S.F. Ballet review: 'Dances' lacks cohesion

It would be too easy to call Edwaard Liang's "Symphonic Dances" - which had its world premiere on Wednesday night when San Francisco Ballet opened Program 5 at the War Memorial Opera House - an abstract ballet.

Set to the music of the same name by Sergei Rachmaninoff and given an epic, if brisk interpretation by the orchestra under the baton of Martin West, "Symphonic Dances" looks lovely on the surface. The cast of 18 dancers, arranged in hierarchies of four corps de ballet couples, two soloist couples and six principal pairs, are sleekly striking in costume designer Mark Zappone's diaphanous shades of orange ranging from deep to pale, which contrast pleasingly with lighting designer Jack Mehler's deep undersea teals and heated russet reds.

But for all that, "Symphonic Dances" feels less abstract than simply lacking a core sense of purpose, an essential concept to tie the pretty dances together.

S.F. Ballet review: 'Dances' lacks cohesion