Technical Perfection
By Aude Milaguet
From the 4th of May to the 9th, the Joyce Theater showed a performance of the Pascal Rioult Company. The French choreographer’s company performed four pieces respectively titled, Fugue for Men, Black Diamond, Firebird and Bolero. With ten dancers in the company, almost each of them performs a solo, exercising perfect technique and illustrating the perfection of movement.
The first piece, Fugue for Men, displays William Brown, Brian Flynn, Michael Spencer and Royce K. Zackery performing to Bach’s Toccata in C Minor, dancing around and behind white sheet panels. The choreography gives the pitch of the show. Indeed, from the very beginning M. Rioult tries to match music and movement in an innovative, contemporary choreography. The four men are costumed in very short blue boxers that enhance their athletic bodies. Their moves, which are sometimes very virile, stand out thanks to this costume, as it allows the muscles to really express themselves in front of the audience.
The dance is really well executed, the precision of the moves remains ensured and the visual game with the panels is well thought out, too. Yet, if the first part of the piece is impressive, the end can appear a bit boring because of a feeling of repetition, of deja-vu.
The second piece, Black Diamond, a duet danced by Lorena B. Egan and Penelope Gonzalez, is a masterpiece of perfection. Both women are very precise, every move is visibly adjusted to a few millimeters. In black costumes hiding their bodies, they perform a choreography mixing classical and modern ballet. When you know a little about dance you can see how difficult the steps and the moves are, but Ms. B. Egan and Gonzalez master them so well that you feel that it’s easy, and that their lightness is quite normal. You are absolutely captivated by the "body answers" they present to each other in this kinetic dialogue. The title of the piece is most fitting, as the darkness of the stage and the costumes may make think of the gross purity of the precious stone. In the meantime, the perfection with which they perfom seems to have been inspired by the trimmed and sharpened diamond. The piece is not only impressive technically, but sets a standard of sensible perfection.
The third piece, which is also the most highly anticipated, is Firebird. For the New York premiere of this piece by this company, M. Rioult chooses unexpected details. The dancers (the four men, the duettists, and Anastasia Soroczynski and Marianna Tsartolia) are dressed in gray, and are offset by a dark, menacing set. Forgotten are the vibrant reds and oranges, the flaming colours we’re used to visualizing when we’re imagining a "Firebird". Instead, Hannah Burnette, the 9-year-old child dressed in white and carrying wings, calms the scare of the firebird. More than just an image of innocence, she maintains a vibrant presence on stage and adds colour and contrast to the composition. Pascal Rioult manages to make this version of Firebird so unique and the choice of Hannah so insightful that the clich� disappears very quickly. The performance is enhanced by the dancers’ interpretation and we can really feel the fear, worry and eventual freedom of the narrative.
The fourth and last piece was Bolero, previously in the Ravel’s Project in 2002. All the dancers are choreographed in perfect synchronicity, until they break for solos. Each solo is the continuity of Rioult’s work, carried out with grace, postured perfection and a solid technique. Rioult breaks down Ravel’s composition to allow the audience to follow the intensity of each dancer’s move. Captivating and enchanting, the performance at the Joyce Theater was a tour de force of talent and technique.
