Afternoon of a Faun
New York Newsday, New York City, NY, October 13, 1988 by Janice Berman (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“What we were watching there was purely the Faun, a creature of the woods, awakening beside a stream, becoming conscious of his own body. His reactions were delicately sensate. His head twitched as a deer’s does when it’s caught in the headlights. When the four nymphs arrived, he crouched, shielding his upper body with his elbow and attempting to hide from them. But once they spotted him, he seemed torn between wanting them to touch him and wanting them to leave. The sensuality of the 1912 Vaslav Nijinsky original exists here as well. In Aiello’s ballet, one of the nymphs, instead of leaving a scarf behind, leaves the Faun with the memory of having been touched by her. This sexual awakening becomes clear at the ballet’s final moment. The spirit, but not the letter, of Aiello’s choreography owes much to the Nijinsky version and does it honor.”
The Sun Today, Harbor City, Maryland, November 27, 1989 by J. L. Conklin (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“It was a performance which displayed vivid imagination as well as incredible movement plasticity. The dance moves quickly, building both visual and rhythmic momentum, to create a sense of suspense, wonder and allure as the mythological creature is encountered by four nymphs."
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 17, 1991 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“That’s the beauty of dance. Watching Afternoon of a Faun evolve since its 1988 premiere has been like seeing a neighbor’s child grow – you feel proud from a distance. Aiello’s Faun speaks to our time in a way Nijinsky’s cannot.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, December 2002 by Lisa Dubois (Nashville Ballet)
“The middle portion of Nashville Ballet’s repertoire was a showcase for choreographer Salvatore Aiello. Afternoon of a Faun was a tour de force for Christopher Mohnani, whose every twist and torque accentuated his sculpted physique. He brilliantly conveyed the dichotomous innocence and virility of a young male’s initial foray into sexual discovery, falling under the allure of nymphs. The pas de deux between Mohnani and Djouloukhadze-Srb was executed exquisitely.”
New York Newsday, New York City, NY, October 13, 1988 by Janice Berman (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“What we were watching there was purely the Faun, a creature of the woods, awakening beside a stream, becoming conscious of his own body. His reactions were delicately sensate. His head twitched as a deer’s does when it’s caught in the headlights. When the four nymphs arrived, he crouched, shielding his upper body with his elbow and attempting to hide from them. But once they spotted him, he seemed torn between wanting them to touch him and wanting them to leave. The sensuality of the 1912 Vaslav Nijinsky original exists here as well. In Aiello’s ballet, one of the nymphs, instead of leaving a scarf behind, leaves the Faun with the memory of having been touched by her. This sexual awakening becomes clear at the ballet’s final moment. The spirit, but not the letter, of Aiello’s choreography owes much to the Nijinsky version and does it honor.”
The Sun Today, Harbor City, Maryland, November 27, 1989 by J. L. Conklin (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“It was a performance which displayed vivid imagination as well as incredible movement plasticity. The dance moves quickly, building both visual and rhythmic momentum, to create a sense of suspense, wonder and allure as the mythological creature is encountered by four nymphs."
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 17, 1991 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“That’s the beauty of dance. Watching Afternoon of a Faun evolve since its 1988 premiere has been like seeing a neighbor’s child grow – you feel proud from a distance. Aiello’s Faun speaks to our time in a way Nijinsky’s cannot.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, December 2002 by Lisa Dubois (Nashville Ballet)
“The middle portion of Nashville Ballet’s repertoire was a showcase for choreographer Salvatore Aiello. Afternoon of a Faun was a tour de force for Christopher Mohnani, whose every twist and torque accentuated his sculpted physique. He brilliantly conveyed the dichotomous innocence and virility of a young male’s initial foray into sexual discovery, falling under the allure of nymphs. The pas de deux between Mohnani and Djouloukhadze-Srb was executed exquisitely.”
Photo: Richard Kumery
Carmina Burana
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, February 17, 1995 by Dean Smith
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“We’ll have to dust off the word “spectacle” to describe this weekend’s collaborative production of
Carmina Burana. With a huge orchestra stretched out in the pit, a mammoth chorus stacked to the rafters onstage and an army of dancers stirring the space in between, the show dizzies the senses. Charlotte’s never seen anything like the Orff. In arts parlance, it’s a site-specific, multimedia, interdisciplinary, musico-dance theatre piece. In English, it’s glitzy. Aiello’s choreography blends recognizable influences with his trademark athleticism. Movement is broad and muscular to match the music’s pounding pulse.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, February 17, 1995 by Dean Smith
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“We’ll have to dust off the word “spectacle” to describe this weekend’s collaborative production of
Carmina Burana. With a huge orchestra stretched out in the pit, a mammoth chorus stacked to the rafters onstage and an army of dancers stirring the space in between, the show dizzies the senses. Charlotte’s never seen anything like the Orff. In arts parlance, it’s a site-specific, multimedia, interdisciplinary, musico-dance theatre piece. In English, it’s glitzy. Aiello’s choreography blends recognizable influences with his trademark athleticism. Movement is broad and muscular to match the music’s pounding pulse.”
Photo: Sarah Ferguson
Clowns and Others
(Les Clowns et les Autres)
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Monday, March 22, 1982 by Helen C. Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The evening closed with Aiello’s sunny Clowns and Others set to a sparkling Prokofiev score. It is a clever and light-hearted work made up of short slapstick vignettes, which give each dancer a chance to shine. Whimsical clown costumes and jesters’ horns give a fanciful air to the piece. Clowns and Others includes – among other high points -- a zany love duet, a tricky bit of business on a long ribbon that serves as a high wire off the floor and some wacky non-sense with balloons and lollipops.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Tuesday, March 22, 1983 by Anna Kisselgoff (North Carolina Dance Theater)
"Salvatore Aiello created the opening Clowns and Others to Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives. It is a modest but neatly choreographed grab bag of cameos of circus and doll-figures that spring out of a frieze. The most effective moments were rooted in a combination of mime and dance, as in the image of an invisible carousel. The solos were all well performed. Some were cute but never coy.”
Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH, Saturday, October 13, 1984 by Barbara Zuck (BalletMet)
"Clowns and Others, in part because of the music and in part because of Aiello’s refined choreography has a wistful, lyrical quality. When the tightrope walker falls, you don’t laugh, you care. Still Clowns – with its balloons and human trapezes -- is upbeat and charming.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, February 1985, by Ann Barzel (BalletMet)
“The other company premiere on the program was Aiello’s Clowns and Others. Satire was sheathed in hilarious moments in which balloons and a huge lollipop figured. I have seen the piece danced well by the versatile NCDT and found that the Ohio dancers were able to romp through the acrobatics and ballet movements in fine form.”
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, March 17, 2007 by Mark Kanny (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre)
"Clowns and Others by the late Salvatore Aiello, was the utterly delightful middle section of the three part program, for which company pianist Collin played Sergei Prokofiev’s music brilliantly. Aiello’s work is a comic masterpiece in which he always has a topper for amusing situations.”
Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI, February 12, 2010 by Elaine Schmidt (Milwaukee Ballet)
"The program’s centerpiece, Clowns and Others featured Salvatore Aiello’s brilliantly delightful choreography depicting a bevy of human characteristics and emotions. No two alike, Douglas Barger’s bright white costumes, trimmed in gold and silver lame with roots in commedia dell’arte, became sparkling, motion-filled scenery on the bare stage. The dancers unfailingly captured the character and emotion of the clowns and their vignettes, connecting instantly with the audience. They made both playful gesture and artful dancing look like child’s play, eliciting laughs and other reactions as the humor and pathos hit home.”
Duluth News Tribune, Dance Review, Saturday, October 18, 2014 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet sends in the clowns
“The Minnesota Ballet’s season opened Friday night at the DECC’s Symphony Hall with a triple bill that covered three diverse styles of music and choreography. Most of all, it was the baker’s dozen of clowns that made this opening night truly memorable.
For the utterly delightful Clowns and Others, Salvatore Aiello found a kindred spirit for his choreography in Sergei Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives, which amply displays the composer’s musical humor as immediately evidenced in the opening moments of the piece as the frozen chorus line of clowns came alive in a series of syncopated movements. Kudos for bringing in pianist David Packa to play Prokofiev live, because it certainly added to the performance.
Each of the vignettes has it moment: Michael Agudelo finds interesting things to do with Suzie Bair’s leg in a mini-love story that proves there is kissing in ballet. Wourms does a pas de palm with his own hand, while Madeleine Surges turns a lollipop into a sticky situation.
Clowns and Others also features the new additions to the company to nice advantage. Payne had a solo where his fouette turns ended up leading to a classic break-dancing move. Cyrus Bridwell works his way across a ribbon turned tightrope in one of the evening’s show pieces, and as the girl with the white balloon, Manger is absolutely adorable, right down to her petulant pout.
This charming piece was simply over way too soon. We really should have just made them do it again.”
News Tribune, Duluth,MN, Friday, October 22, 2017 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet starts season with stellar Show
The first time I saw Salvatore Aiello's utterly charming "Clowns and Others" three years ago, I immediately wanted to see it again. So when artistic executive director Robert Gardner made it the title piece for the Minnesota Ballet's season opener at Symphony Hall on Friday night, I would finally get my chance.
But the really impressive thing about this amazing night of dance was that it included two other pieces equally as mesmerizing.
George Balanchine's "Tarantella" gave Emily Reed and Ryo Munakata the opportunity to shine, whether they danced with each other or with a tambourine. Reed displayed high-speed fancy footwork, synchronized perfectly to the music, while Munakata drew almost constant applause from the audience for his elegant glides from one leap to the next in his most memorable performance to date.
Another Aiello piece, "The Waiting Room," had violinist Erin Aldridge and pianist Alexander Sandor providing live accompaniment. Naomi Doty, Sarah Gresik and Emma Stanton began seated in chairs beneath the harsh glow of an overhead light, signifying the serious tone for this haunting piece.
The three women struck me as being patients, their apprehension almost painfully personal. There was also a sense of the betrayal of the body brought on by illness, where their movements seemed like marionettes controlled by unseen strings. The somber tone of the piece extended to the bows from the waist the dancers made in their curtain call.
The evening closed with Aiello's "Clowns and Others," accompanied by Sandor playing Prokofiev's "Visions Fugitives," which starts with the pretty as a picture tableau of a baker's dozen dancers decked out in Sandra Ehle's white clown costumes, colored by Kenneth Pogin's lighting. The piece presents a whole lot of things you do not normally see at the ballet.
There are balloons, a baseball bat, bouncing, broken arms, causes for alarm, crab walking, cuddling, a dead body, divine intervention, an enormous elastic band, fear, grimacing, hand holding, handshakes, hand stands, head butting, jazz hands, juggling, a lollipop, kicking, kissing, makeup, masks, pairs of white gloves, prancing, praying, running, shuffling, spinning while kissing, a sticky situation, swivel hips, thumb twiddling, tightrope walking, trapezing, tripping and a whirly-bird hat.
All three of these pieces were staged by Jerri Kumery, repetiteur with the George Balanchine Trust and curator of the Salvatore Aiello Ballets, as she did for the Minnesota Ballet for the 2014 program.
(Les Clowns et les Autres)
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Monday, March 22, 1982 by Helen C. Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The evening closed with Aiello’s sunny Clowns and Others set to a sparkling Prokofiev score. It is a clever and light-hearted work made up of short slapstick vignettes, which give each dancer a chance to shine. Whimsical clown costumes and jesters’ horns give a fanciful air to the piece. Clowns and Others includes – among other high points -- a zany love duet, a tricky bit of business on a long ribbon that serves as a high wire off the floor and some wacky non-sense with balloons and lollipops.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Tuesday, March 22, 1983 by Anna Kisselgoff (North Carolina Dance Theater)
"Salvatore Aiello created the opening Clowns and Others to Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives. It is a modest but neatly choreographed grab bag of cameos of circus and doll-figures that spring out of a frieze. The most effective moments were rooted in a combination of mime and dance, as in the image of an invisible carousel. The solos were all well performed. Some were cute but never coy.”
Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH, Saturday, October 13, 1984 by Barbara Zuck (BalletMet)
"Clowns and Others, in part because of the music and in part because of Aiello’s refined choreography has a wistful, lyrical quality. When the tightrope walker falls, you don’t laugh, you care. Still Clowns – with its balloons and human trapezes -- is upbeat and charming.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, February 1985, by Ann Barzel (BalletMet)
“The other company premiere on the program was Aiello’s Clowns and Others. Satire was sheathed in hilarious moments in which balloons and a huge lollipop figured. I have seen the piece danced well by the versatile NCDT and found that the Ohio dancers were able to romp through the acrobatics and ballet movements in fine form.”
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, March 17, 2007 by Mark Kanny (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre)
"Clowns and Others by the late Salvatore Aiello, was the utterly delightful middle section of the three part program, for which company pianist Collin played Sergei Prokofiev’s music brilliantly. Aiello’s work is a comic masterpiece in which he always has a topper for amusing situations.”
Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI, February 12, 2010 by Elaine Schmidt (Milwaukee Ballet)
"The program’s centerpiece, Clowns and Others featured Salvatore Aiello’s brilliantly delightful choreography depicting a bevy of human characteristics and emotions. No two alike, Douglas Barger’s bright white costumes, trimmed in gold and silver lame with roots in commedia dell’arte, became sparkling, motion-filled scenery on the bare stage. The dancers unfailingly captured the character and emotion of the clowns and their vignettes, connecting instantly with the audience. They made both playful gesture and artful dancing look like child’s play, eliciting laughs and other reactions as the humor and pathos hit home.”
Duluth News Tribune, Dance Review, Saturday, October 18, 2014 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet sends in the clowns
“The Minnesota Ballet’s season opened Friday night at the DECC’s Symphony Hall with a triple bill that covered three diverse styles of music and choreography. Most of all, it was the baker’s dozen of clowns that made this opening night truly memorable.
For the utterly delightful Clowns and Others, Salvatore Aiello found a kindred spirit for his choreography in Sergei Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives, which amply displays the composer’s musical humor as immediately evidenced in the opening moments of the piece as the frozen chorus line of clowns came alive in a series of syncopated movements. Kudos for bringing in pianist David Packa to play Prokofiev live, because it certainly added to the performance.
Each of the vignettes has it moment: Michael Agudelo finds interesting things to do with Suzie Bair’s leg in a mini-love story that proves there is kissing in ballet. Wourms does a pas de palm with his own hand, while Madeleine Surges turns a lollipop into a sticky situation.
Clowns and Others also features the new additions to the company to nice advantage. Payne had a solo where his fouette turns ended up leading to a classic break-dancing move. Cyrus Bridwell works his way across a ribbon turned tightrope in one of the evening’s show pieces, and as the girl with the white balloon, Manger is absolutely adorable, right down to her petulant pout.
This charming piece was simply over way too soon. We really should have just made them do it again.”
News Tribune, Duluth,MN, Friday, October 22, 2017 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet starts season with stellar Show
The first time I saw Salvatore Aiello's utterly charming "Clowns and Others" three years ago, I immediately wanted to see it again. So when artistic executive director Robert Gardner made it the title piece for the Minnesota Ballet's season opener at Symphony Hall on Friday night, I would finally get my chance.
But the really impressive thing about this amazing night of dance was that it included two other pieces equally as mesmerizing.
George Balanchine's "Tarantella" gave Emily Reed and Ryo Munakata the opportunity to shine, whether they danced with each other or with a tambourine. Reed displayed high-speed fancy footwork, synchronized perfectly to the music, while Munakata drew almost constant applause from the audience for his elegant glides from one leap to the next in his most memorable performance to date.
Another Aiello piece, "The Waiting Room," had violinist Erin Aldridge and pianist Alexander Sandor providing live accompaniment. Naomi Doty, Sarah Gresik and Emma Stanton began seated in chairs beneath the harsh glow of an overhead light, signifying the serious tone for this haunting piece.
The three women struck me as being patients, their apprehension almost painfully personal. There was also a sense of the betrayal of the body brought on by illness, where their movements seemed like marionettes controlled by unseen strings. The somber tone of the piece extended to the bows from the waist the dancers made in their curtain call.
The evening closed with Aiello's "Clowns and Others," accompanied by Sandor playing Prokofiev's "Visions Fugitives," which starts with the pretty as a picture tableau of a baker's dozen dancers decked out in Sandra Ehle's white clown costumes, colored by Kenneth Pogin's lighting. The piece presents a whole lot of things you do not normally see at the ballet.
There are balloons, a baseball bat, bouncing, broken arms, causes for alarm, crab walking, cuddling, a dead body, divine intervention, an enormous elastic band, fear, grimacing, hand holding, handshakes, hand stands, head butting, jazz hands, juggling, a lollipop, kicking, kissing, makeup, masks, pairs of white gloves, prancing, praying, running, shuffling, spinning while kissing, a sticky situation, swivel hips, thumb twiddling, tightrope walking, trapezing, tripping and a whirly-bird hat.
All three of these pieces were staged by Jerri Kumery, repetiteur with the George Balanchine Trust and curator of the Salvatore Aiello Ballets, as she did for the Minnesota Ballet for the 2014 program.
Photo by : Richard Kumery
Coppelia
The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, Saturday, June 3, 1995 by Dottie Ashley Spoleto Festival
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Coppelia -- “The Dancers bring Dreams to Life.”
“NCDT performed a colorful, technically smooth version of Coppelia at Spoleto Friday before an enthusiastic audience. A first class ballet, with a spectacular set and lovely costumes. The ensemble dances were skillfully choreographed using closely knit bourees and unexpected twists in the lifts and leaps. Coppelia is an ethereal ballet with a heart.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, June 3, 1995 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“…the handsome sets and beautiful costumes, the inventive choreography and powerful dancing, the large and delighted audience. The standing ovation. Coppelia proves Aiello is an equally ingenious architect working in his art form’s largest format. The craftsmanship is impeccable, the story lines neatly braided, the flow of solo and ensemble sections seamless. Aiello’s motto seems to be “Just say no to pantomime.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, October 14, 1995 by Willa J. Conrad (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Humor Makes “Coppelia” Human
“Salvatore Aiello must have been watching Gene Kelly and Buster Keaton movies when he was re-working the classic story of Coppelia. Humor from another era so rarely translates well on the stage. But Aiello has expertly stitched the plot – into a naturally flowing tableau that is theatrically appealing. Saucy details keep the story alive with minimal reliance on pantomime. It’s all very human, and it’s all very charming.”
The Times Tribune, New Orleans, October 23, 1995 by Theodore P. Mahne (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"Coppelia, E.T.A Hoffmann’s tale of an eccentric dollmaker and a pair of young lovers, wrapped up the fall season with a first-class production, re-worked and re-imagined by Salvatore Aiello, the company’s artistic director. Aiello’s lively production incorporated magic, pyro-technics and humor throughout.”
The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, Saturday, June 3, 1995 by Dottie Ashley Spoleto Festival
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Coppelia -- “The Dancers bring Dreams to Life.”
“NCDT performed a colorful, technically smooth version of Coppelia at Spoleto Friday before an enthusiastic audience. A first class ballet, with a spectacular set and lovely costumes. The ensemble dances were skillfully choreographed using closely knit bourees and unexpected twists in the lifts and leaps. Coppelia is an ethereal ballet with a heart.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, June 3, 1995 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“…the handsome sets and beautiful costumes, the inventive choreography and powerful dancing, the large and delighted audience. The standing ovation. Coppelia proves Aiello is an equally ingenious architect working in his art form’s largest format. The craftsmanship is impeccable, the story lines neatly braided, the flow of solo and ensemble sections seamless. Aiello’s motto seems to be “Just say no to pantomime.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, October 14, 1995 by Willa J. Conrad (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Humor Makes “Coppelia” Human
“Salvatore Aiello must have been watching Gene Kelly and Buster Keaton movies when he was re-working the classic story of Coppelia. Humor from another era so rarely translates well on the stage. But Aiello has expertly stitched the plot – into a naturally flowing tableau that is theatrically appealing. Saucy details keep the story alive with minimal reliance on pantomime. It’s all very human, and it’s all very charming.”
The Times Tribune, New Orleans, October 23, 1995 by Theodore P. Mahne (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"Coppelia, E.T.A Hoffmann’s tale of an eccentric dollmaker and a pair of young lovers, wrapped up the fall season with a first-class production, re-worked and re-imagined by Salvatore Aiello, the company’s artistic director. Aiello’s lively production incorporated magic, pyro-technics and humor throughout.”
Photo: Richard Kumery
Echoes of Presence/ Les Sylphides
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, October 14, 1988 by Anna Kisselgoff
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Those who remember Mr. Aiello from his days as a dancer in the Harkness Ballet will not be surprised by the emotional thrust in his choreography. Pure dance was never the Harkness’ trademark, and here, even in his ostensibly plot-less ballets, Mr. Aiello suggests drama or relationships. There is no doubt, however, that Mr. Aiello is an idea man and that his ballets have interesting subjects. Echoes of Presence/ Les Sylphides turned out to be a nervy but fascinating reinterpretation of Michel Fokine’s Chopiniana. Mr. Aiello has gone back to the original, discarded scenario of a poet surrounded by is visions and fantasies. The difference is that he has a painter, and the visions are ballet visions.The ‘in’ joke is that the picture that we never see on an easel consists of quotations from choreographers to who Mr. Aiello pays tribute.”
Chautauqua Daily, Chautauqua, NY, Tuesday, July 14, 1992 by Nancy Pollina (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Aiello created a strong yet light ballet that is very successful in its ‘echoing’ movements from the original Fokine choreography. It constantly alludes to the original at every turn, but transforms the phrases towards new directions. The ballet beguiles the entrapment: at once one recognizes the music and a movement phrase from the original Fokine, but then Aiello moves away and beyond to his own interpretation in a creative adaptation of the music.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, May 15, 1999, by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The revival of the late Salvatore Aiello’s Echoes of Presence set to Chopin’s Les Sylphides, was a gem, sparkling with worldly wisdom and cynical wit.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, October 14, 1988 by Anna Kisselgoff
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Those who remember Mr. Aiello from his days as a dancer in the Harkness Ballet will not be surprised by the emotional thrust in his choreography. Pure dance was never the Harkness’ trademark, and here, even in his ostensibly plot-less ballets, Mr. Aiello suggests drama or relationships. There is no doubt, however, that Mr. Aiello is an idea man and that his ballets have interesting subjects. Echoes of Presence/ Les Sylphides turned out to be a nervy but fascinating reinterpretation of Michel Fokine’s Chopiniana. Mr. Aiello has gone back to the original, discarded scenario of a poet surrounded by is visions and fantasies. The difference is that he has a painter, and the visions are ballet visions.The ‘in’ joke is that the picture that we never see on an easel consists of quotations from choreographers to who Mr. Aiello pays tribute.”
Chautauqua Daily, Chautauqua, NY, Tuesday, July 14, 1992 by Nancy Pollina (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Aiello created a strong yet light ballet that is very successful in its ‘echoing’ movements from the original Fokine choreography. It constantly alludes to the original at every turn, but transforms the phrases towards new directions. The ballet beguiles the entrapment: at once one recognizes the music and a movement phrase from the original Fokine, but then Aiello moves away and beyond to his own interpretation in a creative adaptation of the music.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, May 15, 1999, by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The revival of the late Salvatore Aiello’s Echoes of Presence set to Chopin’s Les Sylphides, was a gem, sparkling with worldly wisdom and cynical wit.”
Extentions
Diversity and Mastery Bring Hope in Challenging Times
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis (Richmond Ballet)
November 12, 2020
Ira White performed Salvatore Aiello's Extensions. Dressed in practice shorts and a tank top, he stood silently, listening to pianist Douglas-Jayd Burn playing Alexander Scriabin's score. These unhurried moments of stillness before the dance began were a poignant introduction to a work that highlights the Choreographer's intimate relationship with the music. Once inspired, the dancer returned to the barre and began to move reflectively, at one with the music, taking his time, warming up and exploring movement that brought the music to life. An unexpected plunge over the barre was breathtaking, and at the end I heard an audience member whisper, ''he's amazing!''
Diversity and Mastery Bring Hope in Challenging Times
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis (Richmond Ballet)
November 12, 2020
Ira White performed Salvatore Aiello's Extensions. Dressed in practice shorts and a tank top, he stood silently, listening to pianist Douglas-Jayd Burn playing Alexander Scriabin's score. These unhurried moments of stillness before the dance began were a poignant introduction to a work that highlights the Choreographer's intimate relationship with the music. Once inspired, the dancer returned to the barre and began to move reflectively, at one with the music, taking his time, warming up and exploring movement that brought the music to life. An unexpected plunge over the barre was breathtaking, and at the end I heard an audience member whisper, ''he's amazing!''
Photo : Martin O'Connor
Journey
Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, May 3, 1979 by Casimir Carter (Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
"Journey vibrates with exuberance and vitality with twelve young males running, leaping and performing gymnastic movements to Malcolm Arnold’s Organ Concerto which swells to great crescendos of sound. The men move across the stage in vertical, horizontal and angular lines, posing singly and in sculptured groupings. An introspective middle movement leads to a thunderous climax. It was dance with precision and dazzling technique by the company’s male corps.”
The Tribune, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thursday, May 3 1979 by Lynne Robson (Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
RWB’s Magnificent Males Shine in Aiello’s “Journey”
“The men of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet are magnificent! Critic and audiences have always had that suspicion, but thanks to choreographer Salvatore Aiello, any remaining threads of doubt should only be viewed as blasphemy. It triumphs in allowing male dancers to demonstrate emotional strength and incredible energy. The ballet is about the growth of male roles in dance.”
The Brandon Sun, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saturday, May 12, 1979 by Kaye Rowe (Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
“The highlight of the final concert of Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s season was created by associate artistic director of RWB, Salvatore Aiello. Danced to contemporary music, Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto for Organ and Orchestra, the choreography opened in highly original fashion, male figures walking, jogging and running as for an Olympic track-meet across the stage of the Winnipeg Concert Hall. The Aiello ballet, Journey, while powerfully masculine, never turned regimented or military. The development moved into group patterns with overtones of the figure-pliancy of classic Greek statuary. Journey was action, movement and variety. Packed houses for the run between May 2-6, accorded the premiere of the Aiello’s ballet rapt attention, averages of 10 curtain calls and shouts of Bravo! in excited commendation.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, October 14, 1988 by Anna Kisselgoff (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Uncomplicated but with a sure sense of structure and pattern, the piece is a genuine crowd pleaser."
Parent World, Nashville, TN, Oct. 10, 2006 by Chad Young (Nashville Ballet)
“After a 15 minute intermission, the male dancers take the stage in what is the real standout performance of the series – Journey. Choreographed by Salvatore Aiello, the dancers travel through the realms of land, sea and air, and they do so with great fine finesse. This piece celebrates the grace and awe-inspiring athleticism of the male dancer. Aiello perfectly describes this piece: “The work pays tribute to the strength, vitality and physical virtuosity of the male dancer.”
Pointe Magazine, Nashville, TN, February/ March 2007 by Shirley Blackburn (Nashville Ballet)
“The show’s wild card and runaway audience favorite was Salvatore Aiello’s all-male Journey. Journey peppered with a bit of ballet, jazz and acrobatics showcased the men’s ability to execute difficult leaps and complex turns, spirals and falls with flair and confidence."
Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond, VA, November 5, 2017 by Julinda Lewis (Richmond Ballet)
‘RICHMOND BALLET: ‘TRIO’ Dance review: Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Arts Center Richmond
"The iconic choreographer George Balanchine once said, “ballet is woman.” Indeed, other than a few superstars (Nijinsky, Nureyev, Baryshnikov) only true balletomanes could easily recall the names of even three male ballet dancers. The male dancer is often thought of as an accessory – one who lifts the women and supports them as they rise onto their pointes – and as a reward gets to spin a few turns around the stage. So, it was a real treat to see Salvatore Aiello’s all-male ballet, “Journey,” included on the Richmond Ballet’s “Trio” program at the Carpenter Theatre this past weekend.
“Journey,” which premiered in 1979 with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, was Aiello’s first ballet for a professional company. Set to the music of Sir Malcolm Arnold (“Organ Concerto”), it is an abstract ballet that pays tribute to the male dancer, but in doing so, it creates images of athleticism and evokes the unleashed power of horses. It reminded me of Robert North’s “Troy Game,” another ballet for 12 male dancers that was a signature work of Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Sunday’s matinee featured Matthew Frain, Anthony Oates, and Mate Szentes, along with the rest of the company’s male dancers as well as men from the Richmond Ballet II second company. The “Journey” of the title refers to traveling on land, sea, and sky and the shirtless men appear to flow through these different environments and arrange themselves into appropriate formations.
In the opening the men run and jog casually across the stage in semidarkness, until suddenly one bursts out from the wings in an arcing leap and a blaze of light. Duos and trios follow, winding up one arm and pulling back like a bow and arrow before shooting offstage. Occasionally they pause in their display of virtuosity to posture and flex, almost as if to counter the moments of breathtaking grace. At the end, they form a circle and run, seeming to take flight as the curtain falls."
Kalimankou Denko (Evening Gatherings)
The Atlanta Journal/ The Atlanta Constitution, October 6, 1991 by Helen C. Smith (Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre)
"Kalimankou is a series of character sketches of different women gathering for an evening of chat and gossip. There's a fish-wife type (Rachel Racine), who shakes her finger at everyone. Another (Kieko Guest) mourns a lost love one and is comforted by a friend (Martha Goodman). Still another, (Kim McCachren) fantasizes about a lover in an exquisite solo that evokes the innocence and wonder of first love. The finale is a joyful fit of boding among the women that sends the spirit soaring. Mr. Aiello, artistic director of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, is an imaginative and skilled choreographer who responds to the music he has chosen (in the this case, taped songs by the Bulgarian women's chorus Le Mystere des Voix Bulagares) as if he and the composer(s) where coming from the same source."
Magnificat
Raleigh News & Observer, Raleigh, NC, April 13, 1986 by Helen Rulison (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The last number was Bach’s Magnificat. In number, gender and mood each of the 12 sections of this work was interpreted precisely in keeping with the music and text. Having studied and sung this work, I was impressed and delighted with the dance version.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, December 12, 1986 by Anna Kisselgoff (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The local premiere of Mr. Aiello’s Magnificat to Bach, proved a good cut above other recently seen dances to Baroque religious music. Here again, one has to say that it is difficult to meet such composers on their own level. Nonetheless, Mr. Aiello hints at a theme of direct communion between Everyman and God. Mr. Aiello has improved tremendously in his fluency. The accent is on large ensembles, skillfully dissolved into various patterns and the idiom is completely eclectic. A meditative solo radiates a 1940’s all-American innocence that makes Mr. Aiello’s clean simplicity effective and immediate.”
The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, NC, May 16, 1985 by Jim Shertzer (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Aiello Scores with Vibrant “Magnificat”
“Set to Bach’s glorious Magnificat in D, the half-hour ballet bears the hallmarks of Aiello’s style. The concept is boldly theatrical; the dancing is inventive and athletic, and the moods are varied and deeply felt. Magnificat has substance. Aiello’ work unfolds with an economy that squeezes maximum effect from each movement. This is a thoughtful meditation on the text and music, and it strikes a contemporary, ecumenical note of spiritual hope. Between the ballet’s buoyant opening and its ecstatic finale, in which the company leaps for joy as the curtain falls, are 10 contrasting vignettes. Last night all were compellingly danced by a company at one with Aiello’s spiritual and choreographic purposes.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, October 2, 1999 by Martin Allen (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
A Powerful Celebration
“David Tang, who will conduct the music and choir for Magnificat, was amazed at how closely Aiello had captured Bach’s text through his movement design.
He watched a run-through and is very enthusiastic about being a part of this restored dance masterpiece.”
Raleigh News & Observer, Raleigh, NC, April 13, 1986 by Helen Rulison (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The last number was Bach’s Magnificat. In number, gender and mood each of the 12 sections of this work was interpreted precisely in keeping with the music and text. Having studied and sung this work, I was impressed and delighted with the dance version.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, December 12, 1986 by Anna Kisselgoff (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The local premiere of Mr. Aiello’s Magnificat to Bach, proved a good cut above other recently seen dances to Baroque religious music. Here again, one has to say that it is difficult to meet such composers on their own level. Nonetheless, Mr. Aiello hints at a theme of direct communion between Everyman and God. Mr. Aiello has improved tremendously in his fluency. The accent is on large ensembles, skillfully dissolved into various patterns and the idiom is completely eclectic. A meditative solo radiates a 1940’s all-American innocence that makes Mr. Aiello’s clean simplicity effective and immediate.”
The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, NC, May 16, 1985 by Jim Shertzer (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Aiello Scores with Vibrant “Magnificat”
“Set to Bach’s glorious Magnificat in D, the half-hour ballet bears the hallmarks of Aiello’s style. The concept is boldly theatrical; the dancing is inventive and athletic, and the moods are varied and deeply felt. Magnificat has substance. Aiello’ work unfolds with an economy that squeezes maximum effect from each movement. This is a thoughtful meditation on the text and music, and it strikes a contemporary, ecumenical note of spiritual hope. Between the ballet’s buoyant opening and its ecstatic finale, in which the company leaps for joy as the curtain falls, are 10 contrasting vignettes. Last night all were compellingly danced by a company at one with Aiello’s spiritual and choreographic purposes.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, October 2, 1999 by Martin Allen (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
A Powerful Celebration
“David Tang, who will conduct the music and choir for Magnificat, was amazed at how closely Aiello had captured Bach’s text through his movement design.
He watched a run-through and is very enthusiastic about being a part of this restored dance masterpiece.”
Photo: Richard Kumery
Notturno
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, October 14, 1988 by Anna Kisselgoff
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"The winner on the program was the sleek Notturno set to Schubert’s Nocturne in E flat and exactly danced. There was a sensual appeal in these two couples arching and diving, linking opposite arms in raised curves, hovering like birds, sliding into splits on the floor, joining into a sculptural frieze.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, Friday, October 14, 1988 by Anna Kisselgoff
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"The winner on the program was the sleek Notturno set to Schubert’s Nocturne in E flat and exactly danced. There was a sensual appeal in these two couples arching and diving, linking opposite arms in raised curves, hovering like birds, sliding into splits on the floor, joining into a sculptural frieze.”
Piano Concerto #1
The Times, New York City, NY, July 27, 1981 by John Percival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The energy and bravura of the whole company make Piano Concerto #1 a sure crowd pleaser. The music is by Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and choreography by Salvatore Aiello. The vigor of the men and suppleness of the women are boldly displayed in a grab-all mixture of styles from ballet to Broadway.”
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA March 22, 1982 by Helen C. Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The delightfully fresh and zestful ensemble whipped through its opening number -- Salvatore Aiello’s Piano Concerto #1 set to Keith Emerson’s music – as if injected with perpetual motion. Piano Concerto #1 does not tell a story; rather, it plays games with movements – from the vocabulary of classical ballet to the strenuous rigors of gymnastics. It’s sort of like a carefree romp (albeit a technically disciplined one) on the dance floor – all surface charm and youthful energy.”
New Era, Lancaster, PA, February 5, 1983 by Sam Taylor (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The atmosphere of the dance studio came across the footlights in the final number entitled Piano Concerto #1. Stage hands removed the teaser drapes, set lights and uncovered the back wall of the stage in full view of the intermission audience, leaving a cavernous dancing area. The entire ensemble took to the bared stage to perform a complicated set of dances of abstract and impressionistic mood which demonstrated nearly every style of movement employed universally by students and performers of the dance. Here the extensive versatility and the competence of the company came into full view with pyrotechnic brilliance.”
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA, February 5, 1983 by Patti Lawson (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"Piano Concerto #1 begins as stage hands adjust the lights and dancers begin to warm up. It may have seemed just a bit affected, but it worked. People returned to their seats to watch. This abstract work allows the audience to see the dancer as an athlete. The choice of costuming, with midriff tops, reveals the physical prowess of a dancer. Aiello’s work especially fits this company because it demands energy and versatility for the varied movements.
Piano Concerto # 1 offers a potpourri of dance, lest Aiello forgot something earlier in the evening, which is hard to imagine. The company took three curtain calls and more shouts of “Bravo” which they deserved.”
The Voice, The Weekly Newspaper of New York, New York City, NY, April 19, 1983 by Deborah Jowitt (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Aiello’s Piano Concerto #1 is a playfully eclectic piece, set to Keith Emerson’s widely eclectic music. The dancers strut and whip their way through a plunder of styles set into neat patterns. It’s meant to show the dancers as skilled, exuberant athletes, and it does. It’s meant to make the audience whoop, and it does.”
The Times, New York City, NY, July 27, 1981 by John Percival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The energy and bravura of the whole company make Piano Concerto #1 a sure crowd pleaser. The music is by Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and choreography by Salvatore Aiello. The vigor of the men and suppleness of the women are boldly displayed in a grab-all mixture of styles from ballet to Broadway.”
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA March 22, 1982 by Helen C. Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The delightfully fresh and zestful ensemble whipped through its opening number -- Salvatore Aiello’s Piano Concerto #1 set to Keith Emerson’s music – as if injected with perpetual motion. Piano Concerto #1 does not tell a story; rather, it plays games with movements – from the vocabulary of classical ballet to the strenuous rigors of gymnastics. It’s sort of like a carefree romp (albeit a technically disciplined one) on the dance floor – all surface charm and youthful energy.”
New Era, Lancaster, PA, February 5, 1983 by Sam Taylor (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The atmosphere of the dance studio came across the footlights in the final number entitled Piano Concerto #1. Stage hands removed the teaser drapes, set lights and uncovered the back wall of the stage in full view of the intermission audience, leaving a cavernous dancing area. The entire ensemble took to the bared stage to perform a complicated set of dances of abstract and impressionistic mood which demonstrated nearly every style of movement employed universally by students and performers of the dance. Here the extensive versatility and the competence of the company came into full view with pyrotechnic brilliance.”
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA, February 5, 1983 by Patti Lawson (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
"Piano Concerto #1 begins as stage hands adjust the lights and dancers begin to warm up. It may have seemed just a bit affected, but it worked. People returned to their seats to watch. This abstract work allows the audience to see the dancer as an athlete. The choice of costuming, with midriff tops, reveals the physical prowess of a dancer. Aiello’s work especially fits this company because it demands energy and versatility for the varied movements.
Piano Concerto # 1 offers a potpourri of dance, lest Aiello forgot something earlier in the evening, which is hard to imagine. The company took three curtain calls and more shouts of “Bravo” which they deserved.”
The Voice, The Weekly Newspaper of New York, New York City, NY, April 19, 1983 by Deborah Jowitt (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Aiello’s Piano Concerto #1 is a playfully eclectic piece, set to Keith Emerson’s widely eclectic music. The dancers strut and whip their way through a plunder of styles set into neat patterns. It’s meant to show the dancers as skilled, exuberant athletes, and it does. It’s meant to make the audience whoop, and it does.”
Reflections
Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, December 27, 1978 by Casimir Carter (Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
“Reflections, a pas de deux for solo dancer and pianist danced to Debussy’s Relets dans l’eau, suggests a cocktail lounge setting in which a female dancer show her reliance on her piano accompanist, in this case Earl Stafford. Wyckoff gave dimension to the choreography with dancing that was effortless but expressive.”
Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, December 27, 1978 by Casimir Carter (Royal Winnipeg Ballet)
“Reflections, a pas de deux for solo dancer and pianist danced to Debussy’s Relets dans l’eau, suggests a cocktail lounge setting in which a female dancer show her reliance on her piano accompanist, in this case Earl Stafford. Wyckoff gave dimension to the choreography with dancing that was effortless but expressive.”
Photo by : Jeff Cravotta
Satto (Wind Dance)
News-Journal, Daytona Beach, FL, December 8, 1984 by Drew Murphy (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto (Wind Dance), bold in concept and daring in execution, this absorbing dance creation brought gasps from a clearly excited audience. Moving to music that sounded Japanese – with percussion, flutes and bells – both dancers evoked an abstract aura of mystery I found compelling.”
The Village Voice, New York, NY, December 11, 1984 by Elizabeth Zimmer (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Salvatore Aiello’s Satto (Wind Dance) is a gorgeous duet that manages to be intensely physical, even erotic, without repeating itself as the hundreds of other duets in this genre.”
The Miami Herald, Miami, FL, December 12, 1984 by Diane Milhan Pruett (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto an exquisite duet choreographed by Salvatore Aiello. Subtitled (Wind Dance) was infused with Eastern economy of movement and emotions. The opening male solo was boisterous, pounding and insistent, like winds buffeting the cliffs. The woman’s movement was wispy and fragile, like wind gently following the edges of landscape. The coming together of these two forces produced a series of wrapping and circling of bodies. In the resolution of the duet, the soft wind separates from the boisterous wind and each returns to its own elements.”
The Davis Enterprise, Davis, CA, January 14, 1985 by Patricia Milich (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Would I go again to see the North Carolina Dance Theatre? Yes, absolutely if I could see Satto (Wind Dance) again. Salvatore Aiello’s images started strongly and continued throughout. The modern dance duet began with tiger-striped lighting striking a large white patch on the otherwise blackened stage floor. It was in this area that the whole dance contained itself. Aiello’s choreography avoided the strict female/ male dichotomy of so many duets in part by his insistence that both dancers perform such gymnastic feats. Yet placed among these were some slithery lifts and twists of the most satisfying kind – the ones in which the viewer never suspected the surprise outcome and can’t describe the origins of the movement a moment after its completion.”
An Index-Journal Review, Greenwood, SC, October 18, 1995 by Mary Lynn Polk (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Undoubtedly the most powerful selection was the second number Satto (Wind Dance) choreographed by Salvatore Aiello. Breathtaking, captivating and spellbinding are inadequate to describe this sensuous dance of the molding of two bodies. The control and physical power these dancers demonstrated drew audible gasps from the overwhelmed audience.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, December 2002 (Nashville Ballet)
“The middle portion of Nashville Ballet’s repertoire was a showcase for choreographer Salvatore Aiello. Satto (Wind Dance) danced to Asian drum and flute, was an explosive depiction of a Wind God’s interaction with a Leaf. A stylized venture into the inherent eroticism found in nature. With arms and legs bent into sharp angles and hips swaying to the heat of the music, the pair twined and released with sensual vigor."
Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO March 17, 1984 by Gilbert R. Johns (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto (Wind Dance) was the tour de force of the evening. The two dancers dispelled any notion that the stage of the El Pomar Great Hall is too big for dance, for the two artists were hypnotic in the way they sculpted the space and filled the stage.”
The Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario, April 24, 1985 by William Littler (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto” (Wind Dance) was not only choreographically effective; in its mixture of stylized Japanese warrior gestures, powerfully danced on a strikingly latticed diagonal of light, and its subsequent evolution into a sensuously geometric pas de deux, full of extraordinary lifts, but equally because Satto sent its audience into fits of whistles and bravos.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, December 10, 1986 by Jack Anderson (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Mr. Aiello’s Satto” (Wind Dance) was a spectacular and determinedly athletic duet in which Jeffrey Crevier was a fierce warrior and Christye Chantal Crevier was an alluring sprite.”
News-Journal, Daytona Beach, FL, December 8, 1984 by Drew Murphy (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto (Wind Dance), bold in concept and daring in execution, this absorbing dance creation brought gasps from a clearly excited audience. Moving to music that sounded Japanese – with percussion, flutes and bells – both dancers evoked an abstract aura of mystery I found compelling.”
The Village Voice, New York, NY, December 11, 1984 by Elizabeth Zimmer (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Salvatore Aiello’s Satto (Wind Dance) is a gorgeous duet that manages to be intensely physical, even erotic, without repeating itself as the hundreds of other duets in this genre.”
The Miami Herald, Miami, FL, December 12, 1984 by Diane Milhan Pruett (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto an exquisite duet choreographed by Salvatore Aiello. Subtitled (Wind Dance) was infused with Eastern economy of movement and emotions. The opening male solo was boisterous, pounding and insistent, like winds buffeting the cliffs. The woman’s movement was wispy and fragile, like wind gently following the edges of landscape. The coming together of these two forces produced a series of wrapping and circling of bodies. In the resolution of the duet, the soft wind separates from the boisterous wind and each returns to its own elements.”
The Davis Enterprise, Davis, CA, January 14, 1985 by Patricia Milich (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Would I go again to see the North Carolina Dance Theatre? Yes, absolutely if I could see Satto (Wind Dance) again. Salvatore Aiello’s images started strongly and continued throughout. The modern dance duet began with tiger-striped lighting striking a large white patch on the otherwise blackened stage floor. It was in this area that the whole dance contained itself. Aiello’s choreography avoided the strict female/ male dichotomy of so many duets in part by his insistence that both dancers perform such gymnastic feats. Yet placed among these were some slithery lifts and twists of the most satisfying kind – the ones in which the viewer never suspected the surprise outcome and can’t describe the origins of the movement a moment after its completion.”
An Index-Journal Review, Greenwood, SC, October 18, 1995 by Mary Lynn Polk (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Undoubtedly the most powerful selection was the second number Satto (Wind Dance) choreographed by Salvatore Aiello. Breathtaking, captivating and spellbinding are inadequate to describe this sensuous dance of the molding of two bodies. The control and physical power these dancers demonstrated drew audible gasps from the overwhelmed audience.”
Dance Magazine, New York City, NY, December 2002 (Nashville Ballet)
“The middle portion of Nashville Ballet’s repertoire was a showcase for choreographer Salvatore Aiello. Satto (Wind Dance) danced to Asian drum and flute, was an explosive depiction of a Wind God’s interaction with a Leaf. A stylized venture into the inherent eroticism found in nature. With arms and legs bent into sharp angles and hips swaying to the heat of the music, the pair twined and released with sensual vigor."
Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO March 17, 1984 by Gilbert R. Johns (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto (Wind Dance) was the tour de force of the evening. The two dancers dispelled any notion that the stage of the El Pomar Great Hall is too big for dance, for the two artists were hypnotic in the way they sculpted the space and filled the stage.”
The Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario, April 24, 1985 by William Littler (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Satto” (Wind Dance) was not only choreographically effective; in its mixture of stylized Japanese warrior gestures, powerfully danced on a strikingly latticed diagonal of light, and its subsequent evolution into a sensuously geometric pas de deux, full of extraordinary lifts, but equally because Satto sent its audience into fits of whistles and bravos.”
The New York Times, New York City, NY, December 10, 1986 by Jack Anderson (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Mr. Aiello’s Satto” (Wind Dance) was a spectacular and determinedly athletic duet in which Jeffrey Crevier was a fierce warrior and Christye Chantal Crevier was an alluring sprite.”
Senza Fretta (Without Worry)
Chautauqua Daily, Chautauqua, NY, August 7, 1992 by Nancy Pollina (Chautauqua Ballet)
“In the premiere of Senza Fretta (Without Worry) by Salvatore Aiello, the two men demonstrated, along with the help of refreshing choreography, that gender needn’t play a typical role. The piece was athletic and comic, bordering on slapstick. The African music had some strain of Cajun running through it, with violin and drum; not typical paring of sounds. Neither were the situations the men worked themselves into. Movements used lots of classic dance vocabulary, but interpreted with just a twist of syncopation.”
Shadowdance
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, October, 1984 by Helen C. Smith
"Good as these works are, the piece de resistance is Aiello's Shadowdance. A poignant work, it revolves around a happy sorority of five women (Miss Glaze, Debra Bricker, Keiko Guest, Kay Whiffen and Maggie Wright) whose harmony is disturbed when a man (Powlus) infiltrates their affections. In the end, as the lights fade, the jilted woman wanders off alone and the group itself loses its former cohesiveness, as if to say everyone is essentially alone in the world. Or as the song goes that accompanies the finale: "Nothing lasts for ever, everything is dust in the wind." Shadowdance is sad in tone, yet beautiful both in conception and execution. It's a mature and sensitive work by a mature and sensitive choreographer."
The Atlanta Journal / The Atlanta Constitution, Sunday, October 6, 1991 by Helen C. Smith
"Shadowdance, performed to music by Shadowfax and "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, is a perfect blend of sound, movement and meaning."
'
Chautauqua Daily, Chautauqua, NY, August 7, 1992 by Nancy Pollina (Chautauqua Ballet)
“In the premiere of Senza Fretta (Without Worry) by Salvatore Aiello, the two men demonstrated, along with the help of refreshing choreography, that gender needn’t play a typical role. The piece was athletic and comic, bordering on slapstick. The African music had some strain of Cajun running through it, with violin and drum; not typical paring of sounds. Neither were the situations the men worked themselves into. Movements used lots of classic dance vocabulary, but interpreted with just a twist of syncopation.”
Shadowdance
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, October, 1984 by Helen C. Smith
"Good as these works are, the piece de resistance is Aiello's Shadowdance. A poignant work, it revolves around a happy sorority of five women (Miss Glaze, Debra Bricker, Keiko Guest, Kay Whiffen and Maggie Wright) whose harmony is disturbed when a man (Powlus) infiltrates their affections. In the end, as the lights fade, the jilted woman wanders off alone and the group itself loses its former cohesiveness, as if to say everyone is essentially alone in the world. Or as the song goes that accompanies the finale: "Nothing lasts for ever, everything is dust in the wind." Shadowdance is sad in tone, yet beautiful both in conception and execution. It's a mature and sensitive work by a mature and sensitive choreographer."
The Atlanta Journal / The Atlanta Constitution, Sunday, October 6, 1991 by Helen C. Smith
"Shadowdance, performed to music by Shadowfax and "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, is a perfect blend of sound, movement and meaning."
'
Solas
The Richmond Ballet opens The 2020-2021 Season : Studio Series with Precautions
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis (Richmond ballet)
September 16, 2020
Salvatore Aiello Solas, performed by Elena Bello, was a stark lament with all the drama, but not the sound, of a classic flamenco solo. Bello entered in darkness, treading the path of a stream of light, shrouded in a dark fringed shall over a dark dress. She sat on a chair and rocked back and forth to the wordless lament of a woman's voice in the music by Heitor Villa Lobos. Bello looks back, mourning an un-named loss that seems to pull her back to the past. When a light appears that seems to draw her into the future, she moves towards it, stretched beyond her physical limits, but circles back, knocks over the chair, crawls back to it, and pulls her shall back over her head, keening as the lights go out. She leaves us to wonder, is she mourning the loss of a loved one, or of something bigger...
The Richmond Ballet opens The 2020-2021 Season : Studio Series with Precautions
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis (Richmond ballet)
September 16, 2020
Salvatore Aiello Solas, performed by Elena Bello, was a stark lament with all the drama, but not the sound, of a classic flamenco solo. Bello entered in darkness, treading the path of a stream of light, shrouded in a dark fringed shall over a dark dress. She sat on a chair and rocked back and forth to the wordless lament of a woman's voice in the music by Heitor Villa Lobos. Bello looks back, mourning an un-named loss that seems to pull her back to the past. When a light appears that seems to draw her into the future, she moves towards it, stretched beyond her physical limits, but circles back, knocks over the chair, crawls back to it, and pulls her shall back over her head, keening as the lights go out. She leaves us to wonder, is she mourning the loss of a loved one, or of something bigger...
Photo: Richard Kumery
Symphonic Dances
Citizen’s Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA, April 22, 1991 by Marybeth Evans (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Perhaps it was the choreography. NCDT is blessed in having a longtime resident choreographer Salvatore Aiello, a man with “a golden ear.” He has a wonderfully natural ability to match fascinating and creative movement to music in such a way that you can’t imagine anything else fitting. This was most evident in Symphonic Dances, to music by Rachmaninoff, full of rich, imaginative movement for the men, who opened the piece in almost militaristic fashion. This changed to a section of such lyric beauty, first for two men, and then joined by the others; the music and motion appeared as one, gliding across glass.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 17, 1993 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Set to some of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s moodiest music, this is one of Aiello’s moodiest dances – bittersweet, aloof, ironic. After the men’s broad gestures in the first movement and the women’s intricate patterns in the second, all 12 join in a dizzyingly complex final in some ballroom of czarist Russian. Just as the music can’t decide whether it is truly a waltz, swirling around a faded memory on the dance, floor, the dancers are torn. They collide and repel, dispense and regroup, reject and embrace n a never-ending – and never fulfilled – dance of tortured souls.”
Symphonic Metamorphosis
Greensboro News & Record, Greensboro, NC, March 13, 1992 by Tina P. Jones
"The Metamorphosis of the title is the transformation of the ensemble into a circus full of clowns, animals and spectators. This dance just commands wide-eyed attention and rewards the child inside the ballet lover."
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Sunday, March 22, 1992 by Dean Smith
"Salvatore Aiello, the company's artistic director, turned Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis, a unlikely piece for dance, into a rollicking three-ring circus in which a boy's dream of being a ringmaster comes true in the end. Along the way, the boy is dazzled by a team of horses, let by a beautiful trainer, and a gaggle of clowns, who cavort about like the Marx Brothers on speed. Metamorphosis is well-planned and well-crafted choreography, cute on the outside and clever on the inside."
Citizen’s Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA, April 22, 1991 by Marybeth Evans (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Perhaps it was the choreography. NCDT is blessed in having a longtime resident choreographer Salvatore Aiello, a man with “a golden ear.” He has a wonderfully natural ability to match fascinating and creative movement to music in such a way that you can’t imagine anything else fitting. This was most evident in Symphonic Dances, to music by Rachmaninoff, full of rich, imaginative movement for the men, who opened the piece in almost militaristic fashion. This changed to a section of such lyric beauty, first for two men, and then joined by the others; the music and motion appeared as one, gliding across glass.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 17, 1993 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Set to some of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s moodiest music, this is one of Aiello’s moodiest dances – bittersweet, aloof, ironic. After the men’s broad gestures in the first movement and the women’s intricate patterns in the second, all 12 join in a dizzyingly complex final in some ballroom of czarist Russian. Just as the music can’t decide whether it is truly a waltz, swirling around a faded memory on the dance, floor, the dancers are torn. They collide and repel, dispense and regroup, reject and embrace n a never-ending – and never fulfilled – dance of tortured souls.”
Symphonic Metamorphosis
Greensboro News & Record, Greensboro, NC, March 13, 1992 by Tina P. Jones
"The Metamorphosis of the title is the transformation of the ensemble into a circus full of clowns, animals and spectators. This dance just commands wide-eyed attention and rewards the child inside the ballet lover."
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Sunday, March 22, 1992 by Dean Smith
"Salvatore Aiello, the company's artistic director, turned Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis, a unlikely piece for dance, into a rollicking three-ring circus in which a boy's dream of being a ringmaster comes true in the end. Along the way, the boy is dazzled by a team of horses, let by a beautiful trainer, and a gaggle of clowns, who cavort about like the Marx Brothers on speed. Metamorphosis is well-planned and well-crafted choreography, cute on the outside and clever on the inside."
Photo by Michael Avedon
The Bells
Miami Herald, Miami, FL, January 14, 1986 by Vicki Sanders (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Finally, there is The Bells, a remarkable story ballet by Salvatore Aiello. In time and tone it is 19th Century Russian, and the music is Rachmaninoff’s, but the choreography and shape of the ballet are clearly modern in their minimalist suggestions of plot and place. The Bells, based on the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, opens with a wonderful mock ice-skating scene. Later, in a hauntingly beautiful battle scenario danced with banners, the almost slow-motion tempo drives home the terrors of war.
The story is told in four stages: the meeting of a young woman and a young man, their marriage and parting as he goes off to war, his death by war and hers by heartbreak, and their reunion in the afterlife. At every turn they are stalked by Destiny.”
The Advocate, Stanford, CT, January 30, 1986 by Jennifer Dix (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Bells, set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s choral symphony on the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, is a dramatic work which relates four aspects of life; love, marriage, war and death, with the ominous figure of Destiny ruling over all. Aiello’s concept is actually a more hopeful one than either Poe’s or Rachmaninoff’s culminating as it does in the triumph of love over death.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 8, 1987 by LaFleur Paysour (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Bells” is a lavish, tightly packed work that, again, blends many traditions for high-powered drama. Set to Rachmaninoff’s score by the same name,
“The Bells” was created by Salvatore Aiello, and is sure to find its way into the repertoire of other companies. It has more than its fair share of high points, harsh ironies and breathtaking tableaux. This bit of allegory shows a village battling with Destiny. Young couple marries and are separated by war. The groom is killed; his widow joins him after a sensational duet with ‘Destiny’.”
The Greensboro News & Record, Greensboro, SC, March 19, 1989 by Tina P. Jones (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The centerpiece work, The Bells is based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem, with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Costumes carry out the Russian theme. This is ballet theater, evoking many moods and drawing the audience in to the drama. Aiello has a gift for creating dances that respect the dancer and the viewer so sincerely that the fun pieces never slide into crudity, the tender works never manipulate the emotions.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, October 7, 2000 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Surrounded by massive musical forces, Salvatore Aiello’s The Bells was also graced with fine tech work: diaphanous scenic design by Rick Paul, melodramatic costumes by Douglas Barger, and spectral lighting from Brad Fields. But Aiello’s flamboyance was more than skin deep. He had the chutzpah to transform a Russian chorale based on Poe’s classic onomatopoeia into a tragic wartime love story! It works brilliantly. With everything going full tilt – lighting, music, scenery, dancers, and chorus – the final ascent to heaven was a rousing apotheosis.”
Miami Herald, Miami, FL, January 14, 1986 by Vicki Sanders (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Finally, there is The Bells, a remarkable story ballet by Salvatore Aiello. In time and tone it is 19th Century Russian, and the music is Rachmaninoff’s, but the choreography and shape of the ballet are clearly modern in their minimalist suggestions of plot and place. The Bells, based on the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, opens with a wonderful mock ice-skating scene. Later, in a hauntingly beautiful battle scenario danced with banners, the almost slow-motion tempo drives home the terrors of war.
The story is told in four stages: the meeting of a young woman and a young man, their marriage and parting as he goes off to war, his death by war and hers by heartbreak, and their reunion in the afterlife. At every turn they are stalked by Destiny.”
The Advocate, Stanford, CT, January 30, 1986 by Jennifer Dix (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Bells, set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s choral symphony on the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, is a dramatic work which relates four aspects of life; love, marriage, war and death, with the ominous figure of Destiny ruling over all. Aiello’s concept is actually a more hopeful one than either Poe’s or Rachmaninoff’s culminating as it does in the triumph of love over death.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, March 8, 1987 by LaFleur Paysour (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Bells” is a lavish, tightly packed work that, again, blends many traditions for high-powered drama. Set to Rachmaninoff’s score by the same name,
“The Bells” was created by Salvatore Aiello, and is sure to find its way into the repertoire of other companies. It has more than its fair share of high points, harsh ironies and breathtaking tableaux. This bit of allegory shows a village battling with Destiny. Young couple marries and are separated by war. The groom is killed; his widow joins him after a sensational duet with ‘Destiny’.”
The Greensboro News & Record, Greensboro, SC, March 19, 1989 by Tina P. Jones (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The centerpiece work, The Bells is based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem, with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Costumes carry out the Russian theme. This is ballet theater, evoking many moods and drawing the audience in to the drama. Aiello has a gift for creating dances that respect the dancer and the viewer so sincerely that the fun pieces never slide into crudity, the tender works never manipulate the emotions.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, October 7, 2000 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Surrounded by massive musical forces, Salvatore Aiello’s The Bells was also graced with fine tech work: diaphanous scenic design by Rick Paul, melodramatic costumes by Douglas Barger, and spectral lighting from Brad Fields. But Aiello’s flamboyance was more than skin deep. He had the chutzpah to transform a Russian chorale based on Poe’s classic onomatopoeia into a tragic wartime love story! It works brilliantly. With everything going full tilt – lighting, music, scenery, dancers, and chorus – the final ascent to heaven was a rousing apotheosis.”
Photo: Richard Kumery
The Nutcracker
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1992 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
N.C. Dance Theatre performs classic ‘Nutcracker’ – with a brain
“Choreographer Lev Ivanov and composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky couldn’t ask for a better tribute to the 100th anniversary of their famous holiday ballet The Nutcracker than the N.C. Dance Theatre’s new production. Company artistic director Salvatore Aiello fixed it for them. In choreographing his first version of the classic – a lavish show that opened Thursday in the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center—Aiello has reconciled most things you’ve always hated about the 1892 ballet and its endless clones. Yes, he has scrapped the pantomime, which no one has liked since at least 1910. More seriously, Aiello has given meaning to many of the nonsequiters that have annoyed thinking balletomanes all these years.
Take those rats: In the E.T.A. Hoffman story on which the ballet’s based, they make sense; in the ballet, they haven’t made sense for a century. Aiello ties up just about every loose end. And instead of a “Land of Sweets” in Act II, Clara travels to a “Land of Gifts,” the dreamy residue of Act I’s party. Finally, a traditional “Nutcracker” with a brain.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
You’ve never seen THIS ‘Nutcracker’
"Oh, no. Not “The Nutcracker” ballet again. That dead old chestnut, the boring mime, the story that goes nowhere, the marzipan! Yucko. But what’s this? A “Nutcracker” that is a nonstop, two-hour delight, full of humor and surprises? That’s right, Charlotte. You are a city that has in residence Salvatore Aiello and the NC Dance Theatre. They reinvented The Nutcracker last Christmas. This year, it’s even better, more imaginative, and fuller of the unexpected. Yeah, we got the Hornets, the Panthers and the coolest ‘Nutcracker’ going. Wit is the hallmark of Aiello’s “Nutty” vision. Get with the arm exercise, Charlotte. You have a lot of clapping to do.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 5, 1995 by Willa J. Conrad (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Updated ‘Nutcracker is a Charmer
“Thank you, Mr. Aiello. Thank you for leaving such a charming retooling of The Nutcracker for Charlotte. Stripped of offensive ethnic stereotypes and injected with ‘90s-era psychology, the late Salvatore Aiello’s choreography for this overdone classic is believable and enticing. It restores a sense of humor and balance to the story. It is also an evening of good dance put on by a company that loves to act. Aiello reshaped the story to make logical associations and shuffled musical numbers around. This production is built on choreographic detail, like the windmill-like circling of arms matched to a harp’s glissandi, or a weary father trying to snatch a moment of reading time amid Christmas preparations. During the character dances, tired images of veiled women doing bad imitations of belly dancing and ridiculously stereotyped movements meant to be Oriental are replaced by imaginative, flowing movement that is refreshing and alive.”
Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY, November 30, 1996 by Karen Flynn (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker Shines with its New Adaption
“This year’s version of The Nutcracker, however, born in North Carolina in 1992 (exactly 100 years after the original) may not quite be the Nutcracker you’re expecting. For example, remember the rats? In case you’ve ever wondered why an army of rodents appears in Clara’s dream, choreographer Salvatore Aiello makes it clear in his adaptation. Imagine this: Clara’s tease of a brother, Fritz, torments sister Clara with a large, ugly rat puppet—a gift received from Herr Drosselmeyer. Aiello’s version makes sense, as does the transformation of brother Fritz later in the production—into the Rat Army’s King. Another modification in Aiello’s version is the role of Clara. And it’s downright refreshing to see areal Clara for the 90’s. Far from the wallflower in most Nutcracker productions, Clara actually joins the “Bouquet of Flowers” and other ensembles. And here’s another twist: In Act II, Clara’s dream takes her to the “Land of Gifts” instead of the “Land of Sweets.” There, with the help of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara “unwraps” each dream dance. Arabian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian delights emerge from huge boxes. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & North Carolina Dance Theatre score a real coup with their performances. This ‘Nutcracker’ is worth bundling up the brood.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 5, 1996 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Fresh, subtle ‘Nutcracker’ captures the imagination
“Sometimes the hype that precedes an artistic event is just that—hype, but no substance. But the Syracuse debut of the North Carolina Dance Theatre in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is everything promised, and more—a bright, sparkling Christmas ballet designed to delight audiences of all ages. The sets, which create a 19th century European ambiance, are attractive but not stunning. Lighting and the extremely effective costumes do their work of underscoring the main action, but the never call attention to themselves. That leaves the emphasis where it should be—on imaginative choreography, by Salvatore Aiello, late director of North Carolina Dance Theatre, and on the company’s precise, spirited execution. The underlying strength of Aiello’s choreography is that it never loses the dramatic thrust of the story. Aiello translated it for the modern world, and the dance styles are youthful, playful, and athletic and touched throughout by humor. Aiello teasingly keeps his dancers away from symmetrical formations. Everything is in flux; a lot is happening on stage, and it all seems spontaneous.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 4, 1997 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Enchanting ‘Nutcracker’
“Just ahead of me in the mezzanine at The Nutcracker a six year old boy—carried away perhaps by the music, the story, the color and the liveliness of it all—kept standing up to conduct. But I suspect that a lot of people at Salvatore Aiello’s production wanted to stand up and join in, because the show is designed to trigger just that response. It’s a warm, audience-friendly version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet. It goes for ensemble work rather than bravura solo turns—although some of the solos can take your breath away—and the dancers seem like people we know. Instead of using dance technique to make ballet seem remote, choreographer Salvatore Aiello works in the opposite direction, to bring this story close to daily life.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 13, 1997 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
N. C. Dance Theatre’s reworked ‘The Nutcracker’: Sweet
“Not seeing North Carolina Dance Theatre’s production in three years, I was struck again by how well the late director Salvatore Aiello’s reworking of the Petipa-Ivanov classic works to clarify the children’s story and ties its plot lines into neat bows. The show also proves able to speak both to children and adults: cute enough for the kids, but technical enough to hold adult’s attention.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, December 19, 1998 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“North Carolina Dance Theatre’s version of this classic is a pure joy, with delectable costumes and de-lovely scenery, and the best choreography I’ve ever seen wedded to the magical score by the late Salvatore Aiello. Oftentimes the choreography hands around Tchaikovsky’s melodic genius like a leaden albatross. Not here. Aiello’s version shimmers with grace and sparkles with humor. Best of all, it makes the fragile storyline both coherent and engaging.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 2, 1999 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ More Enchanting
“A cheerful mix of youngsters and grownups in about even numbers came to the opening of Salvatore Aiello’s The Nutcracker and they got wonderfully rewarded for venturing out on a wintry Wednesday. The costumes are lovely, and the patterns of dance—both ensemble and individual---delight the eye. But what really connects this The Nutcracker with the audience is the way that all the dancing combines to tell a story, and a fetching story it is. Clara, a young girl at the threshold of womanhood, falls asleep Christmas Eve. In her dreams she enters a strange, wonder-filled land that gives her a taste of maturity.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1999 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Clara’s Subtle Metamorphosis
“If you’ve never seen the Salvatore Aiello’s version of The Nutcracker, you’ve missed out on something very crucial: the sense that Tchaikovsky’s most beloved ballet is passionately about something. Choreography by the late Salvatore Aiello doesn’t outshine the bravura versions by Balanchine and Nureyev, but it surpasses them in psychological depth and power. Amid all the colorful showmanship and special effects, this is also where Aiello’s conception crosses the threshold between lively entertainment and profound fantasy.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, November 29, 2001 by Suzanne Connelly (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ production awakens lovely dream
“Clara floats to a land far away in a fairy-tale boat with silken sails. Snowflakes wreathed in tulle and pirouetting gifts from far-off lands await her. Sounds like a lovely dream, and it is. The North Carolina dance Theatre and the Syracuse Symphony have joined to produce a lively production of Tchaikovsky’s
The Nutcracker for this holiday season. This year, The Nutcracker is as lavish as ever, with eye-catching costumes, ornate, sets, fine dancing and solid musical performances.”
The Saginaw News, Midland, MI, December 11, 2001 by Janet I. Marineau (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Inventive ’Nutcracker’ delights
“Nearly 7,000 mid-Michigan residents attended five NCDT/ Midland Symphony Orchestra performances this weekend. And what a joyous production greeted that mass of humanity: an action-filled with childhood wonder, unusual period-yet-contemporary costumes and sets/drops, an inventive and neatly unified choreographic interpretation to the old Tchaikovsky war-horse and full orchestral accompaniment. Choreographed by the late Salvatore Aiello, the Clara in this production is a clumsy little sister lost in the shadows of her family. Aiello’s The Nutcracker is a gentler and kinder than many a “Nutcracker” as well as filled with humor. Detailing is everywhere, too, as the dream is connected to Clara’s real life.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1992 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
N.C. Dance Theatre performs classic ‘Nutcracker’ – with a brain
“Choreographer Lev Ivanov and composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky couldn’t ask for a better tribute to the 100th anniversary of their famous holiday ballet The Nutcracker than the N.C. Dance Theatre’s new production. Company artistic director Salvatore Aiello fixed it for them. In choreographing his first version of the classic – a lavish show that opened Thursday in the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center—Aiello has reconciled most things you’ve always hated about the 1892 ballet and its endless clones. Yes, he has scrapped the pantomime, which no one has liked since at least 1910. More seriously, Aiello has given meaning to many of the nonsequiters that have annoyed thinking balletomanes all these years.
Take those rats: In the E.T.A. Hoffman story on which the ballet’s based, they make sense; in the ballet, they haven’t made sense for a century. Aiello ties up just about every loose end. And instead of a “Land of Sweets” in Act II, Clara travels to a “Land of Gifts,” the dreamy residue of Act I’s party. Finally, a traditional “Nutcracker” with a brain.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
You’ve never seen THIS ‘Nutcracker’
"Oh, no. Not “The Nutcracker” ballet again. That dead old chestnut, the boring mime, the story that goes nowhere, the marzipan! Yucko. But what’s this? A “Nutcracker” that is a nonstop, two-hour delight, full of humor and surprises? That’s right, Charlotte. You are a city that has in residence Salvatore Aiello and the NC Dance Theatre. They reinvented The Nutcracker last Christmas. This year, it’s even better, more imaginative, and fuller of the unexpected. Yeah, we got the Hornets, the Panthers and the coolest ‘Nutcracker’ going. Wit is the hallmark of Aiello’s “Nutty” vision. Get with the arm exercise, Charlotte. You have a lot of clapping to do.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 5, 1995 by Willa J. Conrad (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Updated ‘Nutcracker is a Charmer
“Thank you, Mr. Aiello. Thank you for leaving such a charming retooling of The Nutcracker for Charlotte. Stripped of offensive ethnic stereotypes and injected with ‘90s-era psychology, the late Salvatore Aiello’s choreography for this overdone classic is believable and enticing. It restores a sense of humor and balance to the story. It is also an evening of good dance put on by a company that loves to act. Aiello reshaped the story to make logical associations and shuffled musical numbers around. This production is built on choreographic detail, like the windmill-like circling of arms matched to a harp’s glissandi, or a weary father trying to snatch a moment of reading time amid Christmas preparations. During the character dances, tired images of veiled women doing bad imitations of belly dancing and ridiculously stereotyped movements meant to be Oriental are replaced by imaginative, flowing movement that is refreshing and alive.”
Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY, November 30, 1996 by Karen Flynn (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker Shines with its New Adaption
“This year’s version of The Nutcracker, however, born in North Carolina in 1992 (exactly 100 years after the original) may not quite be the Nutcracker you’re expecting. For example, remember the rats? In case you’ve ever wondered why an army of rodents appears in Clara’s dream, choreographer Salvatore Aiello makes it clear in his adaptation. Imagine this: Clara’s tease of a brother, Fritz, torments sister Clara with a large, ugly rat puppet—a gift received from Herr Drosselmeyer. Aiello’s version makes sense, as does the transformation of brother Fritz later in the production—into the Rat Army’s King. Another modification in Aiello’s version is the role of Clara. And it’s downright refreshing to see areal Clara for the 90’s. Far from the wallflower in most Nutcracker productions, Clara actually joins the “Bouquet of Flowers” and other ensembles. And here’s another twist: In Act II, Clara’s dream takes her to the “Land of Gifts” instead of the “Land of Sweets.” There, with the help of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara “unwraps” each dream dance. Arabian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian delights emerge from huge boxes. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra & North Carolina Dance Theatre score a real coup with their performances. This ‘Nutcracker’ is worth bundling up the brood.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 5, 1996 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Fresh, subtle ‘Nutcracker’ captures the imagination
“Sometimes the hype that precedes an artistic event is just that—hype, but no substance. But the Syracuse debut of the North Carolina Dance Theatre in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is everything promised, and more—a bright, sparkling Christmas ballet designed to delight audiences of all ages. The sets, which create a 19th century European ambiance, are attractive but not stunning. Lighting and the extremely effective costumes do their work of underscoring the main action, but the never call attention to themselves. That leaves the emphasis where it should be—on imaginative choreography, by Salvatore Aiello, late director of North Carolina Dance Theatre, and on the company’s precise, spirited execution. The underlying strength of Aiello’s choreography is that it never loses the dramatic thrust of the story. Aiello translated it for the modern world, and the dance styles are youthful, playful, and athletic and touched throughout by humor. Aiello teasingly keeps his dancers away from symmetrical formations. Everything is in flux; a lot is happening on stage, and it all seems spontaneous.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 4, 1997 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Enchanting ‘Nutcracker’
“Just ahead of me in the mezzanine at The Nutcracker a six year old boy—carried away perhaps by the music, the story, the color and the liveliness of it all—kept standing up to conduct. But I suspect that a lot of people at Salvatore Aiello’s production wanted to stand up and join in, because the show is designed to trigger just that response. It’s a warm, audience-friendly version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet. It goes for ensemble work rather than bravura solo turns—although some of the solos can take your breath away—and the dancers seem like people we know. Instead of using dance technique to make ballet seem remote, choreographer Salvatore Aiello works in the opposite direction, to bring this story close to daily life.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 13, 1997 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
N. C. Dance Theatre’s reworked ‘The Nutcracker’: Sweet
“Not seeing North Carolina Dance Theatre’s production in three years, I was struck again by how well the late director Salvatore Aiello’s reworking of the Petipa-Ivanov classic works to clarify the children’s story and ties its plot lines into neat bows. The show also proves able to speak both to children and adults: cute enough for the kids, but technical enough to hold adult’s attention.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, December 19, 1998 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“North Carolina Dance Theatre’s version of this classic is a pure joy, with delectable costumes and de-lovely scenery, and the best choreography I’ve ever seen wedded to the magical score by the late Salvatore Aiello. Oftentimes the choreography hands around Tchaikovsky’s melodic genius like a leaden albatross. Not here. Aiello’s version shimmers with grace and sparkles with humor. Best of all, it makes the fragile storyline both coherent and engaging.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, December 2, 1999 by Neil Novelli (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ More Enchanting
“A cheerful mix of youngsters and grownups in about even numbers came to the opening of Salvatore Aiello’s The Nutcracker and they got wonderfully rewarded for venturing out on a wintry Wednesday. The costumes are lovely, and the patterns of dance—both ensemble and individual---delight the eye. But what really connects this The Nutcracker with the audience is the way that all the dancing combines to tell a story, and a fetching story it is. Clara, a young girl at the threshold of womanhood, falls asleep Christmas Eve. In her dreams she enters a strange, wonder-filled land that gives her a taste of maturity.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1999 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Clara’s Subtle Metamorphosis
“If you’ve never seen the Salvatore Aiello’s version of The Nutcracker, you’ve missed out on something very crucial: the sense that Tchaikovsky’s most beloved ballet is passionately about something. Choreography by the late Salvatore Aiello doesn’t outshine the bravura versions by Balanchine and Nureyev, but it surpasses them in psychological depth and power. Amid all the colorful showmanship and special effects, this is also where Aiello’s conception crosses the threshold between lively entertainment and profound fantasy.”
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, November 29, 2001 by Suzanne Connelly (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ production awakens lovely dream
“Clara floats to a land far away in a fairy-tale boat with silken sails. Snowflakes wreathed in tulle and pirouetting gifts from far-off lands await her. Sounds like a lovely dream, and it is. The North Carolina dance Theatre and the Syracuse Symphony have joined to produce a lively production of Tchaikovsky’s
The Nutcracker for this holiday season. This year, The Nutcracker is as lavish as ever, with eye-catching costumes, ornate, sets, fine dancing and solid musical performances.”
The Saginaw News, Midland, MI, December 11, 2001 by Janet I. Marineau (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
Inventive ’Nutcracker’ delights
“Nearly 7,000 mid-Michigan residents attended five NCDT/ Midland Symphony Orchestra performances this weekend. And what a joyous production greeted that mass of humanity: an action-filled with childhood wonder, unusual period-yet-contemporary costumes and sets/drops, an inventive and neatly unified choreographic interpretation to the old Tchaikovsky war-horse and full orchestral accompaniment. Choreographed by the late Salvatore Aiello, the Clara in this production is a clumsy little sister lost in the shadows of her family. Aiello’s The Nutcracker is a gentler and kinder than many a “Nutcracker” as well as filled with humor. Detailing is everywhere, too, as the dream is connected to Clara’s real life.”
Photo: Richard Kumery
The Rite of Spring
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, May 6, 1993 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Halfway through Salvatore Aiello’s new version of The Rite of Spring the ancient regime falls. Its beaten warrior lies crumpled on the ground – and is cannibalized by the victors. That isn’t even the most striking scene from Aiello’s take on Vaslav Nijinsky’s famous 1913 ballet. To the ear-shattering score by Igor Stravinsky, Aiello’s The Rite of Spring is filled with arresting images that stick in the memory days after seeing it.”
The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, Friday, June 2, 1995 by Eliza Ingle Spoleto Festival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
The Rite of Spring: “Dance Theatre Explosive”
“The highlight of the evening was Aiello’s version of The Rite of Spring. This powerful perspective of the ballet oozed with sensuality and exploded with original movement. The dancers’ capacity to sustain the drama and dynamics of this piece was admirable. When it came crashing to a close, The Chosen One’s limp body dangling from 10-foot skewers, the audience erupted in a moment of true catharsis.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, February 26, 2000 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The ensemble seethed with energy, yet every dancer seemed attuned to the rhythmic discipline required by Aiello’s keenly musical steps, even in the most complex passages of Stravinsky’s tricky score.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, March 4, 2000 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The original Stravinsky-Nijinsky Sacre de Printemps of 1913 was a cultural earthquake whose aftershocks are still being felt today. Eighty years later, Aiello could hardly have hoped to replicate the same stunning shock on audiences long inured to modernity. Yet this new The Rite of Spring came frighteningly close. It still does.”
The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, February 9, 2002 by Kevin Nance (Nashville Ballet)
“The stunning centerpiece of last night’s Winter Series program, Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring proved once and for all that this company can acquit itself well in what it might choose to call ‘contemporary ballet’. And if The Rite’s rapturous reception is any indication, the company’s audience is more than ready to follow the ballet away from the comforting predictable patterns of classical ballet movement into the dramatic surprises, psychological insights and blazing theatricality that modern dance can offer. The Rite of Spring – evocations of birth, death, tribal warfare, cannibalism, sexual assault and human sacrifice –is an opportunity for the dancers to move instinctively, with reckless abandon, and to act their hearts out. They managed all that last night and more.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, January 31, 2003 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring. One of the NCDT’s signature works and arguably its most affecting, this masterpiece is part of NCDT’s Winter Trilogy. The Rite of Spring is a raw, disturbing and strangely exhilarating work. From the bare, savage costumes and stark lighting to the contorted, earthbound choreography and frightening music, this dance sends a shock through one’s senses.”
Alt Daily, Norfolk, VA, May 30, 2013 by Bill Speidel 100th Anniversary of “The Rite of Spring” (Richmond Ballet)
“I have spent two years studying Stravinsky’s music and have loved that piece for the last 30 years, even though I’ve never seen a dance performance of it. Truth be told, I’ve never seen any dance performance.
The Rite of Spring is a singular pivotal moment in modern music/dance. I attended a centennial performance of The Rite of Spring tonight at Chrysler Hall, featuring the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Richmond Ballet, and put on by the Virginia Arts Festival.
As the curtain rose on the familiar opening notes of The Rite of Spring, it took me several seconds to realize that the shape I saw on stage was a dancer. What followed wasn’t ballet as I had ever seen in broadcasts. In fact, it was the entire pop culture of my entire lifetime.
Then it struck me that it was amazing that Parisians hadn’t burned their entire city down hundred years ago. What I was witnessing was unthinkable and changed everything that night in Paris!
Through it all the tympani thundered, the brass washed over the audience in waves, and the dancers stomped, pulsated, and thrashed in rhythmic undulations that led to a fevered, and visually stunning final sacrificial climax.
The audience clapped loudly, but extremely politely and certainly not riotously—for me that wasn’t enough. I let out a yell with a raised fist that startled, and obviously horrified, the elderly theater patron seated next to me. Then the middle-aged woman in front of me turned to her young daughter and yelled, “Dude, that Stravinsky is dope!”
Somehow, I imagine the composer, who was heartbroken by the overwhelmingly negative response on opening night one hundred years ago, smiling. It took us a hundred years to be ready, but finally, we got it.
Thank you Igor, the Virginia Arts Festival, Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Richmond Ballet for making something I’ve waited 30 years to see exceed even my wildest expectations.”
http://altdaily.com/features/arts/6263-dude-that-stravinsky-was-dope
Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA, June 3, 2013 by David Adam Beloff 100th Anniversary of “The Rite of Spring” (Richmond Ballet)
Our VA Arts Festival, the Richmond Ballet and our Virginia Symphony Orchestra came together for an unforgettable performance!
"Our Virginia arts Festival along with the Richmond Ballet and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra have pulled off one of the most amazing dance performances of all time: THE RITE OF SPRING. The ballet which was scored by the great Igor Stravinsky in 1913 deals with the self-sacrifice of a young woman who literally dances herself to death. The moving a jarring choreography by Salvatore Aiello brought down the house at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall as the Richmond Ballet did an absolutely splendid job! Interestingly, the performance was held literally on the 100th anniversary of the original opening in 1913!"
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/our-va-arts-festival-richmond-ballet-our-virginia-symphony-orchestra-came-together-unforgett
Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond,VA. November 3, 2013 by Sheena Jeffers (Richmond Ballet)
Richmond Ballet 30th Anniversary Celebration
"Richmond Ballet took on three historically well-known and challenging ballets and brought them to life with refreshing energy and an air of respect for those who came before.
The night moved from smitten adoration to animalistic rituals with Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring. Adorned in thongs revealing well-conditioned physiques, the dancers made it seem even more animalistic and this ballet is not recommended for young audiences.
It is, however, a welcomed shock, and it’s refreshing to see Richmond Ballet take such a performance risk and exhibit it so unforgettable.
The tension is pressing, coming from Stravinsky’s pounding score, and the dancers create such a momentum on stage that you can feel the stress from your seat. Fernando Sabino and Lauren Fagone danced with every cell in their body, and their power shone through in such a way that you know, without doubt, if you were closer, you could see the veins rising through their skin."
Virginia Gazette, VA. November 9, 2013 Soundings by John Shulson (Richmond Ballet)
A polished 30th for Ballet
"A spectacular evening of first-class, highly polished, professional dance marked the Richmond Ballet’s recent 30th anniversary celebration.
A true mark of acceptance into the high realm of the dance world is permission gained from Dance Trusts to perform certain choreographer’s works. Permission is based on such standards as a company’s history, funding, direction and talent. All three works presented came through Trust permission and unquestionably those Trusts were well-served.
Closing the program, after the smile-inducing dance that preceded it, was The Rite of Spring choreographed by Salvatore Aiello to Stravinsky’s intensely challenging and complex score. This is a powerful, physical, high- drama piece that combines the urgency of the music with the challenging dance that depicts the pagan act of sacrificing a maiden and its symbolic sense of fertility and rebirth.
Far from the linear lines of the other works, The Rite of Spring is angular, primal, sexually charged, and captivating in its explicit images.
Richmond’s delivery was immensely powerful. It was gripping and filled with tension and amazing dancing, especially that of Lauren Fagone, the Chosen One, the image of whose final climb to death at the top of a tri-spear device was breathtaking and stunning."
Richmond Ballet's Studio Three - 'City Life' and 'The Rite of Spring by Julinda Lewis April 13, 2016 (Richmond Ballet)
Never a company to rest on past successes, the Richmond Ballet closes its 2015-2016 season with two very different works and a tribute to popular lead dancer Lauren Fagone, who is retiring after 14 years with the ballet.
“City Life” may, in fact, make a logical pairing with the revival of Salvatore Aiello’s striking “The Rite of Spring.” Both are concerned with sacrifice.
“City Life” can be construed as an acknowledgement of the sacrifices we make to live in the hustle and bustle of urban America, while “The Rite of Spring” delves into the rituals of tribal life and pagan human sacrifice.
When first performed in Paris in 1913, Igor Stravinsky’s beautifully layered and complex score for “The Rite of Spring” with Vaslav Nijinsky’s original choreography caused an actual riot. Twenty-first century audiences may be more accustomed to sensuality, near-nudity and cultivated dissonance, but Aiello’s work, created in 1993, continues to keep audiences breathless and alert.
From the opening “Adoration of the Earth,” when dancer Valerie Tellmann-Henning orchestrates the birth of a clan of pod creatures, cleverly encased in shafts of fabric, and the subsequent “Birth of the Young Warrior,” in which Trevor Davis emerges as the heir apparent and soon-coming victor, it is evident that this is no ordinary, happy ending fairy tale of a ballet. Indeed, “Battle of the Clansman,” which pits Davis against Matthew Frain, ends in a cannibalistic frenzy.
“Dance of the Maidens,” performed by the women’s ensemble, sets the scene for the final sacrifice of The Chosen One — danced by Fagone.
Fagone does not dance like someone ready for retirement. Pounding rhythms, unconstrained energy and primitive rituals fuel this “Rite” and Fagone is at the center of it, hair flying, fully committed, offering herself as a living sacrifice.
RVA Ballet’s ‘City Life’ shines with modern & ground-breaking paired performance by Daryl Tankersley April 14, 2016 (Richmond Ballet)
These two pieces may, in content and theme, be of disparate human societies in audience, however the aesthetics of the two musical pieces are found very much adjacent on the same great map. Not unlike the hustle and bustle of Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew,” the screaming rush and angular architecture of City Life are just as recognizable and urban as is the pounding traffic of TROS’s “Battle of the Clansmen” and even its massive density overall.
As far and as deep as Le Sacre du Printemps goes, the company’s visual elements were stellar.
The opening measures found the lone figure interacting dramatically on her own with tall featureless columns that, accentuated with TROS’s opening chaos, suddenly birthed faces appearing to scream through the sheets before the body responsible appeared. As someone familiar with playing the actual music of The Rite of Spring, I’ve always felt that the “Adoration of the Earth’s (Part 1)” rhythmic energy was the site of most of my favorite sections in the entire piece, in that I think the excitement of Part 1′s music is more apparent.
It’s still very complicated but more accessible than Part 2′s complex genius. And the “Birth of the Young Warrior,” not being strictly from the music or even title translations, still finds a very natural home in the chronology of the story.
Having seen the centennial performance, The Dance of the Maidens in the beginning of “The Sacrifice (Part 2)” still remained (another) one of my favorite parts, as the musical physicality reaches perhaps its daintiest and most elegant across the piece.
The lovely female ensemble was as enchanting as I’d imagine the ancient Slavic women happily dancing their traditions were.
Although I found the recording used for the performance to be slightly imbalanced; too exaggerated for the faster parts and for the slower parts, anyone with experience with this music knows the experience isn’t really about balance. It’s about brutally honest emotion and power, and these things I felt resounding with me the whole ride home.
I have much faith in the ability of this piece’s strength to survive all the ages.
BPO Host Dynamic Show by Steve Sucato, April 22, 2016 Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo, NY (Richmond Ballet)
Proof of the adage “Good things come to those who wait,” Thursday night’s long-awaited performance by Richmond Ballet and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in “The Rite of Spring” at UB Center for the Arts’ Mainstage Theatre had everything: excitement, drama, pathos, thrilling music and exceptional dancing.
The production, postponed due to 2014’s “snow-pocalypse,” was the Western New York premiere for Richmond Ballet.
The program closed with the marquee ballet of the night, Salvatore Aiello’s 1993 masterpiece, “The Rite of Spring.” Set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score of the same name, the ballet was a nonstop deluge of primal energy and athleticism delivered with passion by Richmond Ballet. Right there every step with them was the BPO’s stirring performance of the score filled with power and punch that boomed from the orchestra pit.
Like Vaslav Nijinsky’s 1913 original, Aiello tapped into the rituals and dances of ancient tribes. Both took the idea of a sacrifice to the gods of a young maiden and built extreme tension around it.
The ballet from the get-go grabbed hold of one’s heart and mind and refused to let go. Standouts in the ballet were dancer Valerie Tellmann-Henning as the strong but motherly “Earth Figure” who simulated birthing several dancers onstage including “Young Warrior” Trevor Davis, who took over the combative tribe.
But the clear star was retiring company veteran Lauren Fagone as the defiant “Chosen One.” She railed against Davis’ character, defeating him but not the tribe whose bloodlust engulfed her, forcing her to dance herself to death. Fagone’s performance was a masterful display of grit, tenacity, fear and desperation that put a glorious cherry on top of a magnificent evening of music and dance.
CVNC: An Online Arts Journal in North Carolina, October 7, 2021 by Perry Tannenbaum (Charlotte Ballet)
Charlotte Ballet's 50th Anniversary Celebration is Luxuriously Long and Varied, Culminating in a Sizzling Rite of Spring
"Gathering us together for their big celebration after two postponements, the Charlotte Ballet didn't shrink from keeping us together, offering us a longer and more varied program than we've seen in many a season. More than that, they welcomed Christopher Warren-Green and the Charlotte Symphony to the pit (have we ever seen him down there before?) to perform a Philip Class piece, and brought four masked CSO principals onstage to fuel a performance of Antonin Dvorak's Piano Quintet. With the exception of Salvatore Aiello's electrifying setting to Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, the program didn't find Charlotte Ballet in a retrospective mood. Christopher Stuart, the new interim artistic director, jumped into the fray first with a new piece, "Then, Now, Forever", set to the live Glass. Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, whose work has been featured at Spoleto Festival USA on a couple of occasions dating back to 2009, made an edgier Charlotte debut with "A Picture of You Falling", paired with the Stuart piece before the first of two intermissions. Framed by the two intervals, Val Caniparoli appeared in Charlotte for the first time with Ibsen's House, interestingly set to the Dvorak. All of these choreographers were present for the celebration--except for Aiello, the former North Carolina Dance Theatre artistic director who died in 1995 at the age of 51."
"Having already previewed The Rite of Spring, we need not dwell on the fire and fury of LaPointe as The Chosen One--other than to say that LaPointe didn't disappoint and completely owned the sacrificial maiden's every move (Sturt-Dilley dances the role on Friday). LaPointe upstaged and literally towered over everyone else in sight, but the clash between Ben Ingel as the Old Chieftain and James Kopecky as the Young Warrior was primal, intensely physical, and thrilling.
Presiding over everything with a shamansitic presence as the curtain went up was Nadine Barton as the Earth Figure, a grand coming out for her in her third year. About the only clear reminder we had all evening of concessions we're still making to COVID was the absence of live winds, brass, and percussion blaring forth and flailing away at Stravinsky's score in the orchestra pit. Representing the Salvatore Aiello Trust, curator Jerri Kumery brought the spirit of the choreographer into the hall and 17 dancers on stage kept the temperature of his work white-hot."
Dance International Magazine, British Columbia Arts Council, Vancouver, BC, Canada, November 9, 2021 by Steve Sucato (Charlotte Ballet)
Charlotte Ballet: Celebrating 50 years / Stuart, Pite, Caniparoli, Aiello
"Charlotte Ballet's 50th Anniversary Celebration program, delayed from 2020 because of the global pandemic, was worth the wait. The final production for outgoing artistic director Hope Muir (now artistic director at the National Ballet of Canada),the program cast a wide net in terms of audience tastes, with four topflight works that not only celebrated the company's past, but also how far it has come artistically since its founding, by Canadian Robert Lindgren, in 1970."
"The program closed with a newly costumed reprise of former company artistic director Salvatore Aiello's The Rite of Spring (1993), which the company (then called North Carolina Dance Theatre) last performed in 2003.
The two-part theatrical spectacle opened with Adoration of the Earth, in which the Earth Figure. performed with striking regality by October 8 cast's Raven Barkley, released several bodies from cocoon-like, floor-to-ceiling cylinders of white fabric, like a birth of sorts. From there the balet launched into a tour de force of pagan bloodlust and suggested murder, cannibalism, and coitus.
While retaining roots in Vaslav Nijinksky's 1913 original for the Ballet Russes and set to Igor Stravinsky's iconic score for that ballet, Aiello traded the original's Russian winter pagan look for that of a fourth-century costumed rainforest tribe. His 38-minute ballet with a minimalist set of an overhead cage of bamboo and atmospheric lighting was driven by primal urges and superstitious beliefs and proved an exhilarating re-imaging of the original ballet. Both the October 8 and 9 casts performed Aiello's illustrative choreography marvelously, especially the Chosen One as performed by Sturt-Dilley (Oct 8) and LaPointe (Oct 9), who each fought ferociously until their end, in one of the most badass female roles ever created in ballet."
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Critic at Large by Byron Belt, Superlative Creation, March 9, 1970, Brooklyn, NY (Eglevsky Ballet Company of Long Island)
"One was the dazzling performance of Fernando Bujones, who celebrates his 16th birthday today, and the other was a glimpse of Salvatore Aiello's The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Aiello's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, prepared with the help of the New York State Council of the Arts, is a delightful, fun-filled concoction, which roused both the youngsters and their parents to warm enthusiasm. The Eglevsky company should tour every school in the state. Excellent!"
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, May 6, 1993 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Halfway through Salvatore Aiello’s new version of The Rite of Spring the ancient regime falls. Its beaten warrior lies crumpled on the ground – and is cannibalized by the victors. That isn’t even the most striking scene from Aiello’s take on Vaslav Nijinsky’s famous 1913 ballet. To the ear-shattering score by Igor Stravinsky, Aiello’s The Rite of Spring is filled with arresting images that stick in the memory days after seeing it.”
The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, Friday, June 2, 1995 by Eliza Ingle Spoleto Festival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
The Rite of Spring: “Dance Theatre Explosive”
“The highlight of the evening was Aiello’s version of The Rite of Spring. This powerful perspective of the ballet oozed with sensuality and exploded with original movement. The dancers’ capacity to sustain the drama and dynamics of this piece was admirable. When it came crashing to a close, The Chosen One’s limp body dangling from 10-foot skewers, the audience erupted in a moment of true catharsis.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, February 26, 2000 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The ensemble seethed with energy, yet every dancer seemed attuned to the rhythmic discipline required by Aiello’s keenly musical steps, even in the most complex passages of Stravinsky’s tricky score.”
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, March 4, 2000 by Perry Tannenbaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The original Stravinsky-Nijinsky Sacre de Printemps of 1913 was a cultural earthquake whose aftershocks are still being felt today. Eighty years later, Aiello could hardly have hoped to replicate the same stunning shock on audiences long inured to modernity. Yet this new The Rite of Spring came frighteningly close. It still does.”
The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, February 9, 2002 by Kevin Nance (Nashville Ballet)
“The stunning centerpiece of last night’s Winter Series program, Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring proved once and for all that this company can acquit itself well in what it might choose to call ‘contemporary ballet’. And if The Rite’s rapturous reception is any indication, the company’s audience is more than ready to follow the ballet away from the comforting predictable patterns of classical ballet movement into the dramatic surprises, psychological insights and blazing theatricality that modern dance can offer. The Rite of Spring – evocations of birth, death, tribal warfare, cannibalism, sexual assault and human sacrifice –is an opportunity for the dancers to move instinctively, with reckless abandon, and to act their hearts out. They managed all that last night and more.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, January 31, 2003 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring. One of the NCDT’s signature works and arguably its most affecting, this masterpiece is part of NCDT’s Winter Trilogy. The Rite of Spring is a raw, disturbing and strangely exhilarating work. From the bare, savage costumes and stark lighting to the contorted, earthbound choreography and frightening music, this dance sends a shock through one’s senses.”
Alt Daily, Norfolk, VA, May 30, 2013 by Bill Speidel 100th Anniversary of “The Rite of Spring” (Richmond Ballet)
“I have spent two years studying Stravinsky’s music and have loved that piece for the last 30 years, even though I’ve never seen a dance performance of it. Truth be told, I’ve never seen any dance performance.
The Rite of Spring is a singular pivotal moment in modern music/dance. I attended a centennial performance of The Rite of Spring tonight at Chrysler Hall, featuring the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Richmond Ballet, and put on by the Virginia Arts Festival.
As the curtain rose on the familiar opening notes of The Rite of Spring, it took me several seconds to realize that the shape I saw on stage was a dancer. What followed wasn’t ballet as I had ever seen in broadcasts. In fact, it was the entire pop culture of my entire lifetime.
Then it struck me that it was amazing that Parisians hadn’t burned their entire city down hundred years ago. What I was witnessing was unthinkable and changed everything that night in Paris!
Through it all the tympani thundered, the brass washed over the audience in waves, and the dancers stomped, pulsated, and thrashed in rhythmic undulations that led to a fevered, and visually stunning final sacrificial climax.
The audience clapped loudly, but extremely politely and certainly not riotously—for me that wasn’t enough. I let out a yell with a raised fist that startled, and obviously horrified, the elderly theater patron seated next to me. Then the middle-aged woman in front of me turned to her young daughter and yelled, “Dude, that Stravinsky is dope!”
Somehow, I imagine the composer, who was heartbroken by the overwhelmingly negative response on opening night one hundred years ago, smiling. It took us a hundred years to be ready, but finally, we got it.
Thank you Igor, the Virginia Arts Festival, Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Richmond Ballet for making something I’ve waited 30 years to see exceed even my wildest expectations.”
http://altdaily.com/features/arts/6263-dude-that-stravinsky-was-dope
Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA, June 3, 2013 by David Adam Beloff 100th Anniversary of “The Rite of Spring” (Richmond Ballet)
Our VA Arts Festival, the Richmond Ballet and our Virginia Symphony Orchestra came together for an unforgettable performance!
"Our Virginia arts Festival along with the Richmond Ballet and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra have pulled off one of the most amazing dance performances of all time: THE RITE OF SPRING. The ballet which was scored by the great Igor Stravinsky in 1913 deals with the self-sacrifice of a young woman who literally dances herself to death. The moving a jarring choreography by Salvatore Aiello brought down the house at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall as the Richmond Ballet did an absolutely splendid job! Interestingly, the performance was held literally on the 100th anniversary of the original opening in 1913!"
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/our-va-arts-festival-richmond-ballet-our-virginia-symphony-orchestra-came-together-unforgett
Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond,VA. November 3, 2013 by Sheena Jeffers (Richmond Ballet)
Richmond Ballet 30th Anniversary Celebration
"Richmond Ballet took on three historically well-known and challenging ballets and brought them to life with refreshing energy and an air of respect for those who came before.
The night moved from smitten adoration to animalistic rituals with Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring. Adorned in thongs revealing well-conditioned physiques, the dancers made it seem even more animalistic and this ballet is not recommended for young audiences.
It is, however, a welcomed shock, and it’s refreshing to see Richmond Ballet take such a performance risk and exhibit it so unforgettable.
The tension is pressing, coming from Stravinsky’s pounding score, and the dancers create such a momentum on stage that you can feel the stress from your seat. Fernando Sabino and Lauren Fagone danced with every cell in their body, and their power shone through in such a way that you know, without doubt, if you were closer, you could see the veins rising through their skin."
Virginia Gazette, VA. November 9, 2013 Soundings by John Shulson (Richmond Ballet)
A polished 30th for Ballet
"A spectacular evening of first-class, highly polished, professional dance marked the Richmond Ballet’s recent 30th anniversary celebration.
A true mark of acceptance into the high realm of the dance world is permission gained from Dance Trusts to perform certain choreographer’s works. Permission is based on such standards as a company’s history, funding, direction and talent. All three works presented came through Trust permission and unquestionably those Trusts were well-served.
Closing the program, after the smile-inducing dance that preceded it, was The Rite of Spring choreographed by Salvatore Aiello to Stravinsky’s intensely challenging and complex score. This is a powerful, physical, high- drama piece that combines the urgency of the music with the challenging dance that depicts the pagan act of sacrificing a maiden and its symbolic sense of fertility and rebirth.
Far from the linear lines of the other works, The Rite of Spring is angular, primal, sexually charged, and captivating in its explicit images.
Richmond’s delivery was immensely powerful. It was gripping and filled with tension and amazing dancing, especially that of Lauren Fagone, the Chosen One, the image of whose final climb to death at the top of a tri-spear device was breathtaking and stunning."
Richmond Ballet's Studio Three - 'City Life' and 'The Rite of Spring by Julinda Lewis April 13, 2016 (Richmond Ballet)
Never a company to rest on past successes, the Richmond Ballet closes its 2015-2016 season with two very different works and a tribute to popular lead dancer Lauren Fagone, who is retiring after 14 years with the ballet.
“City Life” may, in fact, make a logical pairing with the revival of Salvatore Aiello’s striking “The Rite of Spring.” Both are concerned with sacrifice.
“City Life” can be construed as an acknowledgement of the sacrifices we make to live in the hustle and bustle of urban America, while “The Rite of Spring” delves into the rituals of tribal life and pagan human sacrifice.
When first performed in Paris in 1913, Igor Stravinsky’s beautifully layered and complex score for “The Rite of Spring” with Vaslav Nijinsky’s original choreography caused an actual riot. Twenty-first century audiences may be more accustomed to sensuality, near-nudity and cultivated dissonance, but Aiello’s work, created in 1993, continues to keep audiences breathless and alert.
From the opening “Adoration of the Earth,” when dancer Valerie Tellmann-Henning orchestrates the birth of a clan of pod creatures, cleverly encased in shafts of fabric, and the subsequent “Birth of the Young Warrior,” in which Trevor Davis emerges as the heir apparent and soon-coming victor, it is evident that this is no ordinary, happy ending fairy tale of a ballet. Indeed, “Battle of the Clansman,” which pits Davis against Matthew Frain, ends in a cannibalistic frenzy.
“Dance of the Maidens,” performed by the women’s ensemble, sets the scene for the final sacrifice of The Chosen One — danced by Fagone.
Fagone does not dance like someone ready for retirement. Pounding rhythms, unconstrained energy and primitive rituals fuel this “Rite” and Fagone is at the center of it, hair flying, fully committed, offering herself as a living sacrifice.
RVA Ballet’s ‘City Life’ shines with modern & ground-breaking paired performance by Daryl Tankersley April 14, 2016 (Richmond Ballet)
These two pieces may, in content and theme, be of disparate human societies in audience, however the aesthetics of the two musical pieces are found very much adjacent on the same great map. Not unlike the hustle and bustle of Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew,” the screaming rush and angular architecture of City Life are just as recognizable and urban as is the pounding traffic of TROS’s “Battle of the Clansmen” and even its massive density overall.
As far and as deep as Le Sacre du Printemps goes, the company’s visual elements were stellar.
The opening measures found the lone figure interacting dramatically on her own with tall featureless columns that, accentuated with TROS’s opening chaos, suddenly birthed faces appearing to scream through the sheets before the body responsible appeared. As someone familiar with playing the actual music of The Rite of Spring, I’ve always felt that the “Adoration of the Earth’s (Part 1)” rhythmic energy was the site of most of my favorite sections in the entire piece, in that I think the excitement of Part 1′s music is more apparent.
It’s still very complicated but more accessible than Part 2′s complex genius. And the “Birth of the Young Warrior,” not being strictly from the music or even title translations, still finds a very natural home in the chronology of the story.
Having seen the centennial performance, The Dance of the Maidens in the beginning of “The Sacrifice (Part 2)” still remained (another) one of my favorite parts, as the musical physicality reaches perhaps its daintiest and most elegant across the piece.
The lovely female ensemble was as enchanting as I’d imagine the ancient Slavic women happily dancing their traditions were.
Although I found the recording used for the performance to be slightly imbalanced; too exaggerated for the faster parts and for the slower parts, anyone with experience with this music knows the experience isn’t really about balance. It’s about brutally honest emotion and power, and these things I felt resounding with me the whole ride home.
I have much faith in the ability of this piece’s strength to survive all the ages.
BPO Host Dynamic Show by Steve Sucato, April 22, 2016 Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo, NY (Richmond Ballet)
Proof of the adage “Good things come to those who wait,” Thursday night’s long-awaited performance by Richmond Ballet and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in “The Rite of Spring” at UB Center for the Arts’ Mainstage Theatre had everything: excitement, drama, pathos, thrilling music and exceptional dancing.
The production, postponed due to 2014’s “snow-pocalypse,” was the Western New York premiere for Richmond Ballet.
The program closed with the marquee ballet of the night, Salvatore Aiello’s 1993 masterpiece, “The Rite of Spring.” Set to Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score of the same name, the ballet was a nonstop deluge of primal energy and athleticism delivered with passion by Richmond Ballet. Right there every step with them was the BPO’s stirring performance of the score filled with power and punch that boomed from the orchestra pit.
Like Vaslav Nijinsky’s 1913 original, Aiello tapped into the rituals and dances of ancient tribes. Both took the idea of a sacrifice to the gods of a young maiden and built extreme tension around it.
The ballet from the get-go grabbed hold of one’s heart and mind and refused to let go. Standouts in the ballet were dancer Valerie Tellmann-Henning as the strong but motherly “Earth Figure” who simulated birthing several dancers onstage including “Young Warrior” Trevor Davis, who took over the combative tribe.
But the clear star was retiring company veteran Lauren Fagone as the defiant “Chosen One.” She railed against Davis’ character, defeating him but not the tribe whose bloodlust engulfed her, forcing her to dance herself to death. Fagone’s performance was a masterful display of grit, tenacity, fear and desperation that put a glorious cherry on top of a magnificent evening of music and dance.
CVNC: An Online Arts Journal in North Carolina, October 7, 2021 by Perry Tannenbaum (Charlotte Ballet)
Charlotte Ballet's 50th Anniversary Celebration is Luxuriously Long and Varied, Culminating in a Sizzling Rite of Spring
"Gathering us together for their big celebration after two postponements, the Charlotte Ballet didn't shrink from keeping us together, offering us a longer and more varied program than we've seen in many a season. More than that, they welcomed Christopher Warren-Green and the Charlotte Symphony to the pit (have we ever seen him down there before?) to perform a Philip Class piece, and brought four masked CSO principals onstage to fuel a performance of Antonin Dvorak's Piano Quintet. With the exception of Salvatore Aiello's electrifying setting to Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, the program didn't find Charlotte Ballet in a retrospective mood. Christopher Stuart, the new interim artistic director, jumped into the fray first with a new piece, "Then, Now, Forever", set to the live Glass. Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, whose work has been featured at Spoleto Festival USA on a couple of occasions dating back to 2009, made an edgier Charlotte debut with "A Picture of You Falling", paired with the Stuart piece before the first of two intermissions. Framed by the two intervals, Val Caniparoli appeared in Charlotte for the first time with Ibsen's House, interestingly set to the Dvorak. All of these choreographers were present for the celebration--except for Aiello, the former North Carolina Dance Theatre artistic director who died in 1995 at the age of 51."
"Having already previewed The Rite of Spring, we need not dwell on the fire and fury of LaPointe as The Chosen One--other than to say that LaPointe didn't disappoint and completely owned the sacrificial maiden's every move (Sturt-Dilley dances the role on Friday). LaPointe upstaged and literally towered over everyone else in sight, but the clash between Ben Ingel as the Old Chieftain and James Kopecky as the Young Warrior was primal, intensely physical, and thrilling.
Presiding over everything with a shamansitic presence as the curtain went up was Nadine Barton as the Earth Figure, a grand coming out for her in her third year. About the only clear reminder we had all evening of concessions we're still making to COVID was the absence of live winds, brass, and percussion blaring forth and flailing away at Stravinsky's score in the orchestra pit. Representing the Salvatore Aiello Trust, curator Jerri Kumery brought the spirit of the choreographer into the hall and 17 dancers on stage kept the temperature of his work white-hot."
Dance International Magazine, British Columbia Arts Council, Vancouver, BC, Canada, November 9, 2021 by Steve Sucato (Charlotte Ballet)
Charlotte Ballet: Celebrating 50 years / Stuart, Pite, Caniparoli, Aiello
"Charlotte Ballet's 50th Anniversary Celebration program, delayed from 2020 because of the global pandemic, was worth the wait. The final production for outgoing artistic director Hope Muir (now artistic director at the National Ballet of Canada),the program cast a wide net in terms of audience tastes, with four topflight works that not only celebrated the company's past, but also how far it has come artistically since its founding, by Canadian Robert Lindgren, in 1970."
"The program closed with a newly costumed reprise of former company artistic director Salvatore Aiello's The Rite of Spring (1993), which the company (then called North Carolina Dance Theatre) last performed in 2003.
The two-part theatrical spectacle opened with Adoration of the Earth, in which the Earth Figure. performed with striking regality by October 8 cast's Raven Barkley, released several bodies from cocoon-like, floor-to-ceiling cylinders of white fabric, like a birth of sorts. From there the balet launched into a tour de force of pagan bloodlust and suggested murder, cannibalism, and coitus.
While retaining roots in Vaslav Nijinksky's 1913 original for the Ballet Russes and set to Igor Stravinsky's iconic score for that ballet, Aiello traded the original's Russian winter pagan look for that of a fourth-century costumed rainforest tribe. His 38-minute ballet with a minimalist set of an overhead cage of bamboo and atmospheric lighting was driven by primal urges and superstitious beliefs and proved an exhilarating re-imaging of the original ballet. Both the October 8 and 9 casts performed Aiello's illustrative choreography marvelously, especially the Chosen One as performed by Sturt-Dilley (Oct 8) and LaPointe (Oct 9), who each fought ferociously until their end, in one of the most badass female roles ever created in ballet."
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Critic at Large by Byron Belt, Superlative Creation, March 9, 1970, Brooklyn, NY (Eglevsky Ballet Company of Long Island)
"One was the dazzling performance of Fernando Bujones, who celebrates his 16th birthday today, and the other was a glimpse of Salvatore Aiello's The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Aiello's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, prepared with the help of the New York State Council of the Arts, is a delightful, fun-filled concoction, which roused both the youngsters and their parents to warm enthusiasm. The Eglevsky company should tour every school in the state. Excellent!"
The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore
The News & Courier, Charleston, SC, June 2, 1983 by Clarie McPhail Spoleto Festival
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Gian Carlo Menotti’s madrigal ballet, The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore, choreographed by Salvatore Aiello, was a sensation Wednesday night at the Dock Street Theatre. The enthusiastic audience whistled, shouted bravos and stood to applaud at the conclusion of the one-act ballet. What a gem the work is, and what a beautiful coordination it represents on the part of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and the Westminster Choir. It should be preserved for posterity, for it is visually and aurally excellent, a first-rate production. Seldom does one see a production where each character is so fine in both his dancing technique and mime. It is regrettable that this production wasn’t scheduled for a longer run. Without a doubt, it could be a packed house every night.”
The Evening Post, Charleston, SC, June 2, 1983 by Jacquelyn A. Mattfeld Spoleto Festival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The gifts of composer, designers, choreographer, dancers, singers and instrumentalists came together in a magical performance to delight al the senses. Mime and dance were superbly combined in the performances of all the dancers, but Countess and Count were so outstanding as to eclipse a duo by Tootsie and Victor/Victoria. Unicorn, for all its humor, fantasy, and unpretentious charm is a serious work. Like all fables, it intends to instruct. At the conclusion, the applause of the audience was not only an expression of appreciation for the performance, but it was also a celebration of Gian Carlo Menotti. It was a memorable and joyous experience – oral, visual and kinesthetic.”
The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, NC, Friday, May 18, 1984 by Rosanne Howard (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“There should be no vacant seats in the house when dance is performed on this level. The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore, presented last on the program, was a modern version of a medieval morality play. Aiello didn’t miss a trick in staging this delightful and touching piece, which is essentially mimed dance. The costumes by Douglas Barger are stunning and elaborate. Aiello skillfully used Menotti’s light-handed story-telling style in developing the piece.”
The News & Courier, Charleston, SC, June 2, 1983 by Clarie McPhail Spoleto Festival
(North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Gian Carlo Menotti’s madrigal ballet, The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore, choreographed by Salvatore Aiello, was a sensation Wednesday night at the Dock Street Theatre. The enthusiastic audience whistled, shouted bravos and stood to applaud at the conclusion of the one-act ballet. What a gem the work is, and what a beautiful coordination it represents on the part of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and the Westminster Choir. It should be preserved for posterity, for it is visually and aurally excellent, a first-rate production. Seldom does one see a production where each character is so fine in both his dancing technique and mime. It is regrettable that this production wasn’t scheduled for a longer run. Without a doubt, it could be a packed house every night.”
The Evening Post, Charleston, SC, June 2, 1983 by Jacquelyn A. Mattfeld Spoleto Festival (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The gifts of composer, designers, choreographer, dancers, singers and instrumentalists came together in a magical performance to delight al the senses. Mime and dance were superbly combined in the performances of all the dancers, but Countess and Count were so outstanding as to eclipse a duo by Tootsie and Victor/Victoria. Unicorn, for all its humor, fantasy, and unpretentious charm is a serious work. Like all fables, it intends to instruct. At the conclusion, the applause of the audience was not only an expression of appreciation for the performance, but it was also a celebration of Gian Carlo Menotti. It was a memorable and joyous experience – oral, visual and kinesthetic.”
The Sentinel, Winston-Salem, NC, Friday, May 18, 1984 by Rosanne Howard (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“There should be no vacant seats in the house when dance is performed on this level. The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore, presented last on the program, was a modern version of a medieval morality play. Aiello didn’t miss a trick in staging this delightful and touching piece, which is essentially mimed dance. The costumes by Douglas Barger are stunning and elaborate. Aiello skillfully used Menotti’s light-handed story-telling style in developing the piece.”
Photo: Jeff Cravotta
The Waiting Room
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, April 17, 2001 by Perry Tannebaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“None was more effective than the late Salvatore Aiello, NCDT’s Artistic Director during 1985-1995, whose 1992 composition,
The Waiting Room, was given a long overdue Charlotte Premiere. Hard to say what the ladies were waiting for in the opening seated tableau. A birth? A death? Or perhaps the outcome of a procedure where life and death hang in the balance? Sometimes the agonies of the ladies were so intense that I imagined they were struggling to be born. At times, the connection between the ladies was powerful as their connection with the music – as if they were sisters enduring a common vigil.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, April 2001 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Musicians admire Part’s mystic minimalism. Choreographers appear drawn to it for its ability to be lyric yet rhythmic, beautiful yet intense, bold yet somehow comforting. Salvatore Aiello exploited those qualities in his never-seen-here The Waiting Room. Created in 1992 for Asheville’s Wall Street Danceworks, it’s the most obscure Aiello work. It’s a small but characteristic example of the fluid group movement Aiello was known for.”
News Tribune, Duluth,MN, Friday, October 22, 2017 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet starts season with stellar Show
"The first time I saw Salvatore Aiello's utterly charming "Clowns and Others" three years ago, I immediately wanted to see it again. So when artistic executive director Robert Gardner made it the title piece for the Minnesota Ballet's season opener at Symphony Hall on Friday night, I would finally get my chance.
But the really impressive thing about this amazing night of dance was that it included two other pieces equally as mesmerizing.
George Balanchine's "Tarantella" gave Emily Reed and Ryo Munakata the opportunity to shine, whether they danced with each other or with a tambourine. Reed displayed high-speed fancy footwork, synchronized perfectly to the music, while Munakata drew almost constant applause from the audience for his elegant glides from one leap to the next in his most memorable performance to date.
Another Aiello piece, "The Waiting Room," had violinist Erin Aldridge and pianist Alexander Sandor providing live accompaniment. Naomi Doty, Sarah Gresik and Emma Stanton began seated in chairs beneath the harsh glow of an overhead light, signifying the serious tone for this haunting piece.
The three women struck me as being patients, their apprehension almost painfully personal. There was also a sense of the betrayal of the body brought on by illness, where their movements seemed like marionettes controlled by unseen strings. The somber tone of the piece extended to the bows from the waist the dancers made in their curtain call.
The evening closed with Aiello's "Clowns and Others," accompanied by Sandor playing Prokofiev's "Visions Fugitives," which starts with the pretty as a picture tableau of a baker's dozen dancers decked out in Sandra Ehle's white clown costumes, colored by Kenneth Pogin's lighting. The piece presents a whole lot of things you do not normally see at the ballet.
There are balloons, a baseball bat, bouncing, broken arms, causes for alarm, crab walking, cuddling, a dead body, divine intervention, an enormous elastic band, fear, grimacing, hand holding, handshakes, hand stands, head butting, jazz hands, juggling, a lollipop, kicking, kissing, makeup, masks, pairs of white gloves, prancing, praying, running, shuffling, spinning while kissing, a sticky situation, swivel hips, thumb twiddling, tightrope walking, trapezing, tripping and a whirly-bird hat.
All three of these pieces were staged by Jerri Kumery, repetiteur with the George Balanchine Trust and curator of the Salvatore Aiello Ballets, as she did for the Minnesota Ballet for the 2014 program."
Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC, April 17, 2001 by Perry Tannebaum (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“None was more effective than the late Salvatore Aiello, NCDT’s Artistic Director during 1985-1995, whose 1992 composition,
The Waiting Room, was given a long overdue Charlotte Premiere. Hard to say what the ladies were waiting for in the opening seated tableau. A birth? A death? Or perhaps the outcome of a procedure where life and death hang in the balance? Sometimes the agonies of the ladies were so intense that I imagined they were struggling to be born. At times, the connection between the ladies was powerful as their connection with the music – as if they were sisters enduring a common vigil.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, April 2001 by Dean Smith (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“Musicians admire Part’s mystic minimalism. Choreographers appear drawn to it for its ability to be lyric yet rhythmic, beautiful yet intense, bold yet somehow comforting. Salvatore Aiello exploited those qualities in his never-seen-here The Waiting Room. Created in 1992 for Asheville’s Wall Street Danceworks, it’s the most obscure Aiello work. It’s a small but characteristic example of the fluid group movement Aiello was known for.”
News Tribune, Duluth,MN, Friday, October 22, 2017 by Lawrance Bernabo (Minnesota Ballet)
Minnesota Ballet starts season with stellar Show
"The first time I saw Salvatore Aiello's utterly charming "Clowns and Others" three years ago, I immediately wanted to see it again. So when artistic executive director Robert Gardner made it the title piece for the Minnesota Ballet's season opener at Symphony Hall on Friday night, I would finally get my chance.
But the really impressive thing about this amazing night of dance was that it included two other pieces equally as mesmerizing.
George Balanchine's "Tarantella" gave Emily Reed and Ryo Munakata the opportunity to shine, whether they danced with each other or with a tambourine. Reed displayed high-speed fancy footwork, synchronized perfectly to the music, while Munakata drew almost constant applause from the audience for his elegant glides from one leap to the next in his most memorable performance to date.
Another Aiello piece, "The Waiting Room," had violinist Erin Aldridge and pianist Alexander Sandor providing live accompaniment. Naomi Doty, Sarah Gresik and Emma Stanton began seated in chairs beneath the harsh glow of an overhead light, signifying the serious tone for this haunting piece.
The three women struck me as being patients, their apprehension almost painfully personal. There was also a sense of the betrayal of the body brought on by illness, where their movements seemed like marionettes controlled by unseen strings. The somber tone of the piece extended to the bows from the waist the dancers made in their curtain call.
The evening closed with Aiello's "Clowns and Others," accompanied by Sandor playing Prokofiev's "Visions Fugitives," which starts with the pretty as a picture tableau of a baker's dozen dancers decked out in Sandra Ehle's white clown costumes, colored by Kenneth Pogin's lighting. The piece presents a whole lot of things you do not normally see at the ballet.
There are balloons, a baseball bat, bouncing, broken arms, causes for alarm, crab walking, cuddling, a dead body, divine intervention, an enormous elastic band, fear, grimacing, hand holding, handshakes, hand stands, head butting, jazz hands, juggling, a lollipop, kicking, kissing, makeup, masks, pairs of white gloves, prancing, praying, running, shuffling, spinning while kissing, a sticky situation, swivel hips, thumb twiddling, tightrope walking, trapezing, tripping and a whirly-bird hat.
All three of these pieces were staged by Jerri Kumery, repetiteur with the George Balanchine Trust and curator of the Salvatore Aiello Ballets, as she did for the Minnesota Ballet for the 2014 program."
Photo: Jeff Cravotta
Turn of the Screw
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, October 23, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The program begins with the premiere of a rich, fluid translation of The Turn of the Screw by Salvatore Aiello, who is a skilled and sensitive choreographer in addition to being a stalwart steward of his company. Aiello’s graceful, natural choreography, which makes the most of the drama and playfulness of Benjamin Britten’s music, bubbles just below the surface with forbidden pleasures and recriminations. It strips away the mask of innocence form childhood to reveal James’ scheming youngsters, Miles and Flora, who turn their governess’s protective ways upon her, with tragic results.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Turn of the Screw married grace with horror to produce an eerie romance.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, October 23, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The program begins with the premiere of a rich, fluid translation of The Turn of the Screw by Salvatore Aiello, who is a skilled and sensitive choreographer in addition to being a stalwart steward of his company. Aiello’s graceful, natural choreography, which makes the most of the drama and playfulness of Benjamin Britten’s music, bubbles just below the surface with forbidden pleasures and recriminations. It strips away the mask of innocence form childhood to reveal James’ scheming youngsters, Miles and Flora, who turn their governess’s protective ways upon her, with tragic results.”
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, December 18, 1993 by Tony Brown (North Carolina Dance Theatre)
“The Turn of the Screw married grace with horror to produce an eerie romance.”
Photo by : Sarah Ferguson of "The Rite of Spring"
