If you’re interested in seeing top quality dancing, intrepid attack, infectious charm and good entertainment then Marcello Angelino’s Tulsa Ballet at the Linbury will tick every box. And since the Oklahoma based company was making its UK debut, there were no prior expectations. How delightful to report that I was genuinely blown away, open-mouthed at the sheer brilliance and versatility of the dancers.
The programme of three diverse ballets titled Made in America amply showed just what this effervescent troupe could do even if the choreography was unsurprising. Opening with Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony to Prokofiev’s Symphony No.1 in D Major, first up was Jun Masuda’s extraordinarily bold double tour en l’air into a full plié, which he repeated. It was the start of a display of impeccably executed enchaînements which saw the entire cast devour the stage with maximum impact.
Masuda’s ballerina was an ebullient Nao Ota who, like him, tackled the complexities of Possokhov’s unrelenting pace with gusto. Turns in attitude devant, which could have defeated any other dancer, looked seamless and smooth. A series of grand jetés for the men highlighted the strength, footwork and line in general and most importantly, the exacting musicality across the board. It was a thrilling account, a feat of stamina and a wonderful introduction to the company as a whole.
Nicolo Fonte’s Divenire followed, to the soporific music of Ludovico Einaudi, it moved in soft, lyrical phrases. There were some beautiful moments of stillness with Aina Oki elevated above the group but on the whole the choreography fulfilled its purpose rather than being significantly effective. Jaimi Cullen and Edward Truelove led the ensemble with the utmost grace and conviction in a series of solos, duets and other combinations. I was slightly puzzled by the consistent switching from pointe shoes to flats and the taking on and off of skirts but perhaps this was to emphasise the endless evolution of our existence. An eye-catching moment was Ota’s soaring double assemblé en tournant right at the front of the stage. A step usually reserved for men, she proved that she is fearless. It was so startling, I felt compelled to check in the interval that I had actually witnessed it!
The final piece of the evening was Andy Blankenbuehler’s Remember Our Song. He is best known for his choreography of the hit shows Hamilton and In the Heights and definitely has the attributes of good musical theatre. Set to various jazzy songs by Regina Spektor, Greg Anthony Rassen and Louis Prima (all recorded music), it cleverly depicted a group of World War 2 sailors stationed on a submarine. After an audible explosion and a sense of fear encroached, they reminisced about those loved ones they had left behind.
Teague Applegate as Charlie and Giulia Canavese as Helen gave dreamy performances as the leading couple. There was more than a hint of Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free but the work still held its own and was dramatically believable. As it reached its climax, I was left wanting more – which is the biggest compliment one can give.
Since this was Tulsa Ballet’s first visit, it would have been easy to get carried away with analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the 37 member company. But the reality is that the impression was overwhelmingly positive. They are exceptionally strong technicians, warm personalities, good actors and high on energy. The overriding quality though, is musicality. It was a complete joy to watch each dancer, in each contrasting ballet, really dancing to the music. This is what I will take away with me. I hope they return swiftly because we could all do with another dose of their exuberance.
