Tuesday, March 07, 2000
Ballet's special show celebrates women
BY CAROL NORRIS
Enquirer contributor
“I asked myself "What is it about women that's important?' I think it's important that we have a voice,” says Victoria Morgan. Cincinnati Ballet's artistic director is explaining Celebrating Women, dance works devoted to female choreographers this weekend at the Aronoff Center.
Celebrating Women gives “voice” to the works of Ms. Morgan, who comes from a classical ballet background; Lila York, a former soloist with Paul Taylor's modern dance company; and Kathryn Posin, who is modern-dance trained but also comfortable making ballets for women in pointe shoes.
Their common goal is to create dances that speak for them. The difference is their artistic choices.
Ms. Morgan's “No Oblivion” has turned into a collaboration with good friend Eda Holmes. They were roommates when dancing with San Francisco Ballet. Although their careers have gone in different directions — Ms. Holmes is a theater director in Canada — they often find ways to connect again through work.
Based on the poetry of the Greek writer Sappho, “No Oblivion” searches for modern themes from the words of this early sixth-century female poet. The interpretation has a light touch.
“I wanted to do something light. It's a challenge to make something whimsical and make it work,” Ms. Morgan says. Snippets of the poetry will roll on an overhead scroll — think opera — while 14 men and women dance. The music is Vivaldi's Concerto in F Major.
“It's loosely based on the idea of mentoring. I think her poetry is succinct, directed, simplistic — I'm trying to do that with the dancing,” Ms. Morgan says. “It's a little bit romantic with the men, but I have to say they play a secondary role. It's a disruption in the ballet when the men enter.”
Inspired by friends
Ms. York learned how to soar across the stage in 12 years with Paul Taylor, who is known for his ability to make grounded dances look airborne. She sticks with his mode of transportation — bare feet or flat shoes — but with her own feminist sensibility.
“Rapture” is not a particularly female story — it's about heaven. The inspiration for the 1994 work came from two of Ms. York's close friends, both male. “It's in honor of two friends of mine — two choreographers — who had died that year,” she says.
She saw it all in her mind before she ever set foot in a studio to teach it.
“It's a very big piece with a lot of spatial design. It's danced to Prokofiev, and I use 20 dancers in soft shoes, but I use of lot of the classical vocabulary,” Ms. York says, describing it as tough, both technically and stamina-wise.
Kathryn Posin's “Stepping Stones” will use stage design to make her points about female achievement, struggle and growth.
Six platforms of various heights are used for climbing and rolling across and for giving the movements expanded visual possibilities. With gymnastic vigor, the dance is designed to challenge the power and intensity of the performer.
Using classical ballet steps, it places emphasis on the pas de deux, in particular one that has been designed for a man and a woman to travel from the lowest platform to the highest together.
Ms. Posin goes contemporary with her musical selection. Composer Joan Tower, who's known for her dynamic and meaty scores (and a series of Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman) has written the score.
A fourth work has been added to honor Jessica Mylene, a soloist with Cincinnati Ballet for four years who is retiring at the end of this season. She'll be dancing “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” (with choreography by the lone male choreographer George Balanchine). Ms. Mylene will be accompanied by company principal Rene Micheo.
If you go
• What: Cincinnati Ballet in Celebrating Women: “No Oblivion”, “Rapture,” “Stepping Stones” and “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.”
• When: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
• Where: Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center for the Arts.
• Tickets: $8-$47 at the Aronoff box office, Ticketmaster outlets or call 241-7469
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