In The Upper Room

I went to the ballet tonight for the first time in quite awhile. The first piece, Agon, was okay, but not amazing. It has always seemed kind of sterile to me. I remain convinced that both Stravinsky and Balanchine were geniuses, and I appreciate the work on an intellectual level, but it didn't really move me.

The second section of the evening contained Kiss and Caught. The former involved two dancers in street clothing rigged up in harnesses hanging from the ceiling. It was unique in that sense, but seemed to play out its potential within its several-minute length. And I know those harnesses had to be painful. The best part of Caught was Olivier Wevers. He is beautiful, and can perform even the simplest movements in an exquisite manner.

The highlight of the evening, though, was most definitely Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room, set to music by Philip Glass. I adored the music, and the choreography felt fresh, original, and engaging even though it was created over 20 years ago. In short, it reminded me of what I like about ballet.