Diablo Ballet review: Eclectic mix springs to life

From contemplative to winsome to slightly daffy, Diablo Ballet gracefully navigated a delicate balance in the second of its "Inside the Dancer's Studio" series at the Shadelands Arts Center in Walnut Creek last weekend on a program that included four premieres, as well as the crowd-pleasing George Balanchine duet "Tarantella."

A dozen or so cafe tables, scattered in front of more standard seating, set a more informal atmosphere and brought viewers within inches of the performers. It's got to be a little disquieting to dance the high-octane "Tarantella" that near to your audience, but Hiromi Yamazaki and Robert Dekkers found just the right amount of bounce-and-go mixed with genuine warmth to put together a terrific performance. Expertly staged by Oregon Ballet Theatre director Christopher Stowell and Diablo artistic director Lauren Jonas, this delightful little duet to the music of Louis Gottschalk - performed to recorded music here - is chock-full of deceptively tricky and yet fluffy-looking moments that Dekkers and Yamazaki tossed off with ease. Dekkers had just the right kind of lively, clean jumps and pliant ballon for this kind of piece, while Yamazaki added a flirty joie de vivre.

Diablo Ballet review: Eclectic mix springs to life