Art in motion

After the highly theatrical dance shows that have been presented over the past few weeks, it was refreshing to attend a show that lay dance bare. Choreographer Mauricio Wainrot proved, with The Messiah, there is no need to resort to excess to create a work that is uplifting. This is also due, in no small part, to the quality of the dancers from Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

For this work, Wainrot was inspired not by religious texts but by the choral music of Handel’s The Messiah. There is no story; the choreographer simply attempts to communicate the joy of the music through abstraction.

The set and costume designs are minimalist. The dancers wear white and the set is also predominantly white. The only appearance of colour comes from the light blue background. It is as if the dance was taking place on a clear day.

A series of benches are lined up at the back of the stage where a sole dancer sits. All the other dancers are lying face down on the ground. Those who stand help the others up. There is a constant desire to lift people up, a feeling of ascendance that pervades the choreography.

The neo-classical ballet is divided into 32 parts, many of which have similar developments. There is an aspiration to move upwards, and most parts end with one or more dancers being lifted to the sky as the light shines upon them.

From the beginning, the quality of the dancing is undeniable. The dancers are great technicians, which is perfect for this choreography because it relies heavily on the talent of its performers. Some numbers are almost athletic and reveal the upper body strength of the dancers, which is rare in ballet.

The segments that have the entire company dancing are the most impressive. In one particular section, the performers dance as if they were part of a musical canon.

They are divided into subgroups that replicate the movements of the previous group. The combination of Handel’s joyful music and the abundance of dancers on stage cannot fail to move any audience member.

Because there is no story, it is impossible to pinpoint the Messiah figure to a specific dancer. A few images occur: a woman is lifted by men as she walks through the air, a man carries a bench on his back, another floats on top of it. Instead, the spirit of the Messiah seems roam from dancer to dancer, independent of sex or race. As such, the work is truly transcendent.

After the intermission, some benches are moved to the front and the background reveals a pink hue. The work is constantly filled with the most magical light and Wainrot appears to be the magician. The beauty of his work is that he does not need to rely on cheap theatrics or the semblance of storylines. The purity of dance is all there is and Wainrot reveals that that it is more than enough.

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