WESTSIDE BALLET AT THE WADSWORTH

On a program shared with Ballet Espanol de Los Angeles, the pre-professional Westside Ballet danced “Carmina Burana” Saturday in Wadsworth Theatre.

This wasn’t the 1959 John Butler “Carmina Burana” that held so much sexual heat and muscle when performed locally by both Ballet West and the Alvin Ailey company. No, this was a new, cutesie, lightweight “Carmina Burana” choreographed by Rosemary Valaire--the G-rated, Cabbage Patch “Carmina Burana,” softened, sweetened and sterilized for the kiddies.

Danced to canned Orff, the ballet reflected Valaire’s sense of expressive port de bras --there haven’t been as many steps embellished by clenched fists since the last visit by the Bolshoi. But many of the 24 sections proved incomprehensible without detailed knowledge of the sung texts, and the technical demands proved way beyond most of the dancers’ capabilities.

Skillful exceptions: Marcie Ryken-Lewis as both a terminal flirt and in her Burnt Swan variation; Veronica Apodaca and Michael Wong in their stolid, strenuous duets; Patrice Anderson and Paul Hamill (though not consistently).

One can accept this ambitious venture as a school project testing the limits, and expanding the potential, of young ballet students; presenting it to the general public is quite another matter.

As for Ballet Espanol, only the singing of La Conja and the dancing of Irene Heredia, Valeria Pico and Deanna Venegas in “Las Canasteras” offered the art of flamenco without major compromises. Elsewhere, either footwork looked slovenly or emotional projection seemed feeble. Sometimes both.

Lead male (and choreographer) Roberto Amaral often spent more time posing dramatically and indulging in flashy hand-passes than venturing any demanding footwork, but at least his duet with the stylish Heredia had genuine authority and glints of passion.

Antonio Duran and Benito Palacios played overamplified guitars proficiently.