Aszure Barton: Concert Report

In Aszure Barton, the performers beautifully conveyed stories through music, lighting, costumes, props, scenery, and most importantly, dance. “‘Tarantella’ from August Bournonville’s Napoli”, “Consumed”, and “Closer to Closure” particular stuck out during the duration of the concert. The movements held the audience’s attention as they followed the suspenseful and striking storylines. In “‘Tarantella’ from August Bournonville’s Napoli” the graceful movements of the dancers portrayed the story of people courting their lovers. The dancers extended their legs with pointed toes, progressing forward with every step; they landed in a fast, fluid motion. The partners engaged in old fashioned partner dances, circling around each other. They separated,
The intense dance between the two leads was so heartbreaking yet beautiful. The piece told the story of a man and a women who cared deeply, supporting each other yet now being good enough. The man and the women had dragging movements, carrying and dropping each other showing that they couldn’t survive. At the end, there was a spotlight on the women as she collapsed to the floor with the man standing over her and others gathering around. The male lead sprinkled rose petals over her body, making the story so powerful. The piece I enjoyed the least was “‘Tarantella’ from August Bournonville’s Napoli”. I found it distracting how in the piece the dancers that weren’t dancing were standing on the side, still visible. They were still on the stage distracting me from the dancers in the center. It was distracting to have them still visible on stage and not behind the curtain, backstage. During this assignment I learned that stories could be told without the use of words. I was surprised how easily I could understand the stories in the pieces without any dialogue, but just through body language and movements. I didn’t know before how emotional and meaningful a ballet concert could be precisely because of the lack of