On March 17, Boston Ballet’s newest production “Kaleidoscope” premiered. It is now open for all to see at the Boston Opera House, and I strongly suggest you see it. It’s not just one story; “Kaleidoscope” is a set of four pieces, all which prove the wide range that Boston Ballet has. With music conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron, the pieces are “Kammermusik No. 2,” a traditional “Pas de Quatre,” a colorful “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactidude,” and my favorite lively “Gaite Parisienne.”
The first piece was initially launched by the New York City Ballet in 1978. With choreography by George Balanchine and music by Paul Hindesmith, it shows that ballet doesn’t have to be traditional to be great. All costumes were blue with a simple white background, reminiscent of sailors. The piece showcased the talents of two female dancers and a male ensemble, including Dusty Button and Lawrence Rines. The moves were non-traditional, as was the timing: the female dancers were in canon as one followed the other in movement. With solos, duets, and group dances, Boston Ballet showed their unique talent.
The show transitioned to a very traditional ballet piece with four principle female dancers in “Pas de Quatre.” From the beautiful white flowy costumes to the music by Vincenzo Bellini and choreography by Leonid Yakobson, I fell in love with this piece. The dancers were astoundingly graceful for having to interlink hands throughout the performance.
Next was “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactidude,” which I had been dying to see after catching a glimpse of the creative green tutus involved. The ballet is a modern piece, featuring lots of speed and bright colors. Set to a black backdrop, five dancers showed off their talent with choreography by William Forsythe and music by Franz Schubert. With those bright green tutus, it almost made sense that it premiered on St. Patrick’s Day.
And with the final piece, my mind was blown away. I would probably go see this piece just for the costumes and set alone. The dancers and scenery reminded me of something out of a Matisse painting or a scene from the “Moulin Rouge.” “Gaite Parisienne” was colorful and fun, and was set in Paris. It had romance, fighting, and so many interesting characters. And of course being set in Paris, it had a lively version of the can-can.
“Kaleidoscope” is now on stage at the Opera House until March 26, so make sure you see it while you can. The Boston Ballet offers $25 Student Rush tickets, in cash, the day of the performance. Just make sure you call before you drop by!