Last Saturday my wife and I banished the winter blues by attending a magnificent performance of “Up Front with First State Ballet Theatre” in the intimate setting of Studio 1 at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House. These performances are limited to 100 patrons and a catered reception with FSBT’s dancers, staff and board follows the performance.
The evening’s ballets were an eclectic mix of classical ballet choreographed by Chopin, Vainonen, Petipa and Fokine.
Also, included in the program was an excerpt from the company’s Delaware premiere of Cinderella, choreographed by First State Ballet Theatre’s own Alex Buckner. Emily Shenaut and Justin Estelle performed the grand pas de deux brilliantly. Buckner joined First State Ballet in 2010 and has choreographed full-length ballets and contemporary pieces for the company.
Mary Kate Reynolds shone in Chopiniana and The Dying Swan.
The Gypsy Dance from Don Quixote was danced enthusiastically and energetically by Aubrey Clemens and Alex Buckner.
The Le Corsaire pas de trois, danced by Rie Aoki, Leonid Goykhman and Edward Personondek, was a tour de force.
Included in the evening’s performance was the grand pas de deux from the Nutcracker danced beautifully by the company led by Andrea Olazagasti.
Peter S. Wells
Chadds Ford, PA
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Comments