onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s first production of the 2022-2023 season is Storytelling in Motion, a mixed repertoire showcase of contemporary ballet featuring Nacho Duato‘s Duende, along with two other innovative contemporary pieces — Helen Pickett‘s The Exiled and a new world premiere choreographed by PBT’s principal dancer Yoshiaki Nakano.
2 comments:
The Exiled sounds fascinating and visually stunning. I’m not sure how often spoken word is incorporated in ballet pieces, but it is definitely necessary to properly communicate the entirety of the concept. Interestingly, I could see this concept making a very good and interesting play, so the choice to depict it through dance is cool. I wonder if the emotions are more cathartic or obvious when conveyed through dancers as opposed to actors, and if that’s suitable for the entire story or not. Does it require subtlety? I can imagine (and hope) that within the choreography is experimenting with the confines of the box. I think it being transparent also implies the idea that this cage is non-existent, and therefore only a mental blockade. That interpretation I think would be very thought-provoking. I am always a fan of a cheeky narrator. That would definitely change the tone of the piece, dictating the way that we are supposed to view it from outside.
So far in my life, I have never seen a ballet or dance recital that I have understood and enjoyed. However, it seems like I am now in the perfect city to go to a show at the Pittsburgh ballet and have my opinions changed. I struggle to understand ballet with its lack of bluntness in motion and words. But, I looked into the rest of the season, and they are doing some shows with text that I am already familiar with it, and I think this would be the perfect bridge for me to come to see a show like storytelling in motion. However, as a designer, the production of storytelling in motion and The Exiles sounded beautiful in performance and technical elements, and that alone made me interested in seeing it. I hope I learn to appreciate this art style over the next few years, and I will definitely start engaging with it more.
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