PA Ballet: Fonte and Forsythe - 6abc Loves the Arts

May 21th, 2015 (WPVI) -- The Pennsylvania Ballet has loaded its final program of the year with 1 world premiere, 2 company premieres, and 3 choreographers, in a program entitled Keigwin, Fonte & Forsythe. And that program, says Pennsylvania Ballet Artistic Director, Angel Corella, foreshadows what he has in store for next season.

"I'm trying to bring ballets that not any other company around Philadelphia can see or they can do so we're going to do a lot of world premieres or company premieres."

Corella calls it a very positive new beginning for the ballet, that starts with the end of this season. The Company's premiere of Larry Keigwin's Canvas explores the fusion of classical and contemporary dance.

"The dancers are very relaxed. The way they move is sort of like a summer night that everyone is just sort of dancing around and feeling the music," says Corella who describes the company premiere of William Forsythe's, The Second Detail, as the complete opposite.

"Every single step you feel like their arms never stop stretching and their legs are going in one way, their arms are going in a different way. So it's that feeling of oh my God, the dancer's right at the limit of his possibilities."

Forsythe is one of the most influential choreographers of all time but this ballet has rarely been performed in the US. The program ends with a brand new work from Nicolo Fonte.

"He really uses the technique of the dancers. He challenged them to the maximum," says Corella," if a dancer can do five pirouettes, he's going to ask for them to do seven."

And he promises audiences a surprise as well.

"We can't announce it yet, but maybe a little preview for the next season because we want the audience to know what we're going to do and I think it would be a good way for them to come back."

Keigwin, Fonte & Forsythe runs June 11-14th at the Merriam Theater. For tickets and show times, go to www.TheArtsinPhilly.org.