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Ballet is more than an art form steeped in tradition — it’s a sport. In what other profession are people expected to perform complex movements in crisp synchronicity while telling a story? How many people do you know who can actually fall gracefully? In what other art form is the silence of a dramatic moment only broken by the winded breaths of the performer? Ballet also has a reputation for being one of the most competitive fields in the entire world, yet it is usually wrongfully sanctioned as hoity-toity and only for “fancy” individuals. Attending a U ballet performance will certainly prove those notions wrong — you, too, can be fancy.
Everyone can enjoy ballet. There’s a lot to look out for when going to a ballet performance and plenty to keep you occupied. The primary language of ballet is body movement, which we observe every day without even realizing it. Disgust, relief, confusion and happiness are all emotions expressed through the body before the brain even has time to catch up with commentary. Watch a performer the same way you would watch someone telling you a story. It’s an amazing experience to read a performer as they go through an arc of emotions. You can also watch for interactions and relationships between the individual characters in a corps to get a sense of what’s going on. It becomes especially interesting when you notice the members of the corps are doing the exact same movements, yet the performers each bring their own sense of individuality to it.
Music is another way to express complex thoughts and emotions without words, and therefore it’s a perfect companion to ballet. The Ballet Showcase being performed this Friday and Saturday communicates using dance and music in a powerful and entertaining way, so it is the perfect opportunity for curious audience members to dip their toe in the wide world of ballet.
The Ballet Showcase is an evening of student choreographed works. The students officially begin work on their pieces at the start of the semester, although some students work on choreography beforehand. Rehearsals are done on the dancers’ own time, as their departmental rehearsal times are devoted to practicing for other performances later in the year. A few weeks before showcase, student choreographers present their pieces for the approval of the faculty before moving into tech, lighting and dress rehearsals.
The showcase is a mixture of different ballet techniques and combinations — each piece has its own themes and dimensions to explore. Some of the pieces are short and sweet, while others are long and thoughtful. Though many of the movements deal with serious and complex ideas, some of them have speckled humor throughout, and one in particular is a riot of hilarious antics. In ballet, it seems the personality of the performers is less diffused by tedious details of complicated characters and therefore it is surprisingly easy to enjoy.
Attend these performance at the Hayes Christensen Theatre (located in the Marriott Center for Dance). There is one performance today, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m., as well as two on Saturday Oct. 4, one at 2 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Kingtix.com, by calling 801.851.7100 or at the door. As always, students get a free ticket with their UCard. If you really appreciate athletic talent, don’t let any ballet performance pass you by.
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