BalletX revisits its second decade, which was marked by the pandemic, bunny ears, and immense growth
Although the retrospective missed out on some memorable pieces like 'The Little Prince,' it gave the audience a glimpse into bright future that awaits BalletX.
On Wednesday night, BalletX returned to the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for the second week in a row to continue its celebration of its 20th anniversary.
While last week’s program was dedicated to the company’s first decade, this time, it presented sections of eight ballets as well as two short films, all from its second decade.
BalletX has grown a lot in its second decade, artistically and financially. It now has the means to pay top-notch choreographers and hire dancers on 52-week contracts, meaning they don’t have to scramble to find extra work in the summer and other off-weeks.
All these things have shown up on stage with BalletX looking as strong as any midsize contemporary ballet troupe. So it was a bit surprising that I found last week’s first decade retrospective to have more of the memorable pieces I wanted to revisit.
» READ MORE: BalletX revisits the greatest hits from its first decade. It left the audience wanting for more.
Where was The Little Prince, Maslow’s Peak, or Scales on the Wings of a Butterfly (which the company will dance in December in Bryn Mawr)? Perhaps, artistic director Christine Cox wanted to show the work of as many choreographers as possible. The Little Prince choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa was already represented in the first decade’s retrospective, and another of Jennifer Archibald’s works was selected for this week, over Maslow’s Peak.
» READ MORE: At 20, BalletX is nowhere near done bringing the most exciting new ballet and choreography to Philly
That said, the program opened with one of the more enduring pieces BalletX has danced, Trey McIntyre’s 2016 Big Ones, where the dancers wear enormous bunny ears and perform to music by Amy Winehouse. (Cox said before the performance that the ears were supposed to represent Winehouse’s beehive hairdo.)
I had seen it in 2016 at the Wilma, and again in 2023 at the Mann, and it appeared to be a gender-fluid piece in that larger setting. With just four dancers but in a smaller theater this time, that again rang true. Only the lack of pointe shoes gave away that the quartet was all men.
Former BalletX dancer Caili Quan was represented in 2018’s Fancy Me, a delightful duet danced with a lot of personality by Jared Kelly and Ashley Simpson, and set to “Groove Me,” by King Floyd.
In 2020, BalletX was one of the first companies to pivot to film, so the dancers could remain busy during the pandemic lockdown and audiences still had plenty to see. Amy Hall Garner’s New Heights was a joyful dance performed to music by Spark, and set against a series of colorful Philly murals. It went from featuring single dancers to small cohorts, to eventually a group of 10 dancers performing together.
At the time, it seemed shocking to see the dancers together. Now, if you look closely, you’ll see they’re all socially distanced six feet apart, yet filmed in a way to make them seem cohesive.
On Wednesday night, it was followed up by Dwight Rhoden’s 2021 We the People, set to music by Ezio Bosso, which had similar patterns and grouping. But by then the dancers were performing closer together, making this an interesting comparison on an era.
The program also included Jamar Roberts’ 2022 Honey, a lovely duet performed by Skyler Lubin and Jerard Palazo and set to “This Nearly Was Mine,” by Don Shirley, performed live by a cellist and pianist.
The evening wrapped up with a look into the future with Resilire, a world premiere by company rehearsal director Keelan Whitmore, set to music by Steve Reich, Bach, and Rentaro Taki, as well as four percussionists who played live on stage, making for a lively setting filled with performers.
Whitmore’s piece, which is about community, was filled with interesting patterning, group sections, and breakout solos and duets. At several points, the dancers collected on top of each other in a mound on the ground, sliding in one by one.
The future of BalletX looks bright, as does Whitmore’s choreography. I’d like to see more of his work.
BalletX 20th anniversary retrospective. “Program B: The second decade,” Through Nov. 9. Suzanne Roberts Theatre. $65-$90, 215-225-5389 x250 or boxoffice@balletx.org