Jorma Elo’s smart-looking “Overglow”

Dance

We haven’t seen “Overglow” yet. It was created just this past summer in the mystical terrain of Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, superstar choreographer, Jorma Elo, sculpted “Overglow,” set to music by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, on the bending human pretzels of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, located outside Washington D.C., commissioned “Overglow” as Elo’s fourth work for the southwestern duel-city ballet troupe. Ranging between eight and twelve dancers, the Aspen Santa Fe’ans have carved a niche as specialists in contemporary ballet and they’re a favored outlet for the globe-trotting Elo. We nabbed some “Overglow” photos for your viewing pleasure …

Here in Los Angeles, we’ll soon see Elo’s choreography on the Scottish Ballet. That’s exciting. The Scottish Ballet! Wow. But just a reminder that our own American dance troupe, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, this season marking its 15th anniversary, who perform regularly at New York’s Joyce Theater and at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, have never been seen in Los Angeles. They danced on the periphery, in Irvine at the Barclay, and at Cal State Northridge, but they have not yet entered the belly of the beast.

I had the pleasure of watching the Aspen’ites burrow into an abstruse, demanding program at Jacob’s Pillow this summer. They are hugely serious and talented. And they are audience pleasers.

We look forward to seeing the Scots and thereafter, hope that the Aspen Santa Fe’ans can also bring their rigor to our market. Especially since, after a  two-hour flight from Albuquerque they can touch down at LAX. Isn’t that why God invented Southwest Airlines?

Scottish Ballet | Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center | Los Angeles Music Center | October 14 – 16


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