BalletX series takes complex leaps

Once again, BalletX has delivered on its promise to present challenging new work performed by top-notch dancers. The troupe's winter series, which premiered Wednesday, consists of four pieces - including world, national, and company premieres - by choreographers from the United States, the Philippines, and Spain.

The evening's emotional high point was "Triptych," by Val Caniparoli. Inspired by photos of British soldiers who served in Afghanistan, the dancers leap, crawl, and occasionally execute stylized military movements, first to contemplative string music by Alexander Balanescu, then to John Tavener's increasingly frantic score. The standout was the eloquent Richard Villaverde.

Norbert De La Cruz III created "Talsikan," a Tagalog word translated as "the leaps of a spark." De La Cruz has given the dancers a series of edgy duets, plus a marvelous sequence in which they hold pointe shoes, pounding them on the floor to produce complex rhythms.

The choreographer crams too many ideas into a single piece. And Ben Juodvalkis' music - using both traditional and invented instruments - becomes too insistent, and much too loud. Still, "Talsikan" is fascinating, with inventive use of boning (the thin tubes that support hoop skirts) by costume designer Marion Talan de la Rosa.

Cleverly subversive, "Malasangre" (literally, "bad blood") was difficult to grasp on a first viewing. Choreographer Cayetano Soto also designed the skirts for the bare-chested men and the women's see-through blouses. Their eccentric hand positions and prominently displayed posteriors refer to the famously camp performances of La Lupe, a Cuban singer of the 1960s. But the dancers didn't always seem comfortable enough to sell what they were doing.

"It's Not a Cry" is Amy Seiwert's duet to Jeff Buckley's popular rendition of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. Despite fine performances by Villaverde and the amazing Chloe Felesina, this portrait of a relationship seemed unremarkable.

Tickets: $22-$35.