Fringe, Reviewed: What I Learned About Outer Space
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
"If this is the shape of things to come for the ballet, then bring it on."
[ dance/music ]
What I Learned About Outer Space, by Pennsylvania Ballet, Curtis Institute of Music
Attended: Sept. 6, 7 p.m.
Set to music created and performed by Curtis Institute composers and alumni, What I Learned About Outer Space is contemporary performance art at its highest level, bringing together three cutting-edge choreographers, Zoe Scofield, Itamar Serussi and Georg Reischl, and 15 classically trained Pennsylvania Ballet dancers to create, rehearse, and perform brand-new works in the span of a few short weeks.
WE THINK:
Pennsylvania Ballet's repertoire has been darn snoozy, same-ol' –same-ol' for so many years you might wonder if its dancers have the ability to do something more out-of-the-box. Wonder no more.
This program, featuring works by contemporary choreographers has dancers ably stepping out of their comfort zone into abstract experimental territory. The tone goes from feral (Zoe Scofield's IanAlexDanielMarrisSamantha) to emotional (Itamar Serussi's Straying) to conceptual confrontational intimacy (Georg Reischl's Operation). There are rough edges here and there, but when you consider each piece was conceived, rehearsed and performed in the span of a few weeks, you can cut them a little slack. If this is the shape of things to come for the ballet, then bring it on.
Meanwhile, fans of contemporary chamber music have much to enjoy in the performance by Ensemble39, which hit it out of the park, playing three challenging and diverse scores mixing a multitude of sounds and styles.
