Black Box ballet

Last night in the Walsh Black Box Theater, which was unadorned except for a string of what looked like colorful prayer flags, Ballet Folklorico, in conjunction with Latin dance group Ritmo y Sabor, put on their final show of the semester in honor of Posada, a Hispanic celebration in anticipation of Christmas. The show featured Ballet Folklorico’s traditional dancing with elaborate and colorful skirts, while Ritmo y Sabor provided an ample dose of Latin beats paired with sexy dances, notably a merengue and a salsa.
Ritmo y Sabor were guests to Ballet’s main performance, and while they certainly piqued the audience’s interest, Ballet Folklorico definitely provided the show’s highlights, with some dances that featured a comic edge in addition to visually appealing choreography. One, entitled El Coyote, featured the quintessential skirt twirling as the female dancers shied away from their male counterparts’ advances. It was reminiscent of failed college flirtations, and hit particularly resonant notes with guys in the audience, who laughed in sympathy as the male dancers were continually shut down.
In another thrill-of-the-chase-inspired dance, entitled La Culebra, the male dancer teased his female partner, whipping his big sombrero around in imitation of a snake. In the end, he deftly jumped into their midst, which yielded many shouts of approval from the vocal, obviously engaged audience.
Ritmo y Sabor danced to faster-paced music, and the passion was palpable. As a more modern approach to Hispanic music and dance, they took advantage of the verve of the music to enliven both the audience and their dancing. Their performance came in the middle of Ballet Folklorico’s, and provided quite a stark contrast to Ballet’s more homely and encumbered dancing. Their edginess was a pleasant mid-show palate cleanser, and provided a fresh dimension to an overall excellent show.