Choreographer’s Showcase

by Jain Lemos | May 9, 2015 | entertainment reviews

There is applause all around for the stewardship Patricia Dickinson Wells and her company bring to our dancing community.

On Mother’s Day weekend, a troupe of choreographers and dancers celebrate by bringing their best to the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s stage with Festival Ballet Albuquerque. Giving two performances on Saturday, the showcase features local stars and those just rising to the demands of artistic and physical routines.

Structured to maximize a variety of ballet genres, the program features ten arrangements in two acts. Director Patricia Dickinson Wells of Dance Theatre Southwest is integral to New Mexico’s instructional efforts to spread ballet education through her workshops and master classes. For this setting, she honors local choreographers including Kelsey Gorelick-Barrows and Dominic Guerra.

Wells also persuaded the award-winning director David Chavez to come out of retirement to design two of the most dramatic pieces of the show, “Gente del Sol” and “Fuego Rojo” which are sagely placed as the event’s bookends. Performers Guerra impresses in both interpretations, as does UNM student Kendra Williams.

Younger dancers exhibit a solid determination during two modern numbers addressing messages of tolerance and acceptance. Parents and patrons can be proud of their genuine enthusiasm for transforming traditional movements into a fresh expression of purpose as they strive to perfect their entrances and exits.

For die-hard ballet lovers, the thrill comes on pointe near the close of the first Act with Erin Swinney and Jesse Campbell in Swan Lake’s “Adagio.” Here, the allure of classic liquid-white skin and true positions deliver nourishing theatre. Wells’ most extensive work is evident in her arrangement of “Les Patineurs,” a Skaters Ballet with levity and intensity.

The extremely versatile Kevin Gallacher fashions a show of strength in “Quantum” with fellow male dancers Guerra and Christo Probst. Shirtless and well-toned, their discipline is admirable as they demonstrate complicated lifts and daring leaps.

There is applause all around for the stewardship Wells and her company bring to our dancing community. To stay in touch with Festival Ballet Albuquerque and follow their outreach, visit their website.

On assignment for ABQToDo.

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