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Joffrey Gala

Dy John Shown

A friend of mine once said.

The main reason I go to the ballet is to check out all those beautiful bodies. and anyone who says they don’t is a damn liar.”

OK, I’ll admit it, why not? I love a beautiful body as much as any one else and what the Joftrey Ballet does to show off all those perfect bodies should be enough to convert any non-ballet-goer.

Since the Joffrey is best known for having thrust strong male dancers into the forefront of ballet, brought their exciting company to San Antonio for four nights in June. Opening night of the Silver Jubilee gala started with a bang: Suite Sail-Saens. first on the bill. was a winner!

Exquisite lighting by Thomas Skelton emphasized the changing moods of the piece, as well as defining the performers’ perfect moves (those beautiful bodies again…). Associate Director Gerald Arpino, the choreographer responsible for the Joffrey

‘look: vibrant, jazzy, and youth-ful, choreographed Suite Saint-Sans. Especially noteworthy in the large cast was James Canfield, a powerhouse who exudes masculine assurance. Then, we have Cynthia Anderson: talk about extension! When Cynthia extends her arms and legs they seem to just keep going beyond human limits. It is just as diffi-to define extension as to explain ‘star quality. but Cynthia Is terrific in both categories.

The second piece on the program was the premiere of Trans-figured Night, choreographed by Jiri Kylian. Frankly I was puzzled by it. Firstly, by what the ballet meant (was somebody raped. or what the heck was going on?) and secondly. I wondered why the Joffrey chose to revive this particular piece. Fortunately tor everyone concerned. Pas De Six presented here more than 100 years after its first pertormance. rekindled the spark in the audience. Rather than going into its involved his-torical background. it is suttic-lent to say that Pas De Six is a lighthearted dance that was originally a standard in the repertoire of tamous dancers Arthur Saint-Leon and Fanny Cerrito way back in 1850. In Degas-like costumes. Ann Marie De Angelo and Julian Montaner impressed us with their own interpretation of how their original counter-pans might have danced this romantic ballet. 

The final ballet of the evening was Arpino’s Trinity. A Joffrey signature piece. The outstanding score by Alan Ralph and Lee Holdridge combines rock music and a medieval sound enhanced by a boys choir: all of the music was conducted by Allan Lewis who turned in an excellent job throughout the evening All of the things that make the Joffrey exciting were at work in this piece – the rich colors of the body-clinging costumes.

The lighting of Jennifer Tipton, but most especially it is the choreography by Arpino that thrills the audience time and tıme again.

The entire gala event seemed to be geared toward the entrance of  San Antonio’s Edward Morgan local-boy-who-makes-good-in-the-big-time. The tension and jov of the company was seen and felt as they literally made way for this showcasing of Edward’s talent. He did not disappoint us. Tn fact it was as if the entire corps was saying to the audience. “Well here he is your little boy. Edward Morgan. See how he has grown? He belongs to the world now. Ain’t he something?” Yes. He is something! His exuberance and charisma are something to behold. No wonder the Joffrey is grooming him for stardom. The Joffrey and San Antonio can be proud of their find but the person who would be proudest is the one who believed in his talent from the start – his mother Kathryn Morgan. It was their night Kathryn’s and Edward’s and we were honored to share it with them

Look for John Shown s more extensive coverage of the Joffrey in Dance Magazine