Friday April 13, 2012 - Above: dancers Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall in a still from the film NY EXPORT|OPUS JAZZ. This afternoon at the 92nd Street Y, Ellen Bar (who along with Sean Suozzi created the film) presented excerpts from the movie as well as two new "ballets in sneakers" created by Troy Schumacher and Adam Hendrickson.
Buttenweiser Hall was packed as Ellen began her presentation, showing three clips from the film which was shot on locations all around Our Town. Broken out of the theatrical retraints of a staged performance, OPUS JAZZ looks incredible and is brilliantly danced and acted by a dynamic set of NYCB's superb dancers.
Inviting two of her NYCB colleagues to create new works for this presentation, Ellen's only rule was that "they must be danced in sneakers" Troy Schumacher gave us SONG, a duet-in-progress performed to music by Gabriel Kahane and excitingly danced by NYCB super-stars Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild. In casual everyday dress, the two dancers performed this sporty, flirty pas de deux with their customary flair, indicating a more passionate subtext beneath the jazzy moves.
Elizabeth Wallace, a 2010 Mae Wein 'outstanding promise' award winner, looked spectacular dancing Adam Hendrickson's solo SYSTEMATIC REVERB. Cool and totally in command, the dancer deploys a flashing extension, her intriguing face and kozmic-blue sneakers keeping us transfixed: dancing in her own world. For this solo, Adam turned to some sexy, pulsating music composed by NYCB principal Sebastien Marcovici which underscored the dancer's entrancing performance.