By JESSICA NEU
In celebration of her company’s 60th anniversary, renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp presents a Diamond Jubilee of two iconic, career-spanning productions. The first, Diabelli, is Tharp’s work from 1998 that daringly tackles all 33 of Beethoven’s complex Variations on a Waltz by Beethoven’s contemporary Antonin Diabelli. Geoffrey Beene’s black and white sleeveless tuxedo costumes (Victoria Bek costume design) allowed the dancers to personify Beethoven’s intrinsic piano arrangements, played live by Vladimir Rumyantsev. Tharp, known for pioneering what is now called “crossover ballet,” demonstrates her genius in this nearly hour-long piece. Proving that technique is timeless, the 27-year-old Diabellicould have been choreographed today. The piece combines classical and contemporary ballet with a cheekiness and fortitude that showcases both the depth of Beethoven’s work and Tharp’s ability to bring music to life. Diabelli‘s demanding choreography features cascades of movement and challenging partner work, providing visually stunning level changes and graceful images. The dancers transition from solo moments, duets, small group combos, and full cast portions featuring all 10 performers at a breakneck pace. Tharp highlights the playfulness of the Variations with choreography that has an “anything you can do, I can do better” vibe. Playful moments of Ring Around the Rosie, leapfrog, and Red Rover make Diabelli undeniable. This bit of colloquial dance offsets the intensity of some of Beethoven’s music. The dancers exhibit stunning control as they hold pique arabesques, soar in sissonne leaps, and levitate in leg extensions.
This master class in control, technique, and execution continues throughout the second number of Tharp’s Diamond Jubilee, Slacktide, a riveting interpretation of composer Phillip Glass’ 1999 30-minute score “Aguas da Amazonia.” The piece is arranged and performed by Third Coast Percussion. Slacktide begins with a single dancer on stage with a stream of white light, making only his forearm visible (lighting design by Justin Townsend). And then, a fist pump. A subtle movement but one that communicates, Slacktide is poised to begin where Tharp’s 1986 piece, In the Upper Room, ends. Slowly and fluidly, the company writhes their way on stage. The music immediately presents as more eclectic and electrifying than Beethoven’s Variations.
Slacktide is a delicious combination of Glass’ original piano score and the Brazilian group Uakti, who first recorded “Aguas da Amazonia” in 2006. The African drum beats and flutes draw the dancers’ movements closer to the ground with moments of slower and intentional lyrical and modern ballet choreography. The dancers draw rhythm and fluidity originating in their hips and then extending through their bodies, creating allusions unparalleled to any other contemporary dance repertoire. The all-male combinations are a standout in Slacktide. Perfect turnout, stunning strength, and musicality bring the music’s calypso beats to life. Another demanding piece, the company is exceptionally emotive in Slacktide as they tackle Tharp’s choreography that again waxes and wanes between formal ballet and colloquial contemporary.
Every dancer uses their body to draw the longest lines possible throughout the stage. The company extends each movement from through their toes and fingertips to create lines full of grace, fortitude, and style. This style is quintessentially Tharp. Equal parts classic, contemporary, genre-bending, fluid, yet singular. Tharp, now 83 years young, is a living legend. Her work is marked with precision, originality, and light-hearted fun. Tharp’s Diamond Jubilee proves why she is in a choreographer class of her own.
DETAILS AND FUTURE DANCE COUNCIL PROGRAMS
Pittsburgh Dance Council Series is part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s signature programming and presented Twyla Tharp’s Diamond Jubilee on April 19, 2025, at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh.
The next presentation in the Dance Council series is Malandain Ballet Biarritz on May 7, 2025 at the Byham Theater, tickets available at: https://trustarts.org/production/96092/malandain-ballet-biarritz
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