But this was a ballet show, so the footwear on stage was pretty much limited to toe shoes and slippers. The production included three separate pieces – Mozartiana, Dark Elegies and Company B. Performed in that order, the pieces seemed to go from classical to modern. I’m hardly a dance aficionado, but Mozartiana struck me as classic ballet – ladies and little girls in dresses that were tight on top and poofy on bottom, and guys in leotards, all dancing to Tchaikovsky.
There was an intermission after each piece. Between the first two, a raucous noise rose around where I was sitting. A man just across the aisle fell unconscious and then went into a seizure. The woman with him frantically made calls on her cell phone and other people shouted suggestions about where the medics should come in. Eventually, though, the guy came to. His face had turned a creepy shade of white, but he managed to get on his feet and walk out with his lady.
The depressing tone of Dark Elegies made the final act, Company B, all the more enjoyable. For this bright set, the dancers wore stylized 40s costumes – high-waisted khaki skirts or pants, blouses and hot red belts. As they smiled big and leapt about to the infectious sounds of the Andrews sisters, I felt like I was watching an extended version of the Gap commercial below. And that’s not a bad thing. All three of the performances were compelling, but Company B was the most entertaining. And it’s the kind of thing that should get more people under age 50 excited about the KC Ballet . -- Crystal K. Wiebe
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