Expanding her horizons

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Most people are familiar with classical ballet storylines involving lovely, lighter-than-air maidens, chivalrous suitors, characters with evil or mischievous intentions and perhaps a magic spell or two.

Rebecca Davis’ ballets tell stories too, but hers are rooted more in reality than in fantasy.

The newest ballet from the Rebecca Davis Dance Co., 1802 S. Broad St., titled “Braving the New World,” is based on literary works such as Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” George Orwell’s “1984” and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.” In the ballet’s world, social and political forces impose conformity, but one man refuses to give up his emotional and individual freedoms. The production, which the company will perform 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., is its last Philadelphia world premiere for this and next seasons as Davis plans to focus on touring with her company .

These totalitarianism-themed books have been around for decades, so what prompted Davis, the company’s artistic director, to create a ballet with similar themes?

“There are so many contemporary parallels,” Davis said. “Especially in America, from the Patriot Act to surveillance to Google maps.”

“Braving the New World” is South Philadelphia native Okewa Garrett’s first production with the company. The 21st-and-Fitzwater resident has been teaching jazz and hip-hop at the company’s studio, but became a member of the corps, or ensemble, for the ballet in March — months after the other dancers.

“I just kind of hopped in,” he said. “There was a lot of catching up and remembering.”

Davis’ style is different from what he is accustomed to, which is mostly modern and jazz, Garrett said. Still, picking up the movement did not take long, and the unique style helped him expand his capabilities as a dancer.

“I enjoyed the challenge,” he said. “It allowed me to be more versatile.”

Because the need for his presence came on such short notice, Garrett, a member of the Philadelphia-based Eleone Dance Theater that was touring in Glen Allen, Va. last Thursday and Friday, spent more time at first focusing on learning the choreography than on contemplating the story behind it.

“Now I feel more comfortable. I’m not just dancing from the neck down anymore,” he said over the background chatter of his tour mates.

Adapting to Davis’ movement style and becoming comfortable with it was challenging, added Samantha Barczak, who moved to the area from upstate New York when she was 16 to attend The Rock School, 1101 S. Broad St.

“It’s quite different than the Nutcracker,” she said, adding that it is also “very aerobic.”

In her first full year with the company, Barczak, of Broad Street and Washington Avenue, plays the role of the main female’s best friend, Sally.

“Rebecca was a huge help in describing in depth what kind of personality she was looking for,” Barczak said on what helped her get into the mindset of the character.

Barczak had read the book in high school, but reread it for this production.

“Rebecca strongly suggested it,” she said.

Experiencing social and political issues through dance exposes people to different facets the news does not often cover — ones more focused on individuals than the story as a whole, Garrett said. Witnessing movement within the context of relevant issues enables audience members to find an emotional connection with the characters, and in turn, the people those characters portray.

“Seeing it on TV or in the paper, that’s one thing. But seeing it live onstage — it’s unbelievable,” he said.

The theme of totalitarianism has interested Davis for years. She read Huxley and Orwell in high school, and spent time traveling around Russia and Eastern European countries.

When creating a new work, Davis follows a specific process, beginning with research then writing a libretto, or text accompaniment that outlines the story, and finally picking the music, she said. The actual generation and development of movement happens afterward.

“I do the choreography myself first, then set it on the dancers,” she said. “It becomes more collaborative at that point.”

Davis has been working on “Braving the New World” for about a year with her dancers rehearsing since September, she said. The company also spent a great deal of time performing another production, “Darfur,” throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

The new ballet features five main characters, each possessing a motif unique to his or her person.

“The crossed arm position is the motif Mustalla uses to represent his character and suggest that all other beings of the new world are enslaved through conformity,” she said.

Another character’s motif is a butterfly, which Davis said represents freedom.

The company will soon be experiencing some new freedom of its own. For a couple of reasons, Davis plans to restructure the company and pursue touring opportunities in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, as well as overseas in Bosnia and Rwanda.

“Certainly, financially, we need to look at a more stable model,” she said. “But beyond that, there is a vast need to look at the power of dance in a different context, which is difficult to do if we’re based in one city with a full season.”

But that does not mean the company will not revert back to its previous Philadelphia-based structure in the future, she added.

At this point, she is not certain if all her dancers will be staying with the company to tour. They are free to decide, especially since some of the destinations will be post-war countries, she said.

“I can’t wait until that happens,” Garrett said. “I’m up for the challenge.”

Barczak is interested in branching out from Philadelphia, she said, and though it depends on what type of work becomes available, she added that she “would love to continue working with Rebecca.”

“Braving the New World” is the company’s strongest ballet to date, Davis said, and close, family-like bonds between the dancers contributed to that strength.

“I think it’s the right production to be marking this part of the company’s life,” she said.

Former New York Times dance critic John Martin wrote of a performance by modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, “She does the unforgivable thing for a dancer to do — she makes you think.”

Rebecca Davis’ ballets are meant to do exactly that — they are not solely based on aesthetics, nor do they employ the fairytale narrative of many classical ballets.

“When people leave the theater, I don’t necessarily want them to be happy or entertained,” Davis said. “I want them to wake up the next morning still thinking about it.”

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