Dark mood settles on fall ballet

Blood, death, sex and ballet, oh my! The IU Ballet Theater's "Colours of Dance" ended with a bang this past weekend with a world-premiere version of Igor Stravinsky's infamous one-act ballet. However, the three opening dances were much more traditional.\nThe opener was Fanz Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, performed by Cory Smythe. Not unlike the concluding main act, it was relatively hard and dark. But it was classical ballet dance, and certainly less intense than the headliner. The choreography from professor Jacques Cesbron flowed well from part to parts. Not all scenes included large groups of dancers; some sections had few. The entertaining choreography was non-repititious and told an intricate tale.\nThe allegro section of Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky's Quartet in D Major, choreographed by Virginia Cesbron, was short but fast and intense. The lighting, costumes and set were dominated by a light blue color which gave the dance an ethereal and abstract feel to it.\nUnfortunately, it was danced to a recording over speakers, but George Balanchine's "Tchaikovsky Pas de Duex" was impressive. It really was a showcase of ballet technique as expected. Violette Verdy's staged solos included satisfactory exhibitions of athleticism, artistry and grace, while the partnered dances were good showcases of beauty and emotion.\nFinally, the headliner was no disappointment for those looking for a deranged classic. Before keyboardists were common banging away in heavy metal bands, there was "The Rite of Spring." In this fictitious "rehearsal" of the violent story, two "percussive and pounding" pianos accompanied the chaotic dance choreographed by John Clifford. Even though no riots broke out like in the original, the performance not was not dissimilar to the original event in 1913, which, according to Clifford, "was like a rock concert."\nThe music and dancing started out mellow and moody but grew to a steady stream of hard-hitting action. The dance was sexual with skimpy practice attire and unorthodox hip movements. The multitude of dancers made many large intricate and chaotic formations successfully indicating a worship and sacrifice for pagan deities. The main female character -- the beautiful virgin portrayed by Jenna Maule -- toed the line between classical ballet and contemporary interpretations. Tthis and the movements reminiscent of head-banging are very symbolic of the schism from traditional, classic ballet dance in "The Rehearsal." The stage lighting was simple but changed to the right hues of reds and purples and other colors at the right times. The dancers presented a frightful mood reminiscent of a heavy metal concert. The story riles with fury and cuts off before the climax, which would have been bloody with the sacrifice of the beautiful virgin. It does end, convincingly, with the fictitious choreographer going crazy.