Dolls pay homage to Ballets Russes

Impresario Serge Diaghilev unleashed Ballets Russes on the dance world a century ago. The company, featuring legends Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, brought glamour and shock value to the stage, and occasionally caused riots. While Ballet of the Dolls' "Pas de Quatre: The Oriental Ballets" won't inspire civil unrest outside the Ritz Theater, it still provokes thought about the new possibilities an inventive choreographer such as Myron Johnson can uncover from layers of history and lore.

Johnson does not faithfully replicate "Cleopatra," "The Firebird," "Le Dieu Bleu" and "Scheherazade." Instead, he summons the Ballets Russes' essence, then reveals his version of the dances. The costumes are ornate, the makeup bold and the lighting design by Mike Grogan saturated with abundant color. The music is contemporary, but Johnson stays faithful to the source material by exaggerating expressions as if in a silent movie and romanticizing aspects of other cultures. Overall, the program is a time-traveling experience that occasionally goes astray but mostly asserts itself as a fond homage.

In "Cleopatra," Johnson plays with hieroglyphic-style movement and emphasizes Stephanie Fellner's regal bearing, but the result is rather frantic. The epic story needs space to luxuriously unfold. "The Firebird," on the other hand, is the evening's most resonant work, retainning Igor Stravinsky's score. Zhauna Franks, dressed in red, evolves from preening bird to confident woman, while Robert Skafte struggles with his disturbing need to possess her. Johnson presents a harrowing glimpse into humanity's dark side, using a film noir setting. Both dancers show a range of emotional perspectives enhanced by a sense of detail and urgency.

In "Scheherazade," Johnson fully embraces the campiness within the Ballets Russes tradition by creating a decadent royal court in which the title character charms with her dancing. Heather Cadigan delivers an exceptional performance using elements of Middle Eastern movement (kudos to Cassandra from Jawaahir Dance Company for coaching the dancers).

And with "Le Dieu Bleu," Johnson offers a ritualistic dance that may be the most faithful to the original in its strangely compelling oddness. From the bizarre to the beautiful, it's clear that Ballet of the Dolls was destined to revive the Ballets Russes spirit. After all, they've really been keeping it alive for the past 24 years.

Caroline Palmer writes regularly about dance.