San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Grace and power
Resident choreographer Geoff Gonzalez reframes ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ into a contemporary ballet in City Ballet’s world premiere
Creating original choreography is a complex effort that can be inspired by an overheard conversation, a movie or, more often, a piece of music.
But timing is the ultimate catalyst for putting an idea in motion, as was the case with City Ballet’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” a world premiere by resident choreographer Geoff Gonzalez.
The contemporary ballet is danced to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” the iconic orchestral jazz composition that Gershwin described as “a musical kaleidoscope of America.”
For nearly a century, “Rhapsody in Blue” was available only with permission from the Gershwin Family Trust, and the cost was prohibitive. In the 1980s, for instance, United Airlines reportedly paid an annual fee of $300,000 to use the composition in its ads.
The right time
Last year, “Rhapsody in Blue” became part of the public domain, and Jo Anne Emery, the City Ballet business manager who pays attention to royalty fees and copyright laws, let Gonzalez know that Gershwin’s inventive score was free and available.
In 1924, “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered as part of bandleader Paul Whiteman’s “An Experiment in Modern Music” concert, and its integration of classical and jazz genres revolutionized music.
Gonzalez was familiar with the composition.
“When I was younger and my dad was in the Air Force, we moved around a lot, and during these long, cross-country drives, my mother would play Gershwin. So when I choreographed it, I remembered and knew it well.”
Gonzalez also knew that “Rhapsody in Blue” would require strong dancers — those who are capable of adjusting to music that begins with a sultry clarinet glissando and expands into thunderous symphonic sections, or what Gonzalez calls a “power phrase.”
His ballet boasts a “powerhouse of all the dancers in the company,” and the costumes, he said, are “simple, blue and sheer.”
After months of pandemic workouts, the bodies of everyone in the company “look amazing.”
The intensity of the music calls for physically demanding movement, and Gonzalez decided to showcase two of City Ballet’s principal male dancers, Lucas Ataide and Iago Breschi, both from Brazil.
Like Gershwin, Gonzalez was intent upon introducing an original, modern concept. He took his inspiration from a television sitcom about roommates and considered how our lives can be enriched through same-sex relationships, whether they are romantic or not.
“It’s an interesting piece of music written in a unique way,” Gonzalez said.
“I just thought, ‘How can I make this different, and how do I create a dramatic story with two male dancers and have it be as smooth as the partnering in a male/female relationship?’ The way the choreography works, in short, is that both men find their right place in life and they are dancing to their tune. There’s a playfulness, like how two male animals might be, but it’s through dance language.”
The duet-driven program featuring “Rhapsody in Blue” — available for online viewing March 5-21 — also includes “Tallis,” a dance created by resident choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich that premiered in 1994. Two interweaving couples perform to the Ralph Vaughan Williams version of “Fantasia on a Theme” by 16th-century composer Thomas Tallis.
And “Bring on the Pas de Deux” is a presentation of contemporary and traditional classical ballet duets: “Black Swan Pas de Deux,” from “Swan Lake,” “Barber Adagio, with music by Samuel Barber,” “four PAIR,” another Gonzalez original, and the elegant “Cinderella Pas de Deux.”
In addition to his role in “Rhapsody in Blue,” Breschi is dancing in “Tallis,” and he’s paired with ballerina Ariana Gonzalez, Geoff ’s wife, in the “Black Swan Pas de Deux.” The demanding roles in “Black Swan” portray a cunning Odile, who tricks Prince Siegfried into thinking that she is his betrothed.
Room for expression
Breschi is skilled at classical ballet repertoire. But while growing up in Brazil, he was not exposed to the American classic “Rhapsody in Blue.”
When it came to American music, Breschi knew of Frank Sinatra, especially Sinatra’s version of “New York, New York,” with the lyric, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.”
“In Brazil, it was my dream to come here and dance with a professional company,” Breschi said.
World-renowned ballets like “Swan Lake” and “Cinderella” offer coveted principal roles that go to the most skilled dancers because they require a rigid adherence to exacting movement, from the extension of the limbs to facial expression to the position of feet and hands. It’s both an honor and a challenge.
Breschi, however, is most enthusiastic about the Gershwin piece. When Gonzalez first played the score, Breschi responded with, “That’s me.”
“The most difficult is the ‘Black Swan,’ ” Breschi explained.
“Ariana is beautiful, and she gives me a lot of energy onstage. I’m confident with her because she is a star. But I’m more comfortable with Geoff ’s jazz piece because I like the freedom of contemporary ballet — it’s something I love to do.”
The “Rhapsody in Blue” ballet also affords Breschi the opportunity to perform with someone who knows and understands his history.
“It’s emotional for me,” Breschi said.
“When Lucas and I perform the pas de deux in the middle of the story, we are two men onstage, and he is Brazilian as well. I am telling a story that speaks to others through dance, and I’m living my dream.”
“It’s an interesting piece of music written in a unique way. I just thought, ‘How can I make this different, and how do I create a dramatic story with two male dancers and have it be as smooth as the partnering in a male/female relationship?’”
Geoff Gonzalez • City Ballet’s resident choreographer