BALLET120’S SEASON FINALE SOARS
By Kendall Hardin
Ballet120’s 2021 dynamic season finale was a show-stopper all night long with its beautiful choreography. Expressions of the Stage debuted an assortment of 20 pieces to mesmerize the audience assembled in the Horn Theatre on September 4th.
The dancers pivoted from sparkling tutus and tiaras en pointe to white t-shirts and bare feet—and everything in between, including percussive tangos and tap. Even the musical accompaniment gyrated from classical Delibes, Tchaikovsky, and Corelli to favorites by Gershwin, Prince, Bobby Darin, and Simon & Garfunkel.
It was a spectacular spectrum of dance experiences over two hours. Hardly stuffy and boring! In a word: Wow!
After re-examining my program the following morning, I realized the enormous choreographic impact of Ballet120 Artistic Director Benjamin Tucker, whose mark appeared on almost every stunning piece (15 of the 20 works).
“So, how does one become a gifted choreographer with such a wide range?” I asked Ballet120 dancer/director/choreographer Tucker.
“My choreographic style is built on collaboration with the dancers in front of me. I am a big believer that if the movement feels good to the dancer, [then] that feeling will be portrayed to the audience.
“I prefer to choreograph non-narrative pieces. However, I think it’s important for the dancers to find stories to tell within the work. I often ask the dancers to find a story within the movement, but not to tell me.”
His rigorous training in various movement styles and exposure to other contemporary choreographers have shaped Tucker’s expansive artistic style.
Among those who inspire him: Moses Pendleton, artistic director of the uber-creative MOMIX dance company, an offshoot of Philobus; Matthew Neenan, choreographer-in-residence with the Pennsylvania Ballet and co-founder of BalletX; Juliano Nunes, Brazilian dancer-choreographer performing with companies across Europe and Canada; and of course, James Canfield, the third artistic director of Nevada Ballet Theatre, currently re-engaged with the NW Dance Project.
“Like all art and life, we all interpret things in our own way,” Ben continues. “I don’t want to put my feelings on others. I prefer they discover something for themselves. ‘Nothing is everything; everything is something.’”
Special Note: Expressions of the Stage also showcased pieces by guest choreographers Phaedra Jarrett, Caroline MacDonald, Tristen Sosa, Morgan Stillman, and Ballet120 dancer Ekaterina Pokrovskaya, plus a new musical composition by Rylan Leo Helmuth. The company’s new season debuts in the spring of 2022.
