BWW Reviews: World Premiere of TEST PILOT Finds Moments of Flight

The dance opera is a concept dating back to the seventeenth century and the classic stages of Europe. It contains more dance music than operatic pieces and aims to strike a fine balance between the two. It is a difficult task to undertake, one that requires a solid concept and cohesive dance and music elements.

Test Pilot, a world premiere dance opera co-created by Penelope Freeh and Jocelyn Hagen, opened at the O'Shaughnessy Theater in Saint Paul on September 12 as a part of the Women of Substance series at St. Catherine University.

The concept behind Test Pilot revolved around the inventors of the first airplane and their sister, Katherine Wright. Choreographed by Freeh and composed by Hagen, the dance opera combined their two specialties into one show. But it may have been better left apart.

The Wright Brothers were danced by Cory Goei and Nic Lincoln while the part of the plane was portrayed by Freeh and Stephanie Fellner. Carrie Henneman Shaw's soprano voice filled the role of Katharine Wright while a chorus of five men provided occasional a cappella song breaks or filled the stage for group dance numbers.

Freeh's choreography was creative and at times even breathtaking, specifically when Goei and Lincoln partnered Freeh and Fellner. Their lifts were effortless and reminiscent of the show's key theme of flight. However, the weaker moments occurred when the obviously strong classical dancers danced pure and overly subtle interpretive choreography.

Hagen's orchestration was detailed and interesting, at times using the instruments to mimic the sounds of a plane without breaking from the melodic themes used for the show. The solos sung by Shaw had a lovely sound and showcased her extensive control and vocal range. Group numbers by the chorus were nicely harmonized but the lyrics of many pieces were confusing. When the men began singing repetitively about rotating around the plane's axis, the orchestration was lost behind the abruptly random wording.

The most seamless merging of choreography and composition came in the second half of the show in an adaption of Marie-Lynn Hammond's 1975 folk song "Flying/Spring of '44." Shaw's voice lifted the lyrics into a moving soliloquy while Fellner and Lincoln danced a mesmerizing duet. Lincoln's styling and Fellner's extensions created a magical moment, although the duet and lyrics both told a tragic love story set in World War II and had no connection to the Wright Brothers.

The dancing was strongest when all four dancers performed onstage together and the music reached its crescendo. The choreography leaning towards the lyrical ballet side was more moving than the true modern interpretive sections. Classical ballet was the obvious strongpoint. Finally, near the end of the show, the choreography set the dancers free to use their full potential of power and technique instead of slowly exploring the movements a human plane might make. Their dancing, all four with years of experience at the James Sewell Ballet, was spectacular.

Overall, a dance opera is an unarguably difficult goal. Even when the separate pieces are executed well, a cohesive final product is elusive. Test Pilot illustrated the momentous achievement of the Wright Brothers in its best moments but the oblique narrative and subtle numbers convoluted the message.

Photo Credit: Jack Dant

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