Bella By Barlight
Performed by Kronos Quartet
I. Armand with Accardi, Akhmarova, DeChiazza, Gresh, Lambe, Steward, Ward, Wolfe
II. Gelfand, Ribeiro, Berdo, Santos and Cunningham, Mahoney, Merlin, Plotnikov, Porter, Sterrett
III. Alfieri, Thrussell
IV. Armand with Accardi, Akhmarova, DeChiazza, Gresh, Lambe, Steward, Ward, Wolfe
V. Santos, Ribeiro, Gelfand, Berdo, Alfieri, Thrussell and Bacon, Cosway, Fielding, Thompson, Vennerbeck, Waldon, Cunningham, Mahoney, Merlin, Plotnikov, Porter, Sterrett
VI. Armand, Berdo, Santos, Cunningham, Thrussell, Sterrett, Mahoney, Merlin, Plotnikov, Porter, Dechiazza, Gresh, Steward, Wolfe
VII. Gelfand, Armand and Company
Claudia Alfieri, Pollyanna Ribeiro
Laszlo Berdo, Carlos Santos, Paul Thrussell
Donatella Accardi, Natasha Ahkmarova, Julie Bacon, Crystal Cosway, Melinda DeChiazza, Emily Gresh, Erika Lambe, Natasha Fielding, Catherine Steward, Nadia Thompson, Susanna Vennerbeck, Heather Waldon, Missy Ward, Heidi Wolfe
Roger Cunningham, Shawn Mahoney, Howard Merlin, Viktor Plotnikov, David Porter, Joseph Sterrett
Original fluorescent scenery built by Mystic Scenic Studios, Boston
Waterbaby Bagatelles is a suite of dances set to seven short twentieth century compositions. A moving grid of fluorescent lights raises and lowers through the course of the piece, altering the onstage environment. In the opening section, the lights hover close the floor. The grid slowly ascends, revealing dancers standing amongst the fluorescent tubes. Halfway to the ceiling, the lights stop moving, bisecting the vertical space.
The choreography transitions fluidly between each piece of music. A couple slips away after their adage as a male soloist enters, weaving between members of the female ensemble. Though the sections overlap, the groupings remain distinct from one to the next, until the final movement, which recombines the dancers from each section. The principal couple joins a soloist quartet, seven men perform simultaneous solos as the female ensemble swoops in.
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Stewart and Armand in performance.
<p>©Jaye R. Phillips</p> -
Boston Ballet dancers perform.
<p>©Jaye R. Phillips</p> <p> </p> -
Gelfand and Armand in performance.
<p>©Jaye R. Phillips</p> <div> </div> -
Cunningham in performance.
<p>©Jaye R. Phillips</p> <p> </p> -
Thrussell and Alfieri in performance.
<p>© Jaye R. Phillips</p>
Dancers of the Boston Ballet in dress rehearsal.
1. Sehr Langsam
From the album “Winter Was Hard”
Composed by Anton Webern
Performed by Kronos Quartet
Released by Elektra/Nonesuch – 1988
2. White Man Sleeps #5
From the album “White Man Sleeps”
Composed by Kevin Volans
Performed by Kronos Quartet
Released by Elektra/Nonesuch – 1990
3. Bella By Barlight
Composed by John Lurie
From the album “Winter Was Hard”
Performed by Kronos Quartet
Released by Elektra/Nonesuch – 1988
4. The Anvil Chorus
Composed by David Lang
Performed by Steve Schick
From the album “Bang On A Can Live, Vol. 2”
Released by Composers Recordings – 1994
5. Fear
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Kronos Quartet
From the album “Five Tango Sensations”
Released by Nonesuch Records – 1991
6. The Hunt
Composed and performed by Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussain
From the album “Planet Drum”
Released by Rykodisc – 1991
7. On The Dominant Divide
Composed by John Adams
From the album “Grand Pianola Music”
Published by G. Schimer Music Publishers – 1982
Bella By Barlight
Performed by Kronos Quartet