Wild Things at the Koger Center

Had the opportunity to check out Co-Co-Columbia City Ballet's "Where the Wild Things Are" last weekend. We'd seen the show before but wanted to check out Septime Webre's Choreography again with a new eye. Jose Serrano never fails to give one hundred percent and, as Max, he was animated, energetic, and wonderfully playful -- a far better casting job than last time when some tall Brit Boy danced the part. Jose comes to Co-Co-Columbia from Puerto Rico by way of Radenko Pavlovich's slippery hands ... (Radenko my friend, you get some amazing dancers in your company -- you need to either treat them gently and lovingly -- like Fiona always says -- or tie them to your ballet barre, because you've let some fine talent come and go ... but, in your defense my fellow Serb, how William keeps Jose in his stable, is anyone's guess.) Jose is not only an entertaining artist, but a good person and fine role model for young male dancers, to boot. Co-Co-Columbia is lucky to have him on our stages.~~~~~ We were also looking forward to seeing William and Mariclare dance together - not because we expected it to be anything other than sweet, which it was, so we were satisfied. If anyone expected more than sentimentality, they went to the wrong show. Mariclare and William danced to "A Fine Romance" and "The Way You Look Tonight" as a gift to their audience members who have watched them grow up and grow older through the years -- and make no mistake about it, Fiona accepts their gift with a gracious heart. (The rest of the Tribute to Fred Astaire, I could take or leave -- but Fiona does feel the need to mention that we hope Billy Boy was paying Senore Serrano double-time, no,make that triple-time, for all the sweat he flung that night, dancing lead in three separate pieces. Yeah, Jose's got some chops alright.)