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Festival Ballet Albuquerque returned with the ballet “Dracula, a Love Story” to the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Friday evening. Choreographed primarily by artistic director Patricia Dickinson Wells, the two-act ballet was received once again by an enthusiastic audience with a standing ovation at the final curtain. After many viewings of this ballet, the strong production values continued to impress this reviewer. A stunning set design by John Malolepsy, dramatic lighting by Eric Kennedy and ingenious costumes designed by Anna Constantz all worked to create the spooky ambiance of the cruel and bloodthirsty tale. The music was a seamless fusion by many composers, such as Philip Feeny, Samuel Barber, Antonio Vivaldi, Frank Martin, Henryk Gorecki and Vojeiech Kilar.
The choreography presented a real challenge: Wells needed to balance the mission of civic ballet, to include as many students as possible, with the strong technical skills of experienced dancers, dramatic integrity, and a serious emotional impact. Dracula’s centuries-old murderous activity had to contrast with the idea of soul migration, as Dracula’s wife drifted through the ages empowering his ability to love. The focused intensity of the principal dancers worked quite well, although it is hard to identify with the suffering of the evil Count Dracula. Dominic Guerra was the sinuous and manipulative vampire, transiting from passionate and tender husband to bloody consort of his many zombie wives. His movement, especially rotating and wheeling in the air above the stage, was strong, clean and controlled with intense dramatic focus.
Amanda Geilenfeldt was both the Count’s princess and the 19th-century Mina Harker. She moved throughout with amazing fluidity, flying into gravity-defying lifts and dissolving into the embraces of Guerra as her husband.
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If you go WHAT: Dracula, a Love Story. WHERE: Albuquerque Journal Theatre, National Hispanic Cultural Center. WHEN: Sunday, 2 p.m. HOW MUCH: Tickets: $17 – $37, $2 off for seniors, students and children. Call FBA at 296-9465, NHCC box office 724-4771, or www.nhccom.org. |
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There were many strong performances Friday evening, and a few disappointments. The three, sometimes five, wives of Dracula moved like dark, sexy versions of dainty fairies in classical ballet. There was not enough angular, thrusting violence in their attack on Jonathan Harker. In Act I, a bit of ugly and brutal energy would help to maintain the fierce mood of the Count. The trapeze moves of the King and Queen of the Underworld seemed unnecessary, especially since the stage was too dark to really see what they were doing in the scene at the crypt. The group movement of Evil Minions, Gargoyles and little Bats was much better designed and unified in this production.
The Betrothal Ball scene for Mina’s friend Lucy continues to be a marvelous mixture of dramatic action, visually delightful movement and group patterns to Johann Strauss’s Emperor Waltz. Jennifer Boren, as Lucy, flew from partner to partner in whirling three-step patterns that rose in circling lifts, catches and dives. Dracula’s infatuation with Mina developed within the dancing couples.
Wells uses a stop action technique to combine two places and events onstage at the same time, first lighting one half of the stage, here the cell of madman Renfield (Joe Moncada), then freezing all action and lighting the other half-stage, where Lucy lies surrounded by doctors.
Lucy’s funeral procession successfully involved contemporary expressive movement by two groups in a movement counterpoint that was reminiscent of Martha Graham’s body shapes and forms.
The ballet ends with repeat motifs from the opening love duet between Dracula and his wife, re-created at the crypt between Dracula and Mina. The same fluid lifts ending in embraces, and a repeated moment where Dracula holds Mina from behind as she leans back, arms floating downward, as he bends over her, his head resting on her breast. The two souls seem to have reunited … and then? Come on Sunday to find out.
— This article appeared on page F5 of the Albuquerque Journal
