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The ballet community turned out in force for the latest performance of the Kansas City Ballet to see the immortal Firebird. The performance created much excitement in the dance community and that was reflected in the high attendance for the show.

The Firebird is a 1910 ballet by Igor Stravinsky and was choreographed by Michel Fokine. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor. This particular version was choreographed by relative newcomer, Yuri Possokhov, who tried to breathe new life into the traditional folk tale from his native Russia. It was conducted by the KC Ballet’s music director, Ramona Pansegrau, who is a strong supporter of the ballet and whose affection for the dance was apparent in her work.

The work was the crowning piece for a program that included a great deal of variety, ranging from classical ballet (Apollo), to contemporary Modern Dance en pointe (As Time Goes By, and End of Time), to reworked traditional pieces (the Firebird). Each piece had a completely different style of dance, demonstrating the terpsichorean range of the company under William Whitener's direction.

The performance opened with Balanchine's Apollo, with Christopher Barksdale in the title role. It was nice to see Barksdale in a central role again. He has good presence on stage and can be very expressive with physical movement, even in parts which do not tap his particular strengths. All of the dancers executed their parts with mastery, but occasionally there seemed to be moments that the female dancers seem out of sync with each other. These moments, however, were few and minor, and did not detract from the enjoyment of the entire production. Balanchine choreography is still beautiful to watch, when done well, but has a slower pace compared to some of the more contemporary ballets, which puts more pressure on dancers to create a sense of presence on stage in order to keep the audience's attention. This piece was well-executed and well-received by the audience.

The next work, As Time Goes By, was a complete contrast in theme and style, as the dancers ran and spun across the stage dressed in shades of brown and earthy tones, not unlike dancing, tumbling leaves carried by the wind on a warm autumn twilight. This lyrical work was choreographed by Twyla Tharp (which featured William Whitener in the original production) and is typical of her off-beat, contemporary style. This particular work is unique among the Tharp repertoire because the female dancers perform en pointe, instead of performing barefoot. Set to the music of Haydn's Symphony No. 45, Farewell, this complicated ensemble piece was enthusiastically performed by the company, but was not as enthusiastically received by the audience, possibly because it was so different from the style of the other pieces featured on the program. Twyla Tharp's choreography tends to be very "busy" with "too much going on" for some audiences, which was reflected by similar comments by audience members during intermission.

Next on the program was another temporal title, End of Time, choreographed by Ben Stevenson and set to the music Sergai Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata in F, 3rd Movement, performed beautifully by Ramona Pansegrau on piano and Mark Gibb (principal cello of the Kansas City Symphony) as soloist. This intimate and sensual pas de deux explores the romantic relationship between "omega" man and woman, the last couple on earth. Fluidly performed by Angelina Sansone and Juan Pablo Trujillo, this duet was well-received by the audience.

Last on the program was the Firebird, dramatically performed by Kimberly Cowen in the title role. Additional cast members included Luke Luzicka as the hunter, Ivan, Nadia Iozzo as the Princess, and Michael Eaton as Kaschei, who all did very well in their parts. Clever staging and simple, but pleasing set design made the production suggestive of a storybook come to life. The dramatic use of dance in portraying this simple tale of magic and romance speaks to the power of dance to convey a story, and speaks to the use of narrative themes in dance for general audiences. Beautifully performed by the cast and orchestra, the Firebird was a big hit with the audience, calling for two curtain calls and a standing ovation. With popularity and reception of works like the Firebird and Carmen, one wonders what the Kansas City Ballet will do next and how it will be able to top itself in the future. Given William Whitener's creativity, they will, no doubt, find a way to do so.

Photos: Steve Wilson, Kansas City Ballet publicity


REVIEW:
Kansas City Ballet
Firebird
February 19 – 22, 2009
(Saturday, February 21 Matinee reviewed)
Lyric Theatre
13th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
kcballet.org

By Nicole English

Dance Contributor (Past writer)