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left the stage in a strange walk, extending first one leg straight in front of her and then the other. Her duet with Edward Gonzalez as an overattentive, effusive smiling cavalier was a parody of partnering, with awkward turns and twists. Then, center stage and ready for her solo of daunting balances, Hulland dismissed the other dancers, including her partner, with a sharp flip of her wrist first to the left and then to the right. Not to be outshone, Kate Honea swept across the stage, smiling flirtatiously at the audience as the frisky French ballerina while ignoring her partner — Alex Harrison as a fussy and effeminate cavalier. Each one of the ballerinas kept bowing as the final curtain closed, but the ballet ended before the tricks and the jokes grew tiresome. This ballet was marked by stereotypical cast ing and "tongueincheek" humor, but it was a true reflection of earlier times, when curtain calls could go on longer than a performance. Gala Performance does depend on individ uals' perfect comic timing for its charm, so kudos to the ballerinas and cavaliers who made this performance an awesome way to end the evening. % Margaret Barbieri/Photo courtesy Sarasota Ballet Sarasota News Leader April 11, 2014 Page 101