The Washington Ballet Jazz Icons Review
February 17, 2024 | The Kennedy Center – Washington, D.C., USA
The Washington Ballet’s thrilling program “Jazz Icons: a Fine Romance,” which was unveiled on the stage of the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater, showcased the company at its best, proving that The Washington Ballet is embarking on a new and exciting chapter in its history.
Two ballets comprised the program, celebrating all things jazz: Jessica Lang’s cheeky Coloring Silent Space and Dwight Rhoden’s glamorous Midnight Riff. Both pieces were specifically created for the dancers of The Washington Ballet.
“It’s a perfect example when artistic innovation meets collaboration,” The Washington Ballet’s new artistic director, Edwaard Liang, described this program in his opening remarks.
The 48-year-old Liang, a former dance with New York City Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, is an accomplished choreographer, who is will also stay at the helm of BalletMet until the end of the current season. His appointment as the new artistic leader of The Washington Ballet brings exciting opportunities for the company and gives hope that this troupe will become even more relevant, vibrant, and forward looking.
The Washington Ballet Jazz Icons Review
Lang is a prominent dancemaker, with more than 100 ballets in her creative resume; and she is no stranger to The Washington Ballet. Her very first work for the troupe – a short and quirky number titled Stearc set to the music of Béla Bartók – was premiered by the company in 2006.
Most recently, she created Reverence (2019) and Beethoven Serenade (2022) for the company’s dancers, both works commissioned by the former artistic director, Julie Kent, and presented as part of NEXTsteps series.
In Coloring Silent Space, Lang draws her inspiration not only from the virtuosity and vibrancy of jazz but also from the arts of Henri Matisse.
In this witty and utterly enjoyable piece, the choreographer deftly merges playfulness of balletic steps with harmony and irresistible vibe of the music.
Coloring Silent Space has a free spirited, youthful vibe to it. Dressed in black costumes adorned with vibrantly colored fabric, ten cast members shimmy their way in duos, trios, and small groups, entering and exiting the stage in a series of miniature vignettes, their hips swaying and elbows rolling in a sassy cornucopia of dance improvisation.
The choreography blends social dance, ballet, and fitness routines – all spiced with a sense of humor – to a great effect.
Throughout the piece, Lang demonstrates an astute sense of showmanship and a knack for conjuring visually striking images, proving time and again that she is a master of sculptural formations.
Her choreography is dynamic and unpredictable. She skillfully moves the dancers on and off the stage in a nonstop flow of movement (though some segments are more successful than others).
Yet the most notable point of her work is its strong sense of improvisation and musicality; every step in this piece feels spontaneous, genuine, and flows naturally from the music, played with aplomb by the wonderful Craig Davis Trio. As a result, the ballet creates a fascinating vision of the music itself.
The cast of ten dancers was invariably strong, with standout performances by Kateryna Derechyna, Nicole Graniero, Noura Sander, and Gilles Delellio.
Special distinction goes to the ballet’s lighting designer, Brandon Stirling Baker, who created a mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow, of color and monochrome to give the entire piece a bonus visual appeal.
If Lang’s ballet had an atmosphere of a fun fitness studio, Rhoden’s Midnight Riff was oozing with glamour, conjuring a feel of a chic nightclub.
A former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a co-founder of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Rhoden is an established choreographer with nearly three decades of experience during which he has created more than 100 ballets for prominent ballet companies, including New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
“Midnight Riff gives center stage to the entire cast – the ensemble choreography reigns supreme here from start to finish.
The dancers (eight men and eight women) are dressed in a stylish evening attire: sparkling strapless cocktail dresses for women and striking costumes for men. (The costume designer, Christine Darch, did a marvelous job, outfitting this ballet to the nines.)
Inspired by jazz classics like Duke Ellington’s “Cotton Trail,” Mary Lou Williams’s “Lonely Moments,” and George Gershwin “Oh, Lady Be Good,” Rhoden masterly fuses the spirit of jazz with the ballet idiom.
In his choreography, the movements are still classical (unlike in the previous work, where the dancers performed barefoot, the ballerinas are dancing in pointe shoes here). But in Midnight Riff, the formal balletic arabesques, lifts, and turns are “jazzed up” – twisted and turned, spun a little faster, and infused with a sex appeal for good measure.
This ballet is finely crafted and thoroughly entertaining, even if at times the choreography looks a bit too busy.
There were many notable turns among the cast: the dancers wholeheartedly embraced the energies and vibe of the music and movement and seemed to relish every moment of their performance. The company’s veterans: the outstanding Maki Onuki and Andile Ndlovu deserve particular praise.
Featured Photo for this The Washington Ballet Jazz Icons review of the company in Jessica Lang’s Coloring Silent Space. Photo by ©xmbphotography.
