PABallet dancers' benefit hits milestone anniversary
The Dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet staged the 25th Anniversary Shut Up and Dance on April 29, packing the Forrest Theatre for an evening of dance, music, reminiscence and community. The Dancers have been out front using their art to raise funds and volunteering behind the scenes in their ongoing partnership with MANNA- The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance – The benefit has been an inspiring vision of art impacting a great cause. The event now raises upwards $150,000 for MANNA every year.
The company dancers had less time to throw it together because of their regular company schedule, but they delivered in a rollicking evening of dance, music and more than a few laughs vamped by cabaret star Martha Graham Cracker (aka Dito van Reigersberg) who at one point, asked the audience who the newbies in the audience, confirming a sizable presence. There were also avid longtime supporters of the event there was lusty applause from some of us who well remember that legendary January night in 1993 to remember, when the temp bottomed out at 12 degrees and there was no heat in the theater, but the dancers were burning the old burlesque house runway at the Trocadero.
The opening number had Martha scurrying around in a breakaway wedding drag as a Runaway Bride in a dance cyclone of with bridesmaids, politicos and football players in slow motion as she tries to land principal dancer James Ihde. MGC followed serenading Alex Peters with the Police’s ‘Every Little Thing He Does is Magic’ given a baroque makeover by a string quartet from PABallet Orchestra. Peters, a as ever after being sidelined with injury last year swept across the stage in with an umbrella as jaunty as Gene Kelly.
Among the many dance highlights-
‘Dance Adieu’ choreographed by Durante Verzola, is a flinty pas de deux set to Offenbach, danced with Jacqueline Callahan and Michael Holden. These dancers nailed the double tempo ‘can-can’ section with Holden pumping out grand pirouette variations, Callahan swirling around him and their final jump and lift phrase ending in a grande Poisson.
‘Hot Knife’ by Adrianna de Svastich, set to Fiona Apple’s song “” with five women dancing to a song about a dream man, in 40s costumes but not counting on any Prince as they stick together with dance camaraderie.
‘Soul Stories’ set to a haunting piano solo by Carl Vine is a danced by Domenic Ballard, is a completely liberated classical-modernist a showcase for Ballard’s immediacy and stellar lyricism. ‘Beautiful Creatures’ a contemporary ballet duet by the Rock School choreographer Justin Allen, scored to Heart of Glass Therese Davis and Harrison Monoco dancing with expressive and dynamic drive.
Brian Sanders’ JUNK ‘La Grande Fontaine’ an acrobatic sketch on a temporary public facility, Sanders himself was taking a break inside as the JUNK dancers were overundersideways&down for some obvious laughs.
-Time for Prosecco SHUT UP toast at the intermission bars.
Martha Graham Cracker was back for Gospelly rendition of ‘Lean On Me’ accompanied by Rock to the Future Student House Band and it led to an audience collection that took in an added $13,000 to add to the night’s fundraising total delivered to MANNA. Later, the string quartet was back onstage in a sumptuous accompaniment for MGC on Prince’s “Purple Rain” and midway through Craig Wasserman appeared with some dazzling aerial dance.
Guest choreographer Colby Damon created ‘One Facet of the Creative Process’ with new dancer Albert Gordon who just hangs in the air before he descends for some mach speed turns. PB Principal Dancer James Ihde portrays the choreographer working out his muse. A woman in red is standing in the background, ready to dance, so this looks like an excerpt.
A charming East European dance flavored trio choreographed by Harrison Monaco to music by Brooklyn Rider with Ana Calderon, Alexandra Heier and Emily Davis. This trio just spirits you away in classic ballerina esprit. Russell Ducker choreographed The Fall, mixing ballet pyrotechnics with rock moves ala Footloose that were danced with wit and swagger by Ashton Roader.
20/20 Visual Media presented a film with clips of performances over the years and interviews with many of the dance artists from the earlier years that helped establish its stellar reputation including Meredith Rainey, Matt Neenan, Tara Keating and Michael Sheridan.
Sheridan was called to the stage by MANNA directors Sue Daugherty and Rob Saxon to receive the first Lifetime Achievement for his role as co-founders of the benefit- with his fellow dancers at Pennsylvania Ballet- Nick Stuccio, Leslie Carothers and Kelly Moriarty- but as, Ian Hussey reminded the audience a guiding presence ever since.
Pennsylvania Ballet prima ballerina Amy Aldridge performed the one perennial work in every SU&Dance performance- Mikhail Fokine’s ‘The Dying Swan’ - doubly poignant because because Aldridge is hanging up her PB pointe shoes with the company after 23 seasons and dancing as brilliantly as ever.
-The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance (MANNA)delivers to 95,000 meals every month to people living with AIDS-HIV, cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. For more information about their services go to www.mannapa.org