Red Angels at Pacific Northwest Ballet

When I watched part of the rehearsal for Director’s Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet, my attention was captured by another piece (more on that one later). But during the performance, “Red Angels” was the one that stood out. When the piece ended and the lights came up, my nine-year-old (who usually prefers a more traditional style of ballet) turned me wide-eyed and said, “That was amazing.”

The Music

You can’t talk about “Red Angels” without talking about the music. I know that in ballet circles there is some talk about music subjugating dance (Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite lives on without the ballet, but without Tchaikovsky, there is no ballet – more on that later). But most of the time, as long as the music is classical and vaguely pretty, audiences don’t pay very close attention. Not so “Red Angels.” The music, “Maxwell’s Demon” was written by Richard Einhorn for electric violinist Mary Rowell – I think it was specifically for this ballet. We were lucky enough to have Rowell, in red cowboy boots, perform the music for opening weekend. (Second weekend audiences are a different kind of lucky- PNB Concertmaster Michael Jinsoo Lim is one of I think only two violinists after Rowell who have received permission to accompany this ballet.

Often playing on two strings simultaneously, often adding percussive beats on the neck, the music sometimes sounds like two violins. Like Robert Johnson, who also accompanied himself on one set of strings, Rowell sometimes sounded bluesy. But the music was also as abrasive and dissonant as heavy metal. Whether inherited from Paganini, blues, or metal, Rowell’s violin followed a long tradition of devil music.

Sacred Profanity

The evil effect was heightened by lurid lighting and the dancers’ red leotards. The movements were alternately attractive and repellent – almost like watching snakes in a pit. But the dance was also transcendent. It reminded me of a quote from the anime Kino’s Journey:

The world is beautiful because it isn’t.

Humans fall prey to temptation and do ugly things. But we strive for something higher and although we usually fail, the very struggle is beautiful. Rarely, the light within us shines with bright purity and makes everything else worthwhile. Everything about this ballet shrieks duality. Sometimes the dancers seem to be addressing the audiences – they use the stage like a catwalk. Sometimes they seem to be in their own worlds. They move in perfect synchrony, making exquisite shapes together, then seem not to trust one another. There’s love and violence and so, so much energy. If there’s one thing the devil’s got, it’s soul.

Artistic Director Peter Boal (who danced the first cast of the ballet) has said that themes of religion, strength, and conflict are present in all of Dove’s choreography. He describes Dove as “torn between a darker world and one filled with light.”

If that is the case, “Red Angels” is his autobiography.

Tickets

Remaining Dates:

March 22 – 24 at 7:30 pm

March 25 at 1:00 pm

Tickets ($30-$187) may be purchased online. Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to each performance at McCaw Hall – these tickets are half-price for students and seniors; $5 for TeenTix members.

Just the Facts

Music: Richard Einhorn (Maxwell’s Demon, 1988-1990)
Choreography: Ulysses Dove
Staging: Peter Boal
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
Running Time: 14 minutes
Premiere: May 9, 1994; New York City Ballet (Diamond Project)
PNB Premiere: September 17, 2005

Casting on the night I attended:
Leta Biasucci*
Benjamin Griffiths*
Laura Tisserand*
William Lin-Yee*

*First time in role