Snark The Herald Angel Zinged

On Saturday, I went to see A Soulful Messiah by dance company Ballet Creole. Similar to various Handel's Messiah shows and The Nutcracker by the National Ballet, this "Christmas tradition" (at least according to the ad-copy) has occurred every year for more than a decade now. Unfortunately, it felt a slap-dash affair. And with the Fleck Dance Theatre being half-empty, I don't think it's particularly beloved either.

First, the music for this recital is woefully dated. When Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Composition came out in the 90s, this African-American composition was rightfully lauded. But almost 25 years later, the production value hasn't aged well. Second, trying to match the dance style to the each song removed any coherent theme and vision as the music spanned multiple genre from gospel to blues. It was like watching a year's end student's showcase: some didn't have time to fully their ideas, others didn't have enough. Third, shoe-horning in a tap dancer was misguided and awkward.

In fact, it was a shame that all the dancers brought so much enthusiasm and skill to such a mediocre evening. The program noted that the original premiere (as part of a larger show) only used 6 songs from the album. It has since grown to include almost all the music. The tap-dancer made his own debut 6 years ago. This syncretism doesn't work.