Dance Reviews

Jul 18, 2009 - It's a bravo performance for the Sierra Nevada Ballet with Cami Thompson and her trio at the Reno is Artown festival

By Jack Neal

In a 90-minute program of dance and song the Sierra Nevada Ballet enthralled a large Thursday-evening (7/16/09) crowd in Reno’s Wingfield Park. Once again the company proved itself to be an excellent dance troupe worthy of public support.

In collaboration with songstress Cami Thompson and her exceptional trio – pianist Bill Hecht, bassist Joe McKenna, drummer Steve Self, plus tenor Steve Hallan – this Artown event was on the chatty side, but when the talk stopped there was plenty to love.

The dancing, an exploration of styles from the waltz from “Swan Lake” to the tap-dancing magic of Sam Weber and Ananda Bena-Weber dancing to “Begin the Beguine” from “Broadway Melody of 1940” (re-creating the magnetic screen performances of Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell), was in every case exciting and exquisitely brought off. Credit the power behind SNB, choreographer and founder Rosine Bena, for the top-notch – often brilliant – dancing of her company.

Credit, too, must go to Thompson for her efforts at making the program varied, attractive - and box office. Thompson, who has a large following as a singer, is a trouper who knows a worthy enterprise and will do everything she can to make it succeed. The Sierra Nevada Ballet is simply too terrific not to find a permanent home in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area.

Bena has engaged a corps de ballet of 21 dancers some of whom also provide many fine solo moments. Each is a gifted dancer. Each is wonderful as part of Bena’s team. And each deserves mention and individual accolades. Alexander Biber, Katy Breeding, Erica Chipp, Alyssa Corda, Tess Corda, Callie Cuff, Makenzie Diehl, Alexandra Gemmill, Blanca Fascio, David Fonnegra, Courtney Jankovic, Jordan Lamoreaux, Rachel Spiedel Little, Laura Lunde, Erica Macaluso, Jenkyns Pelaez, Ciara Perez, Casey Rath, Greta Sturm, Maggie Tietz, and Carlos Venturo are the backbone of SNB. All make extensive contributions to the artistic success of the company.

From this auspicious collection of talents, there were exciting solo vignettes from standard ballets of note: Erica Chipp (“La Bayadere”) was entrancing; Ananda Bena-Weber (“Paquita”) was elegant; Rachel Spiedel Little (“Giselle”) was exciting. Kudos to all three, and Bena’s choreography.

One of the company’s staples is its suite of dances from “West Side Story.” And so it was again. Bena’s ability as choreographer to propel story, mood and character through movement is vibrant. Doing a production number to “Food” from “Oliver," dance students from the Western Nevada Performing Arts Center could not have been more charming. Gina Kaskie-Davis choreographed for these youngsters and her work seems to be all it should be. Commenting about her years at Fox Studios in Hollywood as a child star, Shirley Temple said, “My directors always made it fun.” Performance for children should be fun.

Fun, too, is watching anything relating to waltz time. And waltz time was such a lovely way to close. With the ladies in beautifully designed gowns and the gentlemen in white tie and tales, the two closing numbers “After the Ball” and “Shall We Dance” were an exhilarating swirl of movement and color.

Standing ovations are often more polite than appropriate. In this case it was an appropriate expression of regard for splendid dancing and a highly entertaining evening of dance and song.

For information about future Sierra Nevada Ballet performances call 775-783-3223.