Powerful allegory, magic wonder as ballet takes on Stravinsky

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened its mainstage season with fire and ice Thursday, as it paid homage to Russian composer Igor Stravinsky with Stravinsky Stories.

Local balletomanes may remember Alexei Ratmansky as a principal dancer during the early 1990s.

The internationally renowned dance artist returns in a full-circle moment to stage The Fairy’s Kiss, the 50-minute work his first collaboration with the RWB in more than 30 years.

He began flexing his choreographic muscles in its downtown studios with an earlier, reimagined incarnation in 1994, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Ice Maiden, in turn set to Stravinsky’s own tribute to Tchaikovsky’s lushly romantic ballet scores.

Its narrative follows the journey of a Young Man (newly minted principal dancer Skylar Campbell, with all leads alternating) saved — and kissed — by a Fairy (principal dancer Elizabeth Lamont, who rips off a dizzying set of “fouettes”) after his Mother (former principal dancer Vanessa Léonard adding her own gravitas) perishes in a blizzard.

After falling in love with his fiancée (principal dancer Alanna McAdie, infusing her character with innocent youthfulness grounded by intricate footwork), he is tricked on his wedding day by the now-disguised Fairy, who reveals her true identity — and his ultimate destiny.

That’s the plot in a nutshell. However, the one-act ballet, blending classical influence with contemporary flair, is even more powerful as an allegorical tale about art and the sacrifices those that make it pay.

Ratmansky’s artistry ensures that this ethos is captured and danced so beautifully, with its final, extended section, in which the full company filled the stage, capped by a wondrous Campbell being held aloft, drawn into the realm of the creative muse.

A special bravo to the soloists, whose supernatural presence ran like a leitmotif throughout the work. Their later morphing into townsfolk, joining an ensemble of company artists for a spirited village dance, served as ballast for the ballet’s more ethereal storyline.

RWB music director Ming Luke led the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with aplomb throughout both of Stravinsky’s all-hands-on-deck scores, with the winds particularly strong.

Jerome Kaplan’s effective costumes ranged from folkloric frocks to diaphanous pants for the final transcendent scene, while his set design evoked the rustic charm of woodcuts lit by James F. Ingalls.

The program also featured the world première of American choreographer Houston Thomas’s inaugural story ballet, Firebird, another work frequently re-imagined in past years.

Thomas (in attendance) is an undeniable rising star in the international choreographic world. He boasts a calling card of boundary-pushing artistry and a knack for re-envisioning the classics in a way that speaks to 21st-century audiences.

In his latest creation, he transplants the narrative, derived from a melting pot of Russian folklore, to the harshness of corporate America, delving into the way dark forces of capitalism can crush lives.

There is so much promise here, with his ballet, performed en pointe, at times evoking Kurt Jooss’s chilling The Green Table — set/costumer/prop designer Kinsun Chan’s large neon K looming above the stage is even lit in sickly green.

He could also ask for no better dancers in bringing his vision to life, in particular soloist Logan Savard as Ivan, trapped in the soulless Kastchel HQ, navigating his emotional trajectory from desperate office worker to a lover of life.

Soloist Julianna Generoux’s entry as the Firebird — in this version, an exotic bird kept hidden away by the domineering company boss Kastchei, the latter performed with bullying force by principal dancer Marco Lo Presti — infused the ballet with magical wonder.

Her plumed presence was highlighted further by stage smoke, the K now glowing in red, underscored by lighting designer Scott Henderson’s rosy hues.

Her poised presence was a highlight, though her languorous opening solo often felt more lyrically fluid than fluttering, with too few quicksilver flicks of her limbs to remind us of her avian nature.

Company artist Taisi Tollasepp has often flown under the radar, but her portrayal of the kind-hearted secretary Kat, with whom Ivan falls in love, added both warmth and humanity; she tossed off Thomas’s intricate, classical-based choreography with grace and precision.

However, some sections felt disjointed, such as the introduction of 12 bodysuit-clad “Working Dead,” their appearance more aligned with the hijinks of street theatre.

While eye-popping, their quasi-carnival interpretation of Stravinsky’s thunderous Infernal Dance felt oddly comical, even eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd.

One longed to have seen the stiff-necked corporate climbers, including the trio of junior executives, perform this section, driven by raw theatrical power.

A false ending also led to awkward applause until the final image of a firebird descended from the sky.

It’s always cause for celebration seeing two new RWB premières, with the clearly re-energized troupe taking its latest show on the road to Ottawa’s National Arts Centre later this month.

A slimmed-down version of the 115-minute program will be performed in a community matinee Saturday at 2 p.m., an audience-friendly brainchild of artistic director Christopher Stowell.

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