Review: UP CLOSE ON HOPE at Festival Ballet Providence

Once again Festival Ballet has put together an Up Close on Hope fall program that is both beautiful and exciting. This year the focus was on shorter pieces, many choreographed by resident choreographer Viktor Plotnikov, as well as Yury Yanowsky and resident dancer Ty Parmenter. While the short pieces are mostly very strong, at times they almost feel too short. Such is the mark of fine performance, the Up Close on Hope series always leaves one wanting more.

The program begins with the classical piece Allegro Brillante, based on music by Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Balanchine. As one can glean from the title, it's a very lively piece, which lead dancer Vilia Putrius handles with aplomb. She is always lovely to watch, and partner Alan Alberto does a beautiful job letting her shine. Despite being more about movement than plot, it's simply lovely to watch, and includes a lot of asynchronous surprises that one perhaps would not expect from a piece like this.

Two of the pieces on offer were choreographed by Viktor Plotnikov--Swan and Sharps and Flats. These are two pieces so dramatically different that it's rather amazing they came from the same brain. Swan is very slow and beautifully done. In this performance (the dancers rotate roles every night), Brenna DiFrancesco seems to become a swan, and the classic movements are an obvious homage to Swan Lake, but on a much smaller scale.

Sharps and Flats is a hilarious, contemporary piece about a perfectionist conductor, a pack of uncooperative instruments and a red menace that lurks in the corner. This piece uses almost the entire ballet company, and in the small space of the black box theatre, is frenetic and visually overwhelming, but in a good way. Tegan Rich played the conductor and seemed to really relish the role-- waving her baton around like mad scientist and grimacing at her misbehaving instruments. Sharps and Flats is the longest piece of the evening, and is actually a bit bizarre, but also thoroughly entertaining and high energy.

The two pieces by Yury Yanowsky are both striking and modern company premieres. Both are somewhat simple pair dances, but in Niris, Kirsten Evans and Boyko Dossev dance completely separately for the bulk of the program. Clad in black with gold accents, they operate from either side of the stage in a single spotlight until they slowly come together. The only frustration with this piece is that it seems over in the blink of an eye. It's so immersive that time seems to stop.

Finale, the second piece from Yanowsky is easily one of the best pieces I've seen in years. Featuring a haunting song by musical artist Wilsen, Marissa Parmenter and Jordan Nelson dance together, but seemingly very separately. Jerky movements contrast with smooth and compliment each other seamlessly, and the whole piece has a feeling profound sadness and loss communicated perfectly through the music and movement.

The Up Close on Hope performances are consistently excellent and always unexpected. The opportunity to see more programs this year than in previous years was very incredibly exciting, even though some of the pieces felt far too brief. Still, all things considered, that's a good problem to have.

Up Close on Hope Venue: FBP Black Box Theatre (825 Hope St., Providence RI 02906)

Nov. 4, 2016 - 8:00pm, Nov. 5, 2016 - 7:30pm, Nov. 6, 2016 - 6:00pm, Nov. 11, 2016 - 8:00pm

Nov. 12, 2016 - 7:30pm

Tickets at festivalballetprovidence.org or 401-353-1129

Photo: Alan Alberto in rehearsal for Viktor Plotnikov's "Sharps & Flats." Photo by Thomas Nola-Rion.

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