Song and Dance
Nashville Ballet unveils evening of creative collaboration with local tunesmiths
by Maureen Needham
Nashville Ballet w/Jonell Mosser, Nanci Griffith, and Hal Ketchum
Feb. 9-10 at TPAC’s Polk Theater
Call 255-ARTS for ticket information
This weekend, Nashville Ballet director Paul Vasterling will present an unusual triple bill in collaboration with local songwriters Jonell Mosser, Nanci Griffith, and Hal Ketchum. The three will sing their own compositions as the full company of dancers performs to the music. “It’s been a dream of mine to do a full evening of my choreography to live Nashville music,” Vasterling says. “I thought it would take a long time for me to build up to this. But it happened a lot faster than I expected.” More than simply fulfilling a personal ambition, the program is intensely personal in yet another way for the choreographer: Each piece represents some aspect of his own experience—who he has been and who he is now. “These things happened to me,” he says. “Each of these three pieces is pretty personal to me.”
Nanci Griffith’s “This Heart,” an instant success when it was first premiered in 1996, was selected as the company’s signature piece for its appearance in Bozell, Switzerland. Vasterling was first attracted to the singer’s works because of their “bittersweet” quality, combined with an air of fresh exuberance. “I can see different parts of me in it,” he says, hastening to add, “when I was younger, of course.” During the performance, Griffith sings a total of six songs about youthful passion—what Vasterling calls an “ultra romantic or over-the-top” kind of love. One pas de deux is all playful puppy love, another shows the desperation of lovers whose affair is on the skids.
A second piece, with music by Jonell Mosser, reflects a more sardonic or seasoned view of life. “Pop!” (1999) was originally inspired by icons of pop culture—Andy Warhol’s vision of Marilyn Monroe, for instance, infused with the sexy, jazzy style of Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse. During Mosser’s performance of her song “Ordinary Splendor,” dancer Anna Djouloukhadze is shown repudiating the steady love proffered by an ordinary soul, and makes clear her fascination with the rich and famous. It takes a while for this female version of the Prodigal Son to grow up and discover that the man who makes her happy is the one who will bring her the morning coffee in bed. Ballerina Alisha Murray, during the finale of the piece, depicts a jubilant bride in an outlandish wedding scene danced to Mosser’s “What You Did to Me Last Night.”
Hal Ketchum’s “Awaiting Redemption” is the latest creation in Vasterling’s trilogy. In it, the choreographer strikes a somewhat more contemplative tone. The title song, he says, could be interpreted as having to do with the midlife, how one grows into maturity by going through the hard periods. “That’s what I’m doing, that’s what Hal is doing. That’s where Scott [Brown, the leading dancer] is!” Here, Brown enacts Vasterling’s alter ego and watches himself pass through various youthful incarnations played by two other dancers. The first duet shows “the fresh dewy rapport between two people,” while the second portrays “the missed opportunity where two people can’t seem to get on the same page.” Then follows a solo that deals with the theme of loneliness and the spiritual significance of being alone. “Ultimately,” Vasterling concludes, “we are alone, and that’s how we all end up.”
The Nashville Ballet winter concert promises an unusual musical treat. Each ballet takes its cue from the voice of its musical performer, putting a different spin on human relationships. And Vasterling’s enthusiasm for this creative collaboration is shared as much by the songwriters themselves. Griffith cites the “extraordinary opportunity for me to grow as an artist,” and indeed the theme of personal growth holds “This Heart” together. This growth is also reflected in the evolving artistry of the company dancers. After 15 years of dancing for Vasterling, the members of Nashville Ballet are maturing artistically right alongside him, and this full-length evening of his works will prove it.
Passing through
Also this weekend, ODC/San Francisco comes to Langford Auditorium for one performance Feb. 9 as part of Vanderbilt’s Great Performances series. It’s unfortunate that dance lovers are forced to cram into one weekend both the Nashville Ballet and this superb modern dance company, but the effort will undoubtedly be worth it. The highly inventive Brenda Way, artistic director, shares choreographic chores with KT Nelson (also co-director) and Kimi Okada. The three work well together and have evolved a casual but edgy style. ODC’s dazzling dancers exemplify a restless athleticism, utilizing body slams, pratfalls, and headstands along with more conventional dance moves. Their virtuosity remains in the memory long after the curtain falls.
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