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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2004)
BY MARTHA ULLMAN WEST Autumn Dreaming Dancers, Shakespeare and Mendelssohn A s midsummer fades into memory, and the realities of the political season bombard us every hour on the hour, Toni Pimble, artistic director of the Eugene Ballet Company, reminds us that art makes fools of the powerful, and in the theater all can still end happily. The company reprises Pimble’s 1985 Midsummer Night’s Dream at 8 pm Oct. 23 and 2 pm Oct. 24 in the Hult Center Silva Hall. Audiences will also be treated to the high-energy dancing of Pimble’s 1999 “Slipstream” and the premiere of “Incidents and Accidents,” created by EBC dancer Melissa Nolen. Like Pimble’s Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer is as true to Shakespeare’s lan- guage as it is to the classical dance lexicon. As the dancers perform the roles of fairies, “mechanicals” and mortal lovers with the nonverbal language of mime and dance, they communicate visually both the poetry and the rough-hewn peasant vocabulary of Shakespeare’s play. Pimble knows precise- ly what she’s doing and has given it consid- erable thought. Shakespeare’s “ability to bring to the stage the crude behavior of the rustics and place them side by side with the exquisite delicacy of the fairies is both a challenge and a delight to the choreographer,” Pimble commented in the company newsletter. Pimble meets Shakespeare’s challenge lovers Helena and Demetrius. Managing Director Riley Grannan, whose performance as Bottom in the 1985 premiere was memorable to say the least, said he’s “ecstatic” about the quality of the company’s new principals. Jon Drake not only with the skill of an experienced dance maker but also with Felix Mendelssohn’s famil- Eugene Ballet Company dancer in Midsummer Night’s Dream. iar music. (The wedding march comes from the inci- dental music created for a mid-19th century produc- tion of the play, when the composer was only 16.) Pimble has added music by Rossini as well as a seg- ment by Renaissance com- poser Bottesini to expand the action. Peter Dean Beck designed the set, and deservedly well-known designer David Heuvel the charming costumes. Midsummer is a fine showcase for the compa- ny’s principal dancers, calling as it does for fine- tuned technique as well as comic timing. Jennifer Martin dances Titiana, the queen of the fairies, on Saturday night, partnered by the phenomenal Korean dancer Hyuk Ku Kwon as the jealous Oberon, the fairy king. On Sunday, they dance the roles of confused and quarreling 5 dances the role of Demetrius Saturday night and Oberon Sunday afternoon, while Aline Schurger will be Helena on Saturday and Titania at the matinee. According to Grannan, Drake’s technical facility is huge. Drake trained at the École de Danse in Hattiesburg, Miss., the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Vienna State Opera Ballet School in Austria. He has danced in Midsummer before, as well as Cinderella, Coppelia and Swan Lake, which are all in EBC’s repertoire. Grannan said Schürger has a formi- dable ability, a “steel-trap technique” as well as a lyrical quality. Born in Germany, Schürger received her train- ing at the opera in Nuremberg, Munich and Prague. Winner of three gold medals at international ballet competi- tions, she has danced as a principal with Opus M Company in Munich and also the Atlantic Southeast Ballet. She has toured China. The program begins with the two contemporary works. Nolen’s brand new “Incidents and Accidents” is set to the music of Johannes Brahms. Nolen has choreographed for Ballet Idaho’s school, where she impressed Pimble with her thought- ful use of the talents and experience of the dancers. “Slipstream,” Pimble’s sleek, nonstop ballet to the music of contemporary composer Michael Lyman, completes a truly mixed bill that shows what this company is all about. ew th Annual Art Glass Auction and Benefit Dinner Friday & Saturday, October 22 & 23, 2004 Friday, October 22 • 6-8:30pm Valley River Inn Slide lecture by Dante Marioni, glass artist Auction preview and mingling with artists Saturday, October 23 • 10am-12pm Eugene Glass School 575 Wilson St. • 342-2959 Saturday, October 23 • 5:30-9:30pm Valley River Inn Art Glass Auction View catalog at www.eugeneglassschool.org Eugene’s Mayor has proclaimed this week Glass Art Week and encourages all businesses and citizens to join in cherishing and celebrating The Eugene Glass School and glass art. Traditional Greek & Indian Food 992 Willamette Eugene, OR 97401 343-9661 56 OCTOBER 21, 2004 Eugene Glass School 575 Wilson St. Eugene • 541-342-2959 www.eugeneglassschool.org •info@eugeneglassschool.org
