a ballet, and it is a pleasure to see the athletic prowess of principals Karina Gonzalez and Ian Cassidy, and soloists Jessica Collado and Chun Wai Chan, as well. Artifact Suite is very theatrical, with a lot of lighting play and dramatic use of the stage curtain, of all things. It is stark and abrupt and sometimes confusing, but it's also dynamic and bold.

Houston Ballet has a sure handle on what is exciting and beguiling. With AMERICAN INGENUITY the company proves their excellence once again.

For tickets:http://www.houstonballet.org/Ticketing-Schedule/Season-Calendar/DIRECTORS-CHOICE-AMERICAN-INGENUITY/

Photo Credit: Amitava Sarkar

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