BalletX at The Joyce: Selection and intellectualism

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The Joyce Theater, New York, NY.
September 28, 2024.

BalletX, the contemporary ballet company based in Philadelphia, performed a five-day run at the Joyce Theater in late September. The company, 16 dancers in total, performed three works – each quite different and all examples of the range within the company.

The first, Beautiful Once by Jodie Gates, explored the healing nature interpersonal relationships can offer in times of chaos. The muted costumes let the dancing shine. In fact, in every piece, technical, thoughtful and intelligent dancing prevailed. Opinions on the work notwithstanding, the dancers were gorgeous to watch, and I wished the company performed more often in NYC as a result. Beautiful Once had a sense of being busy, but in a miraculously ordered way like a busy intersection of pedestrians that never bump into one another. The eerie pools of lights that accompanied some of the duets evoked a sense of disconnect while the dancers themselves provided connection in an enticing juxtaposition.

Program inserts revealed an order change for the rest of the show (I discovered later as result of a previous review), and it was the right choice, proving how important things like program order matter when constructing a show. The middle piece was Heroes by Takehiro Ueyama, an homage to the strength and perseverance of Japanese citizens rebuilding the country following WWII. The gender non-specific costumes provided a strong element of unity and community, but even as such, my eyes were drawn to the unique flexibility in the men’s generous back articulation.

Closing the night was the party-vibes Macaroni, by Loughlan Prior. Filled with camp, humor and harkening the days of “Macaronis” of the 18th century, the dance takes on storytelling driven by physical comedy. Macaronis of that time were known as extravagant and effeminate characters, and the term eventually became derogatory toward homosexual men. The dancers wore florescent headpieces, reminiscent of colonial wigs, paired with neon unitards and bold plumage. This piece doesn’t work without strong acting commitment from the dancers, and they delivered in a way that allowed the deeper meaning of the piece to be revealed amidst the slapstick and spectacle.

BalletX showed variety, intellectualism and strong technical dancing. The duration was quite perfect for my tastes, and the humility of bows in the first two pieces a refreshing change: they left the stage shortly after one or two bows, like the cool kids in high school who don’t care if you like them or not – adding fuel to the fire of bows that came after Macaroni, aka the party you always wanted to attend. Thanks for the invite.

By Emily Sarkissian of Dance Informa.

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