"New Visions" is a compilation of three different works by three newly prominent choreographers of modern ballet, an art form that intends to alter the dialogue of dance and embrace the world of the abstract. "Visions" features the world premiere of Jorma Elo's "Brake the Eyes," the first piece exhibited and by far the most bizarre and experimental of the three.
"Brake the Eyes" begins with sounds emanating from somewhere onstage, with light breathing underscored by a synthesized string ensemble and a solemn, pressing note as rhythmic as a heartbeat. A delicate dancer bends herself to the floor, and all at once, begins to rigidly contort her arms and legs into the most angular positions possible. Out of the darkness into the sparse light enters a tribe of other dancers who soon create an ensemble of what seems to be malfunctioning equipment.
As the breathing becomes more labored, the principal ballerina speaks in Russian. She sounds inhuman and her movements speed up so that her hands click against her wrists, her thighs and her shins.
"Brake the Eyes" is a performance meant to do just that, present an image of dance similar to what it would be like to view the world if our eyes could only show us a progression of shattered images. The dancers remain indistinguishable, dressed in nude colors, mimicking one another, and fitting into one another like quivering machinery. Jorma Elo, the resident choreographer for the Boston Ballet, is known for his technique of deconstructing dance and music.
With the help of the lighting designer, Mark Stanley, Elo creates a stark black stage only interrupted by a large stainless steel lighting brig that realigns itself with each of the six movements selected from Mozart's many works that are featured in the show. The odd, extraterrestrial-like sight of Elo's composition is also seen in his dancers, particularly the primary ballerina speaking and laughing in the most unemotional tone. Elo's ballet is startling, adversely modern and an example of an entirely new development of modern ballet.
What seems to be an instinctive connection between each of the three pieces is the play between space and the fluidity of motion. Compared to the stylized dance in "Brake the Eyes," "Polyphonia," a company premiere, is much less cryptic and the choreography is more aware of the negative space between dancers and how the dancers' bodies shape themselves to one another in almost a call and response method. While the piece is abstract, it is strictly a leotard ballet for four couples set to the music of Gy?¶rgy Ligeti, who is best known for his pieces featured in the soundtracks of "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) and "The Shining" (1980).
The choreography in "Polyphonia" has more prevalent elements of classical ballet, but it is also laced with a new breath of elegance in how the dancers connect to one another and build on each other's arrangement. This piece is the most romantic of the three and gives the audience a conclusion to every movement, accomplished by one couple forming a union to evoke the image of a butterfly gliding off the stage.
The final piece, "Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion," which premiered at the Boston Ballet in the 2003-2004 season, is a much more energetic work set to Bart??k's composition of the same name. The music is curt and rigorous, which pairs well with the choreography.
However, the ferocity of the music should not have necessitated that the dancers move as quickly. The dancers' footwork was almost impossible to keep up with as they executed many difficult steps one after another, making it seem that there were more than 12 bodies on the stage. While the dancers' supreme abilities are certain, the conclusion to this otherwise astonishing ballet was far too chaotic to enjoy.
