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BalletX is an awesome young dance company that is revitalizing the dance scene in Philly. Resident at the Wilma Theatre, their goal is to redefine ballet and bring it into the new century – certainly no tutus or Nutcrackers here! Their Summer Series, which opened on Wednesday and runs only through Sunday the 26th, is not to be missed: dance aficionados as well as newcomers will be blown away by the power, athleticism, and artistry of the performance.

The show included three separate pieces, performed for a packed and excited house. The first piece, Scenes View 2, was a BalletX favorite that premiered during the 2006 Live Arts Festival. Set to a Bach violin partita, seven dancers in simple black and gray costumes presented an abstract dance that at first seemed hard for me to wrap my head around – almost like an experimental theatre piece, complete with bits of voice-over by the dancers – until I stopped trying and instead just enjoyed the movements, letting their jerky, eerie dancing and impressively synchronized moves do the speaking, with no interpretation necessary.

The next piece, Broke Apart, was another repertory piece that became an instant favorite as soon as it premiered in 2006. Featuring four movable bars and a series of upbeat popular songs, each segment was playful and fun. At times the dancers performed awe-inspiring gymnastic moves and holds, and at others the bars became props for what seemed like lovers’ tiffs, being hurled across the stage at other dancers and swung into new configurations. Each piece was light-hearted and accessible, and halfway through the dance I realized I’d been grinning the whole time.

The last piece on the program was the real headliner: the world premiere of Le Baiser Inevitable (“The Inevitable Kiss”), choreographed by guest artist Jodie Gates and set to Ravel’s powerful and throbbing “Bolero.” A bit of fog in the air helped to delineate the light beams, which picked out the striking red- and black-costumed dancers. The eight dancers (three women and five powerful men) spun in sensual, almost sexually-charged circles. By the end the dancers’ chests were heaving and the audience was completely exhilarated, leaping to its collective feet for what seemed like an endless standing ovation.

Get yourself to the Wilma this weekend to see the dance performance of the summer; you won’t think of ballet in the same way again.

Ballet X Summer Series
July 22nd – 26th
www.balletx.org

The Wilma Theatre
265 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 546-7824
www.wilmatheater.org