Roland Petit’s rarely seen signature work Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (The Young Man and Death) is a highlight of this year’s Dance Salad Festival. As if that were not enough of a coup, it’s being revived here by longtime Petit assistant and dancer Luigi Bonino and performed by English National Ballet stars Jia Zhang and Yonah Acosta.
It’s the oldest piece in the festival, but as Nancy Henderek, Dance Salad director and producer, says, “People are looking for the next big thing, but sometimes we forget that people were very creative in the past. At the time it was considered almost shocking. Even though it was created in 1946, it’s still very contemporary, still very relevant. What was so wonderful about Petit was the drama that he infused in ballet. He took ballet from being a pretty, fluffy art form to something that was very serious. He took on social issues. It’s gritty work, and it’s all on there onstage.”
Other highlights of the festival include works by Brazil’s Quasar Compania de Dança and France’s Compagnie Pál Frenák. “I know that Quasar will be of special interest to people who like contemporary dance. They’re bringing two pieces that have never been seen in the United States and also bringing back Mulheres, or, as I call it, The Red Couch Piece.” Mulheres was a favorite when it was performed in the festival several years ago. “Also, absolutely no one knows Pál Frenák’s work. This will be the first time they’ve ever been to the United States.”
Henderek travels the world searching for choreographers and dancers to bring to the festival. Rather than looking for undiscovered stars or courting famous companies, Henderek says she looks for people and pieces that move her. “It has to intrigue me, it has to interest me. The choreography, music, message, how it will be accepted here, all of that comes into play, of course, but mostly I look for work that excites me.”
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Wortham Center, 500 Texas. For information, call 877-772-5425 or visit www.dancesalad.org. $20 to $50.
April 5-7, 7:30 p.m., 2012