Studio Series Two features “Allegro Brilliante” by George Balanchine and a world premiere by Tom Mattingly, which includes dancer Cody Beaton. Oct. 26-31. $25 to $100. (Photo courtesy Richmond Ballet)
On a rainy afternoon in September, the Canal Street rehearsal studio of the Richmond Ballet was bustling, in a refined manner. The dancers were testing the newly laid dance floor, while downstairs, people were working in the costume shop as offices and workstations were being updated and rearranged. After a year spent operating at limited capacity, the ballet was gearing up to present a full season of dance.
About 20 company members gathered under the watchful eye of Richmond Ballet Director and Ballet Master Igor Antonov to rehearse sections of choreographer and Associate Artistic Director Ma Cong’s “Glare,” in preparation for last month’s world premiere that dealt with societal issues during the first of the company’s four new Studio Series programs. While three sets of partners reviewed a graceful pas de deux, another pair navigated the intricacies of a section that required the woman to roll over the back of her kneeling partner while making it look graceful. The movement phrase was an apt metaphor for the ways the company has had to pivot during the pandemic.
Other ballet companies watched as Richmond Ballet pioneered ways to safely hold performances. Last year, the dance company presented 96 performances with limited, socially distanced seating; ticket scanning; and digital playbills. Masks were required for the audience. The programs were also shorter, and the Ballet Barre was closed, as there were no intermissions. Even the dancers initially performed in masks that were color-coordinated to match their costumes. Now that the company is 100% vaccinated, they are once again showing their faces. The audience, however, will remain masked as the company opens with full-capacity seating. To reduce interactions, programs will run about an hour with no intermission and the Ballet Barre will remain closed.
The changes due to pandemic restrictions aren’t the first time the ballet has adjusted the way it puts on shows. In 2001, the Studio Series was initiated as an alternate way to experience the ballet, with smaller stages and shorter performances. Studio Two, the latest in this series, is scheduled for Oct. 26-31. The program features celebrated choreographer George Balanchine’s romantic duet “Allegro Brillante” and a world premiere work by Tom Mattingly. Mattingly, a choreographer based in Chicago, danced with Richmond Ballet after graduating from the Virginia School of the Arts. This will be his second premiere of a work for Richmond Ballet, and it displays a contemporary view of classical themes inspired by Virginia’s natural beauty, set to piano sonatas by German composer Götz Östlind.
Later this fall, the Richmond Ballet will take a break from the intimate Studio Series so that “The Nutcracker” can return to the Dominion Energy Center for 10 performances Dec. 11-23. The holiday favorite will be followed by “Romeo and Juliet” at the Dominion Energy Center, performed with the Richmond Symphony Feb. 18-20.
Studio Three, March 22-27, will feature an evening of works by a powerful trio of female choreographers: Canadian-born Jennifer Archibald, a graduate of both The Ailey School and the Maggie Flanigan acting conservatory, is known for creating high-energy works that combine classical ballet with street, funk, lyrical and jazz dance styles. Katarzyna “Kate” Skarpetowska, a native of Poland, is a graduate of the New York City High School of Performing Arts and The Juilliard School. Her emotionally complex choreography makes her a favorite of the Richmond Ballet dancers. Nancy Paradis has danced on both coasts and performed as a Madonna impersonator; Richmond Ballet is her home company.
The season ends with Studio Four, May 10-15, featuring Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Stoner Winslett’s “Echoing Past,” as well as a world premiere by Val Caniparoli, “What’s Going On,” connecting back to Ma Cong’s Studio One premiere of “Glare.” Winslett’s work is an exploration of a woman’s journey, set to music by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel that will be played by pianist Joanne Kong. Like Cong’s “Glare,” Caniparoli’s “What’s Going On,” originally scheduled for May 2020, will take on social issues. It is set to protest songs from the past 60 years, including music by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger and Marvin Gaye.
The 2021-22 season marks a significant transition in the company. “There's a lot of [new] young talent.” Cong says, adding that the diversity of the group and the company culture are among its strengths. It’s everybody working collaboratively, “from the bottom of their hearts, to reach the flame of the art.”
