Love Raker-Irish National Ballet

 

"Irish National Ballet performance at the Abbey Theatre was triumphant in the striking psychological portrait in modern dance drama of "LoveRaker" I particularly admired Domy Reiter Soffer's basically simple creation of mood and character as one of the vivid elements in the more extensive of Reiter Soffer's two ballets on the programme. LoveRaker is defined in the programme as ' A girl alone wanders from one experience to another searching for perfection in friendship and love, but is incapable of returning it', it is danced to an instrumental work called 'ReaK' by Isang Yun, a Korean composer who lives in Europe. His Music Links eastern elements to western serial technique, but with rather more strength of character than such a blend usually achieves. In the balletic context it serves to intensify very vividly the tension and emotional expression, acting as a sound supplement to visual décor.
The central role of the young girl is danced by Siobhan Hickie, who dances it with assurance and expressive conviction. She makes a dramatic entry as if precipitated into the centre of the world that is essentially her own, washes her face as if removing the stains or the memory of past happenings, and encounters a second girl (Anna Donovan) with hair loose to the waist, who perhaps represents the first girl's other self. Their presence is reconnoitred by two boys (Gandara and Aiden), who enter and leave few times before eventually joining the girls in ensemble movement. Later, a third boy (Woolsey), who illustrates a quieter disposition and whose costume suggests he might be older, adds an element of moral judgment, or at any rate of some moral consciousness. A middle musical episode for violin and piano alone brings a striking sensual and even erotic pas de deux for Hickie and Gandara which is distrubted by Woolsey- in cautionary or authoritarian guise.

He persuades and entices Hickie to leave with him, much to the annoyance of Gandara, who expresses his feeling in an angry solo. A shorter final musical section involves Donovan in a pas de troi with Gandara and Aiden danced by Donovan with assurance and strong personality, as well as technique. Hickie then returns in distress she repeats some of her opening dance and ends with Throughout this sequence of incident and emotional suggestion, the choreography succeeds in being well defined and purposeful, in character and expression, sustaining a constant focus of interest on all the dancers in turn. It is the kind of work that stretches the dancers' talents in full as well as the imaginations of the audience.
Noel Goodwin-(Dance and Dancers).

"LoveRaker" choreographed by Domy Reiter Soffer to Music by Isang Yun created for five dancers in Modern style appealing strongly to the senses and intelligence. Its energetic performance had grace and drama and showed the company at their best."
M.C- (The Dancing Times).

 

"At the Abbey theatre last night the Irish National Ballet proved themselves well worth their national subsidy in Domy Reiter Soffer's "LoveRaker" a sophisticated innovatory force in modern ballet to music by the Korean composer Isang Yun. It is a searching dance essay in the sensualities of the times. It is a most vivid expression in dance idiom of the desert miseries of the permissive society. It is magnificent and powerful danced with passion and elegance by Louise Willie Babil Gandara Anna Donovan Terry John Bates and Charles Flanders. This new Ballet of prime importance-the sort of innovation that had it had its premiere in Covent Garden or the Lincoln Center would have had world critical fanfares. It was the most satisfying work on the programme and definitely the most Innovative".
Seamus Kelly- (The Irish Times).

"LoveRaker" has a striking originality and exciting movement vocabulary choreographed by Domy Reiter Soffer, to marvelously eerie contemporary music by Isang Yun. Louise Wyllie gives the performance of the evening as the young girl in search of love and perfection- her dancing is precise, agile, and has above all a haunting dramatic quality that makes it unforgettable. Anna Donovan is also superb in the piece and so were the three male dancers who were a perfect foil for such exciting ballet".
Fernau Hall- (The Daily Telegraph)

 
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