FIRST POSITION
ANATOMY OF A SCENE
A Celtic Descent The men’s warrior section in Lila York’s Celts showcases strength, athleticism, and adrenaline.
STONE SOUNDS The score for this section
is a compilation of percussion sounds by William J. Ruyle. York says, “he worked on bodhrans, the original Celtic drums.” Ruyle got creative when it came to finding the right sounds. “He used a stone attached to a string that he spun over his head to make this whirring sound.”
By Kharma Grimes
FLOOR TO FLIGHT The men’s section features dynamic shifts
from floor work to jumps. York notes, “…the floor work was made with me and Rob [Wallace, whom Lila choreographed the warrior section of Celts on], and we’re both small. Our bodies can get into these little crunch positions. Someone with long legs probably can’t do it.”
NOTHING BUT KILTS The costumes reflect the history of Celts going to war in only their kilts. In an interview featured by San Francisco Ballet, Lila York says, “The Celts were famously dirty fighters.” She continues, “They were these huge, pagan types, as bestial as could be. That’s why I have the dancers bare- chested, in red kilts.”
LIGHT STEPS “There’s soft-shoe and
hard-shoe step dancing,” says York. “The steps I put together are based on soft shoe.” Light or Soft Shoe is an elegant Irish dance style emphasizing strength, control, and ballet-like technique. Dancers master four dances—Reel, Single
Jig, Light Jig, and Slip Jig— each with its own rhythm.
AFTER THE FIRST FEW MOMENTS of Lila York’s Celts , a dimmed spotlight rdeavnecael rs raa si st ri ni kgi nh gi s t fai bs tl ei an ut hwei tahi rawmhai ll ee tchl eenoc thheedr, ma nedn seenecmi ricnl ge l hy i pmr ,efpi satrsi n g f o r wk i al trs. , Dt hr eesms eedni’ sn wn oa trhr ii on rg sbeuctt isohno irst ar e d d eIfni nai nKgamn soams eCni ttyi nB at hl lee tbianltl ee rt .v i e w, Yp or or kg rdeisssceuss st he rs ohuogwh “i mt haegpe ise oc ef I r i s h hwias rt or iroyr, sa nwdi tthh et hme iernt’rsi bdeasn.”c e i s C e l t i c Celts is cwohme pn riitsceadmoef mt oucl ht iopol es icnogmt hpeo s e r s ; music for the men’s section, York
cJ . oRmu my l ei s, swi ohnoe ids ha epr ef rrci euns sdi, oWn iisl lti. aHme isnhvei tgeadv eh ehri mt o tah er epcaorradmi negt es rt us ;dYi oo ,r ak n d et omrpe hp ar se iszeendt tt hr aa dt itthi oe nma lu Isri ics nh ederduemd s . “c Iot uclodunl’ dt ns o’ t usnodu nL da tAi nf r; iict ahna, da nt od bi te at hnec ireenatl mC eol tfi cI rmi s hu smi cu.” sWi c ,htihl ei ss st iel cl ti ni o n ipsusrterliyp pa ne do vo ef rallal yo ot hf ef irvseoruenc do sr dainndg si so f RYourykl er epfl laeycitnsgopnetrhceu sbsei go inn ni ni ns tgr uo mf t ehne t s . wheaarrrtiogrosinegc.t”ion, “it really gets your As the section progresses, the
ev ni secregrya lbpuai lrdt ns et hr irnogu ag nh da hsiegrhi evsaoufl t s iant ht ol etthi cei sami r . i“n[ Lt ihl ae ] gburyi sn gt hs aotuIt f ai nnd uWneilqcuheA,”MA rntoi sttei cd Di ni rae c t o r S t a n t o n Houston Arts and Culture article. And out of all the dYoy rnka mb ei cl i emv oe sv et mh ee mn tos si tn cthhai sl l es ne cgti inogn , aa sr mp esc wt ias nkteteopfi lnoga tt huep a, sr omtshset ihl la. r“dTehset i r t h iRnegmi si nkiesec epni nt go tf ht he ea rrme ssi l di eonwt nC.e” l t i c warriors, the men’s section in York’s Celts pushes the limits of its dancers, otofftehreinwgoartkh.rilling rush of adrenaline
HOUSTON BALLET
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