Review: ANGELS' ATLAS is a Moving, Multi-Sensory Examination of Humanity

The National Ballet of Canada's multi-work program is, at its core, an examination of humanity. CHROMA is a hyper-modernist piece designed to show the capabilities of the human body; MARGUERITE AND ARMAND is a tale of love, pain, and death; and the central piece, the world premiere of Crystal Pite's ANGELS' ATLAS leans more into the concepts of humanity, nature, and spirituality.

The evening opens on a stark white space modelled after an art gallery, which is a fitting setting for CHROMA. Meant to place the human body front and centre, this production does a stunning job of forcing attention on the incredible movements carried out by the all-around impressive ensemble. Paired off in twos, threes, and larger groups, the dance borders on acrobatic, which is fitting with the accompanying score, composed by Joby Talbot and Jack White of The White Stripes. Classic and lesser-known numbers by the alternative band work incredibly well with Wayne McGregor's choreography, where dancers are lifted and pulled around their partners' bodies to the loud brass of horns.

Subtle shifts in lighting (Lucy Carter) also key into the storytelling of CHROMA; with subtle shifts, the soft warm glow of the gallery becomes a harsh, bright white observation room. Colour is barely used, but when it is it's all-consuming, which works beautifully with the duet piece performed by Svetlana Lunkina and Brent Parolin. Another highlight of the work is the energetic trio performed by Skylar Campbell, Siphesihle November, and Alexander Skinner, in which the music swells beautifully with their tight synchronization and grounded presence.

The other contemporary piece featured in the program is the world premiere of Crystal Pite's ANGELS' ATLAS. It's the visual opposite to CHROMA - rather than stark brightness, it has the appearance and tone of a Baroque painting. It's largely in the dark, with moody lighting (Tom Visser) creating deep shadows on dancers and an innovative reflective light backdrop (Jay Gower Taylor and Tom Visser) that makes the smokescreen spanning the length of the stage seem alive.

ANGELS' ATLAS is a massive ensemble piece involving over 40 dancers, and the level of synchronization achieved is striking. The dancers roll with the smoke reflection, and nearly identical costumes (Nancy Bryant) between male and female dancers makes the uniformity even more noticeable. Sound design allowed for a multi-dimensional listening experience, however during moments involving choral music the volume reached a level that created an uncomfortable ringing in the ears.

While ANGELS' ATLAS is primarily a group performance piece, the core of its story is centred on Siphesihle November and Hannah Galway's characters. Galway has a natural softness to her movement that makes her appear as if she's floating, and her chemistry with November is palpable throughout. November is a clear standout with his precise, emotional movement, and he's able to convey emotion in a way that's both extremely obvious and so subtly nuanced.

The remaining aspect of the program is Grant Coyle's staging of MARGUERITE AND ARMAND, with choreography by Frederick Ashton. It's a technically perfect and entertaining work, telling the story of a doomed romance between the courtesan Marguerite (Greta Hodgkinson) and her lover Armand (Guillaume Côté) - unfortunately, it's a more traditional piece sandwiched between two very modern works, which makes it feel out of place in the evening's offerings.

Regardless, Hodgkinson dances this classic work with a haunting, otherworldly grace, supported wonderfully by Côté. Watching them glide across the stage with a series of grabs, lifts, and supportive movements is similar to how I'd imagine figurines from a music box might dance if they were personified, and Franz Liszt's Piano Sonata works well with the lush orchestral accompaniment it receives under conductor David Briskin, but it's in the moments where the piano is the sole instrument heard that are most striking.

While this collection of works doesn't necessarily work perfectly together, the National Ballet of Canada has managed to present three unique perspectives on humanity in an exceptionally well-performed program. CHROMA is a prime example of how well collaboration between different mediums can work, from bringing alternative rock to the orchestra and minimalist design to a complex work. ANGELS' ATLAS is a massive, powerful force of a production that highlights beauty not just in dance, but in humanity. It's a very welcome reminder that light can and should be let in, especially in a world where darkness often takes hold of our focus.

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The National Ballet of Canada's ANGELS' ATLAS with CHROMA & MARGUERITE AND ARMAND runs through March 7, 2020 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St W, Toronto, ON.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/2019-20-Season/Chroma

Photo credit: Karolina Kuras

Editor's note: The original version of this article credited Svetlana Lunkina and Brendan Saye for their roles in CHROMA; this version has been corrected to Svetlana Lunkina and Brent Parolin.

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