Petr Zahradnícek’s “Morning Routine” came late in last Saturday’s concert by Milwaukee Ballet’s second company, MBII, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, but it could have introduced the show. A former dancer and now resident choreographer at Milwaukee Ballet, Zahradnícek makes love poems to dance. Here, a sleeping dancer, beautifully embodied by Natalie Payne, dreams of her work as a member of a group of aspiring professionals like MBII, preparing a performance like the one the audience is watching. Such activities as tying up long hair, pulling on point shoes, taking class, learning steps and appearing on stage became material for poignant dance theater. The dance ended sadly with the dreamer pushed from the group to face alone an uncertain future.
Less narrative but perhaps even more personal, the dancers in LeeWei Chao’s “Fragment” seemed to reflect an entire generation. These 18- to 22-year-old dancers from the Americas, Europe, Japan and Australia pushed and pulled one another, shook and slapped themselves as if to say, “You can’t be tired, there’s too much to do; no time for the complexities of real love but teamwork is crucial; the path won’t be easy!” Gus Upchurch—in his second year with MBII—was memorable here and throughout the concert.
Ilya Kozadayev’s “Void” was the third world premiere to grace the program. If “Fragment” evoked confusion and stress, this work’s difficult lifts, extended spinning and great speed presented the dancers as strong, resourceful and capable of heroism. Actual heroism was shown by dancer Isabelle Prado Dantas, who replaced the injured Lizzie Tripp with little time to prepare. Tripp—also in her second year—is an outstanding dancer, and the role is a difficult one, indeed. Dantas was especially riveting in an adagio pas de deux with a supportive Upchurch. Mio Yokokura drew well-deserved applause for her brave solo work.
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Karina Eimon and Leonard Perez did extremely fine work as William Shakespeare’s Desdemona and Othello in a reconstruction of “Prologo,” originally made for the Cuban National Ballet by Canadian choreographer Brian MacDonald. Acting is as important as dancing in communicating this complex and subtle portrait of a relationship that will end in tragedy. With simplicity and dignity, the young dancers managed to show what they know of love and jealousy, and to demonstrate true ballet virtuosity.
The program opened with excerpts from “La Bayadere,” a 19th-century standard that proved the dancers capable of charming pirouettes, jetés and arabesques.
