Tulsa Ballet at Joyce Theater
http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/ballet/welcome-back-tulsa-ballet/743/
New York regularly plays host to ballet companies from smaller cities. It’s an oft brutal undertaking for the visitors. The old lyric/trope—“if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”—holds some truth, although many a company manages just fine by avoiding New York City. Tulsa Ballet finally took the plunge after a 25 year hiatus, and the one lingering question is, what took them so long?
The company performed at the Joyce, flattering venue to many visiting companies, although the rep performed could use a larger stage. Nonetheless, the three works shown showed off the group’s assets. Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations (1974) felt more like a party than a dance, in no small part due to Ian Spurling’s fantastic mock evening wear, mainly unitards of brilliant colors and patterns. Pairs and groups of varying number took centerstage as the others ringed the periphery. Karina Gonzalez, in a sleek white costume, dazzled with her fine technique and cool, yet riveting stage presence.
