Always on the move, moving as one, following every music note with the boldest or the slightest movements of their perfectly trained bodies, 24 Morris’s dancers sweep across the stage leaf-like in his timeless masterpiece, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Set to Handel’s music, the multimedia Baroque piece includes John Milton’s poetry, rearranged by the composer’s librettist Charles Jennens, and is performed in perfect harmony in Zellerbach Hall by Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (Jane Glover, conductor) and Cal’s own Chamber Chorus and soloists. Since its premiere more than 20 years ago, L’Allegro is considered the most significant achievement not only of the Group, but also of modern dance in general. Morris is notorious for selecting his dancers based on their “musicality” and their ability “to do the job” as part of the group, and for maintaining the amazing level of their technical skill through vigorous daily routines starting with the morning ballet classes. He boasts an impressive number of talented performers who have been with the group since its inception or its very early stages. Recognizable by their devout fans, Morris’s dancers might seem like regular human beings, with their different body types, hairstyles, and individual features, but at the end of an evening-long performance of highly demanding intricate moves that awash a stage with an unstoppable speed and grace of an ocean wave, it’s obvious that we witness a historical event and experience a moment of higher truth… For information on Cal Performances programs and to reserve tickets call 510-642-9988 or visit www.calperformances.org. Image by Ken Friedman.
Mark Morris Dance Group in Magical Sequences of L’Allegro Stuns Cal Performances
Info Post
Always on the move, moving as one, following every music note with the boldest or the slightest movements of their perfectly trained bodies, 24 Morris’s dancers sweep across the stage leaf-like in his timeless masterpiece, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Set to Handel’s music, the multimedia Baroque piece includes John Milton’s poetry, rearranged by the composer’s librettist Charles Jennens, and is performed in perfect harmony in Zellerbach Hall by Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (Jane Glover, conductor) and Cal’s own Chamber Chorus and soloists. Since its premiere more than 20 years ago, L’Allegro is considered the most significant achievement not only of the Group, but also of modern dance in general. Morris is notorious for selecting his dancers based on their “musicality” and their ability “to do the job” as part of the group, and for maintaining the amazing level of their technical skill through vigorous daily routines starting with the morning ballet classes. He boasts an impressive number of talented performers who have been with the group since its inception or its very early stages. Recognizable by their devout fans, Morris’s dancers might seem like regular human beings, with their different body types, hairstyles, and individual features, but at the end of an evening-long performance of highly demanding intricate moves that awash a stage with an unstoppable speed and grace of an ocean wave, it’s obvious that we witness a historical event and experience a moment of higher truth… For information on Cal Performances programs and to reserve tickets call 510-642-9988 or visit www.calperformances.org. Image by Ken Friedman.
0 comments:
Post a Comment