Precision and pathos
by Jim Poyser
Ballet Arts Review | What you missed
Ballet Internationale hoped to appeal to a younger-hearted and more adventurous clientele with their world premiere of Interzone, and judging by the exuberant hoots from the audience last Friday night at the Murat, they succeeded. Interzone is why I was there. Long a fan of the music of The Art of Noise, I was titillated by the prospect of seeing how Indy’s resident ballet company might manifest the experimental rock and ambient sound of this British-based group.
Janna Sinitsyna (left) and Alexie Tyukov in BI’s ‘Carmen”
I was not disappointed; I was enthralled. With choreography by Vladimir Angelov, Interzone was supercharged with high-decibel sound, astonishing visuals and dynamic dance. From the outset, with strobe lights simulating lightning, the audience was engaged in the performance. The gentleman in front of me, in fact, was engaged in plugging his ears with his fingers. Yes, it was loud. Yes, it was sexy. Yes, it was danced by humans disinterested in pertaining to the laws of gravity. The tale, set in a modern urban landscape, was populated by Magritte-style characters in raincoats, including one dancer on a bicycle that was clearly a favorite of the audience. Principal dancers Ogulcan Borova and Karen Scalzitti-Kennedy expertly portrayed the “good” couple while Alexie Tyukov and Sara Viale deliciously danced the couple representing evil. The piece looked like it was fun for the performers; perhaps they tried out some of these moves on the dance floor at Talbott Street Bar. Or will. Interzone was a comic book come to life, and proved once again that evil is almost always more interesting than good — and darkness more hungry than the light. After intermission, the company returned to tradition, performing Carmen, with choreography by Alberto Alonso. Irina Komarenko danced the title role, with the busy Borova as Jose and Tyukov as Escamillo. Janna Sinitsyna as Fate slipped onto the stage, garbed completely in black, and moved as lightly as a shadow. Rounding out the principals was Sergey Sergiev as Zuniga. The leading roles were all skillfully rendered, but for me, the comparatively somber Carmen remained in the shade of Interzone’s energy. Marked by precision and pathos, Ballet Internationale’s performance bodes well for Artistic Director Eldar Aliev, who is leading the company into their 30th anniversary season. The top-notch production team included Galina Solovyeva (costumes), Toni Tucci (lighting) and Simon Pastukh (scene design).
