Recently another American contemporary ballet company from San Francisco made through on our end. Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the US choreographer Alonzo King that I kinda liked because it has strong classical ballet dance elements and it is not boring. King collaborated with many composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world. He draws inspiration and roots from the rooted cultural tradition, classical ballet, and creates his own potential contemporary dance expression. His expressions are, as a ballet critic says „based in the scientific, geometric principle of energy“.
I like to see classical ballet, contemporary dance, where the dancers or choreographers are apparently rooted in classical ballet but truly believe in the contemporary. Such can, of course, is very boring and very exciting too. Good ones are always exciting, in modern or contemporary you sense classical. It has been believed that modern dance is merely “free form” ballet, but when it has other elements included it is believed it is contemporary. In general, the classification of today’s ballet is very critical and very sensitive. All dancers today want to be contemporary dancers, hardly any want to stay in classical ballet. The reality is that modern dance technique relies on the ability to use the entire body to form the dance theme while following classic styles of modern dance steps. But, the action within this dance form revolved around a good theme. A subject. I really like a good theme, an actual inspiration to create an art piece, a modern dance movement as a „synchrony between physical action and communication“ via only head, facial expression, limbs, and body. But modern dance is not an actual contemporary dance and terminology is very confusing sometimes. Accompanied with a good theme, an actual inspiration, is fantastic.
So it is with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. It also has an intriguing theme „azoth.“ A choreography „Azoth“ is named after the mercury often used by the ancient alchemists, as an essential agent for transformation. Symbolically, on stage King creates, as explained in one text „an unforgettable dialogue between movement and music“. According to an available ballet review „Azoth’s opening chapter felt like the body awakening after a long slumber. Limbs stretched and neurons fired while ethereal arpeggiated chords sang from the orchestra pit“. This ballet chapter is „a complete, and the awake, alert body was free to take off in Azoth’s numerous directions. Subsequent chapters countered moments of quiet with full throttle physical sequences of big jumps and full port de bras.“ It is also said that „Azoth“„offers an unbroken stream of consciousness.“ How interesting don’t you think?
The other choreography that we enjoyed was the King’s „The Personal Element“ According to sources, it is a twenty-minute octet more to be said by other critics as „set to another sweeping piano score by Moran, Element allowed the viewer to marvel at its dance movement and choreography. Designs were appropriately uncomplicated – a bright Cyclorama, elegant costuming – so the focus could remain, on the movement, which of course included some signature LINES’ motifs. Jutting hips, superhuman extensions, high attitude positions, and rolling rib cages peppered the stage, along with a striking image of a flexed foot right next to a foot en pointe...„
photo by RJMuna
www.belgradedancefestival.com