Review: Smuin Ballet season opener

Revenge might have been served cold, but the dancing was offered with more heated vibrancy in Adam Hougland's "Cold Virtues," which had its West Coast premiere when Smuin Ballet opened its season at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre last weekend.

Hougland, who created this piece in 2003 for Louisville Ballet, where he is principal choreographer, is one of a generation of young choreographers whose refreshing vernacular blends balletic form with the heft and universal expressiveness of hieratic gesture. It's a delicate mix that can at times look too studied and academic, but Hougland has a knack for creating a tapestry of inventive movement and evocative shapes that convey the essence of his story without coming off as pedantic.

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