6A - Oscoda Press, Oscoda, Mi., Wednesday, June 18,
2008 ENTERTAINMENT
Definition of art
achieved
Review of 'An Evening with Ravel II’
by Tiffany Traynor
OSCODA — Opening night of the Northeast Academy of
Dance (NEAD) performance of An Evening with Ravel II on June 14 was punctual and
poignant.
A true excursion for the eye, ear and mind successfully
led to the fourth dimension of meaning indicative of art.
NEAD director and choreographer Scott Heinrich
personally prefaced each performance, in perfect French when applicable, with
kind and detailed description related to the ballet, music selections and
students.
The first feature was a selection from Ravel's "Mother
Goose Suite," brief due to the necessity for G-rated content derived from an
otherwise adult ballet, according to Heinrich. Laideronnette, Empress of the
Pagodas, incorporated NEAD students from ballet one, three and four and was by
no means simply an opening act. The colors, choreography and oriental costumes
at once whisked away the audience, especially the young darling pagodas, Sarah
Barnette, Taelyn Eberline, Madeline Nogle and Emily Mikulski.
With the news of NEAD student Kylend Hetherington soon
to be the star of a broadway musical, I expected to identify his arrival on
stage without question. However, there was more than one dancer with expertise
and heart in the house that evening, to say the least. Nikkolas Bergman was
definitively one of those dancers and captured attention in every feature.
La Valse was the next selection and was of particular
choreographic interest, featuring a multitude of dancers in an unpredictable and
pleasing soirée.
The next piece was entitled "The Snake" and was
definitively jazz. Bergman, Siara Corbin, Savanna Decker, Amanda Denney, Montana
Hopkins, Emily Lockenour, Olivia and Mason Loucks, Justyce Orso and Esmeralda
Zamorano expressed the playful side of the evening.
"Concerto in G" was musically intoxicating and the
treasured selection, in my assessment. The grace of the performance by Nicole
Fecteau, Shazia Hasan, Ashley Inman, Olivia Loga, Katy MacMaster, Carrie Tait
and Jenny Zacharias in costumes of black with blue colored crinoline underneath,
that was sparingly revealed, exuded sophistication and depth. Alexandria Barnes,
Emily Freel, Haley Gombos, Tahila Heidt, Mason Loucks, Barbra Lounsbury, Paige
Senn and Keli Skodack also made the piece notable.
The finale was "L'Enfant et les Sortileges" or "The
Young Child and the Enchantments." Prior to the performance, Heinrich noted that
NEAD has had the privilege to perform
this particular piece for a variety of schools in the region with great
reception. He also described NEAD's focus
on choreographic variation and emphasis
on “musical appreciation.”
"The Yong Child
and the Enchantments” was a visual feast and abundantly represented the tale of
a naughty child. From bats, dragonflies, frogs, trees, and squirrels, the scenes
were captivating and with such numerous shades and depth of the color green that
it was reminiscent of bold theatrics from famous theatres of another place.
Though the child of the story was punished after
deliberately destroying a book, the audience was rewarded when the shepherdess,
Olivia Loga, and shepherd, Heinrich, were animated from the pages. The
intricacies and skill of fine ballet were on display. Again, when Heinrich
appeared as an evil sorcerer, it was apparent that a master is also a teacher at
NEAD.
The evening of dance in Oscoda reminded me of the words
of the late Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, who was considered to be the greatest
ballerina of her time. She was born in England in 1919 and died in Panama in
1991.
She said, “Great artists are people who find ways to be
themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and
life alike.”
It
was indeed an evening which proved that true art does not require pretense.
