Bay Area ballet gets blood flowing
The Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre (BAHBT) leapt into UHCL’s Bayou Theater Oct. 14-16 with their version of “Dracula.” The original ballet retold the story of Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel through powerful movement and a musical feast.
This artistic interpretation of the novel used original choreography and staging by former BAHBT Ballet Master Luis Fuentre and BAHBT Associate Artistic Director Natalie Cannon Zundel, restaged by Zundel and BAHBT Artistic Director Nelson Madrigal.
“This is my second time seeing a production of ‘Dracula’ by the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre,” said audience member and former dance teacher Christal Schlemmer. “I saw one in 2010, and they always seem to leave me on the edge of my seat.”
Included in this ballet were intricate period costumes and detailed make-up. The titular character of Dracula was portrayed by Artist-in-Residence Javier Morales, who joined BAHBT in the 2015-2016 season.
“‘Dracula’ was one of the ballets that was already in our rep,” said Judy Harper, ticket sales and box office representative for BAHBT. “We like to rotate our ballets every four or five years.”
The ballet follows characters Count Dracula, best friends Lucy and Mina, Mina’s fiancé Jonathan and quite a few of Dracula’s savage vampire friends. Dracula’s rise and fall are depicted as he travels from Transylvania to London. The play begins with Dracula hosting a ball in Transylvania to celebrate a recent real estate purchase in London, and this is where the first act of violence takes place. From then on, the battle between Dracula and the townspeople of London ensues, paving the way for a dramatic conclusion.
“The music was fabulous; performers did an amazing job and the emotions they brought into their characters was awesome,” said attendee Debby Kittredge, retired law enforcement civilian. “I had no clue what this would be all about, and the characters were able to portray their parts in such a way that told the story so I could follow it. The ending was truly phenomenal!”
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is just one of the many portrayals of vampires over the course of history. Vampires have gone from ghoulish, bloodthirsty villains in novels such as “I Am Legend,” to the hunky leading men in novels such as “Twilight” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
Samuel Gladden, associate dean for the College of Human Sciences and Humanities and professor of literature, recently co-led a continuing education class with Sarah Costello, assistant professor of art history, titled “Victorians and Vampires!” Oct. 7; Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and the culture of vampires were just a few of the major topics discussed.
“Vampires stand for so many things that in our culture both fascinate and horrify us – things we want to not see in ourselves but things that are present, looming, threatening, and sometimes seductive, as we see in most contemporary takes on the vampire,” Gladden said.
Gladden said that vampires have historically stood as “the other” in novels.
“The most recent rise in representations of the vampire as a symbol for ‘the other’ came toward the end of the 20th century, just as Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ appeared near the end on the 19th, and around 2008, when power was shifting from one political party to another,” Gladden said.
BAHBT described their performance of Stoker’s “Dracula” as a “ballet with a bite!” “The Nutcracker” is next on the schedule for the BAHBT and will run Dec. 2-4 and 9-11.
For more information on the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre, visit www.bahbt.org or call 281-480-1617.
