When a dancer hears music, she closes her eyes and movements subconsciously spring into her mind. Smooth and sultry, but as natural as babies crawling, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal are internationally recognized for showcasing innovative and intuitive movement for nearly three decades.
The troupe’s latest Toronto performance at the Premiere Dance Theatre was no exception to their outstanding record of cutting-edge choreography and killer technique.
Since 1998, Les Ballets Jazz has entered a new era under the artistic direction of Louis Robitaille. His mission is to accentuate the dancers’ talents and provide a forum for novel choreographic visions. This mandate led to the appointment of resident choreographer Crystal Pite, a Victoria B.C. native with an impressive international reputation for her choreography and performance.
Pite kicked off the performance with her solo Old Song, performed to the tune by Veda Hille, a Vancouver pianist and folk musician. Pite’s unique style emerges in Old Song with fluid yet supersonic impetus from her hips and torso. Pite’s piece is magical because of her ability to meld speed with the expression of subtle intonation.
Pite’s other piece, Short Works: 23, is exactly what it sounds like—23 segments of choreography, connected but freestanding, some only a few seconds long.
The eleven dancers demonstrate their strong points in turn, with lighthearted adagio segments and explosive jump sequences. Short Works: 23 is disappointing because the random post-modernist theme and sterile ambience has been exploited by many contemporary dance companies in the past few years and has ceased to be original.
In stark contrast to the eerie Short Works was Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June, a dreamy sequence accompanying the songs of blues legend Etta James.
In rosy costumes of the early sixties, Blue Until June details the peaks and troughs of love with charming sentimentality. McIntyre’s choreography oozes naturally from Les Ballets Jazz dancers, despite its unique technical challenges.
However, the company’s forte lies in lighthearted and quirky interactive pieces. A casual affair, Mia Michael’s No Strings Attached is a hip, colourful piece with seven artists exploring their passion for movement to Albert Sterling Menendez’ funked-up jazz arrangement. Despite the easy-going attitude, which finds the dancers exchanging unrepressed thoughts with each other and the audience, No Strings Attached is marked by a crisp precision and uninhibited attack.
Les Ballets Jazz are looking incredibly strong these days. As a company, the dancers are miraculously in tune with one another, and there is a visible level of cohesion and understanding on stage. The company has a polished look and a pizzazz that other Canadian troupes lack. Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal are delicious to watch, as they delve deep into the soul of all things human.
