From a tragic love story intertwined with divine music in the staging of Mark Morris’ opera, “Acis and Galatea” to a mysterious New England minister in Albano Ballet’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” as well as the exotic flavor of Indian dance with Ragamala Dance Company, the summer season for dance promises to move, intrigue and entertain audiences.
Acis and Galatea
Mark Morris Dance Group will bring the opera “Acis and Galatea” to New Haven’s Festival of Arts and Ideas June 18 and 19.
Morris is hailed as a master of musicality and is known for a technical brilliance and innovation that have set him apart as one of the most important choreographers of our time.
Attracted to the music of “Acis and Galatea” by George Frideric Handel, Morris chose a more robust sound with Mozart’s arrangement, noting that in this work, which stars 16 of his dancers, the elements of all the lyrical arts fuse together. “It’s beautiful and thrilling,” Morris said of the opera, which he debuted last year, collaborating with fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, lighting designer Michael Chybowski and visual artist and designer Adrianne Lobel.
“We imagined how the story can best be conveyed, over time we worked together and pared things down to do it on a budget and to have it work on tour and be as comprehensible as possible. Everyone was trying to establish clarity so the heart of the piece can be conveyed to the audience no matter who or where they are,” said Morris.
Morris worked hard with his dancers so they possess the comportment needed in the opera, working months in advance to set up their mode of behavior in the work — whether they embody characters or ideas, or are just people hanging around.
“My dancers are very talented and versatile,” said Morris.
The opera’s story is also expressed with four singers taking on the main roles of the nymph, Galatea, the shepherd she loves, Acis, their friend, Damon, and the jealous cyclops, Polyphemus, who rages and tears up the pastoral paradise.
“It’s a very archetypal argument of love and jealousy and the love that goes on forever,” Morris said of the plot, taken straight from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.”
In New Haven, Mark Morris Dance Group is joined by acclaimed Baroque conductor Nicholas McGehan, four vocal soloists, the Yale Collegium orchestra and the Yale Choral Artists.
“Acis and Galatea” is performed at 8 p.m. June 18 at the 19, Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. Advance tickets $25, $45, $85, $125, and day of show, $30, $40, $90, and $130. artidea.org
Indian Dance
Indian dance will once again grace the stage at the Festival of Arts and Ideas, with Ragamala Dance Company bringing their work “Song of the Jasmine” on June 16 and 17.
Created by Aparna Ramaswamy, Ranee Ramaswamy and Rudresh Mahanthappa, the dance is new for the company, and spans cultures and traditions, from classical dance from south India — bharatanatyam — with musical influences like jazz and Carnatic music.
The dance features soloist Aparna Ramaswamy and company dancers, who are joined onstage by a quintet led by saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa.
A medley of song, dance, and improvisation, “Song of the Jasmine” explores longing through the lens of recollection, appeal, and total surrender.
“Song of the Jasmine” is performed at 8 p.m. June 16 and 17, University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. Advance tickets, $45, $65, day of show $50, $70. artidea.org
Carmen de Lavallade
The Festival of Arts and Ideas will also spotlight legendary dancer Carmen de Lavallade, who will perform in her own autobiographical show, June 25 and 27, “As I Remember It.” The hour-long work includes archival footage of this former Alvin Ailey star and actress, whose early influences were with Lester Horton. The performance will include writings from Lavallade to trace a career that spans six decades.
“As I Remember It” is performed at 8 p.m. June 25; and 2 p.m. June 27, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. Advance tickets, $45, $65, day of show, $50, $70. artidea.org
Albano Ballet
The Albano Ballet Company will showcase two ballets from founder and choreographer Joseph Albano on Aug. 6 for “2015 Summer Dance.” The company will perform “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “Ishtar,” and debut his staging from an excerpt of “Swan Lake” at Central Connecticut State University.
“The Minister’s Black Veil” is a modern dance drama that unfolds in five scenes, and is based upon the story of a mysterious minister, the Rev. Joseph Moody of Maine, who never removed his veil, prompting, it is thought, the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne of the same name.
Thematically, the modern dance explores the secrecy in which sin is shrouded, as well as shame, and societal condemnation.
“Ishtar” the second piece by Albano, celebrates a central female ballet dancer in the Babylonian myth of the Goddess Ishtar’s descent into the Underworld. With music by D’Indy, this ballet rises in suspense as it follows the goddess’ journey as she passes through a series of gates. She is slowly stripped of items of clothing by male dancers, from her wristlets to her skirt. Once denuded of power, the goddess flees the stage, giving birth to life.
In his new staging of the white scene from “Swan Lake” Albano has taken his training in pantomime, which he said he learned from the legendary Charles Weideman, to pepper the excerpt with some more rigorous action.
“I came to ‘Swan Lake’ with a fresh view. Dancers don’t walk onstage, they dance onstage with bows and arrows,” said Albano.
Albano Ballet Company Summer Dance 2015, is performed at 7 p.m., Aug. 6, Welte Theater, Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley St., New Britain. Tickets are $30. 860-232-8898 and albanoballet.org.
More Summer Dance
>>Connecticut Ballet will present a series of free ballets, Summer Dance Caravan 2015, titled “Classics to Contemporary” that consist of repertory favorites and new works. They will perform at 6:30 p.m. July 25 (rain date July 26) at Elizabeth Park Conservancy, 1561 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, 7:30 p.m., July 31, Ives Concert Park, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 (rain date Aug. 2), Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown.
>>Sonia Plumb Dance Company will present excerpts from a full-length multi-media production titled “The Odyssey,” which will be unveiled in October to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. They will perform “Lotus Eaters,” one of the sections of the “The Odyssey” at 8 p.m., June 27, at The Artist for World Peace 3rd Annual Dance for Peace at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. For tickets, katharinehepburntheater.org
They will perform “The Sirens Call” with a lecture by local educators, as well as discussions with choreographer Sonia Plumb, on the afternoon of Aug. 8, time to be announced, at the Canton Town Auditorium. Tickets at the door, soniaplumbdance.org
You can find our complete summer arts roundup here.
