Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, The Four Temperaments (Image by: David Alvarez)

Sacramento’s Community Center Theater hosted an evening of brilliant ballet performances on Thursday night. The Sacramento Ballet presented The Four Temperaments, Boléro and Celts. This program will be featured at the Community Center Theatre on March 24 to March 27 and on April 9 at the Three Stages Performing Arts Center in Folsom.

Thursday’s opening night started off the Icons and Innovators program with The Four Temperaments. Music by German composer Paul Hindemith and choreography by world-renowned George Balanchine proved very entertaining. The opening piece prepared the audience for a magnificent evening of music and dance. Superb lighting, costumes, choreography and great performances kept everyone’s eyes fixed on the stage.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, The Four Temperaments (Image by: David Alvarez)

Classic ballet movements captivated the audience as the Sacramento Ballet performers elegantly moved around the stage during The Four Temperaments. Fluid movements were executed as Hindemith’s music played. Dancers gracefully moved around showing how much time and effort they have put into their rehearsals at the Sacramento Ballet Studios on K Street.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, The Four Temperaments (Image by: David Alvarez)

This part of the program showed off the great talent of the dancers who have been working on this production for weeks, perhaps months. As intermission followed the initial performance it was obvious this was a showcase piece of art in motion. Guests commented on its visual presentation and how easy these dancers made their performance look.

After the first intermission French composer Maurice Ravel’s Boléro began. This ballet was masterfully choreographed by Ron Cunningham. From its first musical note and dance movement this ballet performance mesmerized the audience. Ravel’s Boléro is perhaps his most widely known composition. The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra also performed Ravel’s Boléro at this same venue on January 22, 2011.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, Boléro (Image by: David Alvarez)

The intensity of the music and dramatic moves grasped the audience from beginning to end. The choreography was superbly performed by the Sacramento Ballet. The mood for the performance was set by lighting, music, choreography and dancers. I cannot imagine this being a successful performance without any one of these theatrical and integral components.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, Boléro (Image by: David Alvarez)

This 1928 composition by Maurice Ravel, choreography and performance was like candy for the ears, eyes and soul. Dressed in flamenco dance costumes ballet performers dramatically moved around the stage. Flamenco dance costumes and movements provided great ambiance for this performance. The transparent background used during parts of the performance, where shadows of dancers can be seen, was a masterful addition that added character to Boléro.

The third and final piece of the Icons and Innovators performance was Celts choreographed by Lila York with Traditional and Contemporary Irish Folk Music. Lila’s choreography was showcased as part of the Sacramento Ballet’s Inside the Directors Studio series performed earlier in the month at the Sacramento Ballet Studios.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, Celts (Image by: David Alvarez)

Tribal drums playing in the background followed by bagpipes starts off the performance of Celts. The stage and lighting give a melodramatic presence to the ballet. Everything that’s Irish is celebrated in Lila York’s Celts. Beautiful costumes, not only in Celts but in the whole evening’s performance, were truly magnificent. Irish jigs and step dancing were integrated to showcase Irish dance, music and traditional as well as tribal costumes.

This Celtic experience was brought to the audience in spectacular fashion combining wonderful Irish music, great costumes, colorful stage lighting and a jubilant dance performance that extended St. Patrick’s celebration for another week.

Sacramento Ballet's Icons and Innovators, Celts (Image by: David Alvarez)

Imagery of Irish mythology, history and Celtic warriors were gracefully brought to the stage to produce a great performance. Lila York’s choreography brought her Irish/Scottish roots to life and the music selection made this a memorable show.

There are still a few performances scheduled in the next few days at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre and one in the City of Folsom. Contact the Community Center Theater Box Office at (916) 808-5181 or www.Tickets.com.

The Icons and Innovators performances by the Sacramento Ballet is an annual series devoted to showcase some of the nation’s renowned choreographers with music from some of the world’s best known composers. Thursday’s performance made it quite evident that all the work put into the performances was very successful and appreciated.

The Icons and Innovators presentation is the final Sacramento Ballet performance of the season at the Community Center. The Sacramento Ballet continues to impress with their performances in front of large audiences as well as with intimate showings. The talent that it continues to attract is impressive and the work of Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Ron Cunningham to attract renowned choreographers to Sacramento brings the best out of these magnificent dancers.

Ron Cunningham will also be holding an informal inside view of these performances 45 minutes before the performances at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre. Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers to these spellbound performances and they will thank you. Support your local arts and enjoy this exquisite Sacramento Ballet performance.