Bossov Ballet Theatre visits Waterville
Arts & Entertainment section - Colby College
By Melv Ladera, April 18, 2002
Waterville was treated to elegance and beauty as the Bossov Ballet Theatre performed a wonderful program at the Opera House on Saturday. Led by one of the world's most well-known artists, Andrei Petrovich Bossov, the company performed four pieces inspired by the music of Ravel and Tchaikovsky. As an artistic director, choreographer, and teacher, Bossov puts a lot of passion into teaching his pupils, which is truly evident in his work.
The show opened with Ravel's "Morning Song." The dancers told a story of the love between a pharaoh and his queen with plenty of comic relief provided by the jester. It was a very eye-catching piece and a great way to start out the program.
The extravagant costumes, interesting set, use of props, and elegant motions created a beautiful montage as all of the elements combined together to capture the imagination of the audience members and bring the ancient world to life.
Lee Oaklander was particularly amazing as the jester in the Saturday performance of this piece. His acrobatics were impressive and his motions were a great source of humor. Oaklander was able to bring out the comical aspects of the "Morning Song" with great confidence.
The tremendous opener was followed with Ravel's "Pavane." This piece was not as strong as the first. The piece featured four pairs that performed graceful motions depicting a sense of innocence and youth.
They danced beautifully but there was a lot of trouble with synchronization and the dancers did not seem to be moving together cohesively. The dancers in this piece were much younger than the performers in any of the others, and clearly there is plenty of time for improvement.
"Bolero," a third piece by Ravel, closed the first half of the program. This was the strongest performance in the show. The piece begins with the eight women entering the stage one by one, each dancing an individual course of movement depicting the dulcet sounds of each distinct instrument.
When all eight dancers were on stage, they continued to show their individuality while creating wonderful group images. The piece was well choreographed and the dancers were all beautifully synchronized.
"Bolero" is a very beautiful piece in which the music dramatically builds and builds until the powerful finale when all the girls let their hair down with conviction. Bossov says in his notes that his rendition of Ravel's "Bolero" was "An attempt to understand women's inner world, with their love, passion, and devotion."
Bossov succeeded as his dancers were very elegant and exquisite in their movements and the performance depicted a variety of emotions, which were moving and enjoyable to watch.
The final piece, which followed the intermission, was Bossov's rendering of "Romeo and Juliet," This lovely piece portrayed the story of two lovers struggling to keep their love in a sordid world. The piece did not really follow the famous story, but Bossov states in his notes, "I do not follow Shakespeare's story at all. For me it is just the way to show how many struggles all lovers have in this world."
The message was portrayed with a lot of passion. Ryan Nye and Molly Gawler, as Romeo and Juliet, had a tremendous amount of chemistry on stage. Nye and the other men in the piece showed tremendous strength as they executed very impressive holds and maneuvers while Gawler gracefully portrayed the delicacy of her lost character.
Gawler should also be lauded for her endurance, since she performed in three out of the four strenuous pieces in the program. With refined poise, this duo was dazzling. They demonstrated tremendous talent up to the end of the show and received a much deserved standing ovation.
Bossov's performers were splendid. They were all a reflection of his passion and determination in his work.
For those interested in attending some of his classes, his studios are located just 20 minutes away from Waterville at the Maine Central Institute in the town of Pittsfield. His theatre company teaches classes for all ages, all forms of experience, and all types of dances. Their next performance at the Waterville Opera House will be "Don Quixote" on July 27 and 28.
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