It’s a heavy mantle to wear … trying to create a masterpiece.

That’s a quote from Stephen Mills (as best I can remember it) from the documentary clips that interspersed the evening of dance. Mr. Mills was explaining that when he first began creating dances for Ballet Austin, he wanted every work to be a masterpiece, working hard to attempt to achieve that goal, and now some years later, he was happy making each piece he created be as good as it could be. Those few minutes of dialog resonated with me as an artist, in essence explaining the difference between a mature artist, one comfortable with where they are in both life and their creative pursuits, and an artist who is still struggling to find their place, such as myself. Mr. Mills is correct, trying to create a masterpiece every time you sit down to create is a heavy mantle to wear, and this is something I am going to have to sit down and contemplate in my own work. If nothing else had been gained during the evening, that one simple statement would have been worth it all … but so much more was gained. The performances were all magnificent, moving and true masterpieces!

The first performance of the evening was Touch, choreographed by Stephen Mills himself and first performed by Ballet Austin in 2003. Last night’s performance presented the third of three sections of the full work. In classic contemporary dance style, the stage set was bare and minimal, leaving the focus of attention fully on the movements on the performers, whose unique costumes changed color ever so subtly under the varying colors of the stage lights … sand-colored tanks and lightly-patterned skirts (for both male and female dancers) with purple cummerbunds, evoking images ranging from tribal life to whirling Dervishes to ballroom dancers. The music by Glover Gill had a Latin tango beat, and the dance and music were both lively, exciting and uplifting bringing smiles to the faces of the audience and the performers. I especially enjoyed some of the more unique lifts and twists employed for their technical difficulty (how did they DO that) and for the expressive range of motion a human body in good form can achieve. We got up from our seats for the intermission smiling and light-hearted. An excellent piece to open a night of dance with!

The second piece once again opened with a documentary clip during which Mr. Mills explained he had never before used poetry as a starting point for dance, but the romanticism (and eroticism) of poems by e.e. cummings had inspired his creation of “silence within silence” … premiering for the first time anywhere last night … a piece in four parts following four couples through the turmoils and joys of their relationships. Once again the set design was minimal using stage lighting to create moods and change them. This time, as befitting a contemporary dance performance about relationships, the performers wore dance-wear that gave the appearance of street clothing in muted urban shades of grey, tan and burgundy. The music, Johannes Brahms, was performed live by Anton Nel, a pianist of some repute both locally and nationally, and the slow, careful and rich tones set the stage perfectly for the dancers to express the building and falling away of relationships and the struggles between two people who care about one another … a combination of dark and light, as all relationships tend to be. I wish he had stated which of e.e. cummings’ poems had most inspired him, but one line in particular from one of my favorite cummings poems kept popping into my mind … “nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.” The whole of this piece was very moving and so well performed, I found myself with tears forming in my eyes. The ways the dancers used their bodies and moved were both testaments to their ability to emote without words, convey meaning through movement, and the many hours of hard work they had put into preparation and training … such complex, interesting, and difficult twists, turns, lifts and leaps. Dance at its best moves the audience’s hearts and minds, and this piece, which even had Lin wispy-eyed, did just that and so was also a grand testament to Mr. Mills’ ability to create masterpieces.

The final piece, entitled Kai (which means water), was another world premiere choreographed by Mr. Mills and was meant to evoke images of oceans and waves, and while not narrative per se, to tell the story of a couple and a celebration. The stage this time was set with a back piece and ceiling piece composed of large bright slats upon which the stage lights and shadows of the moving dancers played creating texture and added movement. The costumes this time were bright yet minimal … swim-wear styles in blue for the chorus and bright red for the main leads. I giggled a little when the stage lights first came up for two reasons: dancers get even less sunlight on their skin than I do (thus meaning I am not actually the whitest girl in America) and the costumes reminded me somewhat of the original season of Star Trek. Neither of these things was a bad thing, just something I noted. The music, by John Cage, was energetic and highly percussive … quick beats and notes which the dancers mimicked in their rhythmic and athletic movements. Though this piece didn’t evoke any emotions in me, I am still struggling to understand and relate to truly contemporary music and dance, that in no way diminished my enjoyment of the fast-paced and exciting dance and sounds. I was amazed by the athleticism of the performers, and their movements did evoke images of a roiling shoreline or seas under high winds, undulating movements interspersed with moments of quick staccato steps and bends. Quite invigorating to watch and hear, and the perfect ending to an evening at the ballet. We walked out the door excited and with a spring in our step.

All in all, A Special Evening with Stephen Mills was just that … a very special evening with Stephen Mills and the performers he works with and for whom he creates. I left the Paramount feeling light of heart and feet and wanting more, and that’s how one should feel after an evening enjoying the arts! If you happen to be in the Austin area and are looking for something to do downtown, maybe something you haven’t done before, I cannot recommend highly enough catching a seat at A Special Evening with Stephen Mills while you have the chance. It’s well worth the price of a ticket and any downtown parking hassles you may encounter (more on our personal adventure later today). This show will not only delight your eyes and ears, it will give you a glimpse into the man who has been with Ballet Austin for 20 of its 50 years, first as a dancer and now as the Artistic director. And what a glimpse it was! I want more, more, MORE!

Here are the specifics for anyone interested in attending:

Ballet Austin presents A Special Evening with Stephen Mills
Dance Celebration of His 20th Year – and the Ballet’s 50th

WHO: Ballet Austin
Choreography by Stephen Mills
Music by Johannes Brahms, John Cage, Glover Gill
Live piano performance by Anton Nel
WHEN: May 10, 11, and 12 at 8 pm; May 13 at 2 pm
WHERE: Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Avenue,
TICKETS: $15 – $59 at 1.866.4.GETTIX or in person at 710 Congress Ave. (IronStone Bank building) 10 am – 4 pm weekdays

PERSONAL NOTE: While we we lucky enough to have orchestra seats this time, I want to assure anyone who is wondering, the Paramount is a very small venue, and while the less expensive balcony seats are a bit more of a tight fit, the performances on the stage can be thoroughly enjoyed from anywhere in the building. There really aren’t any bad seats in the house, so don’t feel you have to get the best seats available if your budget can’t tolerate that! Just go and see the show! :)