CENTRAL WEST BALLET

RENÉ DAVELUY ~ ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Central West returned to the state of the art showroom of Central Valley Volkswagen Hyundai on September 29 with an exciting rock show performance. Choreographed by Artistic Director René Daveluy to timeless classics such as We Will Rock You, You Can't Always Get What You Want and Stairway To Heaven, CWB dancers showed off their versatility once more by rocking the house in jeans, t-shirts and rock like moves.

With We Will Rock You, Brandon Phelps, surrounded by the Company, introduced the evening with power and attitude. Phelps's energy instantly set the tone for a powerful series of great dance numbers. Next was You Can't Always Get What You Want, with Bethany Phelps and Aaron Gulevich leading a group of performers. Phelps and Gulevich didn't hold back, complete with Mike Jagger moves, which the rest of the group also emulated delightfully. The whole number crescendoed into a frenzy as the dancers received a loud applause from all the supporters. Following this was Stairway To Heaven, performed by Alyssa Milano and Brandon Phelps, Nicole Firpo and Wally Layne and Elease Stice and Phillip Riskin. The three duets were impressive and focused, with Milano, Firpo and Stice moving in sinuous angles around Phelps, Layne and Riskin. With appropriate imagery, the dancers raised the stakes by surging upwards toward the end of the dance.

Next was a Baroque version of Back In Black, with Sarah Weaver in the lead. Weaver was her usual pristine self, complete with a Derby hat, giving her a distinct eccentric rock look. Partnered by Brandon Phelps, Weaver became a guitar in Phelps's secure partnering hands, as he twirled her around. A line of ladies complemented the number, moving in unison. The whole approach with a baroque quartet was original and pleasing to the ear while retaining the power of the ACDC classic. A Pas de Deux followed, with Erikka Reenstierna-Cates and Brandon Phelps. Reenstierna-Cates, who has been recently promoted to Principal status, gave this first solemn featured Pas de Deux to a symphonic take on Pink Floyd's Nobody Home the required style and reliability needed. With stunning legs and feet and a larger than life charisma, Reenstierna-Cates held her own with the more experienced Phelps. The two were a perfect match for this piece.

The performance wrapped up appropriately with We Are The Champions, led by Phelps and Company and transitioned into an all girl dance number set to Are You Gonna Be My Girl. Delightful and rocking the house down, the women of the company never looked more appealing and joyful. Their dance ended to thunderous applause. Central West Ballet is making every effort to reach out to its community and this Rock benefit was a tremendous success for the Company.