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Sacramento Ballet Recalls A Gruesome History
By Jocelyn Anderson
Jocelyn Anderson is managing editor of Pointe.
Sacramento Ballet opened its season in October with a well-rounded program at the Community Center Theater. Celebrating Artistic Director Ron Cunningham's 20th anniversary at the helm, the evening featured the première of his A Woman's Journey. The Tamsen Donner Story.
The subject immediately conjures gruesome images associated with the ill-fated 1846 Donner Party expedition: Trapped in a mountain pass in winter, on their way to California, some settlers froze to death while others starved or resorted to cannibalism. Cunningham wisely avoids a literal retelling, opting instead for a "tribute to the pioneering spirit of American women." Unfortunately, without a clear narrative, the ballet becomes vague and meanders.
Based on a fictional...