The Joffrey Ballet company’s newest show was split into three acts, each one more unique than the last. The first performance of the night, “Maninyas,” combined classical ballet with contemporary choreography.
This intense piece contained so many layers and surprises that you never knew what to expect. Ripples were a primary motif in the performance, so everywhere you looked there was something different happening on the stage. The performers relied not only on the steps, but included their costumes as props in the choreography, as well as the large drapes hanging up behind them.
The piece exemplified the theme of two or more bodies becoming one. “It’s about falling in love,” choreographer Stanton Welch said. “It examines how in relationships you gradually unlayer yourself and how scary, dark and open it is to reveal yourself to another without protection.” The piece was simplicity at its finest, with talented dancers who embodied that mindset.
The second act, “The Man in Black,” still embodying the creativity that is the Joffrey Ballet’s standard, took a complete 180-degree turn from the first act. Set to music by Johnny Cash, this piece provided a new spin on country-western dancing. The three men and single female performers created visual stories that, partnered with Cash’s songs, portrayed powerful, and at times humorous, themes.
It was incredible to witness how the bodies could connect and physically bend together, while still remaining linked. The four performers moving together as a cohesive unit is what brought to life the spirit of Cash. This piece brought an elegance to country line dancing. The third and final act, “Tulle,” may be most appreciated by those with an understanding of dance and its terminology. Wildly creative, this work took a look inside the world of ballet, both its history and terminology.
The performance was fascinatingly set to audio tracks of voices talking about dance. The audience heard famous dancers’ voices speak about what they love about dance, their fears, and what is so special about the art form. Other audio tracks described the beginnings of ballet with Louis XIV. The piece de- bunked ballet, while simultaneously showing us ballet.
The company showed the audience the beautiful technique of the dancers, while also providing a hilarious and truthful look at ballet that those with the background and experience will understand. “I wanted to create a bal- let about ballet which would explain and discuss ballet…a sort of ballet documentary,” choreographer Alex- ander Ekman said.
For more information on upcoming shows, visit www.joffrey.org. Visit the ballet by taking the Lake Forest Metra into the city and get off at Ogilvie Transportation Center, continue to Madison and Wabash.
