Boston Ballet presents Play with Fire

Sharp Side of Dark

Jorma Elo’s Sharp Side of Dark was
premiered by Boston Ballet in 2002. Featuring large-scale architectural sets
and a haunting lighting design, the work weaves contemporary movement with
classical ballet tenacity. Four men and four women take the stage in this
elaborate feast for the eyes. Flaunting sensational flexibility, they appear
almost ghostlike in the eerie, multidimensional world Elo has created in this
piece. Set to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Sharp
Side of Dark is a perfect depiction of Elo’s vision for modern ballet.

BELLA FIGURA

Bella Figura, created by Jiři
Kylián in 1995, is a dreamlike work set to a Baroque score. Kylián has
described the work as “a journey in time—light and space, addressing the
ambiguity of aesthetics—performances and dreams. Finding beauty in a grimace—in
a knot of the mind—or in a physical contortion. It is like standing on the edge
of a dream.” The Los Angeles Times wrote of Bella Figura, “in an
increasingly dark world, [Kylián’s] dancers are beautiful enough to give almost
anyone renewed faith.”

ROOSTER

Christopher
Bruce’s Rooster is a spirited,
contemporary work influenced and set to music by The Rolling Stones. It first
premiered in 1991 with the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, and has since taken
international stages to both popular and critical acclaim. Featuring eight of
The Stones’ classic hits, Rooster’s
score includes Paint it Black, Ruby Tuesday, Lady Jane, and Not Fade Away.