Pulcinella: Reimagined & El Amor Brujo
Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28

Moody Performance Hall​

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The evening started in the lobby with the sounds of the Spanish guitar featuring Stephen Lochbaum, and guest artist mezzo soprano Carla Lopez-Speziale. An audience formed around this attraction, brightened by Spanish a-tired dancers from Flamenco Fever.

The first ballet act, El Amor Brujo featured a flock of black-skirted dancers moving with fluid intensity and fury to tell the story of a young widow (danced by Ruiko Jacobs) haunted by her husband's ghost. With a sorceress' help, she purges his presence via a powerful dance of Fire, and returns to her first love. The music was accompanied by Ms. Speziale's powerful lower register 'cante'.

In the second act, Igor Stravinsky’s witty baroque-inspired Pulcinella offered a contrast with a full spectrum of lighting and lace-overlaid costumes, capturing the Comedia del Arte character of the sly Pulcinella set to woo his Pimpinella performed by Caroline Atwell (her last role before retiring). Premiere choreography by Katie Puder included vignettes of dancers with the philandering Pulcinella, continually distracted by passing beauties, then returning sheepishly to pursue his true love. Chandler Proctor's comedic gestures were highly effective, making for fun entertainment within the high art of ballet and the magnificent music of Stravinsky.