Dancing 'Through a Looking Glass'

Members of the IU Ballet Theatre have been working hard this week to prepare for their performances of the Fall Ballet, "Through a Looking Glass," at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Ballet professor and former prima ballerina Violette Verdy said the performance is one that is "incredible in variety." \n"Through a Looking Glass" consists of three sections, each containing a different ballet style and music by different composers. Music by Antonio Vivaldi will be featured in "Viva Vivaldi," Maurice Ravel in "Sonatine" and Philip Glass in "Glassworks." \nGerald Arpino of the Joffrey Ballet created "Viva Vivaldi," the one-act first section of the ballet. The act was staged by new faculty member Guoping Wang according to a School of Music press release.\nVerdy said the piece's accompaniment by solo guitarist Andrés Saborío Rodríguez and the Kuttner Quartet gives it a "beautiful, noble Spanish style."\n"Sonatine," which was created by legendary choreographer George Balanchine in 1975, has a special significance for the IU faculty. Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, former chair of the IU ballet department, were in the original cast of the piece at its New York City premiere in 1975.\n"It's wonderful to teach something you know and have danced because you can give practical hints," Verdy said.\nVerdy said the piece is a pas de deux, which means that a male and female dancer perform together, accompanied by a solo pianist. Graduate student Lígia Takei will play the piano in this weekend's performances. \nVerdy said the movements and style of "Sonatine" seem almost like a scene of medieval courtly love.\n"It's a true refined relationship between men and women," Verdy said. "You can see the relationship of the dancers with the music. It's so obvious and so delicious."\nNew ballet faculty member Glenda Lucena, who is staging "Sonatine," described the importance of Balanchine's influence on the piece.\n"He was not just in ballet; he was a musician. So he taught to speak to the music through the body. It is a combination of musicality and very hard technical (dancing)," Lucerna said.\nComposed by Philip Glass in 1982, "Glassworks" is the third and final section of the Fall ballet. Staged by guest choreographer John Clifford, the piece's choreography is in a late 20th century style, Verdy said.\nThe six musical movements of "Glassworks" combine "abstract and modern sounds" with "high-energy" ballet from an ensemble cast, as well as soloists and couples, according to the press release.\nSome of the music from "Glassworks" might be familiar to audiences, as it was also used in the 2002 film "The Hours," starring Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep. \nBallet lecturer Doricha Sales explained that the variety of ballet styles and musical eras expressed in these three very different sections enhances the experiences of both the dancers and the spectators.\n"We choose the (programs) that will give the most technical and educational progress for our dancers, but that will also be entertaining for our audience," Sales said.\n-- Contact staff writer Melissa Harrold at mejharro@indiana.edu.