The bright spots on the dance scene this week are Ballet Frontier’s season-opening performances in W. E. Scott Theatre. Called Straight from the Heart, after the opening ballet by Roy Tobias, the program also features works by Jay Kim and company artistic director Chung-Lin Tseng.
The late Tobias set Straight from the Heart to music by Fritz Kreisler for the Universal Ballet Company of Seoul, South Korea, while artistic director there. Tseng was one of his principal dancers then.
The world premiere of Enraptured, choreographed in contemporary style by Kim, assistant professor of dance at the University of Utah, has music by Owain Phyfe and Jean Philippe.
The program closes with two works by Tseng set to the music of Tchaikovsky, including String Quartet No. 1 and Last Cup of Water, an exploration of the composer’s mysterious death. After learning Russian authorities were aware of his homosexual activities and that he could face severe penalties, including death, Tchaikovsky possibly drank contaminated water. Whether his death was intentional or accidental has never been established. Musical accompaniment is the Tchaikovsky Romance for piano in F Minor. –– Leonard Eureka
Ballet Frontier’s new season 7:30pm Sat. Scott Theatre, 3505 W Lancaster Av, FW. $16-20. 817-392-7469.
