The performance is Roland Petit’s “Carmen” took place in San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Friday and Saturday, on ninth and tenth of May. The performance was held at eight o’clock in the evening. Besides, Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room” was also featured in the program of this show (Felciano, par. 1). The kind of dancing presented in this performance was a ballet with elements of modern dancing. The well known Jose Manuel Carreno acted as the choreographer of this show and its artistic director.
“Carmen” was performed with great professionalism, theatricality, and amazing energy. The dancers presented their chair dance, which soon flowed into the scene of lovers. The bandits stormed in and mocked Don Jose with cynicism. The performers are so professional – they portrayed passion and dangerous situations and never stopped to impress the audience. The final of the show was bright and colorful, filled with bursting energy. “In the Upper Room” possesses incredible tension. The dancers had to be very skillful and precise for that performance, as its combinations of leaps and movements are complicated, but at the same time, they are mesmerizing in their beauty. The tension was rising and rising, accumulating. This is the kind of energy the audience will come back for.
The most exciting feature of this concert is its emotionality. The ability of the dance to captivate and touch the viewer’s heart is striking and overwhelming in this particular performance. “Carmen” impressed with the contrasts and breathtaking professionalism, and “In the Upper Room” made the viewers feel ready to explode with the amazing emotional tension and presence.
The choreographic composition of “Carmen” is classical and complicated. It is filled with multiple leaps that were performed splendidly by the dancers. It fit the aesthetical idea of the dance and the mood of every particular scene. The purpose of the dance is to tell the story of Carmen with all the adventures, passion, and diversity. The composition of “In the Upper Room” is a complex of highly professional combinations, which required flawless performance from the side of the dancers.
The dance was organized to build up the tension among the viewers, the rhythms were absolutely captivating, and the performance of the dances was stunning. Skills of the dancers, who took part in “Carmen” and “In the Upper Room,” were perfect, and because of that, the performance was impressive and memorable. Admirable leaping, graceful fouettes made the hearts of the audience skip the beat. Both solo dances and duets were breathtakingly professional from the points of view of the physical conditions of the dancers and their artistic skills.
Music for the show was provided by Symphony Silicon Valley led by Paul Polivnick (Jose Manuel Carreno to Perform in Ballet San Jose Production of Carmen, 5/9-11, par. 1). The music and the dance were in great harmony and worked together perfectly. The music helped enhance the most emotional parts of the dances and empowered the dancers to unwrap their artistic potential to the fullest. Costumes were modern and suitable for the performances. They helped emphasize the beautiful figures of the dancers and create the general impression of the era when the events described in the show were happening. The lighting was a harmonious part of the show; it was used to create dramatic effects during the scenes, put an emphasis on the dancers.
I personally enjoyed “In the Upper Room,” a little more than “Carmen.” To my mind, “In the Upper Room” was more exciting and I liked how quickly its events developed, the passion of both dances made me feel the heat of the performance, but “In the Upper Room” was more inspiring for me due to its powerful energetic potential.
Works Cited
Felciano, Rita. Review: Ballet San Jose Dazzles with “Carmen”. 2014. Web.
Jose Manuel Carreno to Perform in Ballet San Jose Production of Carmen, 5/9-11. BWW. 2014. Web.