Classical, modern ballet productions travel to West CoastBy Cheryl Klein

Daily Bruin Contributor

From the classic love story of Don Quixote to the eccentricities of Twyla Tharp, ballet can be a far-reaching medium. And after a lifetime in dance, David Richardson, assistant director of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), can attest to this.

"There is a tremendous contrast between something like 'Don Quixote,' which is classical and very traditional, and Twyla Tharp's choreography, which is offbeat and extremely dynamic," Richardson says. These two pieces will be featured in the American Ballet Theatre's upcoming visit to Los Angeles.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the dance company will perform a repertory at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that includes new material by Tharp. It will be followed by "Don Quixote" on Friday through Sunday.

"Los Angeles has always been a loyal audience," Richardson says. Though based in New York, ABT has traveled around the world and Richardson always looked forward to stops on the West Coast. "We used to come to L.A. every year," he says, noting that this is no longer the case.

Nevertheless, he hopes that Southern California's dance fans maintain the open minds required to view "Don Quixote." Richardson explains that the piece is not too complex to comprehend but possibly too simple.

"It would be sad if the audience thought they were too sophisticated for it," Richardson says. "It's a lighthearted ballet, and hopefully people will see the free spirit of the production."

Incorporating this tone into the dancers' movements was where Richardson came in. He helped the lead performers interpret the story of Kitri and Basilio. The ballet focuses on two lovers, obstacles with the in-laws and a lucky encounter with the famous dreamer, Don Quixote.

"It's a love story," Richardson says simply. "The roles are all sort of straight-forward, cartoon style."

Richardson notes that shaping the comic interactions between the characters can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the production process.

"It was great fun to watch the dancers discover the flirtation in their parts and find out who their characters really were," Richardson says.

But of course acting doesn't always come easily to non-professional actors, especially when it is in addition to complicated technical work.

"There were some very difficult passages, which I think was frustrating for the dancers," Richardson explains. "Also, comedy is hard ­ harder even than high drama. You can't overplay it or you look silly."

The more modern and dynamic choreography of Tharp is far from humor and storytelling. Instead of focusing on a plot, Tharp conveys intense emotions through intricate choreography.

"Twyla Tharp's ballet is done at a consistently high level. It definitely falls under the category of the new approach to ballet," he says. "The music opens with a bomb going off and then all the dancers bounce around all over the stage. It's kind of quirky and full of energy."

Richardson himself exudes energy ­ he apologizes for just having awakened from a nap but still speaks rapidly and enthusiastically about ABT. Perhaps his ability to quickly bring knowledge and expertise to any situation in the field of dance stems from his years of experience in the ballet community.

Trained in a handful of New York's prestigious ballet schools, Richardson served first as a dancer then as a ballet master. The latter position meant carefully coaching the principal dancers, fine tuning their skills. He also worked alongside George Balanchine, who choreographed "Theme and Variations," an additional piece in the ABT repertory.

Needless to say, a familiarity with the choreographer's own style helped Richardson create the best possible performance of the ballets.

"I don't want to sound like I'm my own press agent," Richardson laughs, "but I think my strength is in knowing that style. I mean, I have this long background in New York and in ballet, so I try to bring that into my creations."

DANCE: The American Ballet Theatre performs a Twyla Tharp repertory program on June 26-27 and "Don Quixote" June 28-30 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. TIX: $15-60. For more info call (213) 972-7211.

Paloma Herrera (center) of the American Ballet Theatre during a performance of "Theme and Variations."

Instead of focusing on a plot, Tharp conveys intense emotions through intricate choreography.