Boston has always been a world-class city. But over the past few years we’ve actually started to get the recognition that we deserve. We now have gleaming, glass covered luxury condo buildings, celebrity chefs and Fortune 500 businesses. And all those successful people need some culture in their lives. One such artistic gem that has chosen our city is William Forsythe’s Ballet, “Artifact”, performed by the Boston Ballet.

I was fortunate enough to attend opening night at the Boston Opera House to witness the Boston Ballet preform Artifact last week.

I was extremely lucky to witness the work and talent of the dancers in the production. With the opening piece being a single silhouetted dancer, painted all in white, simply walking across the stage, you could feel the emotional tension and excitement in the audience. From there, the magnificent and extremely difficult pas de deux of the principal dancers really showcased the level of talent required for this challenging ballet. The entire show was a spectacle that transcended the human mind, body and spirit. As said by company member, Desean Taber, “The audience really picks up on how much is going on at once.”

The spoken word of the woman in the ornate gown also adds another level of depth. She gave the audience the chance to be removed from reality and become immersed into this world of Artifact. And yet her strong, powerful voice is offset by the white haired man speaking into the megaphone. This brilliant combination of sounds made for a very unique experience, one often not associated with the ballet.

What else can I say about the dancers? They were strong, cohesive, and extremely expressive especially for having a classically trained backgrounds being utilizd in this modern piece. This choreography, while being so physically demanding on the body, the dancers made it seem effortless. In my interview with Desean Taber, he said that this piece “made his dancing both more structured and more free.” Even the simplest of gestures were repeated in different shapes and spheres, and were done to perfection. This piece never once lost its life. The energy was evident throughout; even in stillness you could feel the energy pulsing through the theater. Truly a must see for the ballet lover or anyone looking to take a break from the banality of the day to day.

The Boston Ballet will be performing Artifact through March 5th. For tickets and more information please visit their website here. 

All photos of the performance are courtesy of Boston Ballet.