The McCarter Theatre center of Princeton, NJ, hosted BalletX at their intimate Berlind Theatre for two nights, October 17 and October 18, 2018. This review will discuss the performance of October 17.

 

BalletX’s program included three dances previously seen elsewhere. Requiem, by choreographer Andrew McNicol was first seen at the Wilma Theater in July 2018. It was the world premiere of the work. Musical selections were by Mozart from his Requiem. The religious vehemence of the recorded music at the outset is frightening. Collectively, we are reminded in no uncertain terms of our fate, which is to die. Mozart’s genius is to ameliorate the bleach of anguish from our hearts, and in the words of the choreographer, leave us with “a sense of peace, reverence, and surrender.” When last seen in July at the Wilma, the ballet seemed more angular, more shocking, than this last performance. Now, we experience a more fluid, hypnotic performance, without the shocking and abrupt turns in the work’s trajectory. Even the male duet in the work which shocked at first viewing in the summer appears to be more solidly integrated in the work now. Is it an improvement? Hard to say, but it is a different, still beautiful experience.

 

After a pause, Matthew Neenan’s 2014 work, Increasing, with music by Franz Schubert, took the stage. In the choreographer’s statement on the work, Neenan wrote that he sought no plot or narrative, but rather movement which sprang from the music. On all accounts, he succeeded. The work was hypnotic in movement and easy to love. The audience warmly appreciated the dancers’ efforts at the work’s conclusion.

 

After the intermission, we were delighted by Trey McIntyre’s The Boogeyman, from BalletX’s spring residency at the Wilma in March 2018. The choreographer wrote, “Dedicated to the Soul Train dancers from the ‘70s. Thank you for saving me.” It is unsurprising then that the music was drawn from popular hits from the era by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Gilbert O’Sullivan. The Boogeyman proved to be a delightful, inventive work which kept the audience on the edge of their seats until the tumultuous waves of applause at the work’s end.

 

The Company of accomplished artists in BalletX included: Francesca Forcella; Stanley Glover; Zachary Kapeluk; Blake Krapels; Skyler Lubin; Anna Peabody; Roderick Phifer; Caili Quan; Richard Villaverde; and Andrea Yorita.

 

The McCarter Theatre Center presents theatre, dance, music, and performance artists throughout the season.  For more information about future shows and the entire coming season, visit www.mccarter.org .