Hot Legs in San Jose.

Hot Legs in San Jose Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley San Jose Center for the Performing Arts San Jose, California October 18, 2001

The American premiere of Flemming Flindt's Red Shoes, or Legs of Fire was a sexy, rambunctious affair. Flindt has revised the piece since its 1998 Royal Danish Ballet world premiere (originally called Legs of Fire), notably commissioning a new cabaret scene from composer Erik Norby that fit very nicely into his original jazzy score. The familiar plot turns out to be not quite as familiar as audiences might know from Michael Powell's film or even Lubovitch's versions--and certainly it is far from the original Hans Christian Andersen story--but it contains enough intrigue, love, ambition, sex, and violence to keep the audience fascinated. Joe Vanek's opulent scenery and costumes, anachronistic but vaguely suggesting Vogue magazine circa 1956, are stunning. And, where narrative clarity falters, choreographic invention steps in with unabashed theatricality. This ballet is a hit.

Flindt's eclectic choreography is classically based with strong parallels with the work of Bob Fosse and Gower Champion. The action moves from a diabolical children's patty-cake through a classroom scene that echoes Flindt's masterpiece, The Lesson, and later to several big production numbers that frankly outshine the individual numbers.

Still, while the leggy Alexandra Koltun as Ella failed to project the vulnerability that the protagonist surely must have, the rest of the company made a persuasive case for this ballet. Raymond Rodriguez as the mysterious Dr. Mann, Roni Mahler as Ella's Mother, and most especially Flindt himself as her Father all deserved the standing ovation the San Jose audience gave them at the opening. Stephane Dalle, often overtaxed in classical roles, was terrific as the Drill Master. Ramon Moreno and Patricia Perez, San Jose's glamour couple, drew cheers as the Acrobats. Led by Dwight Oltman, the San Jose Ballet Orchestra was impressive. Not least of all, the corps of showgirls showed collective sass in roles that called not so much for classical precision as for strong personalities.

The company has just that, of course. And Flindt's ballet is drenched in what novelist Lawrence Durrell, in a different context, called the simple beauty of shamelessness. Financial worries aside, Dennis Nahat's Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley has been having a ball of a sophomore season. Red Shoes is not a great ballet, but it is an immensely enjoyable one. And the joy is on both sides of the footlights.