Preview | Golden Sessions
Julianna Rubio Slager’s latest creation on Ballet 5:8, Golden Sessions, is based on a recurring source of inspiration for Slager: the eloquent and impactful writings of the 20th-century author C.S. Lewis.
Jessica Lohr and James Wainwright in rehearsal for Golden Sessions
And, while there are many things to like about each of Slager's Lewis-inspired works, there are few similarities in the flavor, texture and subject of each ballet. With a moving score featuring composers John Adams, Oliver Davis, and Ezio Bosso, lovely classical choreography, and superb performances by the cast, I expect Golden Sessions will offer a fresh and uplifting experience for Ballet 5:8 fans and newbies alike, regardless of their interest in Lewis or literature.
Put simply, the subject of Golden Sessions is love. However, as Lewis elaborates on in his literary work The Four Loves, our English word “love” is far too simplistic at best, and grossly overused at worst. If I love my husband, and I love my children, and I also love apple pie, how am I supposed to make sense of what love really is? Lewis uses the Greek words for love to make key distinctions between the four basic types of love we can experience: an English translation would be something like affection, friendship, romance, and charity. In Golden Sessions, these variations of love are embodied through a beautiful pairing of music, movement and emotion that simply lifted my spirits, even before I began to think more deeply about the inspiration behind the work. Though I often like to watch a new Ballet 5:8 ballet having already “read up” on the inspiration, in this case I ran out of time beforehand and went into a run-through on Friday without many preconceived notions. At its purist, Golden Sessions was an inspiring, breathtaking and refreshing experience that aptly communicated many relatable and meaningful attributes of love.
Golden Sessions begins with Storge (affection) and bursts onto the stage without hesitation, an aerobic and virtuosic section led by Solo Artist Olivia Kruse. As I watched, I felt like I was enveloped in the joyous, swirling embrace of familial affection, a kind of love that builds up and stands with, regardless of the circumstances. The choreography calls the dancers often onstage and then back again, with many jumps and turns, creating a lively and overflowing picture of a busy but satisfying life journey in a supportive community. As the section progresses, there are also moments that convey a sense of life’s difficulties and the kind of loyal familial affection that shares life’s burdens along with the joys. Sarah Clarke and Miranda Rubio stood out here as they joined Kruse near the end of the section, their movements full of kindness, humility and longsuffering.
Slager’s second movement, Philia, is dedicated to what Lewis calls the love of friendship. Here the sweeping fullness of Storge gives way to a burst of new energy and excitement. The music here provides an air of anticipation, while the dancers, including three couples, spread exuberance and joy all over the stage with a myriad of jumps and lifts. The centerpiece of this section is a both sweet and exquisite pas de deux performed by Jessica Lohr and James Wainwright. Lohr is radiant as she reaches one stunning balance after another, showing off some of the pure delights of classical ballet. Wainwright meanwhile, a Senior Apprentice and up-and-coming dancer with the company, supports Lohr with eagerness and grace. As with Storge, there are heavier notes mid-way through the section, reminding us that even the best of friendships are not without some soul-searching and adversity. But, when you have friends to go with you, life’s dark valleys are much more easily transversed. Lewis calls Philia the “most time consuming, the least celebrated” form of love in our current era, but also notes that the camaraderie of Philia is perhaps the most Heavenly of the four loves.
There is a striking breath of stillness that sweeps over the stage as Lead Artist Brette Benedict and Solo Artist Sam Opsal enter, dancing the role of Eros. Their pas de deux is steady yet dramatic, and captivating, as if portraying a married couple whose deep romance has stood the test of time. With many difficult lifts and maneuvers, the pas requires an immense level of trust and acute attention to the needs of the other. This results not only in a breathtaking performance, but an elegant illustration of Lewis describes as a kind of romance that is far more deeply rooted than the cheap, fleeting counterfeits so often depicted in our culture. Benedict and Opsal’s performance also alludes to the sacredness of romantic love, and to the joyful freedom that comes with a pure and holy intimacy. This in turn beautifully reflects the incredible allegory that marriage is for Christians, the union of Jesus Christ and His bride the Church.
Agape also begins with a sense of stillness, though of a different texture. As the section progresses, there is a feeling of culmination from the previous sections, as if with the community of Storge, the camaraderie of Philia, and the sacredness of Eros have layered together and built on one another over the course of a long journey. And indeed, Lewis writes, the three former loves are the training ground for the sacrificial, unconditional Agape love to grow. Ballet fans will notice shapes and movements that are reminiscent of the beginning of Balanchine’s historic Serenade; these fit beautifully in the context. There is a lot of activity choreographically, a culmination of the joyous, swirling feel of much of the work; everything comes together on notes of acceptance and peace. In watching Agape, I thought of the heroes of the Christian faith listed in Hebrews 11, and the conclusion that follows:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- Hebrews 12:1-2
