Julio Bocca's Ballet Argentino
presents a wide ranging program from exquisite classical ballet to fiery tango
at The Orange County Performing Arts Center.
In the Grand Pas de Deux from "Don Quixote," Bocca as Basil partners
with Lucianna Paris as Kitri. They pirouette, he lifts her, she kicks a leg
out, he spins her around. The passion builds as he lifts her high, and swings
her down. He spins and leaps while she's on pointe, drops to the flat of her
feet, crossing her legs, rising back up, and bounces up and down like that a
few times. They leap and spin, almost in competition. It's like any spin you
can do I can do double. It's almost like the dance equivalent of the Siegfried/Brunnhilde
duet in "Siegfried." It's one of the most dazzling exhibitions of
pure athleticism in dance I've ever seen. Julio Bocca is also one of the most
athletic dancers I've seen. He leaps high and seems to hang in the air for a
beat. It's really a beautiful piece of dancing.
"Adagietto" is choreographed by Oscar Araiz to music from Mahler's
"4th Symphony." Cecilia Figaredo and Christian Alessandria move with
serpentine grace and smoothness in this deliciously sensuous Pas de Deux. He
holds her tenderly and totally in his arms. He 
slowly
lifts her over his head, with his back to the audience. She leans back, facing
us, and stretches her arms out in supplication. She rolls back. He picks her
up on top of him and they both rise up in love. While he's on his back on the
stage she rolls on top of him. With only their hands and feet touching he lifts
her straight up above him. They move up to their knees, he lifts her and holds
her in a sitting position. She stretches her legs straight out in front, then
straight back. He lifts her high, she kneels on his shoulders and leans forward
over his head. "Adagietto" is one of the most sensuously beautiful
pieces I have ever seen.
"Suite Generis" is choreographed by Alberto Mendez to music of Handel
and Haydn. It's a
Pas de Trois for a ballerina and two male dancers. It's structured in five parts
and presents the conflict and triumphs of the lovers in different situations.
One of the dancers lifts the other, then they both lift her. She stands straight
up on one leg in the hand of one guy. She
rolls over to the other and both hold her, laid out flat over their heads. She
dances with one, while the other dances alone on the other side of the stage.
One guy slides her in front of him and they exit. When they return he lifts
her high and they pass her back and forth between them. Julieta Gros, Sergio
Amarante, and Benjamin Parada are lithe and lissome, witty and smooth in this
beautiful "Suite Generis."
"Sinfonia Endtrelazada"
has choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti to Mozart's Symphony K. 201, and is based
on Shakespeare's comedy "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and Sonnet's #30
and #42. We have Julio Bocca with Cecilia Figaredo, and Benjamin Parado with
Luciana Paris, and the corps de ballet. It opens and closes with a big amplified
voice reading a narration. We explore the emotions of the lovers as the guys
lift the girls, they leap and spin. Five pairs of girls kick their legs up,
out, and spin. We have some beautiful lighting effects and the only ensemble
dancing in the first half of the program in this lively exquisite piece.
Act 2 is Astor Piazzolla's Tango Vivo choreographed byAna Maria Streckelman.
The muisc is performed by the Fundación Astor Paizzola Quintet.
The work is created as a suite with solos, duets, trios, and quintets. It's
a sizzling blend of modern dance with hints of classical ballet, firmly rooted
in tango. There's a darkly lit group of dancers toward the rear of the stage.
A softly lit girl comes out and spins, slides down on the floor, and rolls.
The tension builds as she's joined by two guys. She dances with one, while the
other leaps and twirls around the stage to balance them against him, and all
against the group. The rythmn picks up and a girl does a lively dance. She's
joined by a guy who lifts her, sets her down, and she jumps into his arms. Six
guys in black with hats provide the backdrop as she does a scintillating solo.
Three men move like clockwork as they leap, kick, and cartwheel. They're replaced
by five girls with big sweeping arm movements, splits and spins. One spins off
and does a solo, and the others join in. They all come together and form sort
of a human pyramid.
Julio Bocca uses a table as a prop in "Invierno Porteño." He
slides under, rolls over the top, kicks his legs straight out, and raises himself
up on it. He does a handstand, slides over and under it. He's joined by Luciana
Paris. They lie back on the table in a slow, passionate burn. He lifts her and
rolls her. The company wraps it up in a steamy number as they jiterbug, cha-cha,
and tango with some classical ballet moves in this sizzling production by Julio
Bocca's Ballet Argentino at The Orange County Performing Arts Center.
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