Richmond Ballet Mesmerizes Audience

Bryn Dotson, assistant editor

The parking lot outside of the Dickinson theater was packed and bustling. The theater was overflowing with sound and chatter as everyone settled into their seats. People sat together tightly with their arms often touching due to how populated it was. They were all gathered to witness Richmond Ballet’s dancers perform for the evening.

The audience seemed to grow impatient as time ticked by. The show was meant to begin at 7:30 p.m. but the heavy red stage curtain did not show any signs of movement. It was not until nearly 7:45 p.m. when two men walked out to introduce the show. Harry Stillerman, vice president of institutional advancement and development at PVCC, spoke first. “Please enjoy the show and we hope that you will come again and come often,” he said.

He introduced Val Thompson, a news director from CBS19, who concluded their short introduction by saying, “It is so important to be in awe now and again.”

The men exited the stage and made their way back behind the curtain. The lights in the theater dimmed, shrouding the audience in near-darkness. A white spotlight illuminated the burgundy curtain, growing brighter and brighter until the curtain split open and revealed the dancers sitting on their knees with their backs to the audience. The stage was decorated simply, with exposed lightbulbs hanging at varying lengths from the ceiling, casting a dark amber glow over the dancers. The room remained silent like everyone was holding their breaths.

Abruptly, a deep voice came over the speakers. A man with a rich, smooth voice began singing an intense opera piece, bringing the dancers to life. They moved elegantly with one another in correspondence with the music, synchronized in every moment and timed perfectly.

The audience was silent, all of them looking intently down at the stage with wide eyes. The opera music used throughout the performance was graceful and haunting, fitting the dancers as they moved in erratic but controlled movements all over the stage Many times, the dancers broke off into couples and danced to their own songs. When a dancing duet was on stage, the music shifted to something softer and sweeter.

Despite knowing when a dance had ended, there was little room for applause. As soon as one song ended, another
began. An uproar of applause erupted as soon as intermission began. Intermission lasted around 15 minutes, allowing for bathroom breaks even with a line.

The second and final act began without a hitch. As the dancers moved gracefully over the stage, their faces were pinched with
concentration. Some of them kept a straight face throughout the whole performance while others smiled happily when they landed a pose.

Once the performance wrapped up, the crowd burst into clapping and cheering. The dancers received a standing ovation and bowed with giant smiles lighting up their faces.

For information on upcoming shows, visit Richmond Ballet’s website at https://www.richmondballet.com/.

Madison Light, a student at Albemarle High School, said, “It really was mesmerizing. If I could watch that all day and all night, I absolutely would!”