Ballet San Jose of Silicon Valley, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, CA
Rivulet, Apollo, Graduation Ball
February 17, 2002

In a mixed repertoire program which Ballet San Jose presented for its Valentine's Weekend performances last week in San Jose, the highlight was a frothy version of Graduation Ball which showed off this company of carefree, sunny personalities.

Graduation Ball is a staple in the canon of character ballets and it suited Ballet San Jose perfectly. The bright-eyed and bushytailed charm of the dancers set just the right tone for David Lichine's Ballets Russes classic about a graduation dance in a girls' school. Like Gaite Parisienne, which Ballet San Jose performed appealingly last year, ÒGraduation BallÓ needs dancers comfortable with broad theatrics. Dalia Rawson, as the Pigtail Girl was winning and capricious as she capered in and out of the scenes, and Dennis Nahat, the Artistic Director, taking on the role of the Headmistress en travesty, was archly comic.

The sets and costumes, which David Guthrie designed after the 1940 originals by Alexandre Benois deserve more than a mention since they added so much to the piece. There was never a dull moment visually and in an age of bare, abstract ballets it was easy to see the part the design played in satiating the eye. Then too, Nahat, who also staged the work, has taken care to keep the action moving along quickly and keep it all light and fun. The first two scenes zip by in a whirl and we arrive at the divertissments. Tiffany Glenn sparkled as the mistress of ceremonies and Stephane Dalle offered a skillful if a little emotionless rendition of the Drummer's solo. In the famous pas de deux, Patricia Perez showed off steady balances but Dalia Rawson stole the act with her impromptu dance, executing entrechat sixes that any man would be proud of.

For an entirely different flavour, Ballet San Jose also presented George Balanchine's Apollo on the same program with Alex Lapshin tackling the role of the god of music and arts. The version performed by San Jose includes the now rare birth of Apollo scene as well as the stair set for the final ascent to Mount Olympus. Personally I could still do without the birth, but there is something that is impressive and striking visually about the final moments of the apotheosis as the dancers move up the stairwell.

Lapshin took a slightly languid approach to the solo, with a less expansive feeling in the chest than I am used to seeing. Still, he made an attractive, youthful Apollo. As Calliope, Maria Jacobs was sweet, almost starry-eyed, and Sayaka Tai matched Jacobs with a kittenish Polyhymnia. Alexandra Koltun, as Terpsichore, was solid although a touch self-conscious. Her pas de deux with Lapshin was satisfying, however, and one appreciated more than ever, the intricacies of Balanchine's illumination of the Stravinsky score.

San Jose's program also included Dennis Nahat's Rivulet to the music of Ernest Bloch.

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This review initially appeared on criticaldance.com, February 20, 2002.

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