Everyone has had that one series or book that captivates their attention so much that the clock turns 2am before you know it. “Just one more episode… Just one more page…” That feeling of wanting more and being devastated when it ends is exactly my end result for Wayne McGregor’s tantalizing Autobiography.

Autobiography was a fusion of science and the human form, examining life through the body’s experience. McGregor created 23 sequences based on his own genome, and entailed personal memories, old writings, art and music in his choreography to translate his story. With collaborations involving award winning set design artist Ben Cullen Williams and avant-garde electronic musician Jlin, McGregor’s Autobiography came alive and enigmatic on stage, never having a moment taken for granted. One of the most titillating aspects of Autobiography is that McGregor uses a computer algorithm before each performance to determine the order of the 23 sequences, ensuring each show is unique and never repeated. Knowing this show would never be repeated to anyone else outside the Ahmanson Theatre had me sitting on the edge of my seat and grasped my attention every second.

The opening featured a misty stage with a male soloist. The music and his movement came from a deep guttural place setting an organic and mysterious atmosphere for the evening. With extreme virtuosity, the soloist remained grounded while his body moved as if something was bubbling up to the surface.

McGregor took us in and out of different worlds derived from his DNA, complimented with a constant moving geometric set by Williams. Pops of worlds that were playful with consistent swinging of weight weaved in and out of the sequence algorithm as performers moved through different levels with precise angles and rebound. Certain environments felt intangible because the dancers pushed the boundaries of the human body in unanticipated, fixating ways. Each sequence was heightened by the dynamic lighting design that unapologetically forced you to blink with blackouts and whiteouts.

Jlin’s composition throughout the whole performance was all-encompassing and voluminous with each sequence melding through classical excerpts, sounds of nature, high energy electronica, and deep pulsating beats. McGregor’s choreography and Jlin’s composition were a synergistic addition to the fusion of science and art that is Autobiography.

McGregor’s choreography was versatile in each sequence while maintaining his fluid, expansive physicality. Both male and female performers abilities were paralleled in technique and strength making Autobiography feel genderless to emphasize a community of living organisms without a distinct story. Each male duet was stunning and controlled as they paused in positions that seemed unreal and unpredictable. The performers also displayed an astounding power to fly across the floor while being grounded yet weightless. In groups, solos, or duets the performers morphed between a battle for individuality and symbiosis, all while taking moments to smile at each other adding another level of ingenuity.

McGregor highly succeeded with blending science and art through his own lens. It was mesmerizing, enrapturing, and addicting, so when the curtain finally closed my heart dropped. It was like the end of an enthralling series. Just one more page. Just one more episode. Just one more sequence.

If I could summarize Joffrey Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet it would be: simplicity speaks volumes. Through Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography and Tatyana Van Walsum’s set and costume design, Romeo and Juliet came alive in a different century that was dynamic, simplistic, and highly entertaining.

Pastor’s choreography was full-bodied with a high demand for physicality. His movement seemed aspired by Balanchine technique with early 1900s’ Jazz Age nuances. Tatyana Van Walsum’s set and costume design were done extremely well as it brought focus on the performance instead of embellishing it.

The most intriguing part of Pastor’s version of Romeo and Juliet was how he highlighted social issues just as much as the classic forbidden romance.

Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet did two time-hops starting in the 1930s’ jumping to the 1950s’ and ending in the 1990s’. These time hops were to used to show the endless cycle of violence and hostilities in society as iterated by projections on the backdrop from wars during these eras.

All the partnering in the fight scenes were magnetic to watch as the movement and transitions were simple yet intricate. Throughout the partner-work, the performers seamlessly shared and transferred weight using each others momentum portraying the violence as a continuous, spinning cycle.

One of Pastor’s choreographic decisions that won my heart for this ballet was his use of dramatic pauses as the orchestra continued performing Prokofiev’s score, allowing the audience to take in everything that happened. The pauses were long and increased the drama of the story, which I appreciated as this allowed Prokofiev’s score to tell the story as well. One repeated transition of Pastor’s involved the ensemble flawlessly coming to stillness, followed by either a quick drop or slow melt to the ground to reveal Juliet in a spotlight. Once the music took over telling the story, she would slowly walk around the stage as a symbol hope amidst the conflict.

Performer, Fabrice Calmels, as Capulet was terrifyingly intimidating as he commanded the stage every time he appeared. Mercutio, performed by Derrick Agnoletti, stole the show with his amusing spunky, flamboyant, ruff-scallion antics. Agnoletti’s performance of Mercutio was vibrant, provocative, and alive as he displayed high technical skills with power.

The chemistry between performers Dylan Gutierrez as Romeo and Jeraldine Mendoza as Juliet was not to be missed either. Both nailed the infatuated head-over-heels love story between Romeo and Juliet. During each duet, there was a loud level of trust that only strengthened the playful, awe-provoking moments. These two characters had several motifs throughout their duets that caught my attention and warmed my heart. Several times when Romeo lifted Juliet into a stag jump, she did a quick kick of her legs that blushed “oh stop it, you.” One of the most endearing motifs was the use of them putting their hands on the sides of each others faces. That gentle, compassionate touch spoke volumes to how absent tender, human understanding is in society.

There is always an expectation of acting when going to see a ballet, however, the acting of Joffrey Ballet’s performers was truly impressive. The performers came from an authentic emotional place and I felt I was genuinely watching the characters in the story, and not watching performers be the characters.

Less is always more like Joffrey Ballet's Romeo and Juliet showed. The genius simplicity within Pastor’s choreography and transitions, Van Walsum’s costume and set design, and the performer’s genuine acting spoke volumes and allowed for the story to captivatingly play out the intricacies and complexities of violence that ring through every generation.

Wayne McGregor’s Autobiography

Joffrey Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet