Arts Ballet Theater of Florida
Arts Ballet Theater of Florida recently presented a program of Stravinsky’s "The Firebird" and two short pieces, "El Encuentro" featuring Albinoi’s "Adagio in D Minor "and the world premiere of "Fuego con Pajarillo" by Aldemaro Romero.
The production, which played both in Broward and Dade counties was absolutely stunning. Stravinsky’s "The Firebird" was brought to life with gorgeous sets and lush costumes that accented and accompanied Vladimir Issaev’s athletic and imaginative choreography.
As the Firebird, Solange Villacorta was nothing short of amazing. Villacorta’s stunning good looks and graceful presence fits perfectly with the character of the Firebird and every time she was onstage, she was delightful and charming.
The company, on the whole, is filled with a talented group of young dancers. From the children to the adults, hard work and dedication to the ballet is clearly in evidence.
As the Prince in "The Firebird" and the featured male in "El Encuentro," Andre Konkin was lovely to watch. Konkin is stunningly beautiful with his classic Russian features, his blond hair and his near perfect body. He is athletic and graceful. The only thing that I found lacking in Konkin’s performance was a sense of emotional attachment to what he was doing. While I know that ballet, is primarily about the body, the face is also important, especially when you are in the closer seats in the house, and Konkin seemed to be concentrating more on what he was doing rather than the emotion behind it. It would have been unnoticeable except for the fact that all of the other leads seemed to be very emotionally involved with their characters.
As the Demon in "The Firebird" and the male lead in "Fuego con Pajarillo," Brian Ruis was amazing. His dancing was athletic and consistently impressive. I am very much looking forward to seeing him perform again. He was a pleasure and joy to watch each time he was on stage.
The Arts Ballet Theater does not use a live orchestra for their performances. This was a little disappointing to me, but I am aware that the cost of hiring an orchestra would prohibit them from offering tickets at low prices. The one thing that did completely impress me was the number of children that attended the ballet. The Arts Ballet Theater works hard to include and involve the children of Broward and Dade Counties in their programs and if I were a parent, I know that I would be bringing my children to see each program that was offered. The Arts Ballet Theater offers several training programs for children including a Dancing with Disabilities program. It is wonderful to see an arts organization that recognizes that children really are the future of the arts and is working to develop that future on a community level.
The next program for the Arts Ballet Theater of Florida will be "The Nutcracker" in December and I will certainly be there to see this young and inspiring company perform again.
For more information on the Arts Ballet Theater of Florida, please visit the Arts Ballet Theater of Florida.
