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KC Theater April 15, 2002
Kansas City Ballet
David Ollington
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At the grand Lyric Theatre, the Kansas City Ballet presented, April 11-14, six historical solos, an octet choreographed by a company member, and the one-act ballet "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

kc balletLeft to Right: Lorry May, Artistic Director William Whitener
and artist Lisa Thorn                        Photo: Steve Wilson

Striking in their contrast of one another, the six solos ran the gamut of dance styles. Anna Sokolow's "Kaddish", the most inspired of these works, had Lisa Thorn matching every nuance of Sokolow's poignantly perfect, expressionistic modern choreography. Daniel Blake danced Merce Cunningham's abstract modern dance "Totem Ancestor." Ineffable gripping and effortlessly physical, this solo remained in a diagonal shaft of light, using line and angles to match the alien quality of John Cage's music.

Amber Randell hilariously performed the genius of Agnes de Mille's "Debut at the Opera" from 1928. Using gesture, facial expression and
slapstick humor while incorporating ballet technique, the dance depicted a nervous performer about to step onstage.

Russell Baker danced "Strange Hero" by Daniel Nagrin, a piece in a lyrical jazz style. Jennifer Black performed Fokine's "The Dying Swan", the classical ballet masterpiece, and Christopher Barksdale danced the charming "It Starts with a Step" by Lotte Goslar.

The company presented "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for the second half of the program. This rendition of Shakespeare's play had the dancers accompanied by a full orchestra, the Kansas City Chorale, soprano Rebecca Lloyd, mezzo- soprano Deborah Stone and narrator Gary Neil Johnson. Johnson delivered both male and female lines of dialogue. Though he read beautifully, why didn't they just hire a woman to read the women's lines? They used women to sing.

The dancers performed well and demonstrated some expert unison movement, but the ballet as a whole includes too many interminable lines of dancing fairies. Logan Pachciarz as Oberon danced with majesty and spun with virtuosity. He was adorned with a flimsy cape that usually accented his dancing but occasionally tangled.

 

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