Hallelujah Junction (1996) by John Adams

Peter Martins

March 24, 2001, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Theater

Gitte Lindstrom, Andrew Bowman, Andrey Batalov

January 22, 2002, New York State Theater

Gitte Lindstrom+, Andrew Bowman+, Benjamin Millepied (+Guest Artists, appearing courtesy of the Royal Danish Ballet)

17 min.

The silhouettes of two pianists, their pianos facing each other, appear through dim light above the stage. Three dancers in practice clothes, a male soloist in all black and a principal couple in all white, appear in a spotlight in the center of the stage. As the stage floods with light, they dance with elongated and intertwining movements, the pianists still barely visible in the dark above them. Four women in all black and then four men in all white join the lead dancers, taking turns surrounding them and mirroring their steps.

This mostly fast-paced ballet features a quiet pas de deux for the principal couple, a jazzy duet for the male principal and soloist, and multiple turns and explosive leaps for the male soloist. Each of the four couples takes turns zigzagging the stage with lightening-speed partnering and high lifts. The ballet concludes when the male soloist unites with all the dancers on stage in an arresting moment washed in shimmering light.

John Adams was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1947. He studied composition at Harvard University and in 1971 began teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Adams composes both electronic and instrumental music and is known for his combination of minimalism and romanticism. Hallelujah Junction is the eighth ballet that Peter Martins has choreographed to Mr. Adams’ music.