For anyone unsure of the rigor or reputation of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the company says: Come see this show.
Friday through next Sunday at Benedum Center, PBT will open the curtain on its 2015-16 season with a triple bill program of masterworks: George Balanchine’s “Western Symphony,” William Forsythe’s “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” and Jiri Kylian’s “Sinfonietta.”
“It shows the stature of the quality of dancers in Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre,” artistic director Terrence Orr says of the lineup. “People around the world can look at that program and they know, they go, ‘Wow, this is really something.’ It’s a tribute to our organization that we’re able to put it on.”
Each of the works is completely different, Mr. Orr says. The free-spirited “Sinfonietta” (1978) is a sweeping ensemble ballet done in five movements to a score by Leos Janacek, which the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra will play. It’s one of the first works to earn the Czech choreographer notable recognition in America. This will be the second Kylian piece PBT has staged this year; “Petite Mort” was part of another mixed repertory program in March.
“In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” (1987) is also new to PBT. Set to the driving electronic music of Thom Willems, the ballet is powerful yet sensual, off-center yet exact. Dancers are clad in green leotards and black tights as two golden cherries dangle above them, somewhat elevated (giving the ballet its name). The Guardian newspaper has described the dance, created for Paris Opera Ballet, as “revolutionary” and “the work that changed ballet forever.”
Rounding out the bill will be “Western Symphony” (1954), Mr. Balanchine’s ode to the Old West. While rooted in a classical ballet vocabulary, the choreography is influenced by elements of American folk dance, with women in frilly tutus and men in cowboy get-ups. The PBT Orchestra will accompany dancers with Hershy Kay’s score inspired by popular folk songs. PBT last staged the work in 1997 during Mr. Orr’s first year here.
It’s a demanding program, but Mr. Orr says his dancers are poised for the challenge.
“I feel like the last three or four years I keep saying it’s the best company we’ve ever had,” he says. “It shows the quality of our dancers has really risen to the occasion.”
For the dancers, it’s an opportunity to sharpen their technical and artistic chops while encouraging audiences to diversify their dance palates.
“I hope it leaves the audience thirsty for more of these types of ballets,” says principal dancer Julia Erickson, who will dance in all three works.
“I hope it makes audiences embrace the mixed repertory even more and makes them more excited about the diversity and versatility of a modern-day ballet company.”
Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.
First Published: October 18, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
