Miami City Ballet performs "Jewels" with this signature
youthful and instinctive rapid-fire dance.
By Mary Williams
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It’s apparently common knowledge that Russian, French and
American ballet pieces are quite separate entities, rarely to be
combined.
Rebelling against this unwritten law of dance, the Miami City
Ballet’s founding artistic director, Edward Villella, is
bringing to UCLA a show that combines music composed by the Russian
Tchaikovsky, the French Gabriél Fauré and the
Russo-American Stravinsky in “Jewels,” to be held in
Royce Hall tonight and tomorrow night.
“There’s an awful lot to see, to contemplate and to
think about,” Villella said.
The ballet, which has no plot, is in three parts, each named
after a gemstone. It was choreographed by George Balanchine to
reflect the different properties of contrasting stones and styles
of music.
Performing in three dance traditions can be a difficult task,
but one Villella said his dancers were willing to tackle.
“It’s a tremendous challenge, but I think
that’s what’s been terrific for each of my dancers is
to deal with each of those styles,” he said.
“Emeralds,” the first piece, uses the Fauré
music. The second part, “Rubies,” is set to Stravinsky,
and the third, “Diamonds,” to Tchaikovsky.
“It is qualitative entertainment. The music is beautiful
and the choreography is incredible,” Villella said.
These shows at UCLA mark only the second time that the
Miami-based company has performed in Los Angeles.
“I’m always thrilled and delighted when I can bring
classical ballet anywhere … For me to share it with students,
with the audience and with the general public is a thrilling
experience,” Villella said.
Even though college students may not seem like the typical
audience for a ballet performance, those who come will see a
combination of diverse styles within the genre.
“I think they’ll get a lot of value out of
it,” Villella said about student attendees.
In fact, Villella said that a program like this will have
widespread appeal.
“If anybody has any interest in the music and they have an
interest to see what they’re hearing then this is the perfect
evening,” he said.