 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SF Season : 25th Anniversary Season : Baroque Description
 |
Irregular pearl was the original meaning of the word Baroque: a form of beauty made in layers of iridescence, completely and uniquely itself. Baroque music finds its expression in complex harmonies --- beyond the linear polyphony of Renaissance music --- and encourages a surprising freedom within its structure. In the Baroque period (c. 1600-1750), for the first time, musicality meant that performers would draw on their own dynamic creativity in order to improvise around the bass line. Not until the advent of jazz would this demanding and inspiring openness, called figured bass, be so closely bound to the act of musical creation.
The process of embellishing and filling out a musical line is a kind of dance in itself: artist and music move together in counterpoint, finding moments of contrast and convergence, building a luminescence and singularity into the piece. Working outwards from the center, the artists of the Baroque immersed themselves in the harmonic structure of the music, and gave back to it something of themselves. Baroque aesthetics tend to privilege exuberance and exploration over the lifelessly correct work of art, and thus its artists seek to imbue each creation with their own spirits. The choreography of Alonzo King, with its natural affinity for complex musicality, engages the same dynamism and openness we find in Baroque music. Infusing the classical form of ballet with new vibrancy, Alonzo King uncovers the freedom that lies inside of the form itself. His choreography gives the dancers of LINES Ballet a way of transcending virtuosity to achieve a unique beauty, a sense of unforced artistry; a luminescence that comes from within. |