Domy Reiter-Soffer

“Chicago Ballet's image and reputation were much enhanced with the program last night especially in Domy Reiter-Soffer's American premiere of “Yerma” a ballet highly praised in Europe. It was choreographed and designed by Domy Reiter-Soffer, whose activities span three continents.
“Yerma”, the story of a childless Spanish woman, lost none of its power in the transfer from the play by Gracia Lorca to the ballet. This Choreographer does not dilly- dally with extraneous dance material. He goes straight to the heart of the subject. Every movement, every pose contributes not only to the narrative, but make statements on the emotional climate of the characters.
Kathleen Smith an American dancer with considerable experience created the role of Yerma for the Irish National Ballet. Now dancing with Chicago Ballet, giving an overwhelming powerful performance. Miss Smith Strong, virtuosic technique and broad dance vocabulary that serves her well, leaving her free to concentrate on expressing the bitter agonies of the drama. Bolshoi trained Richard Collins; a colorful personality was excellent in his intelligent portrayal of the husband “Juan”.
Gennadi Vostrikov, as Victor Yerma's seducer, once again displayed his way of plumbing the depths of a character with tremendous physical force”
(Ann Barzel- Lerner Newspaper).

“Chicage Ballet, launched on the course of introducing the new, had a winner in “Yerma”, choreographed by Domy Reiter-Soffer to George Crumb's Ancient voices of children and based on the play by Fredrico Gracia Lorca. The piece first created for the Irish National Ballet, is about a young peasant woman who feels her childlessness is shameful and tragic. She seeks aid in mystic religious ceremony presided over by a priestess and her lustful son. Confronted in the midst of this by her angry husband, Yerma kills him, only to go mad when she realizes she has lost her only means to bear a child. Choreographer Reiter-Soffer, whose training involves modern and classical ballet, has utilized a broad and inventive range of dance movements to tell the story and reveal the emotions of the characters. He is a sculpture of shape and movement, wasting no effort on decoration. Every moment of the ballet flows importantly in the drama. Kathleen Smith dances the fever of frustration, a contraction that tells of agony, opens into an explosion, her strong technique maintained a searing concentration and gave a powerful performance. Richard Collins as her impotent husband and Gennadi Vostikov as the senseual partner in the orgy use their virtuosities to the dramatic ends of the choreography. The choreographer is extraordinarily adept at devising partnering movements wherein the dancers come together as naturally as a continuing a conversation. Yerma made a great impact on the audiences and we expect another ballet of substance in Domy Reiter-Soffer's next piece for the Chicago Ballet, Chariots of Fire, based on the myth of Phaedra”.
(Richard Christensen- Chicago Daily News).

“The Highlight of the evening was the American premiere of “Yerma” a Spanish psychological based on Lorca's play, Choreographed by Domy Reiter-Soffer first created for the Irish National Ballet. Yerma is consistently handsome vision of Fredrico Gracia Lorca's Tale about childless peasant woman going crazy because her husband refuses to help her to conceive. This is a fast, tight theatrical piece helped by the gorgeous color in George Crumb's Music. Kathleen Smith and Richard Collins, dance the percussive, sculptural wife-husband roles as if made for them, which they originally were. She begins in a vast Hammock, with a tradition- stiffened terror growing in her splayed hands, and the way she periodically slaps her guts. Gennadi Vostrikov, emerges from behind the sorceress' cross for the inevitable seduction, while toreros spin women around in ritual frenzy. The Ballet is powerful full of surprises and great tour de Force for the Chicago Ballet”.
(Linda Winer- Chicago Tribune).

“The Chicago Ballet did itself proud on Friday evening performing the American Premiere of Domy Reiter-Soffer's “Yerma”.
Yerma was the premiere that everyone was watching for and I found it to be an intriguing work that deserves to be in the company's repertoire for a long time.
Based on Fredrico Gracia Lorca's Play, which tells of a Spanish peasant wife, denied a child by her husband. The Score by the Pulitzer Prize winner George Crumb, using tantalizing mixture of vocal and text sounds, it gave the work an aura of striking moments of urgency, and Reiter-Soffer moved his dancers to its rhythms with powerful exactitude. The Principals included Kathleen Smith as the wife and Richard Collins as the husband, both of whom had danced in the world premiere when it was presented in Ireland. It begins as Yerma is stretched out in a hammock yearning for pregnancy. But when her pleadings with her husband are of no avail, she joins a pagan fertility ritual led by Jodie Patee as a commanding Sorceress. These scenes, which use entire company, are full of scurrying black-clad figures, ominous props and orgy effects. Then, after she is seduced by the sorceress's son danced with haughty relish by Gennadi Vostrikov, she goes mad and kills her husband and ends up rocking him in the hammock. Miss Smith strong, supple technique a dancer with eloquent projection and obviously a Chicago Ballet Find.
Yerma is a haunting tragic and powerful ballet that is a coup for the Chicago Ballet”.
(Glenna Syse- Chicago Sunday Times).

“The Chicago Ballet in the Opera House danced Domy Reiter-Soffer's Ballet “Yerma” It was by far my favorite piece on the program. It is striking moving creation, Dramatically lit and punctuated with vividly etched costumes and props.
George Crumb's score with its goose-bumpy whispers and urgent lamenting and percussive sounds, is a splendid piece of music. Reiter-Soffer knows the score well and his choreography matches it with power and poignancy.
Kathleen Smith, a confident, supple dancer and no slouch in the dramatic department, portrays the title role of this work; which uses Fredrico Gracia Lorca's drama for its text. As the peasant wife who yearns for a child, she is cast opposite her reluctant husband (Richard Collins), The sorceress (Jodie Pattee) and the sorceress' son, danced by Gennadi Vostrikoff, whose Tartar style is downright tempting. The ballet succeeds to portray the very essence of the story with no frills and creates moments of astounding theatricality”.
(Glenna Syse- Chicago Sunday Times).