‘Carmen’ moves in new directions

With opportunities for flamboyant local color, intense duets and a great ballerina role, dance adaptations of Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen” almost always make exciting movement theater. The flamenco version that the reconstituted Antonio Gades company performed in Madrid last summer may be the best anywhere, but a whole constellation of choreographers have created their own distinctive interpretations in many different styles.

The latest, freelance dance-maker William Soleau’s two-act classical remake, was given its West Coast premiere by State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Friday.

Supplemented with extra Bizet and insistent sound effects (amplified heartbeats and heavy breathing), this “Carmen” relied on the same percussion-heavy Rodion Shchedrin reorchestration of the opera score that has served everyone from Mats Ek to Matthew Bourne. And it began badly, looking an awful lot like an antic, empty-headed “Don Q” for too much of its first act. But once the conflicts kicked in, Soleau proved not merely capable but often imaginative.

Making the ballet a flashback from Don José’s execution has been done before, as has the interplay between stiff, militaristic men and sensual, yielding women. But the stark angularity and dynamic shoulder action Soleau introduced -- along with the unusual relationships between soloists and corps -- freshened the work stylistically even as his reorganization of the drama took the characters in new directions.

His Don José, for example, had only brief contact with Carmen and never lived with her as he does in Bizet’s opera. So her rejection of him didn’t seem especially cruel, and his murderous obsession came from his own pathology and not any real betrayal on her part.

Unfortunately, Soleau’s title character turned out to be less complex and interesting. Instead of a proto-feminist -- insisting on complete freedom, whatever the cost -- this Carmen existed only in relation to men. Without men to play to, she had no purpose or reality and died not in defiance of any attempt to cage her but simply because she’d wanted to be with her new boyfriend.

Making her debut in the role, Corina Gill danced with technical security but would have needed detailed coaching to shape the character into something more than an ill-fated flirt. Given far fewer dancing options, Spencer Gavin (another debut) delivered a powerful portrayal of Don José, strongly partnering both Gill and the sleekly lyrical Micaëla of Andrea Blankstein.

Debuting as Escamillo, Enton Hoxha looked imposing in his matador costume and swirled his cape effectively. But it wasn’t clear whether Soleau was parodying bullfighter machismo à la Gades or wanted us to take the man’s narcissism seriously.

Leila Drake and Bayaraa Badamsambuu lent their skill to subsidiary roles, and a small, valiant corps changed identities and costumes with alacrity. Eighteen dancers appeared in the curtain calls, but you’d have guessed that this company was far larger.

State Street Ballet was founded in 1994, and artistic director Rodney Gustafson is wise to commission vehicles specifically tailored to the company’s youthful energy and growing but by no means extraordinary level of prowess.

If Soleau would get rid of that endless fluff in Act 1, this “Carmen” could serve his company splendidly at home and on tour for years to come. It offers roles that display and develop artistry and enough choreographic originality to interest dancers and audiences alike. Plus, of course, a classic story that gets deeper with every retelling.

lewis.segal@latimes.com