Chiaroscuro Light And Shadow Analysis

This motif of “the play of light and shadow” Chiaroscuro referenced was seemingly extended by program Seven of the Here/Now Festival throughout the evening. Two works representative of “shadow”, Funérailles and Oltremare, were interspersed between the three—Ash, Common Ground, and Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes—in which “light” predominated.

While Ash is not a particularly distinctive ballet, it was delightful to watch Ashly Isaacs here. In this piece, each one of various members of the corps is notably provided with the opportunity to momentarily gain the spotlight.

What is Liam Scarlett’s Funérailles about? Perhaps a nineteenth century aristocratic woman’s yearning for—love and death? This is a dark ballet—literally and metaphorically—not likely
Even when featuring unusual movement, a work like Common Ground which showcases as lovely and graceful a ballerina as Ashley Laracey elicits attention. And how imposing a presence on the stage Teresa Reichlen is, even when dressed in such garb! All five of the other dancers blended perfectly in the group. A difficult three-jump sequence which they perform towards the conclusion of the work is especially memorable. Even though I had seen Troy Schumacher’s ballet before, I was pleasantly surprised by how thrilling I found it this time around, and by how engaging and even compelling during the final moments its music
But then the latter work is about a group of people from an entirely different social class—immigrants, evidently around the turn of the nineteenth century. So how disparately they dance from the stylish, refined ladies and gentlemen populating a Viennese ballroom! While Mauro Bigonzetti’s ballet may not be conventionally beautiful and was disappointing on first viewing, it serves as an excellent foil to the Balanchine masterwork mentioned above and reminds both the performers and the audience at the Koch Theater of the varying socioeconomic realities as well as the essentiality of immigration in the human experience. Ashly Isaacs made a strong impression in this piece too. Maria Kowroski’s flexibility and Tyler Angle’s strength (again) were amazing. (At one point she stood on top of his supine body!) Tiler Peck’s dress seemed too large and thereby made her look quite short; but that only made her more convincing in this part, and her dancing was—as always—superb. Seeing Ms. Peck in two such distinct roles on the same evening was a special treat by itself, and brought to mind a particularly fond recollection of one night (February 19, 2016) when she danced in both This Bitter Earth and The Most Incredible