The James Sewell Ballet performed on Saturday Feb. 23 in Wadsworth Auditorium. Sewell founded this ballet with artist Sally Rousse in 1993 (Annie Renaud/ staff photographer).
Wadsworth Auditorium quickly filled up with students and ballet fans who rushed to their seats to witness a special performance the night of Saturday Feb. 23.
The lights dimmed, the curtains opened and the intricate world of James Sewell Ballet took over the venue. Before the performance began, Sewell came out to introduce himself and give some insight to the show.
James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City by Sewell and Sally Rousse before moving to Minnesota, where Sewell grew up. The ballet officially began in 1993 and has been delivering incredible performances around the country ever since.
Sewell wanted the audience to be involved in the show too, so he asked everyone to perform seemingly simple tasks like rubbing your stomach while patting your head. The tasks progressively became slightly more difficult and laughter erupted from everyone participating. Sewell did this so that the audience understood how difficult the upcoming movement was, even if it didn’t seem so hard to imitate from afar.
One of the most notable aspects of the performance was its usage of lighting and shadows. The performers were able to express feelings through their movements while the shadows relayed even more emotion and thought for the audience to digest. During one movement, each dancer had a separate color of the rainbow cast on them.
The show, coordinated by the Limelight and Accents Performing Arts Series, worked hard to create a special event for students and the public. Co-coordinator of Limelight and Accents sophomore Leah Sherman witnessed a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into these shows regarding set up and rehearsal.
“It was really cool to see the entire piece as a whole,” Sherman said. “I really think they did a good job with the lighting and the shadows and dance which kind of brought it to life.”
Those elements, along with the dramatic music, really tied the piece together.
Sherman has noticed that there has been a decrease in the number of students who attend similar performances. While the reasons for this decline aren’t known, extra credit from teachers is occasionally offered in exchange for supporting the arts. Geneseo even offered a master class with Sewell for anyone who was interested in learning some stretches and ballet moves from a professional.
The master class was a special opportunity for students to engage in something that they’re passionate about while learning new techniques and getting positive feedback from someone who has been in the business for many years. Opportunities like these are rare and, without the performing arts section that Geneseo has, would probably not occur.
Another mesmerizing movement in the performance involved LGBTQ+ couples, featuring pairs of two men and two women. The dances were very intimate and full of love.
English major sophomore Theresa Hensler specifically enjoyed this part of the performance.
“Love is love, that’s a message we’ve been spreading since 2012,” Hensler said.
Geneseo’s Limelight and Accents sets up many unique performances for people interested in a wide variety of things. So, while the chance to see James Sewell Ballet is gone, staying updated with events and attending them will only make this program stronger and allow for future events to occur.