While the stocks plummet, as we read the details about our close brushes with terror, and as we sit cold and wet from this bipolar spring weather, we need a reminder of grander times; when romance pulsed like a fever; when elegance and luxury enticed the fingertips and the taste buds; when Americans were not afraid to build those grandiose, elaborate dreams.
The World Premiere, BalletMet Columbus of The Great Gatsby, is this Friday, showcasing the story that so ironically parallels our own previous times of extravagance and opulence. Go get dressed up, have some fun and see this.
The ballet’s saucy energy is evident with the Tango and The Fox Trot, clearly indicating that Jimmy Orrante, the show’s choreographer, has lifted the flirtatious up and off the pages of Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel. Extracting the key elements from The Great Gatsby was Orrante’s biggest challenge. Yes, of course, he read every word. Without the use of Fitzgerald’s prime tool — words – Orrante choreographed the novel to reveal the turmoil of the characters, and their life-altering choices. While the era easily lends itself to dance, the characters’ motivations are complex. The ballet centers on the simmering love triangle between Gatsby and Daisy and her husband Tom. Key to Orrante’s interpretation is the influence of the social and economic values of the era, which ultimately lead Daisy away from her love for Gatsby.
During the sneak preview, complete with Pineapple Upside Down cake, Orrante had still not finalized some of the dance steps, allowing us a brief peek at how this master, recipient of a Choreography Award from the Princess Grace Foundation, works. While he clearly has his own vision, Orrante pulls on the magnetism of his dancers to create an interactive swirl of romance that allows the dancers, with precision, to show us exactly what Orrante wants us to see. I can only imagine how memorizing the production will be once the dancers are wearing their glitzy costumes.
Once again, costume designer Rebecca Baygents Turk uses her clever talent of balancing the dancer’s need for movement, while staying true to the glitz of the dresses and stiff tuxedos we associate with the 1920s. Rebecca, I could put you to work making some batman costumes that, finally, do let the kids fly. If anybody can do that, Rebecca can.
You can expect to see a generous sprinkling of what we associate with the roaring ’20s, complete with bootlegged parties, big cars and careless dancing. There’s a bit of nostalgia in the elaborate sets — including Goerge Wilson’s humble gas station. And most importantly, plenty of seductive, flirtatious, and energetic dancing.
Let the arts do their job; let them transport you this weekend to a different era, and inspire some of your own latent dreams. Get your tickets, here.
That sounds very cool! I read Gatsby first, of course, in high school. Then again, and again; I still like to flip through every few years. It’s up there in my picks of oldies but goodies, right beside The Good Earth.