Friday, September 23, 2011
Fall Arts Preview: Dance performances balance new, traditional works
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Creativity in the local dance scene is bubbling over, fed by the heat of local, national and international perspectives, and serving a devoted audience that loves both tradition and the newest thing.The two big pillars of the dance scene are Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh Dance Council. The ballet presents fully staged productions, sometimes with live music, of romantic ballets, classics of modern dance and new works. Dance Council, part of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, presents often cutting-edge modern-dance companies from around the world.
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5 comments:
I personally feel that dance is an extremely vital part of the theatre community and should be praised for their artistry and ingenuity. I am very excited to here about the production of A Streetcar Named Desire. to turn such a classic theatrical piece into a ballet will be interesting to say the least. I am a bit skeptical that it will be the best version of the show as it has so much to live up to, but i hope for the best and for much support from the community.
I think this sounds like a wonderful and poignant season in the dance world. It is interesting that they are taking theatre pieces and transforming them into dance art. Seeing shows such as Streetcar performed in such a new fashion would be interesting to see. The lines tend to be powerful and moving, and it would be nice to look at how that emotion translates into the more physical aspects of ballet. I respect that dance is attempting to stay current and appeal to people as an art form - as it is beautiful and should continue to be experienced by audiences for a long time to come.
Having this dance company in Pittsburg is amazing and so important for is to take advantage of. I had an English class that read and really studied "A Streetcar Named Desire" and really loved it in the end. To top it off there was a performance of that play at BAM in Brooklyn, which I was fortunate enough to go and see. Blanche was played by Cate Blanchett and it was completely heart wrenching and so moving. I would be so interested to see the Ballet's interpretation of this show. There is just so much that we say through the movements of our bodies, sometimes more than literal words. Dance is one of those things that embodies that idea and I hope that it is successful in portraying those feelings and themes. The other shows are just as exciting as well and there might be a lot of ballet shows in my future.
I am excited to see the interpretation of this show in dance. My dance teacher in my high school years did a fantastic job of interpreting various shows in dance and what normally would be a boring dance recital into a unified whole so I know practically any show can be interpreted in dance by a a talented choreographer. Furthermore, dance is about emotion and the emotion in this is powerful enough to sustain a great ballet. I can think of several scenes which will be electrifying. This particular show will also be a challenge in some aspects. Blanche as an older star is powerful in her own right, but how to portray that in dance? I think the choreographer has a challenge and I will be excited to see the finished product.
Streetcar named Desire is one of my favorite straight plays. One of my favorite parts of the script, which frequently gets lost on an audience are the beautifully lyric stage directions, that set the tone equally as much in how they're said than the scene they are describing. I think that a ballet adaptation, from the music, to the actual choreography of the corps and the principals could be such a fantastic portrayal of a timeless tragedy as Streetcar.
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