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| Taris Domitro |
Presented by Bravissimo Productions
Canberra Theatre, 2nd, 3rd
October.
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Some of the world’s most outstanding classical ballet
dancers have been attracted to Canberra for perhaps the best kept secret of the
year, the World Superstars of Ballet Gala.
Presented by newly formed Canberra organization, Bravissimo Productions,
this gala is intended to become an annual event. If this standard of guest
artist and presentation can be maintained, it’s an ambition that has the
potential to attract audiences from all over Australia.
Among the dancers gathered from around the world are
Australian Ballet principals, Ako Kondo
and Chengwu Guo; the first American dancer to train and dance with Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet, Joy Womack;
fourteen–year-old, American YouTube sensation, Avery Gay; Cuban dancers, Adiarys Almeida, Taras Domitro and Venus Villa; Florida’s United Ballet Theatre principal
dancer and Artistic Director, Joseph Michael Gatti; the dancer voted “Junior
Male Best Dancer” in the 2017 Las Vegas Dance Awards, Tristan Ianiero, and
Italian Teatro alla Scala principal, Francesco Daniele Costa.
Given the fame of these dancers and the lack of any
indication in the preliminary publicity that this was a local initiative, the
impression was that this event was an International tour, rather than a
Canberra only event.
In addition to the guest artists, talented young
dancers from around the region, who had participated in two days of intensive
master classes prior to the performance, were showcased in several items. One
of these works, “Les Jeunes Danseurs” choreographed by Daniel Convery, provided
a charming opening for the performance, featuring junior and senior students neatly
performing age-appropriate combinations.
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| Chengwu Guo and Ako Kondo |
The demanding Act 3 Pas de Deux from “Sleeping
Beauty”, impeccably performed by Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo, provided a dazzling
entre into a succession of sensationally performed bravura pas de deux and
solos which had the audience whooping with excitement. Later in the program
Kondo and Guo gave possibly the best performance of the virtuosic “Le Corsaire
Pas de Deux” that this reviewer has had the pleasure of witnessing.
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| Joy Womack |
Joy Womack and Francesco Daniele Costa dazzled with
their performance of the lilting “Moskovsky Waltz”, and later with a sublime
“Romeo and Juliet Balcony Pas de Deux”.
Elsewhere in the program Costa performed two very funny solos, “Moscate”
and “Le Bourgeois” which exploited his lanky frame and incredible technique to
sensational affect.
Adiarys Almeida and Taras Domitro charmed with their
lyrical performance of the “La Bayadere Kingdom of the Shades” pas de deux, and
then later turned up the heat with a fiery performance of the “Don Quixote
Grand Pas de Deux”. The famous “White Swan” pas de deux from Swan Lake,
performed in front of a romantic moon backdrop, was given a lovely performance
by Venus Villa and Joseph Gatti, who later demonstrated their versatility in a
sparkling performance of the “Pas d’Esclave” from Le Corsaire.
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| Avery Gay |
American teenager, Avery Gay thrilled with her amazing
flexibility and strength in her famous solo “Shiver”. Later in the program she
was joined by Tristan Ianiero for a sensational, acrobatic duo entitled
“Talisman”. Ianiero also demonstrated
his unique dancing style in a captivating solo, “Requiem”.
Sprinkled through the program were impressively danced
works performed by emerging young dancers for whom the opportunity of sharing stage
with acclaimed International professionals must have been an invaluable
experience. Among them, Soraya Sullivan and Hyo Shimuzu, who gave a charming account
of the “Flames of Paris” pas de deux and those who danced in Jake Burden’s
stylishly choreographed “All Directions” and the “Esmeralda Variation”.
