Performances shone with spectacular sets, disciplined dancers

In 2017, dance fans were kept on the move with performances in a variety of venues, featuring both area ensembles and touring shows.

Dispatch Dance Reviewer Peter Tonguette selected his favorite performances of the year. Here are excerpts from his reviews and the performance dates:

■ “Peter Pan,” BalletMet, Feb. 10, Ohio Theatre: The production balanced spectacular sights — including flying dancers, rebellious shadows and a Tinkerbell lit up like a Christmas tree — with disciplined dancing. As Peter Pan, Miguel Anaya took to the air like a pro; even when he wasn’t suspended by wires, he had terrific lift and oodles of stage presence. The sets transported audiences to the dollhouselike interior of the Darlings’ apartment and to a rotating reproduction of Captain Hook’s ship.

■ Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Feb. 28, Ohio Theatre: In its first appearance in Columbus in six years, the all-male troupe — which casts its members in female roles — displayed dexterous dancing in addition to its signature sense of humor. The Trocks tend to perform in a straightforward manner before self-destructing with high jinks, such as when one swan knocks over another in a selection from “Swan Lake.”

■ “Romeo & Juliet,” BalletMet, April 28, Ohio Theatre: The show had its share of memorable sights, including grand sets depicting a cavernous ballroom and a balcony surrounded by glistening stars. But what made the difference was not what was seen but what was heard: In a rare non-”Nutcracker” collaboration with BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony performed the alternately heart-tugging and pulsepounding score by Sergei Prokofiev.

■ “Riverdance,” May 12, Palace Theatre: As part of a tour celebrating its 20th anniversary, the show returned to Columbus. The performance was enlivened by its current crop of dancers. The energy and agility of lead performers Jason O’Neill and Lauren Smyth made for the most memorable moments in the show.

■ “Wexner Center Minevent,” from “Parallel Connections,” BalletMet and the Ohio State University Department of Dance, Oct. 20, Mershon Auditorium: OSU’s dancers were the featured attraction in a dance with choreography by Merce Cunningham. Music by John Cage — performed with panache by a pair of OSU percussion groups — clanged and churned throughout the work, but the 12 dancers remained serene and stonefaced, easing in and out of poses with precision.