Encore: A Breathtaking Journey
Encore at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a collection of reprised popular works from the previous two seasons at Ballet BC. This ”best of” performance consists of three acts separated by two intermissions. While each piece has a unique mood and message, they share a strength of choreography and provocative imagery. The troupe of dancers that participate in the evening are exceptional. Not only are they talented and possessing of amazing physical prowess and grace, but they are so full, so present on stage that even the smallest movement is overflowing with life and meaning.
The first piece of the evening, Herman Schmerman, choreographed by William Forsythe, consisted of a quintet and duet. For me this piece was about the play between opposites. The dancers were not only exploring the push and pull of unity and discordance with each other, but with the music and with the dance itself. The choreography flirted with extremes, sometimes defiantly out of sync, sometimes so subtly attuned that I felt that the dancers and music were one and the same. The duet introduced the opposites of race and gender, gently exploring where each overlapped. I wish that the reversals could have gone even further, but I understand that there are practical concerns with pointe shoes and muscle strength. Even so, it was an eloquent conversation on how we approach romantic relationships moving through stages of curiosity, rejection, apology and synchronicity.
1st Flash after the first intermission was choreographed by Jorma Elo; a stunningly poetic piece exploring light and darkness. Creature-like, the dancers flitted and pulsed through light and shadow. A swarm of beings, now in unison, now apart, like moths around a flame. This piece began and ended without music, the whisper of footfalls and breath carrying across the auditorium. The experience was both sensual and ethereal, like witnessing something sacred.
The evening concluded with a homegrown piece Petite Cérémonie choreographed by Medhi Walerski. Performed barefoot, it was the only piece to include speech. An exploration of the phrase “life in a box” Petite Cérémonie will confront you with a dramatic social commentary that ranges from the humorous to the terrifying. A succinct and powerful end to a breathtaking evening.