It’s notoriously hard for ballet to tell a story. With “Carmilla,” Davis and Pennington were able to do what many more senior choreographers have struggled with: create an engaging ballet that follows a narrative but doesn’t get lost in the details. 

The choreography is precise and succinct, providing ample opportunity for the dancers to showcase their technique, while also moving the story along. In addition to their obvious virtuosity as dancers, the Pangea artists are all gifted actresses—if their movements carry the story, their facial expressions truly tell it. In the role of Carmilla, Pennington showcased the duality of her character through pointed, devil-eyed looks at the audience when her fellow cast members weren’t looking, giving the audience the feeling that we were in on her plan.

Despite being an all-around enjoyable evening, I began to grow weary by the end of “Carmilla,” shifting in my seat and hoping for the ballet’s swift conclusion. It’s vital that artists have the time, space, and resources to create, but jamming their work into one long evening does a disservice to everyone involved. Davis and Pennington’s “Carmilla”—and the voices highlighted in the program’s eclectic first half—could be just what the dance canon needs. They just need room to breathe.