Riddle: What’s black & white with no percussion except for the strong beating heart of its founder?
That would be, of course, Saturday’s phenomenal Balanchine Black & White program at NYCB that was performed at the matinee and repeated with the identical casts in the evening. Many live for these programs, find relief in them, renewal in them, and come away from the performances feeling re-baptized in the denomination.
Last evening’s performance made up for some sleepiness in the afternoon when Concerto Barocco was more like Concerto Lumaca because it moved at a snail’s pace. At the matinee, a few in the corps were groggy while others like Ashley Hod, Alina Dronova and Sara Adams were fully caffeinated and hungry to move. It made for an uneven overall effort. The blame should probably go to Conductor Daniel Capps who might have been trying to save everyone for the long day ahead. By evening, the entire corps and principals seemed awake and pointe shoes were fully charged up.
Sara Mearns, Teresa Reichlen and Russell Janzen were the leads in both performances. They did all the steps well, although we sometimes wondered whether the ladies' legs were en attitude or arabesque. It takes time to adjust to watching Sara and Tess dance Barocco, because they don’t deliver the knife-like sharpness in musicality and their legs don’t make the clear shapes that have been so pleasing when others danced it. We have yet to see Tiler Peck, Ashley Bouder, or Ana Sophia Scheller take on these principal roles – all of whom could probably dance it twice nonstop without running out of breath.
Rebecca Krohn and Ask la Cour led Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Movements for Piano and Orchestra with finesse and interesting dynamics. Rebecca was particularly riveting in the Movements for Piano and Orchestra for her mystery countered by a commanding authority.
Episodes began with Megan LeCrone and a debuting Andrew Scordato in the first section which can be difficult to sell to the audience. Compared to her first couple of times dancing this role, Megan looked like a different dancer. She used her eyes much more and varied her head focus. Haglund was in the 3rd Tier and truly enjoyed Megan’s efforts to reach up and out toward more of the audience. Andrew scored high points for the fine partnering which would be a tough assignment for anybody.
Next, what a promising debut by Claire Kretzschmar in the second section opposite Jared Angle! Talk about crystallized shapes thrown with authority! As the only dancer who wears a white leotard in this ballet, she was already under the microscope. Boy did she ever deliver a powerful, confident and beautiful performance. She’s got legs – steely, sinewy, articulate, long legs and lovely feet and she can wield her limbs like machetes. Jared must have felt like he had taken a vacation day, because Miss Claire is quite lean and light but strong enough to help power the PdD. At times, her chin charged forward too much, but truthfully, we didn't care simply because the rest of the performance was such a brilliant and startling surprise.
Jennie Somogyi and Craig Hall danced the third section at both performances like the choreography was a pair of perfectly fitted gloves. Jennie has long been known to wear Balanchine’s neoclassic choreography with innate ease and grace. The evening’s Episodes had a tinge of sorrow since it was her penultimate appearance on the stage.
The final Ricercata was led by Sara Mearns and Adrian Danchig-Waring. Having so enjoyed Maria Kowroski’s interpretation of this section in the past, it was difficult to understand Sara’s morose reading of it. Adrian was a perfect partner and so damn interesting to watch because of the innate suspense in his style. You may have seen him dance a role many times, but he always brings something new and inventive to each performance.
The Four Temperaments received outstanding performances both at the matinee and in the evening. Megan Johnson debuted in the first section of the Theme opposite Cameron Dieck. We’ve been watching Megan with great interest since she joined the company. Initially pushed into roles too quickly like Concerto Barocco, she now appears more mature and perhaps ready for bigger opportunities. The shapes she makes with her legs are nearly flawless and she exudes a warmth on stage that she didn’t have in her early years.
Lauren King with Allen Peiffer and Ashley Laracey with Justin Peck have been performing the 2nd and 3rd sections of the Theme splendidly for a few seasons. Lauren had a gorgeous debut a week or so ago in the Valse Melancolique (Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3) opposite Taylor Stanley. She has another very difficult debut coming up at the final performance of the season when she will dance the first section of Episodes opposite Devin Alberda who will also debut. Looking forward to that very much. Ashley Laracey seems completely recovered from her recent injuries and gave a lovely debut in Liebeslieder Walzer earlier in the season – so full of perfume and poetry. We can’t wait to see what is next. Allen Peiffer appears to be another late bloomer. The viewer’s eye goes to him whenever he’s on stage. He projects extremely well and seemingly has no technical shortcomings.
Anthony Huxley’s Melancholic was fantastic. Great backbends, beautiful elevation and speed. Ana Sophia Scheller and Tyler Angle blew through Sanguinic like it was child’s play – backed up by a gang of very dangerous and young-looking Sanguinistas. Amar Ramasar’s Phlegmatic was thoroughly enjoyable with just the right amount of quirkiness although at times it crossed over into melancholy. Ashley Bouder’s Choleric was especially irritable and cranky with some very prickly pointes. She had a “don’t you forget this look” on her face that, well, we’re not going to forget.
Saturday’s HH Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Claire Kretzschmar for her stunning debut in Episodes.