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an impromptu square dance, complete with Daniel Rodriguez as the caller, performed in front of the curtain to camouflage a change of scenery and avoid a pause in the story while adding an extra slice of Americana. Though I find Rodeo dated, there is a charming light-heartedness to this ballet about a young girl learning what she needs to do in order to find love. It was created during a period in American ballet when choreographers, such as DeMille, wanted to create American stories with plots based in the real world as opposed to the mythic worlds of the 19th cen- tury ballets such as Giselle and Swan Lake. And of course the lively music, hinting at old folk melodies and mimicking the rhythm of horses galloping on the range, was composed by another American, Aaron Copland. But in my opinion, the music needed to be per- formed by a live orchestra for the audience to fully appreciate its timeless power. There were only hints of love in Before Night Falls, company principal Ricardo Graziano's newest ballet, even though the work is struc- tured with seven couples. It is a cold, arid geometric exploration of lifts with little emotion; but the choreography is clean and uncluttered and the lifts, fascinating and ingenious. The women — Victoria Hulland, Kristianne Kleine, Kate Honea, Danielle Brown, Elizabeth Sykes, Ryoko Sadoshima and Anais Blake — were supported by an equal number of male dancers who admirably lifted their partners overhead, underneath, around their bodies, up in the air, over their shoulders …like leaves twining around a vine. (From left) Ricardo Rhodes, Victoria Hulland and Ricardo Graziano perform in Monotones II. Contributed photo by Frank Atura Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 109