Word: balletically
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...tone of the trilogy's first ballet, "Waterbaby Bagatelles," with choreography by the ultra-innovative Twyla Tharp, ranges from hauntingly mechanical to precociously cute. A gigantic grid of flourescent lights dangling at varying angles just inches above the dancers' heads adds to the surreal, Blade Runner-esque mood onstage. No-sweat-showing spandex and stretch velvet seem to be costume designer Santo Loquasto's fabrics of choice for this production--the men don shimmery silver tank tops and billowy white pants, while the women wear either two-color fluttery gowns resembling beach cover-ups, or bathing beauty-style suits...
...aloof low. In Segment III in particular, Larissa Ponomarenko and Paul Thrussel entwined themselves over and over again in matching navy velvet outfits. Even the audience's pulse ran quickly, but like the lighting and the mood of the sub-ambient music, a strong emotional detachment pervaded this particular ballet...
Next on the program is "Four Hands," principal dancer Lazlo Berdo's choreographic masterpiece, set to sprightly Rachmaninoff works being performed live onstage by Freda Locker and Maya Isyanova. Amy Persky's costumes, again mostly consisting of stretch velvet (though black in this ballet) and artfully displaying the dancers' hands and feet, become the perfect accent for the breathtakingly intense piano music--at moments, the dancers seem to be the piano keys themselves. A fantastic lighting design by Linda O'Brien expresses the varying moods of the performance perfectly, from deliciously jazzy to achingly romantic...
Last, but not least by any standards, is Boston Ballet's much-loved production of "Celts," with choreography by Lila York and Costumes by Tunji Dada. Since its premiere in March 1996--and riding on the high-kicking heels of "Riverdance" and Michael Flately's debatably egocentric "Lord of the Dance"--"Celts" has become one of the most adored segments in Boston Ballet's recent history. Although the dance remains as pulse-pounding and foot-stomping as ever, this particular revival seems to lack the contagious energy that was known for "ensnaring the audience and lifting it to its feet...
...despite the awkward ending on which the evening ends, Boston Ballet's Body Electric stands out as a fusion of quality art and aesthetic enjoyment, of pleasure for the eye and ear. Although each of the dances stands out as an original work, one firm string ties them all together: pushing the boundaries (and creating new ones) of expression through human movement. "Waterbaby Bagatelles" questions those boundaries. "Four Hands" celebrates them. And "Celts" puts them to a great rhythm. For that and that alone, Body Electric transcends all questions about the purpose of art and becomes, quite simply great...