American Ballet Theatre

I had the treat of seeing 4 dances by the acclaimed American Ballet Theatre on October 9th. Only on view for a few nights, the performance was well worth the effort it took to get good tickets. Seven Sonatas, my favorite, was the first dance. Accompanied by only a piano, six dancers took the stage all at once as well as in pairs and alone a various stages of the work. The movements were beautiful and fluid highlighting the dancers’ immense talent and classical training. Other Dances also only involved a piano, however there were just two dancers performing classical movements as each took the stage separately, letting their skills shine. Some Assembly Required was another dance for two, however, the violin and piano accompaniment was dissonant and the dancers’ movements were much more modern and jerky. The piece reminded me of a young couple at a hoedown and had elements of humor as well as intensity and power. Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once was accompanied by a xylophone. A white substance was taped to the floor before the dancers took to the stage. The entire company performed this piece and it was remarkable how many people were able to fit within a small surface area and perform carefully choreographed movements without knocking into each other. Seven Sonatas and Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once premiered earlier this year. Other Dances and Some Assembly Required are works that have been performed before.