Ilana Goldman leaps across the stage of Lied Center during a dress rehearsal for the Trey McIntyre Project. The show, which blends classical ballet and modern choreography performed Oct 23.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Balloons, high-definition video and music from Paul Simon might not be commonly associated with a ballet performance, but these were all present for Trey McIntyre’s contemporary dance troupe’s Friday night performance at the Lied Center.
A crowd of nearly 1,000 gathered at the Lied Center to see the Trey McIntyre Project. McIntyre, head choreographer and Wichita native, combined elements of classical ballet and modern dance in his troupe’s two-hour performance. The night was a showcase of McIntyre’s dynamic use of multimedia in contemporary ballet.
“I really enjoyed the show,” said Stephanie Taylor, Lenexa senior and dance major. “McIntyre takes classical ballet and interprets it in his own very unique way.”
Though the dance company is only in its second year, McIntyre has had experience with choreography around the country. He has written more than 80 pieces for some of the nation’s most prominent ballet companies, and has served as the resident choreographer for a handful of large ballet organizations, including the Washington Ballet. Friday night was the choreographer’s first-ever performance in his home state.
McIntyre said he was happy to have his homecoming in Lawrence.
“Growing up, Lawrence was kind of the holy grail,” McIntyre said. “It always had a little bit of a mythological quality for me.”
The show began with Samba music filling the Lied Center. Women in white spring dresses swirled around the stage, lifted and thrown by their male counterparts. The piece opened and closed with the dancers lined up in front a large canvas as individual spotlights silhouetted their bodies.
Another set featured a trio of dancers using balloons to alter their body’s images while they danced to symphonic rock music. The audience erupted in laughter when a female dancer with two balloons stuffed up her shirt frolicked around the stage.
McIntyre said this dynamic approach to ballet had caused the college-aged group to become the company’s largest followers.
“Our approach is here and now,” McIntyre said. “It doesn’t feel like it’s part of a museum. It’s refreshing.”
To address the here and now, the show’s finale combined live dance and high-definition video to address the negative effect of human behavior on Glacier National Park in Montana.
The 30-minute piece used a massive projection screen to show footage of the dancers in the park while live dance occurred on the stage below the screen.
The piece, titled “The Sun Road,” was part of a larger series on America’s national parks, commissioned by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
McIntyre said “The Sun Road” was meant to tell the story of Glacier National Park’s dire future. He said in less than 30 years climate change might eradicate the park’s glaciers.
Tim Van Leer, executive director of the Lied Center, visited the company in Glacier National Park during the filming of “The Sun Road.” He said the piece presented the clash between humans and the park’s majestic environment.
“You have this unbelievable scenic wonder combined with the dancers dressed in formal wear and looking completely out of place,” Van Leer said. “I think what he’s saying is that although we may feel comfortable there, we may be out of place.”
McIntyre said this use of multimedia helped attract a younger following. The company uploads the majority of its material onto the project’s Web site, allowing fans to interact and engage with the company outside of its performances.
Taylor said McIntyre’s multimedia approach was intriguing.
“You get the sense of being in this beautiful national park, and then all of the sudden you’d be brought back to the stage,” Taylor said. “I thought it was fascinating.”
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Comments
nrtrussell (anonymous) says...
wish i could have seen this program. Sounds fabulous!
Love you, MOM
October 27, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )