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‘Billboards’ pitches ballet with a rock ‘n’ roll twist

By Daily Bruin Staff

July 7, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 7, 1996

The Joffrey hopes to lure new crowd, mixing music of Prince,
classical danceBy Alicia Cheak

Summer Bruin Contributor

Gerald Arpino hopes that one day, his brothers who were raised
on all-American baseball and football will find themselves
attending a ballet performance.

His wishes might yet be fulfilled with "Billboards," a new and
powerful production by the Joffrey Ballet that yokes together two
disparate art forms: classical ballet and rock music.

Arpino founded The Joffrey in 1956 with Robert Joffrey and is
the artistic director for "Billboards." He came up with the concept
over the years as he traveled with The Joffrey on their annual
national tours.

"Captivated by the powerful imagery of the giant billboards, I
was like a child in a toy shop, intrigued by them," he
explains.

Arpino was especially inspired by the billboards in Los Angeles’
Sunset Strip, and vowed that one day he would have his own
billboard there.

"I finally got my wish 10 years later," Arpino says. "There I
was, ‘Billboards’ with the big painting of Prince, right opposite
Schwarzenegger’s billboard."

Arpino sees billboards as American folk art.

"For people who have never been to a museum or have never seen a
painting" Arpino believes that "the billboards were the only means
of seeing graphics and art in its own right."

Billboards are the portraits in the outdoor gallery of the
modern world.

"I am using ‘Billboards’ as a means to capture the uninitiated
to come see the ballet," Arpino explains.

He believes that young people are "intimidated by the elitism of
the ballet," and would rather be at a rock concert than at some
esoteric performance.

In order to secure a younger audience who would become future
patrons of the ballet, Arpino added "Billboards" to The Joffrey’s
repertoire of 20th century ballets which includes Robert Joffrey’s
"Astarte," Arpino’s "Trinity" and Twyla Tharps’s "Deuce Coupe."

"What makes The Joffrey so individualistic is its cutting-edge
ballets, which the young can relate to and enjoy," Arpino says.

"Billboards" belongs to a category known as rock ballet. Arpino
believes that this form of expression is uniquely American because
it combines classical technique and contemporary technology and
culture.

"It looks as if (the dancing) is freestyle and being improvised,
but everything in the piece is choreographed and can only be
executed by a classically trained dancer."

"Billboards" is a four-act ballet set to the music of 14 of
Prince’s songs, and choreographed by four of America’s leading
contemporary choreographers.

"This is the first time that a full ballet evening of rock has
ever been done," Arpino says.

"And what makes it more unusual is that it is set to the music
of Prince." Prince was inspired to compose music for The Joffrey
when he attended his first ballet performance in 1991 during the
Los Angeles Music Center season.

"Billboards" will be the first production Prince has authorized
to use his music.

"Over the course of the production, I truly have found the
genius of this composer and I respect him purely as I would Bach
and Mozart ­ as a composer," Arpino says.

It is this reverence for the composer and the artistry of the
choreographers which has "taken Prince’s music and placed the
entire production on a higher artistic level."

In addition to Prince’s music, "Billboards" has stylized
billboards for each act, dramatic, disco-like lighting and rich and
varied costumes.

"The stage therefore becomes the background on which each of the
choreographers paint a tapestry of their own work," Arpino
explains.

The first act is what Arpino calls "a dynamic religious disco"
that delivers the joy of the music through "metaphysical
exuberance."

It is followed by an "orgiastic Midsummer’s Night dream" which
buffoons modern conceptions of the sexual being.

The final two acts explore the love and lack of commitment
between men and women.

"Sensual and exciting, it is the meaning and celebration of love
through dance and music," Arpino says.

It’s a big feat, trying to integrate classical and contemporary
forms of expression, to incorporate four different styles and to
effectively deliver the depth and scope of Prince’s music, but
Arpino believes that the unity that is finally achieved will give
the audience an exciting and uplifting experience.

"Rock ballet is a vital, dynamic and relatable art form," Arpino
says.

Through it, he hopes that those who are not normally acclimated
to the ballet will "leave the performance of ‘Billboards’ enriched
with an awareness of now, of our time, through the beautiful
combination of music and dance."

DANCE:"Billboards" is playing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,
July 11-14: Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $15-55. Call (213) 972-7211 for info.

"Billboards," conceived and directed by Gerald Arpino, offers
America its first full evening of ballet accompanied by the music
of Prince.

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