The word “fusion” suggests a blend of disparate elements that can meld softly together or erupt with explosive power. Either way, it’s an apt title for Atlanta Ballet’s upcoming mixed repertory performance, opening Friday at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Three works — the world premiere of Christopher Hampson’s “The Rite of Spring,” Helen Pickett’s “Petal” and Val Caniparoli’s “Lambarena” — will likely push boundaries in ways that may be gentle at times; at others, a little jarring.
The programming is part of the company’s move toward building a more contemporary artistic profile. The three works, all created within the last 16 years, combine dance styles, ideas and forms of cultural expression and will likely stretch dancers’ artistry and enlighten audiences as to what dance is and what the medium can express. Based on a studio preview last week, it’s already taking the dancers to new heights of power and expressiveness.
Most intriguing is the premiere of Christopher Hampson’s “The Rite of Spring,” radically different from the original 1913 collaboration between composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, depicting a pagan ritual in which a maiden sacrificed herself to ensure Earth’s fertility. Hampson’s is a stark, enclosed monochromatic world; unlike dozens of previous large-scale interpretations, there’s a cast of only three.
In the studio, dancers Christian Clark and Jacob Bush appeared as brothers, barefoot and bare-chested in black robes. Clark’s character, older and more dominant, moves with sharp, combative actions; Bush’s milder, gliding moves show he’s younger and more naive. A female dancer, en pointe, represents the idea of Faith. Hampson explained that the older brother chooses to accept Faith in a brutal manner; but eventually, the younger brother must pay dearly for his older brother’s violent actions.
“The Rite of Spring,” Hampson said, takes a vigorous look at the theme of sacrifice, still relevant in the arenas of politics and war.
Helen Pickett later explained that “Petal” is not literally about flowers, but about transformation. The piece interprets music by Philip Glass and Thomas Newman and involves patterns of human relationships, organizing movement as when “petals open to the light and close back up at night; how petals fall.” Informed by more than 10 years dancing with William Forsythe at the Frankfurt Ballet and subsequent work with New York City’s Wooster Group, Pickett’s fresh approach to choreography aims to transcend the theater’s “fourth wall” via emotional and tactile expression.
Finally, the company vivified the studio’s atmosphere with rhythm, motion and song in “Lambarena.” Inspired by a musical tribute to Albert Schweitzer, the pulse and harmony of traditional African chants from Gabon blended with driving rhythms and the ascending melodies of J.S. Bach’s music. Kristine Necessary and a cluster of women softened classical movement, with supple hip circles and generous circular gestures. A pack of men then tramped across the floor, torsos forward, with snake-like undulations that seemed to rumble out of the ground. Inspired by a blend of music from two different cultures, “Lambarena” will likely reconcile the strong fluidity of African dance with the lines of ballet — with vigor and joy.
Cynthia Bond Perry is dance critic at ArtsCriticATL.com.
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