Electrifying. Introspective. Enigmatic. Comical. Elegant.
Those adjectives and an array of others sprang to mind Friday and Saturday as the Vail International Dance Festival climaxed with its dual International Evenings of Dance at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.
This annual showcase of solos, duos and small-ensemble selections — both excerpts and short complete works — has long been the defining centerpiece of the two-week summer dance lineup.
It is dance, dance and more dance. And this year, with 21 world-class performers and two dozen diverse selections spread across two programs, the wow factor was high.
The familiar was adroitly balanced with the unfamiliar, with pieces by such greats as Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine and August Bournonville interspersed with those by such lesser-known creators as Ben Van Cauwenbergh and Natalie Weir.
A few of the excerpts, such as the White Swan Pas de Deux from “Swan Lake,” inevitably lose some of their power when stripped from their dramatic context, and the programs can seem like dessert after dessert with no savory entrees to go with them.
But it was nearly impossible not to be impressed by the abundance of talent and the rare if not unique opportunity to see such an amazing range of excerpts and short works at one time.
Obvious highlights of the evenings were a pair of world premieres, starting with “Fandango,” a solo created by Alexei Ratmansky for New York City Ballet star Wendy Whelan. Ratmansky is generally regarded as ballet’s hottest choreographer, but this modest, strongly folk-influenced work showed few of the innovative qualities that have propelled him to the top.
“Rock Steady,” a new work by Larry Keigwin, the festival’s first-ever artist-in-residence, was set to three songs by Aretha Franklin. Borrowing elements from club and show dancing, this snazzy, high-energy showpiece for one woman (New York City stand-out Tiler Peck) and three men proved to be the perfect, crowd- pleasing cap to both evenings.
Although just a few minutes doesn’t seem like much time for the creators of the evenings’ works to assert much of a choreographic identity, their distinctive styles came through again and again. Good examples were William Forsythe’s “Herman Schmerman,” with its cool detachment and odd sense of humor, and Balanchine’s famed “Agon,” with its hermetic, geometric feel.
But in the end, more than choreography, these evenings were about spotlighting the extraordinary talent assembled for these two nights. Here are a few of the many standouts:
Daniil Simkin, American Ballet Theatre. No single artist left more of an impression than this dazzling dancer, who crowned his three performances with a series of heart-stopping leaps and spins in a pas de deux from “Le Corsaire,” conjuring visions of Nureyev. But he is more than a mere acrobat, as he showed with the wit and easy charm he brought to a solo set to a song by Jacques Brel.
Natalia Hills and Gabriel Misse. With their faultless footwork, instinctual synchronicity and smoldering sensuality, these amazing Argentine dancers are the Fred and Ginger of the tango world.
Whelan, New York City Ballet. Her muscular, long-limbed body might not fit everyone’s notions of the balletic ideal, but her artistry and versatility cannot be questioned. Long a favorite at this festival, she was featured in four selections, proving herself to be especially effective in Forsythe’s off-beat “Herman Schmerman.”
Matthew Rushing, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. With unstoppable technique and burning intensity, Rushing grabbed the spotlight in all three works in which he appeared, especially his off-balance solo from Garth Fagan’s “Jukebox for Alvin.”
The dance festival’s line-up changes from year to year, but one element that is sure to be back next summer is another set of International Evenings of Dance. Is it too soon to get tickets?
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
