MULLIKIN TO DEUX, AND MORE TO BE DONE
No matter the overwhelming amount of hustling singer-songwriters, and evolving identity of what qualifies for country music, there are artistic corners of Nashville deserving attention and support; Nashville Ballet is among the most worthy of these. After 25 years developing under the reliably captivating visions of Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet finds itself in a state of transition much like the Tennessee capital itself. New Artistic Director (and CEO) Nick Mullikin builds upon the solid foundation his predecessor established to take Nashville Ballet further. And so it was with the second annual Nashville Dance Festival; a celebration of dance: classical, contemporary, and everything in between.
The evening at Fisher Center for Performing Arts began before the curtain rose, as attendees were treated to a fun flash-mob performance in the stunning foyer area fifteen minutes before showtime. The program proper began with NB2 (Nashville Ballet Second Company) performing Maria Konrad’s Bronze, based on the life of idiosyncratic sculptor Alberto Giacometti. Set to the music of Antonio Vivaldi, Konrad threaded the needle and delivered a piece reflecting Giacometti’s existential angst, the inextricable impact of World War II, and his desire to charge every particle of matter with life. Bronze shifted tones between austere intensity and surprising playfulness and accomplished both wonderfully; a twenty-person strong ensemble of varying skill levels were well-served by clear and cogent staging. The piece was amplified by Christopher Mount’s lighting, which emphasized long shadows against the backdrop, evoking Giacometti’s most recognizable sculptural works.
Next was the Act II pas de deux from Giselle adapted by Nick Mullikin by way of Marius Petipa (after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot), set to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Adolphe Adam’s music. After Sarah Pierce’s graceful en pointe entrance, Brett Sjoblom joined her and the two moved together with a tender, sanguine delicacy absolutely absorbing the audience to the extent that half-way through the piece, they erupted in applause. Sjoblom sensitively supported as Pierce moved through the melancholy of her heartbreak in a deeply affecting and well-executed performance. Mullikin’s work here ably made use of the space, and beautifully communicated the agony and ecstasy of an impossible relationship.
Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan (Carlos Quezada)
The first guest artist piece followed from Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Choreographer Alonzo King’s pas de deux from Suite Etta featured guest artists Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan. Set to the music of Etta James and over much too quickly, it nonetheless — in its brief brilliance — offered Cissoko’s jaw-dropping extensions and Elhassan’s effortless strength, which made for a mesmerizing pairing. The piece’s sumptuous romanticism oozed soulful and passionate, complementary to the evening yet distinct in its offering; this was the high watermark pre-intermission.
Mullikin’s choreography rounded out the first half of the program with Crazy Hearts and He Loved Big Brother. In Hearts, Colette Tilinski and James Lankford ably executed synchronicity, and solid body control throughout. However, the spacing felt off, and the ability to emotionally sink into the dynamics of the relationship presented was hamstrung by the inherent vice of their costumes, a distracting mix of 16th century meets the present with frilled collars and modern fits by Mycah Kennedy and Jacobie Gay. The distracting nature of the costumes kept the ability to resonate with the piece at arm’s length.
In Big Brother, Mullikin swung big presenting an Orwellian influenced story of a pair (Gwyneth Smith, Shawn Pearson) and their experience within a system (a twenty-one strong ensemble) of repressive regimentation. No costume credit is provided, but all were draped in drab-white collared dress shirts and black slacks. While it immediately communicated the rigidity of the system, the black pants on the black stage blunted the ability to see movement and line below the waist throughout. I appreciated the different ways Mullikin’s choreography reflected clockwork cogs and gears in rigid motion, and Mount’s stark high-contrast light and shadows (originally designed by Scott Leathers). The inevitable tragedy of the piece required greater cohesion within the ensemble to resonate most profoundly. The ensemble needed to be tighter in their movements as a group and have greater uniformity to best reflect the rigidity and strength of the system. However, the acting and execution from Smith and Pearson were still able to elevate past those shortcomings to reach a resonant conclusion.
There was no curtain fall at the end of Big Brother, the lead-in to intermission; and there would be no curtain used for the rest of the evening. Mullikin took to the stage and assured the audience that in spite of that technical mishap, the show would go on. The stage crew received applause for clearing the curtain and cleaning the stage in full view. The world premiere of German-Senegalese Adji Cissoko’s Beyond was the first piece post-Curtain malfunction. Rich in tans and ambers and browns, Christopher Mount’s lighting evoked a desert landscape. Save for two men in the ensemble, this was a piece centered on sisterhood amid an arid environment. Beyond featured the most contemporary choreography that felt more in line with Tanztheater than Vaganova; the movements were lyrical, the tempo and dynamic shifts frequent, and the control and synchronicity of the ensemble was superb.
Paul Vasterling’s adaptation of Marius Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty Act III pas de deux featured stalwart Nashville Ballet Company members Jamie Kopit and Nicolas Scheuer. Together they paired beautifully, and separately showcased what makes them shine as well; Kopit’s pointe work was exquisite, and Scheuer’s joy manifested through every well-executed leap and lift. It was a wonderful preview for what will be presented in full, February 2025. The next piece was from Collage Dance Collective, 3rd movement from Luminescent, choreographed by Durante Verzola. Sebastian Garcia and Former Nashville Ballet Company apprentice Raquel Smith dazzled with their languid extensions, palpable simmering tension, marvelous grand jétes, and a bewitching close.
The final piece of the evening was the world premiere of Travis Bradley’s If I Can Dream, set to the music of Elvis Presley. The work explored the fraught inequalities experienced in Elvis’s time, whether it was inequality between sexes, races, or living within the strictures of a heteronormative society. The beauty of the piece was its enthusiastic celebration and value on relationships and togetherness; fitting for how “The King” as the best version of himself desired the world to be. Bradley eschews the greatest hits catalog apart from opener “That’s All Right” and closer “If I Can Dream” with “Kiss Me Quick,” “It Hurts Me,” “Men with Broken Hearts,” and “Forget Me Never.” The fifteen minute odyssey was anchored by Garrit McCabe’s fervent embodiment of “The King” in movement, charisma, and strength. Towards the end, company members Claudia Monja and Owen Thorne delivered a powerful partnered performance. Nashville Ballet’s greatest strength is their ability to interpret the work as actors, and in this work the persevering joy amid the hardships and challenges of living in this world was wonderfully showcased. It was a rousing conclusion to the Nashville Dance Festival. Cheers to Artistic Director Nick Mullikin, the choreographers, dancers, crew, to the season ahead, and to another round of the festival next year. Well done. May Nashville Ballet continue to attract new audiences of all ages with works classical and contemporary and everything in between in the heart of Music City.
cover photo by Lydia McRae Photography
Nashville Dance Festival
Nashville Ballet
Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University
reviewed July 19, 2024
for more info on the upcoming season, visit: Nashville Ballet