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Ballet “Dracula”: No words, sharp bite
Dracula never forgets those with enticing necks and they certainly remember him. It’s not quite the same with Stuart Sebastian’s ballet “Dracula.” Maybe because there are so many variations on vampire tales, it melts from the mind when out of sight.
The Dayton Ballet’s latest revival of the two-act work reminds that it’s considerably more than just another Halloween season dress-up show. It’s a dance drama with physical, visual and design impact.
Particularly by the leading women, the 18-year-old adaptation may never have been performed more effectively than on opening night, Thursday, Oct. 23.
Jennifer Grund was transfixing as Lucille Westenra, who encounters the Count (Justin Michael Koertgen in a powerful portrayal) at the opera not long after slapping the cheek of a perfect gentleman (Robert Morrow as Dr. John Seward) for trying to sneak a kiss.
Dracula has way more than a kiss in mind and gets his way following an extended pas de deux in which he lifts, balances, folds, unfolds, embraces and all but devours Lucille. Pale, possessed, but still emoting an instinct to resist, Grund hovers on the tips of her arched feet, perfectly displayed beneath the hem of gown.
Sadness for a lost friend is stronger than fear or desire in Dracula’s next victim, Wilhelmina Murray (Halliet Slack in a performance demonstrating that her dancing as Blanche in last season’s “Streetcar” was no aberration). Richard Grund gave a more than solid effort as her fiance Jonathan Harker, but mere mortal men have a disadvantage in this ballet.
Rino Shinozaki-Greenwood was Victoria Van Helsing and Eduard Forehand was her father, Dr. Van Helsing. Most roles, including those of Dracula (Grant Dettling alternates with Koertgen) and Lucy (Oren Porterfield) were double-cast.
The two most obviously repetitious aspects are the abuse of poor Renfield, danced with balance, flexibility and soft landings by Justin Allen, and the snarling, hissing, windmilling of the bad-girl Vampire Wives. Keenan McLaren, Christy Forehand and Ashley Sass can’t be blamed for that. It’s the choreography.
The overdone elements would be much worse and this would be a less effective production if the members of Dayton Ballet had added overacting to the sauce. They didn’t and some of the credit for that has to go to Karen Russo Burke and former company members Laura Frock Hinders, Sharon Lancaster, Megan McCarthy and Daniel Powers, who team-staged “Dracula.”
Two reasons “Dracula” has gotten better with age are the enduring effectiveness of Lowell Mathwich’s costumes and Chris Phillips’ sets and lighting.
If you haven’t seen it, the Dayton Ballet proves that a “Dracula” without words — but not screams — can be very effective. If you have, you may have forgotten how good it is.
“Dracula” continues through Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Victoria Theatre, First and Main streets. Tickets are $27-$59 at (937) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2377 or tmorris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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