Breaking the mold this season at the Boston Ballet

The mark of a distinguished ballet company is not its technical mastery or comprehensive repertoire of classical productions, but rather the extent of its versatility. In 1999, the Boston Ballet lacked all three. The dancers lacked basic technique and stage presence _ anything more complicated than Nutcracker was beyond the scope of their artistic abilities _ and the company as a whole lacked a certain amount of cohesiveness.

In three short years, a great deal has changed at the Boston Ballet. The recent appointment of new artistic director, Mikko Nissinen, has helped the company and its dancers achieve a new level of technical and artistic excellence, as demonstrated by the opening of its 2002-2003 season last weekend at the Wang Theatre. Straying from the traditional story ballet, the program consists of three different pieces choreographed by the most well-respected and influential of contemporary ballet choreographers. Surprisingly, the Boston Ballet was able to adapt its traditional style to this more modern choreography and present a program that was not only enjoyable and energetic, but also shows audiences that the company now ranks among the best and most versatile in the nation.

The opener to the program is Mark Morris' "Maelstrom," set to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. It is surprisingly traditional, given Morris' reputation as one of the more modern of contemporary ballet choreographers.

Performed by seven pairs of dancers, the work is primarily comprised of a blend of classical lines with subtle, modern elements _ for example, where the foot would normally be pointed, it is flexed. Morris also incorporates some of the most basic components of ballet technique from the barre-work practiced each day in class. His playful use of space results in a very visual piece, with the dancers often arranged in geometric patterns of pairs, trios and straight lines. Like many contemporary choreographers, he employs a kind of "variations on a theme" progression of movement, with specific elements of the choreography repeating throughout the length of the piece.

The second selection, "Sharp Side of Dark," marks the North American debut of Jorma Elo, a Finnish choreographer whose work is already well-regarded in Europe. The combination of lighting, set design, and costumes lends an urban, industrial feel to the work with steel beams, harsh spotlights and flesh-tone unitards. Elo's choreography is characterized by movements which make the dancers appear to slink through their bodies, making extensive use of the spine and its various contortions. While the dancers do not appear entirely at ease with the unusual choreography, there is still a certain technical elegance to their efforts in undertaking a piece that challenges the boundaries of their rigorous classical training.

William Forsythe's "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated" is a curious finale to the program. While both the choreography and dancing are unique and engaging, the music, by Thom Willems, is a distracting escalation of tension that never actually resolves itself. Forsythe recreates this tension in his choreography, as the dancers toy with balance, walk about the stage matter-of-factly, or lurk menacingly in the shadowy corners as a brief yet complex pas de deux is performed. The simplicity of the costumes focuses the attention of the audience on the movement as well as the threatening aura created by both the dancers and the music. Although jarring and intrusive at times, the piece is still successful in its attempts to question traditional themes of classical ballet.

While most of the Boston Ballet's productions highlight the beauty and technical prowess of one dancer or another, Nissinen has selected a trio of dances that focuses equally on the talents of all his dancers. From principals to soloists, each dancer is paid equal attention as a result of the nature of the choreography. Nissinen has taken a tremendous risk in straying from the full-length story ballet with these three contemporary pieces, not only because of the ways in which they challenge the dancers' primarily classical technique but also given the expectations of his audiences. For many, ballet is little more than Romeo and Juliet or Les Sylphides. This is a program that casts aside such notions and expectations and uses ballet in unique and unusual ways. As such, it is a production that lacks universal appeal. For those whose exposure to ballet is limited to the annual production of Nutcracker, this program will seem harsh and perhaps even un-ballet-like.

Such artistic risks notwithstanding, the Boston Ballet's 39th season has certainly started off with a bang. Nissinen has shown his determination to make waves in the ballet community, and as such has proven his dancers' abilities exceed everyone's expectations. The company rises to the particular challenges of this program and shows that its training does not limit it to the romantics of Giselle, but has in fact prepared them for a season that promises to be anything but ordinary