“The bad guy is so much more fun to play,” says dancer Jared Kelly.
The bad guy the out dancer is referring to is the antagonist in “Maslow’s Peak.” The new full-length dance piece by choreographer Jennifer Archibald is having its world premiere by BalletX May 2-3 as part of the Festival At The Mann.
“Maslow’s Peak,” which Archibald has been developing for several years, was inspired by William Golding’s 1954 novel “Lord of the Flies,” about a group of shipwrecked schoolboys who descend into violent anarchy. Archibald workshopped various sections of “Maslow’s Peak” at different venues in the past before pulling it all together for the Philadelphia premiere.
Kelly’s role is that of the leader who ends up leading the group down the path to barbarism. His description of the piece makes it clear that this will be a very different sort of beast.
“This is a different kind of dance piece in that dance is not the main focus,” he said. “With this, storytelling is on par with the dance.”
Given the nature of the piece, Kelly says it demands a range of performance skills beyond dance — and he’s thrilled by the challenge.
“It’s awesome to play with a different set of skills,” Kelly said.
The way Kelly describes “Maslow’s Peak” sounds reminiscent of “Cirque du Soliel.” “Yes,” he agrees, “but more serious and intense.”
Kelly describes working with choreographer Jennifer Archibald as “intense,” a word he uses with admiration. “It describes Jennifer in a nutshell,” he says. The two have worked together several times and developed a strong creative bond. “She’s become a mentor to me.”
Kelly is in his third year dancing with BalletX, having first auditioned for the company in 2022. He first started studying dance when he was six years old and soon got drawn into the nomadic life of a performer. He attended several schools, including the Washington School of Ballet and the Baltimore School for the Arts, before graduating from Indiana University. His first professional gig as a company dancer was with Ballet Tucson at age 22.
Is he planning to settle in for the long haul with BalletX? Who knows?
“I really like the company,” he says. “And I really like living in Philadelphia. We’ll see.”
“Maslow’s Peak” will premiere at BalletX’s Festival at the Mann May 2-3 at TD Pavilion at the Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave. The event will also feature pre-show performances by local artists, live music, and family-friendly fun. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit balletx.org/seasons/festival-2025/.