PBT’s Western Symphony, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated & Sinfon

My last exposure to a professional ballet performance was The Nutcracker. This may not be all that surprising until I admit this performance was way back in 1990 when I was in junior high. And sure, I took dance classes as a little kid so I’m not completely oblivious to the terminology. And yes, I’ve seen Billy Elliot. But really, when it comes to ballet, I have no idea what I’m talking about.
I am, however, always looking for a little culture in my life. And thanks to this free ticket offer from Unilocal,my friend and I decided to make a night of it. A delightful dinner downtown before the show put us in the right mood before wandering over to the Benedum. I don’t really pay much attention to the PBT so I was surprised to see that this Mixed Repertory #1 was the season opener (and that it only runs for three days). I went in excited yet skeptical.
The first ballet was Sinfonietta. The music was performed by the PBT Orchestra including a brass section on either side of the stage adding a nice touch. This piece was what I would consider the most typical ballet. Pleasant orchestral music, a pastoral feel and an enchanting display.
In The Middle Somewhat Elevated was a stark contrast. The music was very industrial. From the beginning it is clear why the choreographer was deterred from creating this piece. And yet the end result is something unforgettable. The dancers at times appeared like factory workers on an assembly line. At other times their movements seemed to mimic that of a large machine, all the dancers working together like cogs inside the machinery. The music, the stage and the dancers were all very minimalist, perhaps why I found this ballet so hypnotic. Even the curtains were taken down from the sides of the stage and the dancers were visible as they prepared to enter from the left and right. Only a pair of gold cherries could be seen above the stage, in the middle somewhat elevated (and yes, that really is where the title comes from). Definitely not your typical ballet but an exciting show of the dancers’ talents.
Last but not least was Western Symphony, by far my favorite of the three ballets. Accompanied by the PTB Orchestra, cowboys and burlesque girls were fueled by the American folk music inspired score. Even I wanted to get up there myself and start high-​kicking and spinning around even though I’d be far less graceful than the dancers on stage. They made it look so easy and fun, the audience even started clapping along to the entertaining performance on stage. The spinning continued even as the curtain dropped leaving me wanting more.
This Mixed Repertory was a unique way to experience ballet. I liked that the selections were so drastically different and fascinated the audience. It was enjoyable to see how ballet can be thought-​provoking at times and down-​to-​earth slap-​your-​knee fantastic at others. Lesson learned: PBT is so much more than The Nutcracker.

Powerful and Captivating! If this is any indication as to what the upcoming season is going to look like you are in for a treat! Each set was moving, the symphony was OUTSTANDING in capturing the feel of the movements.
The second set I must admit was my favorite, the musical selection was so electrifying and the movements were clean cut and perfected. I loved absolutely everything about it. Breathtaking!
I immensely enjoyed my evening.

What an absolutely fantastic evening. There’s not a more beautiful or historic building and it makes for an elegant and fun night.
I especially loved the first piece, just everything about it. Great costumes, set, choreography and music. Janacek is an amazing composer, and the music was wonderful.
The final piece was a chance for the dancers to soar through the air and dazzle the audience.
Definitely a program with lots of variety and something for everyone.