With his arms flung wide, Peter embraces danger, bursting out from behind a white picket fence to join a menagerie of charming creatures: a cat, duck, bird, and one lone, menacing wolf. Leaving the safety of a sheltered home and a doddering, yet devoted grandfather, Peter, danced by 18-year-old Carlos Laboy, embarks into a forest, which is depicted beautifully with a hanging scrim.
In a world premiere, Albano Ballet will debut “Peter and the Wolf” Thursday, Aug. 3, at Mohegan Sun Casino, one of six ballets in its Summer Dance repertoire. This is the seventh year of Joseph Albano’s Summer Dance, a program Albano stages to showcase the young dancers that study under his tutelage.
The muscular, regal air of Laboy embodies a sort of prince like character one would expect in a traditional story ballet. His capture of the rapacious wolf fulfills the hero role. His foil can be found in Jonathan Domenech, 18, who dances the wolf with a rakish, lean flourish. His leaps slice the air with a jackknife quality, and he imparts an air of untamed virtuosity to the role.
“He is totally a physical dancer,” Albano said of Domenech. “He loves the tricks and acrobatics of what makes theater ballet — what it is for men.” Both young men have a chance to partner with female ballerinas, the wolf has a pas de deux with the duck he devours whole, danced by a lithe Trisia Anderson, 13, from New Britain. As the duck, Anderson executes diminutive waddles yet remains graceful and charming.
Peter partners with Lilley Hohl, 15, of West Hartford. Hohl captures a tiny bird who distracts the wolf so Peter may catch it, executing fluttering steps on her toe shoe as she teases the wolf.
Some the dancers had a chance to perform their characters at Rudolf Nureyev’s former estate in Italy this past May. “It was unique,” Domenech said of dancing on the grounds, situated on a hill that overlooks the city of Monte Carlo. “The whole view was amazing, and I felt like the wolf — it was a wonderful experience.”
“Peter and the Wolf” is narrated by Leonard Bernstein, and set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev. Albano said he is debuting the ballet to build his repertoire of family centered entertainment.
Well known for his full-scale “Nutcracker,” Albano remains dedicated to building audiences through ballets that appeal to families. “I’m trying to do more stories that are more pointed and not arcane,” says Albano, noting that families of today are sophisticated.
The program has been designed to also expose audiences to modern ballet, with a fully staged work, “The Mystery,” that features five ballerinas in various stages of motherhood. The ballet is set to music by American composer Carlisle Floyd and features a modern art set design painted by Robert Moody.
His “Americana” ballet includes nods to Broadway and Gershwin, and is a high energy, youthful work, apropos to the country it represents. It was included in the program as we are at a noteworthy, post-election time as a country, stated Albano.
“Ballet Egyptien,” was conceived by Albano as a young dancer in 1962 while studying with Martha Graham. Inspired by two-dimensional hieroglyphics, the dance is punctuated by the Graham technique, with stylish poses that accent the two-movement pas de deux.
The program also includes another two-person ballet, “The Afternoon of the Faun,” which explores a sensual meeting of a Faun and nymph. The ballet debuted in 1912 to much criticism for its explicit nature — although to today’s audiences this Vaslav Nijinsky ballet is tame.
A brief, light piece, “Butterfly Etudes,” will round out the program, and features ballerinas as butterflies, whose flitting presence underscores the ephemeral beauty of youth.
Albano possesses a passion to impart the classical art form to his students and audiences. His current crop of young dancers — some who study with full scholarships, are poised to carry the torch of classical dance, an art form that is hallmarked by sacrifice and dedication.
“Devoting your life to an art form like ballet changes you,” says Hohl, who views her role as the bird as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “It’s an artistic frame of mind you can’t get from sports, it stays with you your whole life.”
ALBANO BALLET COMPANY OF AMERICA will present Summer Dance 2017 at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under. ticketmaster.com or call 860-862-8499.
