Moscow Ballet fuses dance forms

Marilyn LaRocque

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004 | 8:46 a.m.

What: Moscow Festival Ballet performing "Carmen Suite" and "Paquita"

When: Wednesday.

Where: UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Rating (out of five stars: *** 1/2

Just as the audience was coming perilously close to ballet bonbon overload from a diet of showy divertissements, the Moscow Festival Ballet spiked Wednesday night's performance at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall with angular, syncopated dance forms of contemporary ballet style.

Opening the second half of the program, the "Carmen Suite," with music by George Bizet, arranged by Rodion Schedrin, and choreography by Alberto Alonso, depicted the tale of the ill-fated love triangle of Carmen, Don Jose and the Toreador Escamillo in a sparse setting of black wooden stools and ladder-backed chairs designed by Lev Soldonikov

His wardrobe designs were equally stark, with nary a vibrantly colored Spanish-style costume to be seen. Instead, it was a low-cut black micro-mini with fringed skirt for Carmen (Olga Grigorieva) and, for her two tobacco factory friends (Sofia Tomilina and Yulia Vasilieva), similar outfits with half of the bodice made of either orange or turquoise fabric with large black polka dots.

The male/female corps de ballet -- resembling a Greek chorus of dance -- wore black unitards slightly enlivened with one sleeve and part of the shirt front in muted shades of green, gold, red and purple. To further disguise their role, they also wore black half masks.

The Bull, doubling as Fate (Anna Kekhludova), was clad from toe to head in a hooded black unitard.

Only Jose (Valeri Shumilov), at first in an olive green shirt, then in a red bolero-style shirt tied above the waist, and the Toreador (Timur Kinzikeev), resplendent in a bright white costume with black decorations, added any color contrast.

Although Bizet's familiar melodies surfaced throughout the work (in taped form), Schedrin scored such unusual instruments as the xylophone and marimba, along with recorded castanets, and used jagged rhythms to accent the doomed scenario.

The choreography was equally evocative, with angled foot positions, flat-footed steps, shoulder shrugs, crossed leg and ankle moves, and windmill arms.

As Carmen, Grigorieva portrayed the temptress as part ingenue, part flirt, part hedonist. At times she was shy, then, in the next moment, a vamp. She immediately established the high energy and excitement of the inevitable tragedy about to unfold.

Grigorieva's movements were lithe, supple and infused with spirit. She stood effortlessly en pointe on one leg, while the other was extended behind her high over her head, and her partner turned her in a circle. She stuck out her derriere and wiggled it suggestively, first at Jose, then at the Toreador.

Both male principals were also excellent. They combined the soaring leaps and jumps of classical ballet with the athletic moves of contemporary dance. The synergy and interaction of all the main dancers produced a concentrated energy of performance.

One of the most innovative sequences, totally devoid of music, was propelled by syncopated hand clapping and foot stomping by the "chorus" seated on stools.

The "Carmen Suite" was the highlight of the evening.

In the sugary first half of the program, three short works, a pas de deux from "Sleeping Beauty," and two pas de quatre, showcased several principal dancers and the corps de ballet. The traditional costumes, also by Soldonikov, were lovely, with tutus and tulle in abundance.

In general, the Moscow Festival Ballet dancers showed good technique and graceful arm and hand movements. Their attention to the fine points of foot position was intense. They danced attractively, in pairs and ensembles, but lacked personality.

At times precision and unison of movement were shaky, and they experienced some faulty landings as well as balance problems. However, several slips, slides and near falls can probably be attributed to the stage.

Featured work of the pre-intermission segment was "Paquita," another series of virtuoso dance vignettes, with music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa. Marina Rzhannikova as Paquita and Mikhail Bessmertnov as Lucien added grand scale technique in jumps, lifts and rapid spins and twirls, much to the delight of the very large audience.