Domy Reiter-Soffer

“Time Trip Orpheus” presented by Alberta Ballet at the Jubilee Auditorium this week end was indeed a triumph for the company as well as for its choreographer Domy Reiter-Soffer. The brilliant atmospheric ballet was danced to music by Tangerine Dream, a famous European Group, fitted the ballet seamlessly.
The famous Greek love legend was transformed into a modern idiom and situation.
In the myth Orpheus (Dennis Lepsi) is a lyre player, in this ballet he is a guitarist playing in a disco, his love Eurydice (Alison McCreary) a groupie, dies as she was being chased by Aristaeus-Death (Alejandro Alverez) who is a disc jockey/drug pusher, and the sinister Furies a Hell's angels motorcyclists gang. When Eurydice dies Orpheus descends into Hades and tries to lead her back to the world of the living, promising Persephone- Goddess of the underworld (Patricia Maybury) a powerful dancer, giving a lascivious performance, that while on the journey, he must not look at her. When he does, he finds that he has been dancing with death.
The ballet is full of surprises the like not seen in Calgary in a long time. It gave the participants an opportunity to reach extraordinary theatrical heights. The audience was astounded at the sheer invention and the choreographical brilliance of the piece. Orpheus (Dennis Lepsi) gave a powerful and moving performance dancing with poignancy and sensibility, the agonizing end was astonishing as the wind blows Eurydice's scarf while debris cover his body and the stage. Eurydice's (Alison McCreary) lyrical love duets with Orpheus were beautifully executed and most moving. Alejandro Alverez as Aristaeus was most sensuous, bringing to the role power and grace. This was a ballet that touched the souls and the minds of the on looker, in a maze of wondrous illusions and experience. Alberta ballet has definitely a winner”.
(Alison Mayes- The Calgary Herald).