(Above: Dancers rehearse for the world premiere of Eugene Ballet resident choreographer Suzanne Haag’s creation, Penumbra.)
By Randi Bjornstad
The latest Eugene Ballet production, which will be on stage at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts on April 8 and 9, is titled BOLD for a reason. The program consists of four ballets — three by noted guest choreographers Val Caniparoli, Nicolo Fonte, and Eva Stone — plus a world premiere by one of Eugene Ballet’s own, resident choreographer Suzanne Haag.
Haag’s creation, called Penumbra, is the second piece on the program. It features two female dancers whose relationship Haag intends to be ambiguous, perhaps sisters, perhaps mother and daughter, friends, lovers, even one person and her shadowy self, as reflected in the title.
“I want people lot see this duet however they need to,” Haag said in announcing the piece. “All of these (possibilities) are right.”
Another unusual feature of Penumbra is that it will be performed with both dancers en pointe, a rarity in ballet where usually a female dancer wearing pointe shoes relies on a male dancer for physical stability.
The show opens with Triptych, choreographed by Caniparoli, who drew inspiration from a series of photographic portraits by New York-based photojournalist Lalage Snow, titled We Are The Not Dead. Snow, who spent time embedded with British soldiers — both men and women — serving in Afghanistan, and she capturing images of the psychological transformations that affected them. Likewise, the mood of the dance is solemn and reflective, the choreography changing according to the portrayed experiences of the people who served.
Following Triptych and Penumbra is Stone’s creation, F O I L, which had its premiere with Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2019 and explores relationship and connection between people in unusual ways. One section, titled Be Still, involves three female dancers wearing flowing, backless tutus and dancing entirely facing away from the audience, revealing via their musculature the physical strength and mental discipline necessary to master ballet dance. Part of Stone’s unusual approach to choreography she attributes to learning about choreography before technique, which usually happens in the reverse order, with performers becoming choreographers.
The final segment of BOLD is Fonte’s Choros — Greek for dance, which is described in Eugene Ballet’s introduction to the show as “an action packed, kaleidoscopic work” performed to “electrifying music.” Fonte, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Argentina, started his own dance career at the age of 14 before beginning his choreography career, creating works that have been performed widely worldwide. Choros is described as “transforming the visual space into a felt and experienced joy of dance that ultimately is an outward celebration of the inner sacred space of the heart.”
Taken together, Eugene Ballet’s associate artistic director Jennifer Martin said that BOLD will “take the observer on an incredible journey of musical diversity, run the gamut of emotions, and showcase the vast array of movement styles in the dance world.”
Eugene Ballet brings BOLD to the Eugene stage
When: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 9
Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (7th and Willamette streets), Eugene
Tickets: $15 to $60, available at the Hult Center box office, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, by telephone at 541-682-5000, or online at eugeneballet.org or hultcenter.org
