Word: berdo
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...third piece was, once again, a huge leap in an entirely different direction. Called "Below Down Under," and choreographed to the buzzing, eerie sounds of the Australian didgeridoo by Laszlo Berdo, one of the company's own principal dancers, this was without a doubt the most exciting and breathtaking piece of dance that I have ever seen...
...story, as many know, opens as everyone in a sweet little Victorian-era town is getting ready for Christmas. Clara (Marie Ceranowicz) and Fritz (Hobraiam Suarez) and their parents host an enormous and delightful party, where the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer (Laszlo Berdo) gives Clara a Nutcracker toy that Fritz promptly breaks. (It is interesting to note that in this year's production, Fritz does not get spanked or punished in any way by his parents.) Drosselmeyer, however, takes pity on poor Clara--at midnight, he transforms the living room into a massive battlefield where the Nutcracker, brought to glorious life...
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...
...pirates' lair, Medora dances for the pirates and expresses her love for Conrad, who agrees, for her sake, to free the other slave girls. But this decision angers his close friend Birbanto (Lazlo Berdo), who concocts a plot whereby Conrad is drugged in his sleep and Birbanto attempts to murder him. Medora fights with Birbanto and slashes his arm before the pirates carry her off to the pasha. Conrad, awaking to find Medora gone, is consoled by a suddenly "loyal" Birbanto...
Throughout the performance, the male leads were consistently excellent. Robert Wallace danced the role of the fearless and compassionate Conrad superbly. The strength of his technique was evident during his many solos, which were filled with extremely high, streamlined jumps and great athleticism. Birbanto was portrayed by Lazlo Berdo, who has greatly refined and improved his technique and overall dancing over the past few years. Berdo's character almost stole the show with his silly, frolicking antics, expressive face and great acting. Soloist Yuri Yanowksi took the role of the slave, Ali, who dances with Medora in the pirates' lair...