Orlando Ballet on Fire

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After living in London for 10 years, spoiled with some of the greatest theater, music and dance performances on my doorstep, I haven't made much of an effort to seek out the arts since moving to Orlando. But I had the privilege yesterday of previewing the Orlando Ballet's (orlandoballet.org) latest production of "Bailamos!" under their new artistic director, Robert Hill. I was blown away. "Bailamos!" (8 pm, February 19 at the Linda Chapin Theatre) is a fusion of dynamic and passionate ballet set to sensual Latin music. The effect is dazzling and incredibly entertaining. The duet between their principle dancers Katia Garza and Daniel Benavides to the heart-wrenching Mexican ballad "Cucurrucucu Paloma" was so moving it had the audience in tears, including Katia herself. And the electric piece from the opera "Carmen," with one of their new dancers Patric Palkens, set the rehearsal room on fire with it's tension. The closest I get to dance these days is "So You Think You Can Dance" (which I watch obsessively). I love the TV show's diverse music and choreography as well as the versatility of the dancers themselves. What Hill seems to be injecting into the Orlando Ballet is that exact formula–creating a high-energy form of ballet that is far from what most people would recognize but exactly what works.

Tags: ballet | orlando