Loyola’s spring ballet concert showcased this semester’s hard work in the ballet program.
The show began with the second act of “La Bayadere,” a story of forbidden love and deceit. The ballet centers on the celebration of the Rajah’s daughter Gamzatti, danced by management freshman Megan Adams, and her betrothal to the warrior Solor, danced by economics senior Alex Fossey. However, Solor is in love with temple dancer Nikiya, danced by Spanish senior Colleen Murphy, who is ordered by the High Brahmin, played music performance senior Casey Candebat, to perform for the couple. Seeing that Solor is actually in love with Nikaya the Rajah poisons her. The High Brahmin offers an antidote in exchange for his love but Nikaya refuses and dies.
Adams, who was trained at the Cincinatti Ballet Academy, said she has never been more challenged than she has been at Loyola.
“It was a lot of hard work, but I think it was one of the best productions the program has put on in years,” Adams said.
Adams was honored yet nervous to be cast as Gamzatti, as she is only a freshman.
“I was really honored,” Adams said. “But I really look up to Colleen (Murphy). She’s an amazing dancer.”
Loyola ballet students along with Loyola’s preparatory ballet program, and guest artist Kenneth Bryan as the Golden Idol, helped to tell the story of the forbidden lovers with grace and poise. The Middle Eastern backdrop and similarly-inspired costumes took the viewer to a place reminiscent of Agrabah during one hot Arabian night.
Director of Loyola’s ballet program, Laura Zambrano, used the original choreography for the production which she researched and was exposed to at the State Choreographic School of Tbilisi, Georgia which is in the former Soviet Union. She choose to do only the second act because there are a lot of characters for the students to play.
“The students inspire me and how they are progressing. I can visualize them in certain roles,” Zambrano said.
Following the short intermission the women of Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble presented a traditional Zar Ritual Dance, social occasions for Arabian women to get together and show off their beauty.
Next was an emotionally charged piece that showed the struggles of women and the difficulty in finding their voices in Middle Eastern society. This modern piece titled “Women Who Can’t Speak” was choreographed by Eddy Villalta, the artistic director of the local dance company DProject.
Guest artist Kimberly Matulich-Beck was up next with a solo piece set to Franz Liszt’s “Liebestraum” choreographed by Loyola professor, Gilbert Rome. Matutlich-Beck performed the calm and more reserved piece with technically fluid movements and grace.
Murphy choreographed the next piece titled The Serpent’s Kiss. The piece featured three “Eves,” psychology senior Cristina Campo, Muriel Capdepon, 16, of the preparatory program, and mass communication junior Catherine Cotton, tempted by three serpents, history junior Kelly Amstutz, Murphy, and graduate student Mary Esther Tuckerand was set to the instrumental piece of the same title composed by William Bolcom played live by pianist and music performance senior Gabriel Manalac. This flirtatious piece brought a very original and colorful interpretation of a Biblical tale to the night of dance.
Finally, the Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble closed the show with an energetic number called The Triumph of the Spirit. This New Orleans based non-profit organization performed a piece twith bright colorful costumes and traditional Mexican mariachi music that felt just like a jubilant fiesta.
