BWW Reviews: BALLET TECH at the Joyce Theater

To quote William Shakespeare, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." True for all the performers of Ballet Tech on stage Saturday afternoon at The Joyce Theater. Eliot Feld created a full-time, tuition-free dance program for fourth through eighth graders. I realized I would be attending a student production that afternoon, but I had no clue that it would be such an exceptional, uplifting experience. For acceptance into Ballet Tech's program, children have to go through multiple rounds of auditions. The school selects only 40 to 50 children from roughly the 35,000 who audition each year. Those selected will form the incoming fourth grade class. Upcoming in fall of 2014, Ballet Tech will be teaming up with Professional Performing Arts High School (PPAS), allowing selected students to continue training at Ballet Tech through their high school years.

Lights dimmed at the Joyce. Entering the stage were five Ballet Tech dancers, smiling and waving. A set of stairs about twenty feet in length, and perhaps ten steps in height, waited onstage for the tiny performers. Before I knew it, the children hopped up on the stairs. The music by Steve Reich set a whimsical tone--it was playtime. The dancers all executed their moves confidently with no signs of slowing down. Each step was taken with a vivacious energy that reminded me of recess out in the schoolyard. The movements were buoyant and light, transitioning occasionally into slower, grounded moments, before hastening back to an upbeat tempo. And just like that, the dancers jumped off the stairs, happily waved, and ran off the stage.

If I wasn't enchanted enough with A Stair Dance, the following piece, Meshugana Dance, surely did the trick. For Meshugana Dance, music by Klezmer, jumped from quick, bubbliness into a Horah dance theme, then transformed into a country hoedown feel. Artistic Director and choreographer, Eliot Feld, mirrored the music with his innovative movement. Spunky choreography with personality, infused with an ongoing flirtation between the boys and girls, kept the audience entertained. Costumes by Michael Krass were bright and quirky, helping enhance the piece for all its unusual and delightful sights. Meshugana Dance was a splendid fusion of the visual and auditory.

Meshugana Dance struck me by the strength and stamina these young, powerful dancers possessed. In particular, dancer Joshua Moody stood out for his fearless attack of Feld's choreography. Joining in with Moody were Nicholas Begun, Richard Burton, and Benjamin Jimenez; all four dancers accomplished lifts and jumps that would have professionals sweating. I sat in my chair, stunned and smiling, thrilled about the amount of talent and love that was in front of me. When the piece ended, the audience was cheering.

Opening the second act, Wei-Chia Su kept the audience beaming by his performance of Zeppo (an intermission in 3 acts). Once again, Eliot Feld's choreography was a unique blend of movement and expression. Performer, Wei-Chia Su, came off as a curious, sometimes sullen and, dare I say, a bit sassy and bossy character. There was a silent-film, Charlie Chaplin-esque charm about the dance; I was struck by how involved I felt with the mannerisms Su threw my way. I applauded Wei-Chia Su genuinely and generously for his performance.

Unlike the rest, Upside Dance had the Ballet Tech dancers dressed in what appeared to be school uniforms: black tights and white tees for the boys; black leotards and pink tights for the girls. One of the most memorable moments of the piece came during the finale: the dancers screamed, I laughed, and the audience exploded in applause. It was an unexpected surprise. Because of the high-pitched screams, I remembered these performers were, indeed, children. Hearing them took me back to the playground, the time in our lives when joy overtakes us.

So I laughed, I smiled, and I enjoyed. Who could ask for anything more?

Photo Credit: Lois Greenfield