{"id":35919,"date":"2018-08-24T12:08:55","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T18:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=35919"},"modified":"2018-09-09T13:47:14","modified_gmt":"2018-09-09T19:47:14","slug":"through-drought-or-flood-the-river-speaks-plainly-at-municipal-ballet-co","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/through-drought-or-flood-the-river-speaks-plainly-at-municipal-ballet-co\/","title":{"rendered":"Through Drought or Flood, The River Speaks Plainly at Municipal Ballet Co."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nWhen Sarah Longoria, director of Municipal Ballet Co., stepped to the microphone last night to thank Fisher Brewing Co. for hosting their performance of\u00a0\u201cThe River Speaks Plainly,\u201d she mentioned it was \u201cthe first ballet they\u2019ve ever had here.\u201d She admitted that the company hoped to perform this piece on a river, but those plans didn\u2019t work out: \u201cIf you can\u2019t go down the river, go to Fisher,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the setting was perfect: flash flood warnings were issued at 6 p.m., but by 8 p.m., the sky was clear, with streaks of pale blue, pink, and lavender adding to the dancers\u2019 backdrop. A dance floor had been set up behind the brewery (where cornhole games are typically played), and there were folding chairs for the sold-out audience. More people stood in the back, and the atmosphere was lively and supportive.<\/p>\n

Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, a fantastic local bluegrass band, set up their instruments at the edge of the floor, and 11 Municipal Ballet dancers turned the stage into an evocative platform for stories of river runners: John Wesley Powell, Bert Loper, Glen and Bessie Hyde, Buzz Holmstrom, Martin Litton, Georgie White Clark, and Kenton Grua.<\/p>\n

A narrator, Colby Frazier, introduced scenes choreographed by the company\u2019s dancers, designers, and guests. Frazier\u2019s writing and delivery added to the casual vibe, especially when he began with, \u201cI don\u2019t have any of this memorized.\u201d His vignettes, beautifully composed, presented a balance between historical facts and resonant images, and his writing made me think of Municipal Ballet\u2019s niche in Salt Lake City: the dancers present a compelling balance of craft and creativity, they are well-trained and inviting performers, and there\u2019s a refreshingly diverse range of heights and backgrounds in the company. When they dance together, there are moments where they acknowledge one another and smile. This kind of camaraderie is both enjoyable and rare.<\/p>\n

When I asked Nora Price, a dancer and choreographer, about her choice to perform with Municipal Ballet, she wrote in an email: \u201cI think standard proscenium dance performances, and many site-specific and unconventionally-staged shows as well, hold audiences captive; I\u2019d rather feel free to be captivated, or not. I don\u2019t respond happily to being held aesthetically hostage as an audience member, OR as a dancer. I like feeling that folks\u2019 pleasure in an experience is not wholly contingent on my perfect execution of unremitting whimsy\/edginess\/technical mastery. Even if they can expect to remain seated throughout, being in an otherwise engaging environment with beverages or snacks and a visible live local band sets a distinct tone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last night\u2019s distinct tone was enhanced by the support of a local business, the brewery, and local heroes, the river runners. Frazier\u2019s narration introduced an atmosphere for each scene, and the choreography extended his tales. For instance, Frazier disclosed details of the Hyde couple\u2019s adventure of 1928, but the dancers\u2019 performance, choreographed by Nora Price and Emily Snow, added details to his story of the couple\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n

Introducing Holmstrom\u2019s adventures, Frazier quoted from the river-runner\u2019s journal, \u201cThe last bad one above m\u2014the Bad Rapid-Lava Cliff\u2014that I had been looking for, nearly a thousand miles\u2014I thought: once past there my reward will begin, but now everything ahead seems kind of empty and I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing\u2026\u201d The ensuing dance, entitled \u201cThe Doing of the Thing,\u201d choreographed by Olivia Mason, created an apt comparison: Nora Price, Nick Gibas, and Stacie Riskin presented images of intertwining and interdependence. There seemed to be a distinct joy in discovering what was possible and supporting one another. It reminded me of a quote from Merce Cunningham: \u201cYou have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.\u201d Similar to Holmstrom\u2019s \u201cdoing of the thing,\u201d Cunningham\u2019s words conjure links between river running and dancing.<\/p>\n

Throughout the evening, choreographers presented different approaches to conveying the river\u2019s propulsion and force. In the first scene, choreographed by Longoria and entitled \u201cThe River,\u201d the cast performed recognizable ballet steps, from waltzes to cha\u00een\u00e9 turns. Longoria\u2019s choreography conveyed a sense of momentum as the opening solo, performed wonderfully by Sierra Williams, morphed into duets, quartets, trios, and the entire ensemble dancing together.<\/p>\n

In contrast, Jessica Liu\u2019s choreography for Nick Gibas, called \u201cBallad for Glen Canyon,\u201d drew from more modern vocabularies, with extensive floor work and idiosyncratic phrasing. Gibas performed this swirling and spiraling choreography with compelling power and abandon, an evocative image of the Colorado River. His solo recalled the words of Wendell Berry, read by Frazier before the \u201cBallad\u201d: \u201cMen may dam it and say that they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were other scenes that merged ballet and modern vocabularies, as in Katie Davis\u2019 quartet, \u201cLitton\u2019s Boats,\u201d inspired by the driving music of the band. As the tempo increased, so did the dancing, and the investment and stamina of the performers \u2014 Hannah Bowcutt, Katie Davis, Stacie Riskin, and Tristana Yegge \u2014 were thrilling. The quartet ended with one of the dancers giving a thumbs-up to the musicians, a moment of conviviality that made visible the collaborative spirit of the evening.<\/p>\n

While presenting ballet in this hybrid setting \u2014 with musicians, a narrator, and an interactive vibe \u2014 may be atypical in today\u2019s dance world,\u00a0\u201cThe River Speaks Plainly\u201d\u00a0reminded me of ballet\u2019s roots: in 1581, Catherine de Medici commissioned Ballet Comique de La Reine Louise<\/em>, which is considered the first ballet. It, too, was an evening that merged dancing with instrumental music, songs, and spoken verses. It, too, was propelled by a woman\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

In contrast to\u00a0\u201cThe River Speaks Plainly,\u201d Ballet Comique<\/em> was an exclusive affair, designed to reinforce and glorify the power of the state. To see Municipal Ballet is to see how far ballet has come: it\u2019s an art form that can be inclusive, inviting, and fun. My attention was drawn to the clarity and vivacity in dancing by Sierra Williams, Nora Price, and Emily Snow. I imagine that other audience members were drawn to other performers and their unique attributes, and to me this speaks to the mutability and sustainability of ballet.<\/p>\n

Wrapping the dancers in a blanket of bluegrass, the evening\u2019s terrific music was composed by Ben Weiss and performed by Zach Downes on upright bass, Amanda Grapes on fiddle, Andrew Nelson on guitar, Weiss on mandolin, and Katia Racine on ukulele and vocals. When I asked Grapes during one of the beer breaks about the difference between a violin and a fiddle, she said, \u201cA violin has strings, and a fiddle has strangs.\u201d The band\u2019s unpretentious and powerful playing was a symbiotic partner to Municipal Ballet Co.: together they created an evening that brings ballet into the 21st century.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Municipal Ballet Co. performs excerpts from \u201cThe River Speaks Plainly\u201d at the inaugural\u00a0Busker Fest<\/a>\u00a0tonight, Friday, Aug. 24.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This article is published in collaboration with loveDANCEmore.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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