Review: Charlotte Ballet gloriously stretches boundaries in season opener
Plus: Top news of the week — City council approves Eastland project — Charlotte loses out on tennis tournament — Tim Newman back in jail — Housing market cools off — Check out new Charlotte FC HQ
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Today we’re excited to announce a new regular columnist in the Ledger: Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman, who covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s back in the critic’s chair — look for his reviews about two times each month in the Ledger.
Riveting ‘Breaking Boundaries’ is a pairing of pieces that invite the audience to experience what ballet can do in the hands of those willing to explore
Charlotte Ballet dancers perform in “From Africa With Love,” a world-premiere piece in Charlotte Ballet’s fall opener, "Breaking Boundaries," which runs through Oct. 28 at the company’s black box theater on North Tryon Street. (Photo by Taylor Jones)
by Lawrence Toppman
One of my 47 favorite moments in Charlotte Ballet’s season-opening production came midway through “Kamuyot,” the post-intermission half of the mind-expanding “Breaking Boundaries.”
The audience had returned to the small theater in the McBride-Bonnefoux Center for Dance to find their seats replaced by three backless benches surrounding the stage. In the midst of Ohad Naharin’s freewheeling choreography, the dancers suddenly paused and walked slowly around the square, a few feet from the first row. Every so often, they stopped and silently shook hands with audience members.
You could see them panting from continuous exertion. You saw sweat beading on foreheads and trickling down checks. You saw their eyes, wary or welcoming or bemused, their previously invisible tattoos, wisps of flyaway hair escaping from once-perfect ponytails. Suddenly, they were more human. They had broken the most important boundary: the separation of the artist, distantly executing steps, from the admiring audience. When they later invited people onstage to boogie with them, it seemed like a natural move.
Alejandro Cerrudo introduced the program by reminding us that, though he’s in his second season as artistic director, this is the first for which he chose all the pieces: “So from now on, blame everything on me.” His pairing of “Kamuyot” and the world premiere of “From Africa With Love” made this the most exciting program in memory at Charlotte Ballet. His young company, full of dancers with strong bodies and personalities, seem ready to do anything they’re asked.
Both pieces stretched the concept of “ballet” like an infinitely expanding rubber band yet retained familiar elements: steps en pointe, the leaps known as jetés, extensions of arms and legs in traditional partnerings (however brief). Both left you riveted by what ballet can do in the hands of people who respect yet reshape it.
South African choreographer Mthuthuzeli November set us down on the shadowy veldt in “Africa,” a nonstop ensemble piece that gave only one couple chances to shine. (I saw the vivid Raven Barkley and Rees Launer.) Dim lighting and faux-grass skirts provided a tribal feeling; you could imagine dancers supplicating God, performing courtship rituals, preparing for a hunt, imitating animals. I especially liked the high crooked arms that resembled flamingos’ necks — or were those giraffes?
The dancers’ feet drummed, shaking the small theater; their bodies trembled in quiet ecstasy. November left behind ballet’s European roots but not the essence of ballet, and the dancers transitioned seamlessly from one mood to another.
The same tireless crew blazed through “Kamuyot,” a word meaning “quantities” in Hebrew. (Naharin, an Israeli, says his titles often mean nothing and may be chosen by chance, as this was.) The opening solo held some of his signature moves: rubber-legged near-falls, a sinuous torso, a head flung back in abandon. Later came other familiar gestures, as the entire ensemble collapsed at once or groups of dancers froze while one wriggled through a solo.
The eclectic score, which flowed from the post-punk Japanese band Yapoos to Beethoven to the Ventures’ “Hawaii 5-0,” seemed all of a piece with what happened onstage. Some events made sense, such as two lascivious guys preening for an inattentive woman. Some didn’t: Why did Barkley run around yelling “Bobby? Bobby?” before jumping into party mode with her pals?
Was the guy slinking around at floor level, goofily inspecting the outstretched toe of a ballerina from inches away, a foot fetishist? Was he paying worshipful homage to the most crucial part of a dancer’s anatomy? Either way, this piece fitted into Naharin’s crazy quilt as entertainingly as the rest.
If you’re going:
Charlotte Ballet’s fall opener, “Breaking Boundaries,” runs through Oct. 28 in the black-box theater at the Charlotte Ballet Center for Dance, 701 N. Tryon St. Tickets start at $30.
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… and Providence Day School. See the PD Difference during our admission open houses: October 19 for grades TK-5 and November 5 for grades TK-12. We offer rigorous academics, a strong sense of community, and the tools to help students forge their own paths.
This week in Charlotte: Safety measures increase at football games; Tennis tournament hopes dashed; Hornets player faces charges; Davidson considers renaming I-77 exit after Steph Curry
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Tighter rules at football games: (Observer) Incidents of violence at high school sporting events in the Charlotte area, including a large-scale brawl during a Monroe High School football game, have led to increased safety measures at local schools and increased concerns about violence at school games nationwide.
Top 3 names for new south Charlotte high school: (Ledger) The name game is on for Charlotte's new relief high school, as thousands of votes have been cast in a survey to choose from potential names, with “Ballantyne Ridge High,” “Creekside High,” and “Queen City High” leading the way as of last week.
Politics
General Assembly vote on Israel: (WFAE) In the North Carolina General Assembly, two Republican-led resolutions supporting Israel against Hamas led to disputes as several Democrats abstained from voting.
Local news
Charlotte loses out on major tennis tourney: (Ledger) Dreams of making Charlotte a stop on the pro tennis circuit have been dashed as the billionaire owner of the Western & Southern Open has decided to keep the tournament in Cincinnati. In Charlotte, the city, county and state had pledged $115M to build a stadium complex in the River District.
Former tourism chief back in jail: (Ledger) Tim Newman, the former head of Charlotte Center City Partners and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, has found himself back in a South Carolina jail after allegedly making threats and trespassing at a K-12 school, just over a year after his release on felony charges related to threatening to blow up a dam.
Business
City Council approves $30M for Eastland project: (WFAE) The Charlotte City Council unanimously approved a new development proposal for the old Eastland Mall site. The proposal includes a 120,000 s.f. indoor amateur sports complex with an ice skating rink, an outdoor sports field and space for small festivals.
Flat housing prices: (Ledger) Contrary to the usual upward trend, Charlotte's housing market is showing signs of cooling off, with the median home sales price in Mecklenburg County staying flat in September 2022 compared to the previous year, as new listings and closings decline.
Sports
More allegations against Miles Bridges: (WSOC) The ex-girlfriend of Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges alleges he threw billiard balls at her car while their children were inside it in an incident last week, and Bridges turned himself in to authorities in Lincoln County on Friday on a charge of violating a domestic violence protection order. Bridges is on probation following a felony abuse charge last year and had been expected to be eligible to play for the Hornets starting next month.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
State invests in mental health: North Carolina's new budget is allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to address surging mental health needs, with a focus on children and adolescents.
Regulators urge tighter oversight: Federal energy regulators are urging more oversight of gas-fired power plants to prevent a recurrence of the East Coast's December 2022 power outages. They propose 11 recommendations for enhanced cold weather readiness following Duke Energy's rolling blackouts.
🎧 New podcast: In a recent episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Kathy Jetton, CEO of Make-A-Wish of Central and Western North Carolina, talks about the types of wishes local Make-A-Wish “wish kids” are asking for, how their wishes are fulfilled and what it’s like to lead a non-profit that has such an emotional mission.
Unplugging with a corporate sabbatical: Corporate America, traditionally not known for sabbaticals, may be warming up to the idea as companies like Bank of America offer paid sabbaticals to combat employee burnout and stress. Some law firms like Robinson Bradshaw have been successfully offering their own sabbatical programs, giving attorneys a much-needed break to decompress.
🎥 Flyover Friday: The Plaza-Midwood neighborhood in Charlotte is undergoing a significant transformation with the Commonwealth development by Crosland Southeast and Nuveen Real Estate. In a 5-minute Flyover Friday video, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talks with the developer about the thinking behind the project.
From the files of the ABC Commission: Multiple Charlotte businesses settled cases in September with the ABC Board, including the Crazy Horse strip club on Independence Boulevard, which agreed to pay a $4,500 fine to settle charges after an inspection by Alcohol Law Enforcement agents found several violations, including a “VIP room” that got a little too hot.
Quotable from former Truist CEO: Former Truist CEO Kelly King discussed the origin of the name “Truist” for the merged BB&T and SunTrust, revealing they sought a fresh, made-up word with no preconceived notions. He also commented on the “TRUIST” building sign, saying it conveys the fusion of technology and trust.
Daniel Freeman III, a dedicated physical education teacher and coach, has left behind a legacy of compassion and a profound impact on those he taught and mentored.
He's Charlotte's scooter repairman: Nick Smith's Queen City Scooters is filling a market gap by offering repair services for personal electric scooters, addressing the need for maintenance and servicing in an industry set to expand.
New practice facility feels like home: Futbol Friday’s Carroll Walton goes behind-the-scenes of Charlotte FC's new state-of-the-art practice facility and team headquarters.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks