NBT plays its cards right
by Christopher Key
I’ve never figured out why ballet isn’t more popular than
football. Ballet is all about beauty and
grace, the dancers are better athletes and they’re damn sure better behaved off
the field. Case in point: Northwest
Ballet Theater’s Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll’s classic tale has given NBT
Artistic Director John Bishop lots of room to exercise his choreographic
talents and he has, if you’ll excuse the sports metaphor, kicked it through the
uprights.
Alice has
entranced generations of children just on the strength of the story alone. When Bishop starts kicking out the jams with
his evocative choreography, a whole new level of enchantment is achieved. He’s got a championship team behind him.
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| Photo credit - John Fischer |
One of the amazing things about NBT’s Alice is that a middle-school student dances the lead role. You’d never guess Julia Schwartz's age by her
stage presence. She’s cool, confident
and mature as a performer far beyond her years. That’s part of what happens when you start
dancing at age four.
Dancers are occasionally described as having “elegant lines”
and Schwartz has that in spades. Hearts,
clubs and diamonds, as well. That’s not
something you can teach. It’s all about a
long-limbed, slender body. What you can
teach is how to take advantage of that physical grace and Schwartz has learned
her lessons well. Brilliant!
She gets solid support from NBT veterans like Hailey
Forsberg, who delivers the best White Rabbit since Jefferson Airplane. The
20-year-old Forsberg is as adorable as all those little girls Bishop gets
onstage and not much bigger.
And speaking of adorable, NBT fixture Angus McLane doubles
as a hookah-puffing caterpillar and the least intimidating executioner ever.
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| Photo credit - John Fischer |
The Cheshire Cat is famous for a disappearing act that
leaves only a crazed smile behind.
Bellingham High School senior Sophia Kongshaug has a delightful smile,
but it’s those Bette Davis Eyes that will stick in your memory.
Kongshaug’s classmate Chloe Johnston is another long-time
NBT favorite and gets to show a whole new set of acting chops as the Queen of
Hearts. She’s a regal as a raised
eyebrow and can order a decapitation without a second thought.
Ian Aegerter doesn’t get much stage time as the Knave of
Hearts, but when he finally gets to strut his stuff, he wows the audience with
his seemingly effortless leaps. He’s seriously
upstaged by another male dancer, however.
Unlike most small boys shanghaied into ballet, Lev Cornwall
looks like he’d rather be dancing than playing football. Or even video games. This young man has the stage presence, the
acting chops and the obvious joy in performing that mark him as a future star.
NBT Board President Dan Jordan invested in some slick
back-projection toys that Lighting Designer Dave Wright has some serious fun
with. Alice has some notably psychedelic overtones and just wait until
you see what happens to the rabbit hole and a deck of cards when Wright gets
through playing.
Alice in Wonderland
has more sheer audience appeal than anything NBT has done since I’ve been
writing about them and that’s saying a lot.
Even the most die-hard Seahawks fan can appreciate this one. There was only tonight’s performance at
McIntyre Hall in Mt. Vernon, but the ballet performs next Saturday and Sunday
at Mount Baker Theatre. Tickets are
available at the MBT box office (360) 734-6080 or online at the website.
You’ll get a kick out of it!
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