World Ballet Company to bring the Roaring '20s back in 'The Great Gatsby'

In one slim, 200-page volume, F. Scott Fitzgerald succinctly but effectively captured the glitz and glamour of the Roaring '20s.

Widely accepted as the author's magnum opus, "The Great Gatsby" transports the reader to the era of flirtatious flappers, jumpin' jazz, lavish lifestyles and posh parties. Readers experience the decade's excess and exuberance in a way usually evoked by images rather than mere words.

Realizing the power to convey the story without words, the World Ballet Company has adapted Fitzgerald's 1925 masterpiece into a two-act production with a lot to watch onstage.

Featuring 40 dancers, multimedia effects, acrobatics and other visuals, the Los Angeles-based company will perform "The Great Gatsby" at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Riffe Center's Davidson Theatre, 77 S. High St. Ticket prices start at $55.45 at capa.com .

"It's a Broadway-style ballet that is a unique mix of genres that allows the audience to truly immerse themselves. None of our productions are typical, but this one is special," said Gulya Hartwick, who produced the ballet with Sasha Gorskaya.

"It just premiered in California in February, so it's just (two months) old. We're so happy to bring it to Columbus."

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Transforming the iconic novel into a story told through music and choreography was a challenge, but Hartwick and Gorskaya faced it head-on.

"(Gorskaya) wrote the libretto. We wanted to stay as close to Fitzgerald's story as possible, but when you don't have the possibility to use your voice, you have to tell the whole story with your body," Hartwick said.

"When you only have an hour and a half, you have to be really creative. I think we accomplished the task successfully. After the first 10-15 minutes, people forget they're watching a ballet. It's like they're reading."

Hartwick praised the performers for their ability to interpret "Gatsby" through movement.

"Our dancers are very high-class, experienced ballet dancers. You don't expect to see much acting from ballet dancers, but I barely recognized some of our dancers," she said.

"They did something amazing using their acting skills. You can feel everything; you get a full spectrum of emotions."

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Also moving the story along is Ilya Zhivoy's choreography, set to an original, jazz-inspired score by Anna Drubich. The pair worked together so symbiotically that they practically read each other's minds during the creation of the ballet, Hartwick said.

"The way (Zhivoy and Drubich) created this magic is just mind-blowing. Our dancers fell in love with the music. It's the type of music that still sings in your head when you go to sleep and when you wake up. The music leads you through it, and every movement is so well-synchronized," she said.

When adapting a classic like "Gatsby," the World Ballet Company keeps in mind that some audience members are newcomers to the art form. This is why making ballet accessible to everyone is part of the 6-year-old company's mission, Hartwick explained.

"We're proud to say that over 60% of our audience is new to ballet. We invite all and we make sure that it's a show that they love, and that there will be a second and third ballet in their lives," she said.

"Ballet is not as niche as we used to think about it. People would say, 'Ballet is too sophisticated for me.' I disagree. Everyone can understand the universal language of dance."

Entertainment and Things to Do reporter Belinda M. Paschal can be reached at bpaschal@dispatch.com .

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: World Ballet Company to perform 'The Great Gatsby' on April 15 in Columbus