APRIL 21. 2006
dance
jUStjOUt 37
Moving to Mozart
Oregon Ballet Theatre's spring program features famous choreography
by Rebecca Ragain
n 1987, choreographer Lar Lubovitch spear
When asked if the AIDS connection is as rele
headed “Dancing for Life,” an AIDS benefit
vant today as it was in 1987, Lubovitch replies that
at Lincoln Center’s New York State Theater.
it is not. He hastens to add that although AIDS
“I organized it because there had been no
certainly has not gone away, he believes that in the
response to AIDS from the dance community,
United States there is a cultural illusion that it has.
which had been heavily afflicted already,” says “This is one of the subjects around which there
Lubovitch, who has been cited in The New York
is an lllusionary hypnosis taking place,” says
Times as one of the best choreographers in the world.
Lubovitch.
Lubovitch’s personal contribution to the fund
Though the work’s association with AIDS
raiser was an excerpt from Concerto Six Twenty-
might have garnered it more publicity, Concerto Six
Two, -which had premiered in its entirety the
Twenty-Two is a strong, timeless dance in its own
previous year at Carnegie Hall.
right. In fact, Lubovitch says it has taken on “its
The excerpted section, a duet featuring two men,
own reason for being.”
had “tremendous resonance” at the occasion, says
“It’s a very gixxl dance, and far recognized,” he
Lubovitch. From that moment forward, the piece
says. “I have to treat it with respect, just as anyone
became known as a symbol for the AIDS crisis.
else would, and try to do it correctly and see that
Lubovitch originally conceived the duet as an
it’s kept alive.”
essay on friendship, not as a direct
response to the AIDS crisis. But he says
the situation at the time did have some
influence on his artistic process.
“1 chose friendship as an essay and as a
metaphor for the moment in time we were
experiencing because at the time so many
men were helping their friends to die.
Friendship became a very' powerful emerg
ing theme,” explains Lubovitch.
In 1993, Anna Kisselgoff wrote about
the work in the Times: “The dancers’ mutu
al support speaks of a caring relationship.
Yet what is now the most famous male duet
in the international dance world is more
about love than lovers.”
During the past 20 years, Concerto Six
Twenty-Two has
been
performed
consistently, remaining in Lubovitch’s
active repertoire. It has been toured
nationally and internationally by ballet
companies such as the American Ballet
Theatre and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White
Oak Dance Project.
Today, the central duet is still request
ed regularly by organizers of AIDS benefits.
Because Lubovitch does not want the duet
to lose its context as part of a larger dance,
he limits the number of times it can be per
formed as an excerpt. But it does appear at
Oregon Ballet Theatre's Ronnie Underwood and Jon Drake
certain benefits on occasion.
rehearse with Lar Lubovitch for Concerto Six Twenty-Two.
I
Smooth Jazz Is Here!
The longevity of
exactly, a beautiful ballet set to
Concerto Six Twenty-Two
Mozart!’ 1 want people to have
has only been helped hy
that satisfying moment. But 1 also
the fact that the piece is
want them to be surprised and
set to the music of Mozart,
delighted that it could be some
who is honored with end
thing so different."
Lar Lubovitch has been cited in The
less celebrations the world
That’s where Concerto Six
New York Times as one of the best
over.
Twenty-Two comes in.
choreographers in the world.
In fact, it is the Mozart
Because Lubovitch is a con
connection that spurred Christopher Stowell, artis
temporary choreographer, his movement vocabu
tic director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, to bring
lary is “wildly” different from Balanchine’s, says
Concerto Six Twenty-Two to Portland. OBT has
Stowell, adding that Lubovitch’s style is both
never performed one of Lubovitch’s works, but
“looser and freer.”
when local arts organizations began planning
“Nothing in it is sharp...it’s very fluid and
Portland’s Month of Mozart, it didn’t take long for organic,” says OBT dancer Brennan Boyer, who is
Stowell to think of Concerto Six Twenty-Two.
performing in Concerto Six Twenty-Two.
Stowell was acquainted with Lubovitch from
The two pieces are structured differently, as
„ years before, when he danced a leading
well. Whereas Divertimento follows the classic
| role in the choreographer’s piece Othello
ballet hierarchy of ballerinas and corps de ballet,
| for the San Francisco Ballet. “1 enjoyed
Stowell points out that Concerto Six Twenty-Two is
| working with him very much and really
about democracy and equality among the dancers.
liked his movement,” recalls Stowell.
“Everybody has their opportunity, their moment. It
Concerto Six Twenty'Two also appeals feels like getting to see OBT ‘the family.’ ”
to Stowell because it complements the
Boyer adds, “It shows everyone’s range.” In
other two works in this spring’s “All
addition, Stowell likes that Concerto Six Twenty -
Mozart” program.
Two captures the sweetness, poignancy and
“With this ballet performance you’re
hopefulness of Mozart’s music. Dancer Steven
going to see three works with three total
Houser also comments on rhe upbeat nature of the
ly different approaches to creating—
30-minute piece, likening some portions to
“frolicking in a meadow.”
three different vocabularies, three
different artists," says Stowell, who
But the main reason Stowell chose Concerto Six
wanted to present a diverse performance
Twenty-Two for the spring program is simply the
exploring Mozart’s music from a variety
high caliber of Lubovitch’s choreography.
“Here is a craftsman at the top of his game, who
of perspectives.
Almost Mozart is a world premiere
is equal to the quality of the composer, which is
hard when it’s Mozart," says Stowell, adding with a
created especially for the occasion by
contemporary Canadian choreographer
laugh: “You don’t want a young, inexperienced,
fledging
choreographer trying to match wits with
James Kudelka. By deconstructing and
Mozart. That’s just not a good idea.’ •©
restructuring some of Mozart’s composi
tions, Kudelka offers audiences “Mozart
reimagined,” as Stowell puts it.
The program opens with a classic
from
1956: George Balanchine’s
Divertimento No. 15. Stowell describes
this 36-minute work as the best of its
kind, “a real gem.”
He says: “I think when people see
Divertimento, they’re going to think, ‘Yes,
O regon B allet T heatre ’ s “All Mozart” program
runs 7:30 p.m. April 22, 28 and 29 and 2 p.m.
April 23 at Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.
Tickets are $!3-$66 from 503-222-5538.
Portland free-lancer REBECCA RAGAIN enjoys both
watching and writing about dance. Write her at
rebeccaragain@yahoo. com.