Her reconstructions include the legendary George Balanchine’s 1925 “Le Chant du Rossignol,” the tale of a Chinese emperor who favors the notes of a mechanical bird over the song of a nightingale.
Ballet West chose “Le Chant,” along with two other early works Balanchine created for the Ballet Russe, to open its 2019-20 season this month. That meant it faced another decision: Should dancers portraying Chinese characters perform movements from the original that reflect racist stereotypes — such as shuffling their feet and bobbing their heads?
In August, artistic director Adam Sklute invited Hobson, art historian Kenneth Archer, her partner in reconstructions, and members of Utah’s Asian American community to consider that question, early in rehearsals of the program that opens Friday, Oct.