Last Sunday night, the dance contingency of Jasper Magazine was delighted to be hosted by Columbia Classical Ballet at their annual Cabaret Night at 701 Whaley. It was an evening of food, drink, a live auction, and art -- a great way to spend a Sunday night. (We also popped in for the end of Jasper's Wet Ink Poetry Series, hosted by Kendal Turner at the Jasper Studios at the Arcade, and then moved down the block to The Whig for a free concert by the (fabulous) Mobros -- a young band with pretty spectacular talent.) But by far, the best part of the night at the ballet was getting a sneak peek of the ballet company assembled this year by Radenko Pavlovich, artistic director of Columbia Classical Ballet. The company performed a half-dozen or so numbers with dances that ranged from the appropriate opening cabaret number -- a happy performance that included what looked to be a massive full company -- to a classy little tango number in black featuring principal dancer Lauren Frere. Frere's tango, which alternated between being flirtatious, sexy, and classy -- as any good tango should do -- was an excellent way of demonstrating this beautiful dancer's port de bras and extension.
The company, as-a-whole, performed admirably given the newness of the season, the atypical performance space (a marley-covered concrete floor), and obvious difficulties with the sound system.
Jasper looks forward to their coming season: La Bayadere on October 13th, featuring Brooklyn Mack; the Nutcracker , Lifechance in January, and then a reprisal of last season's Swan Lake.
