Alexei Ratmansky’s newest work for New York City Ballet, Odessa, which premiered at the company’s spring gala last night, is set to Leonid Desyatnikov’s Sketches to Sunset. The music was composed 25 years ago but never released as a recording until last month when Quartz Music put it on an album with Russian Seasons. It is nine separate segments not particularly connected except perhaps by a haunting quality. A Jewish Lambada, Absolom’s Death, and Lot’s Daughters are the composer’s titles for segments along with Take Five and Seven which will drive you crazy if you actually try to count out the fives and sevens. But if the composer’s titles and Biblical references were meant to have anything to do with the choreography, it was lost.
Of course, we all remember those good ole days in Odessa, Ukraine when we would sneak out in the middle of the darkest nights to test our tango and lambada that were prohibited under strict Halacha. We'd encounter gangs and criminals who would exploit us and we'd barely escape. The next day we would return to the mundane life of center barre work of classical ballet class (that was sooo stifling and sooo terribly cruel to our young Soviet-controlled imaginations) to obediently observe the Halacha-like rules. Oh, excuse me, you don’t remember? Well then, there is nothing in this ballet for you except random phrases of choreography that will test your patience. Here again, here now, the choreographer has tried to be “relevant” to someone somewhere at the expense of craft and art. Here is a mix of music with some steps and a hint of story, he says. The audience is supposed to make up a text and then applaud the choreography. The gala audience last night which was clearly unaware was also clearly unimpressed. Probably every dancer that was not on stage last night was collected in the orchestra section of the audience to hoot and cheer. If they were made to open up their own wallets to buy tickets, it is doubtful that there would be much cheering.
Keso Dekker’s dark costumes against Mark Stanley’s minimal lighting insured that we understood that these people were out in the dead of night doing things that they should not have been doing. (Has anyone seen Ratmansky’s Symphony No. 9 – also costumed by Dekker?) If the idea was that the audience was NOT supposed to see the dancers very well, then ✔️.
The sections of the music were each around two to three minutes long, along the lines of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, but the choreography was more like brief attention spans strung together with weak thread. We saw three minutes of vibrant tango-inspired movement from the corps; we saw a couple of minutes of dramatic interpretative dance from Sara Mearns; there were spurts of action from Joaquin De Luz, Taylor Stanley, and Amar Ramasar that recalled both Pictures at an Exhibition, Concerto DSCH, and other ballets that Ratmansky has created. Sterling Hyltin slapped someone for being too fresh and perhaps more. Tiler Peck did what every choreographer now has her do. And it all ended with the company standing around doing tendues, degages, and ronde jambe en l’air while promenading on the supporting leg. And hating it, because, you know, we all hate what classical ballet has done to ballet. What better way is there to represent unhappiness in a stifled life than daily ballet exercises?
Also on the evening’s program was Peter Martins’ Jeu de Cartes, one of his worst ballets, which was created in 1992 during a period when he was determined to become jazzy. The program notes claim that Balanchine suggested to Martins that he choreograph an abstract ballet to Stravinsky's music. Balanchine, himself, had once used the music, but his ballet did not survive. So Martins waited until Balanchine was dead to create his homage to jazzy ballet. Left arm/left shoulder up, right arm/right shoulder down, left arm/left shoulder down, right arm/right shoulder up, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat ad nauseam. Add cutesy ad nauseam. It went on and on and on and on. Not even a sparkling Megan Fairchild nor intense Harrison Ball & Joseph Gordon nor bubbly Aaron Sanz could save this ballet. Martins must have taken this opportunity to “help” Sanz with his pirouettes. Last night they looked as frightful and on the verge of disaster as Ask la Cour’s generally do.
After the Rain has had its day. It is now an honorary piece for a ballerina and not much more. Maria Kowroski and Ask la Cour performed Wheeldon’s signature piece for Wendy Whelan as well as anyone has. Here now is the best example of Wheeldon’s choreographic philosophy If less is more, then nothing must be the best something of all. Puddles to that.
Not even a performance of Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux could save the evening, although the audience gulped it down like water found on a desert. Ashley Bouder and Andrew Veyette have danced this much better in the past. Last night it looked unfresh and rumply, like they had just pulled it out of a pile of clothes to wear without bothering to iron it. Is that the treatment that Balanchine is getting these days while the company chases after the next new fad in choreography?
We don’t intend to waste our money on this program again.
18 responses to “NYCB Spring Gala 5/4
Random sketches to nowhere”
It certainly was a disappointing evening. I told myself I would try to be more open-minded about the Here/Now festival, but I didn’t think it would take this much effort. Also, isn’t the gala supposed to be an event for donors? I’m curious what was going through Peter Martins’ mind. “We need to impress these people. Let’s open with Jeu de Cartes!” I liked Megan’s tutu. That’s my positive takeaway from that pile of nonsense. The different sections had nothing to do with each other and there was no point to any of the principal roles. It was as if Martins was trying to aggressively bore and confuse the audience.
It was the first time I saw After the Rain, and I liked it. For context, I attended the All Peck program the previous Sunday, and didn’t enjoy myself at all. So following All Peck and the Martins ballet, this looked like a masterwork of choreography. I thought the music was pretty, and the choreography was good enough. Nowhere near Balanchine, but not offensively bad.
I thought Odessa started out promising, but then lost my interest towards the end. I agree that there’s not really enough connective tissue between the different sections of this ballet, but I felt that my thoughts of this ballet might improve on a second viewing. I wouldn’t mind seeing either of these pieces again, just not this program. Last season (2015-16), I remember they’ve done programs which had both Balanchine/Robbins ballets and a contemporary piece. I would consider seeing this and After the Rain if it were included in that kind of program. I don’t want either of those as the main course.
But I was most disappointed with Tchaikovsky PdD. This was the only thing I truly had high expectations for. Tchakovsky PdD has become one of my absolute favorite ballets, and it wasn’t done justice that night. Andrew Veyette looked like he was phoning it in. I’m usually not an astute enough observer for when a dancer is struggling with the steps and he looked like he was having a hard time getting all his tricks in. I was looking forward to Ashley Bouder do this role. When I saw Tiler dance this, I remember her being incredible precise and being absolutely on the music. Bouder seemed to be a little bit off, and sometimes seemingly on purpose? From my recollection, it seemed like she was doing the dance equivalent of back phrasing. Had this ballet gone a lot better, I would’ve enjoyed myself a lot more.
It certainly was a disappointing evening. I told myself I would try to be more open-minded about the Here/Now festival, but I didn’t think it would take this much effort. Also, isn’t the gala supposed to be an event for donors? I’m curious what was going through Peter Martins’ mind. “We need to impress these people. Let’s open with Jeu de Cartes!” I liked Megan’s tutu. That’s my positive takeaway from that pile of nonsense. The different sections had nothing to do with each other and there was no point to any of the principal roles. It was as if Martins was trying to aggressively bore and confuse the audience.
It was the first time I saw After the Rain, and I liked it. For context, I attended the All Peck program the previous Sunday, and didn’t enjoy myself at all. So following All Peck and the Martins ballet, this looked like a masterwork of choreography. I thought the music was pretty, and the choreography was good enough. Nowhere near Balanchine, but not offensively bad.
I thought Odessa started out promising, but then lost my interest towards the end. I agree that there’s not really enough connective tissue between the different sections of this ballet, but I felt that my thoughts of this ballet might improve on a second viewing. I wouldn’t mind seeing either of these pieces again, just not this program. Last season (2015-16), I remember they’ve done programs which had both Balanchine/Robbins ballets and a contemporary piece. I would consider seeing this and After the Rain if it were included in that kind of program. I don’t want either of those as the main course.
But I was most disappointed with Tchaikovsky PdD. This was the only thing I truly had high expectations for. Tchakovsky PdD has become one of my absolute favorite ballets, and it wasn’t done justice that night. Andrew Veyette looked like he was phoning it in. I’m usually not an astute enough observer for when a dancer is struggling with the steps and he looked like he was having a hard time getting all his tricks in. I was looking forward to Ashley Bouder do this role. When I saw Tiler dance this, I remember her being incredible precise and being absolutely on the music. Bouder seemed to be a little bit off, and sometimes seemingly on purpose? From my recollection, it seemed like she was doing the dance equivalent of back phrasing. Had this ballet gone a lot better, I would’ve enjoyed myself a lot more.
Also I think having so many different ballets in four weeks is taking its toll on the dancers. Anthony Huxley is out (I hope he’ll be back for Midsummer). Zachary Catazaro is out this week, Cameron Dieck is out (from an injury during Symphony in C), Georgina Pazcoguin is out this week and last week. A few others have also been replaced in the casting.
Also I think having so many different ballets in four weeks is taking its toll on the dancers. Anthony Huxley is out (I hope he’ll be back for Midsummer). Zachary Catazaro is out this week, Cameron Dieck is out (from an injury during Symphony in C), Georgina Pazcoguin is out this week and last week. A few others have also been replaced in the casting.
Still laughing, Yukionna: ” I’m curious what was going through Peter Martins’ mind. “We need to impress these people. Let’s open with Jeu de Cartes!” “
In recent seasons, Martins has put his strongest works on programs with the weakest of the new choreographers which has resulted in his work being more favorably viewed. Maybe this was an actual strategy to put his worst work on the gala program to make Ratmansky look even better. If he could also put a less than stellar performance of a Balanchine ballet on the program, it might result in the audience being disappointed in everything more than they could possibly be disappointed in the new Ratmansky ballet. “Sacrificial programing”, we’ll call it. I hate to think that Martins is messing with our minds, but one never knows …. 🦊
Still laughing, Yukionna: ” I’m curious what was going through Peter Martins’ mind. “We need to impress these people. Let’s open with Jeu de Cartes!” “
In recent seasons, Martins has put his strongest works on programs with the weakest of the new choreographers which has resulted in his work being more favorably viewed. Maybe this was an actual strategy to put his worst work on the gala program to make Ratmansky look even better. If he could also put a less than stellar performance of a Balanchine ballet on the program, it might result in the audience being disappointed in everything more than they could possibly be disappointed in the new Ratmansky ballet. “Sacrificial programing”, we’ll call it. I hate to think that Martins is messing with our minds, but one never knows …. 🦊
Still wondering where Ana Sophia is. Did she leave City Ballet? She’s still on the roster. A cursory search of her Instagram photos doesn’t seem to reveal any injuries. I wonder what’s going on.
Still wondering where Ana Sophia is. Did she leave City Ballet? She’s still on the roster. A cursory search of her Instagram photos doesn’t seem to reveal any injuries. I wonder what’s going on.
Don’t know about Ana. She was out a long time. It may be that NYCB had to plan the season’s casting assuming that she might not be ready to come back yet. I think she did do a Nutcracker, though. Hope to see her back on stage soon. Ditto for Adrian Danchig-Waring who has had a long recovery.
Don’t know about Ana. She was out a long time. It may be that NYCB had to plan the season’s casting assuming that she might not be ready to come back yet. I think she did do a Nutcracker, though. Hope to see her back on stage soon. Ditto for Adrian Danchig-Waring who has had a long recovery.
Anthony Huxley will unfortunately not be back for Midsummer. He is out for the season. Sara Mearns had a minor injury to her lower back and was pulled from the Saturday matinee of Odessa. However, she is expected back this week.
Anthony Huxley will unfortunately not be back for Midsummer. He is out for the season. Sara Mearns had a minor injury to her lower back and was pulled from the Saturday matinee of Odessa. However, she is expected back this week.
Hi, Lisa. So much injury bad news at NYCB these days. My sense is that there are many more of the company’s dancers who are performing with injuries which may be why things haven’t looked so good in cases. It also may be a sign that devoting dancers to contemporary, throw-oneself-around-recklessly-because-the-choreographer-demands-it type dances have consequences.
Hi, Lisa. So much injury bad news at NYCB these days. My sense is that there are many more of the company’s dancers who are performing with injuries which may be why things haven’t looked so good in cases. It also may be a sign that devoting dancers to contemporary, throw-oneself-around-recklessly-because-the-choreographer-demands-it type dances have consequences.
Sorry to hear that Anthony is out this season. He’s one of my favorite dancers.
According to Justin Peck it’s “17+ casualties and counting”. Maybe Peter Martins will think twice before attempting this again.
Sorry to hear that Anthony is out this season. He’s one of my favorite dancers.
According to Justin Peck it’s “17+ casualties and counting”. Maybe Peter Martins will think twice before attempting this again.
… or at least think it through thoroughly once.
… or at least think it through thoroughly once.