{"id":3361,"date":"2016-04-26T10:23:58","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T14:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3361"},"modified":"2016-04-26T10:23:58","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T14:23:58","slug":"midsummer-nights-dream-dreamlike","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3361","title":{"rendered":"‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ dreamlike"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted April 26, 2016<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By SOPHIE BARROS<\/p>\n

From the last tier of the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht Center, spectators can see the pit and hear the orchestra warm up its string and wind instruments. The chaos of melodic sounds would soon merge into one soothing song and the curtains would open to reveal a cave-like set, illuminated by blue lights that would transport the audience into the dreamlike world of \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a weekend when Ultra Music Festival and the Miami Heat took center stage in downtown Miami, the Miami City Ballet\u2019s (MCB) adaptation of the classic Shakespearean comedy premiered on March 18 in Miami\u2019s luxurious Ziff Ballet Opera House, a part of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s performance of \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream\u201d was inspired by the work of renowned ballet choreographer George Balanchine, who adapted Shakespeare\u2019s play in 1962. Balanchine\u2019s production, which starred New York City Ballet prodigy and MCB co-founder Edward Villella, was brought to life once again by Miami City Ballet, and truly allowed spectators to plunge into a beautiful world of mystical creatures and romance.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream\u201d is the story of two pairs of lovers that are manipulated in the supernatural world of fairies and other woodland creatures. The comedy, believed to be written by Shakespeare in the 1590s, has become a classic of literature, much like all of the writer\u2019s work. After countless performances throughout the centuries, Balanchine broke the mold by spearheading the first ballet adaptation.<\/p>\n

MCB\u2019s production of \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream\u201d may have featured Balanchine\u2019s choreography, but the company made the performance unique to the South Florida region by placing Shakespeare\u2019s magical story in the deepness of the oceans, where the mystical and the unknown are a possibility.<\/p>\n

MCB was founded in 1985 and is today one of the largest ballet companies in the country. The company is currently led by Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, a Cuban-American dancer and teacher who danced under Balanchine as a principal dancer for New York City Ballet and then moved on to serve as executive director of the George Balanchine Foundation.<\/p>\n

MCB features more than 45 dancers from all over the globe and performs more than 100 times every year. Now on its 30th<\/sup> anniversary season, MCB brought everything to the table with performances like \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d and \u201cSwan Lake\u201d.<\/p>\n

The masterminds behind the aquatic rendition of Shakespeare\u2019s work are Miami natives Michelle Oka-Doner and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Oka-Doner\u2019s artistic vision brought the sea to the performers\u2019 costumes and the set, which incorporated a translucent scrim to enhance the \u201cunder-water\u201d effect.<\/p>\n

McCraney\u2019s dramatic direction brought a gist of comedy to the ballet, which proved to be a lot more than just a dance; it was truly a theatrical performance. Having two Miami natives adapt Balanchine\u2019s work to reflect their hometown\u2019s waterways made the performance unique to the South Florida community.<\/p>\n

The performance surely lived up to Lopez\u2019s promise of transporting the audience. The ensemble delivered the show of a lifetime as the dancers pirouetted and glided through the stage while still making the audience chuckle at Puck\u2019s (a jokester servant) misfortunate adventures and at Bottom\u2019s (a peasant actor) transformation into a manatee, rather than the traditional donkey.<\/p>\n

The dancers\u2019 spectacular lines and movements were accompanied by beautiful and almost otherworldly music by the Opus One Orchestra. The score was accompanied by six singers, whose ethereal voices beautifully complemented the dancers\u2019 movements on stage in two of the many songs performed.<\/p>\n

Another impressive aspect of the performance was the dancers\u2019 acting, something that can be overlooked in dance routines but that makes a difference to the general ambiance of a number. Puck brought the comedic relief he brings in Shakespeare\u2019s written play and the love and affection between the main couples was clearly visible from their body language and unbreakable eye contact.<\/p>\n

When the couples danced on stage, it was as if nobody was there but them. They brought the audience to such complete silence that even the tiny thuds of ballerinas\u2019 pointed slippers would echo through the tiers of the opera house.<\/p>\n

Visually, the set design and costumes truly contributed to MCB\u2019s marine concept, incorporating coral crowns, seashell thrones and seaweed skirts that fused perfectly with the deep blue background and the seafoam green lights. With every twist and twirl, fairies and mortals exhaled pure magic.<\/p>\n

Each of the pieces of the puzzle, from the costumes to the music to the pas de deux, fit seamlessly together. The dreamlike performance was the perfect way to end MCB\u2019s season in celebration of three decades of beautiful work.<\/p>\n