ABT Fall Season
What’s old is new again
The saying in the world of antique furniture is that refinishing a museum-quality piece knocks the value out of it. It is the preservation of the artist’s original work that is important, not what the piece looks like compared to today’s manufacturing standards. On the other hand, if the antique is something that is to be handed down from generation to generation for the family's enjoyment, use, and reflection on a time and the lives of members who are known only by name and an entry on a family tree, then refurbishing can actually enhance its value. We’re somewhere in the middle of those two camps of thought with regard to our classical ballets for which we desire to retain their original intent and quality of patina while enhancing their finishes and strengthening their hinges to allow them to continue to be enjoyed.
American Ballet Theatre’s The Kingdom of the Shades from Petipa’s La Bayadere as lovingly remembered by Natalia Makarova, undergoes periodic reupholstering as significant new talent emerges from the ranks. The same is true for Balanchine’s exquisite jewels Ballet Imperial and Sylvia Pas de Deux and Lander’s illuminating treatise on the systematic development of the ballet artist in Etudes. Thanks to these four works, ABT’s Fall Season, thus far, has amounted to a sensational comeback of good sense and good taste.
Ballet Imperial, aka Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No 2 at New York City Ballet, benefitted from elegant new costumes by Jean-Marc Puissant which were designed with colors and themes similar to both the retiring costumes and the current NYCB costumes. The ballet further benefitted from pristine technical performances by Christine Shevchenko and Chloe Misseldine and the fine partnering by Calvin Royal III. But was it a good idea for ABT to try to distinguish its version of the ballet from NYCB’s version by using tempi so painfully glacial that the ballerina had to punctuate phrases with chin throws? Everything is open to debate, of course, and this will be, too. Those of us who have watched Shevchenko her whole career and clearly remember her blistering speed in Piano Concerto No 1 know that she isn’t a dancer who requires a grandma pace for a Balanchine ballet as perhaps others required in past decades. In fact, the initial swivel turns off pointe that finished in tendu probably would have been cleaner and easier had they been up to speed. But she was very lovely to watch in most every respect. And the corps de ballet probably would have been more bright and energetic if they had been able to anticipate the music rather than wait for it to appear. Not to belabor the point, but the corps dancers are of a generation that can move a lot more quickly than past generations. Why not let them do so when it would benefit the work?
Calvin Royal III delivered some truly beautiful allegro and classic lines in addition to attentive partnering. Chloe Misseldine soared through the grand allegro soloist role with energy and crystal clarity which turned out to be a mere preamble to her radiant performance in Sylvia Pas de Deux with Aran Bell at the ABT Gala the next week. Terpsichorean in the most Balanchine sense, she was the music on the stage. All of that blessed length made for stunning arabesques of grand statement. Bell’s allegro was plush as velvet, not showy, with an effortless nobility. We’d love to see him as Apollo.
Alexei Ratmansky’s Neo pas de deux was created during the Covid shutdown and premiered as part of a digital program by the Joyce Theater in May 2021. The can’t-stop-us explosion of energy was instantly recognizable by those of us who danced like crazy people in the small spaces of living rooms, kitchens or garages trying to release pent-up wattage, frustration, and impatience while retaining some sense of normalcy. Just let it out of your system however you can, the choreographer seemed to convey.
The music for the piece, Neo by Dai Fujikura, was the composer’s first for the Japanese instrument shamisen. He said that his aim was to create something that was like distortion on an electric guitar, and that he treated the piece like a guitar solo in a rock concert. His hope was that the audience would scream at the end like they were at a rock concert. Check. We did. It was crazy fun by Catherine Hurlin and Jarod Curley. Playing on stage, Sumie Kaneko ripped the shamisen like she was Peter Frampton.
The excerpt from Lynn Taylor-Corbett's Great Galloping Gottschalk whetted the appetite to see the whole ballet again. The originators of the pas de deux were Susan Jaffe with Robert La Fosse who was beaming as a member of the audience. Sunmi Park and Calvin Royal III hit their stride on their second performance, releasing joy and warmth and dancing as though they were improvising throughout.
Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room received serviceable treatment but was less grounded (less urban, less “downtown”) than previous generations managed to make it. Standouts in the cast we saw were Devon Teuscher, Aran Bell, and Joseph Markey. Memories of Laura Hildago and Maria Riccetto as the joined-at-the-hip bombers in red pointe shoes were running in the back of the mind while watching the current bombers on stage struggle somewhat with unison and finding their fierce energy.
The highlight of the season was the restoration of The Kingdom of the Shades which as a stand-alone ballet is enjoyable but not to the extent that it is within the full production of La Bayadere. It exposes the classical caliber of the company like few other ballets do. The sight of the 24 Shades calmly descending from the heavens via arabesque after taxing arabesque was mesmerizing at each performance. We wondered, however, why most of the Shades smoothly peeled their feet from the floor to initiate their arabesques while a few stopped to do point tendu before lifting the leg to arabesque. Something tells us that Makarova probably has issued a memo or two on this over the years.
At the gala, Christine Shevchenko and Isaac Hernandez were scrupulous and glimmering in the excerpt. What a beautiful transition from Gamzatti to Nikya Shevchenko has made. Such crystalline shapes and flowing port de bras made us ache to see this whole production again. Hernandez grabbed us into the story with his first step and was well-matched with Shevchenko in form and temperament. After a so-so start to the season in Ballet Imperial, his Solor soared with Hernandez’s fabled brilliance. He’s the dramatic heft that ABT needs more of right now. Teaming up with Hee Seo for two other performances of The Kingdom of the Shades, Hernandez was even more effective in his solos. However, Seo’s technique appeared fragile, particularly during the scarf section where she had considerable difficulty with the turns. Despite her unique ability to embody Nikya’s love and suffering, the role has always been on the outer edges of her technical abilities and is more so now.
Surely, Makarova must have watched Lea Fleytoux as the first Shade soloist and realized she was witnessing her next Gamzatti and Nikya. Oh my goodness, what an utterly gorgeous solo Fleytoux danced. She is, indeed, small (possibly as small as Makarova), but her textbook use of port de bras makes her appear larger on stage. The technical brilliance so apparent in her calm multiple pirouettes, balances, and generous jumps are more indications of a comeback for ABT. Now, listen up. Fleytoux and Miyake or Roxander in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations could possibly eclipse that pair from the 1970s. And while we know that Fleytoux is destined to be a great Giselle, let’s hope that she doesn’t get pigeonholed in 2nd cast Petipa. She is clearly a full-service ballerina on the cusp of greatness. Jaffe should move her along in the way that Baryshnikov moved Jaffe along.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, the "Paloma" diamond stiletto from Sophia Webster, is bestowed upon Lea Fleytoux, one of the brightest glimmers of hope for ABT’s future.
Great sadness
ABT 3rd cast Etudes
Takumi Miyake rings the bell
So sorry we missed this performance and this corpsman's bravery and accomplishment of nine incredible double tours in the Etudes finale. Bocca, Corella, Sarafanov, and now Takumi Miyake. So glad I-gramers were there to make this incredible record:
ABT Fall Opener 10/16
Better than the Mets’ game
At least ABT didn’t get blown out of the water 8-0. Not an emphatic start to the Fall Season, however. Whatever happened to “start strong, end stronger” in ballet seasons?
ABT’s opening night included a new work by Gemma Bond, a new work by Kyle Abraham, and an old, but gleaming Etudes by Harald Lander. Not exactly a “This is who we are” opening statement.
Gemma Bond’s La Boutique with music arranged by Respighi after Rossini made one thing clear: we have a serious choreographer, refreshingly serious about acquiring composition skills to which she can apply her own appealing musicality and love of moving within the classical idiom. Some may recognize the music from Leonid Massine’s previous story ballet La Boutique Fantasque about a toy store; but here the music supported no narrative, only new combinations of mostly classical phrasing that really had us paying attention.
Three main couples — Devon Teuscher & Aran Bell, Sunmi Park & Cory Stearns, Skylar Brandt & Carlos Gonzalez — led a vivacious corps of men and women in Bond’s intricate and inventive patterns that occasionally became too busy and crowded, not just with dancers but with new ideas instead of offering fewer ideas that evolved in a thematic way. But we’ll take it. And we’ll run with it. But first we’ll strip the dancers and turn on the lights.
Oh my, what a costume, scenic, and lighting mess. Would Jean-Marc Puissant’s costumes look good under different conditions? Yes, but black tutus against a scuffed black Marley floor with low lighting will miss every time. White bodices with colorful details that clash with the lighting backgrounds will miss every time. What happened here? Did ABT repurpose the lighting scheme from some other Clifton Taylor ballet design and just throw it onto the stage for Bond’s new work? How could this lighting not have been immediately replaced after a dress rehearsal? None of it works and it all is a detriment to the ballet.
Kyle Abraham’s Mercurial Son to the bombastic, unlistenable noise by Grischa Lichtenberger was too obvious an effort to claim relevance to those who think a hard-hit foul is just as good as a bunt to first base. Wriggles, head rolls, wavy arms, and some swirling turns to loud music — with obnoxious low lighting (again) and costumes that had no rhyme or reason or theme — the flowy fabric and the arm waving were like throw-away edits from Paul Taylor’s hilarious insects dancing in Gossamer Gallants. It would be unfair to call this choreography bad; it was terrible and amateurishly elementary. Next.
The evening closed with an okay performance of Lander's Etudes. Isaac Hernandez’s introductory performance wasn’t from his top shelf. His nerves were evident upon entering the stage and they messed with his pirouettes for most of the night. His allegro was stunningly clear, however, and he managed well the partnering of the vivacious Catherine Hurlin. She was fantastic throughout the ballet. Everything was working for her: lines stretched to the max, solid pirouettes, eager to race at Ormsby Wilkens’ spirited pacing of the orchestra. During the finale we thought maybe she hit the proverbial wall but then bounced off it to finish strongly.
Jake Roxander repeated his brilliant turning role from ABT’s last fall season, and truly lifted up the performance several notches. We know he wants to conquer those consecutive double tours in the finale, and he will; and we’re excited to watch him and the other ABT men continue to try to nail them. Bocca did them. Corella did them. Sarafanov did them. Roxander will do them, too. His command of the stage was the strongest of the evening, Everything he did was worthy of admiration. The guy’s charisma, power, and precision are the equivalent of NYCB’s Roman Mejia’s — and aren’t we the lucky ones!
The Corps de Ballet mostly kept up with the speed and precision, but the effort was showing by the end. How happy we were to see Cameron McCune back dancing at full pace and form. Sierra Armstrong and Léa Fleytoux were exceptional as well. However, there were a few veteran corps women who had trouble lifting themselves into the air and making those all important arabesque lines.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, a classic platform with plenty of spike and a big tank, is bestowed upon Jake Roxander for his performance in Etudes.
NYCB 10/10
Balanchine + Ratmansky – both in top form
Thursday night’s Balanchine + Ratmansky program capped off the fall season like a royal's fascinator. Oh my gosh, watching this new generation fashion the masterworks onto their crowns — re-tooling the tulle, as the saying goes — has us fixated.
Only the sickest balletomane would obsess over the perfectly crossed, perfectly maximum turned-out back heel of Mira Nadon’s bourrees coming downstage in the Preghiera of Mozartiana. The sight of her feet compulsively tip-toeing forward with the flat profile of that back heel peeking out on the opposite side nearly triggered a Paxil emergency. Her ensuing deep cambré engaged the sacral wings in a moment that seemed to resurrect and release the choreographer’s spirit. A memorable solo indeed.
The Theme et Variations by Nadon and Peter Walker gleaned the musical wit from Tschaikovsky’s re-telling of Mozart’s work while stunning with its split-second coordination in the pas de deux. Walker’s variations were excellent—only occasionally over-powered at the expense of plush landings. The leg lines and batterie were crystal clear. He possessed a beautiful arabesque profile on both the right and left sides. The final single tour, double tour combination was not quite what it should have been on the landing, but we’re not sure why. We’ve seen and admired the form of Walker’s double tours since he was a soloist. The assemblage of those mile-long legs in the air was a stunning sight to behold but the tentativeness of and reluctance to finishing on the knee suggested some kind of impairment. Nevertheless, this Mozartiana performance by Nadon and Walker made us some new beautiful memories that we will hold onto for a long, long time.
Miriam Miller and Aaron Sanz in Monumentum pro Gesualdo followed by Dominika Afanasenkov and Davide Riccardo in Movements for Piano and Orchestra continued to inject new life and clarity into these esoteric Balanchine pieces. We liked the idea of different casts dancing the two works because it promoted the idea of considering each ballet on its own merits without the influence of the other. The easy length and gentle geometry of Miller and Sanz contrasted nicely with the acute shapes and seriously straight lines of Afanasenkov and Riccardo.
Emma Von Enck’s explosion of energy in Concerto DSCH set a new standard in this ballet. She’s a Ratmansky dream come true — a dancer who can actually give even more than he asks for. What an absolute delight it was to watch her take blistering command of the stage — propelling herself through the choreography as though the steps were trying to catch up with her energy. What a bright lightning bolt. However, does any of this make up for not casting her as Aurora and Coppelia? Nuh-uh. Grudge intact.
Unity Phelan and Adrian Danchig-Waring were an appealing couple who brought the ease and flow required in the pas de deux. The whirling around of the ballerina in the air did not look like a strenuous windup for a hammer throw as it did in the previous cast. Harrison Coll and Sebastián Villarini-Vélez offered great charisma along with fetching tours and allegro.
Haglund kept watching the corps in Concerto DSCH, not only because Gilbert Bolden III and Davide Riccardo were making it impossible not to watch, but because Owen Flacke and Samuel Melnikov suddenly looked mature, commanding, and both huge men could move like the wind — at Ratmansky velocity.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Manolo Blahnik revealing pump, is bestowed upon Mira Nadon for her memorable Mozartiana that fully revealed the beauty of the choreography.
NYC Ballet Gala 10/9
Signs pointing to nowhere . . .
. . . before pointing us the wrong way into the water.
The New York City Ballet Gala performance taxed our patience as we have come to expect over the years. Gianna Reisen’s Signs included a lot of hugging & tugging & skipping & sudden pauses to express emotion about whatever. “But we want to act and emote on stage” the dancers seemed to be saying. How about trying some ballet steps and leave the acting to the professionally trained actors? Ballet dancers create such a kerfuffle when models or actors are shown in ads or online pretending to “do ballet”. But they have no problem wading into areas on the stage that are outside their bailiwick.
Reisen’s Signs offered no signs of progress for the choreographer. Dull beyond dull, academically cute beyond cute, at times it showed great admiration for Twyla Tharp — who by the way will be blowing the roof off here next week with In The Upper Room. Reisen’s Signs is not NYCB main-stage ready. The content is not there. The organization is not there. The creativity is not there.
Choreographer Caili Quan checked all the boxes for NYCB: female, non-white, young, photogenic & personable, not too terribly ballet-ish. In her choreography entitled Beneath The Tides, here the principal dancers went again: “We want to act.” There was too much emotional display over nothing and a lot of watered down ballet-ish movement. We can’t even give the costumes by Gilles Mendel a good grade. Different? Yes, sort of — corsets on both men and women. But the overall effect was hodge-podge. We were able to appreciate Tiler Peck’s costume and output which reminded us of her output in Justin Peck’s works — right down to the fouettes. In fact, it was Tiler Peck who saved the evening with her own choreography.
Peck’s Concerto for Two Pianos is technically, musically, and artistically skilled and a joy to watch. Her problem, though, is the same as other choreographers who have first-cast her in their new works. Once Mira Nadon (or Tiler Peck) originates a role, it will be a long, long time before anyone else can make balletomanes happy in it. Nadon, Chun Wai Chan and Roman Mejia dazzled in the work. The corps de ballet ran with the choreography like race horses. This is what they have been brought up to do since they were foals.
It seems impossible for New York City Ballet to put on a gala without wading into identity politics these days. Can’t the company stick to dancing and fashion? Can’t we just put tribal politics in ballet aside? Detractors within ballet continually try to claim that women are its victims from grand plies to grand battements. Last evening's emphasis at NYCB’s gala that all of the choreographers for the evening were women was a point made to underscore how the ballet brotherhood has locked out women from choreographic opportunities. All of those obnoxious white males who have been monopolizing ballet choreography over the years — you know, Twyla Tharp, Agnes de Mille, Susan Stroman, Anna Marie Holmes, Bronislava Nijinska, Alicia Alonso, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Birgit Cullberg, Ninette de Valois, Martha Graham — they’re getting their comeuppance now, aren’t they? NYCB has Tharp choreography socked away in the basement. It has Taylor-Corbett, too. And Stroman. And Nijinska. If the company truly wants to celebrate the accomplishments of women choreographers, why not stage a celebratory evening of Tharp, Taylor-Corbett, Nijinska, and Stroman? The truth is: ballet hasn’t locked out women from choreographic opportunities; the post-boomer generation simply forgot about women for a time while free-riding along on previous women’s generations’ accomplishments.
Everyone should go see McNeal at the Beaumont Theater. Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant. The play offers a lot to think about in the way of borrowing others' work for one's own, quoting others' work, using others' work as a so-called tribute or inspiration.
NYCB 9/26
Impressive debuts
The final performance of the Masters at Work series included successful debuts for Unity Phelan, Peter Walker and Miriam Miller in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. All three clearly had decided beforehand that any errors were going to come from giving too much, not too little. Not only was Unity competent and beautiful, but she was able to add elements that none of the other current interpreters could — such as an arabesque that rose above 90° and a breathtaking and beautifully placed a la second extension that was exclaimed by a magnificently arched foot. Her joy came across as authentic. Her energy was not compromised in any way. Her turns and grand allegro were on the money. This was a very, very good debut performance with the promise of future spectacular ones. We’re not sure why at times Unity seemed rushed — perhaps from trying to make every movement as large as possible or perhaps from her realization that this was a one & done performance that she wanted to make the most of. We wish after the first dismal performance by Sara Mearns, management would have made a complete substitution with Unity.
Peter Walker’s debut began with almost overpowering force — like he was trying to be someone else. Peter Walker is good enough to dance this ballet as Peter Walker. He doesn’t need to be anyone else. When he finally settled down, we were able to appreciate his beautiful lines and blazing batterie. His deportment in the central portion of the ballet clearly conveyed his sincerity and the feeling of loss. The few awkward partnering moments with Unity seemed born from over-excitement by both dancers. All of these nerves would have subsided at a second performance if only they had been given one.
Miriam Miller in the soloist role had high energy and danced beautifully but did not have the confidence to try to steal the show. We needed something in between Serenade and Slaughter from her. If only there had been a second performance . . .
While we understand that these days featured corps roles tend to be handed out based on seniority, neither Kristen Segin nor India Bradley captured the elegance of the two women who performed forward-pitched arabesques with the male principal during the center section of the ballet. Both seemed quite awkwardly and uncomfortably perched during each instance. The corps de ballet as a whole danced splendidly in each performance of this ballet.
This evening included repeats of Duo Concertant with Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley, and Glass Pieces with Unity Phelan and Adrian Danchig-Waring. All gave strong, satisfying performances. The Corps de Ballet rocked Glass Pieces, as they tend to do.
Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Jimmy Choo jeweled sandal, is bestowed upon Unity Phelan for her promising debut in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2.
NYCB 9/25
Mozartiana, M&M, Concerto DSCH
How freakin' lucky are we at the ballet to be able to listen to a program of four of the greatest composers to ever live! Tschaikovsky, Mozart, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. That is one huge musical program — more substantial than what one will likely hear these days at Geffen Hall. NYCB not only comes through with the biggest ballet but with the biggest music played brilliantly by the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Call us grateful.
In some respect the ballerina in the Preghiera section of Balanchine’s Mozartiana serves Tschaikovsky’s adaptation of Mozart’s Ave verum corpus like the choir of voices serves Mozart’s hymn. They both tap into the divinity of the music allowing its humanity to flow freely as song. Tiler Peck used reserve and texture in her eloquent interpretation on Wednesday evening. The reserve was the hard part while the musical texturing was innate. Her elimination of the extreme cambré didn’t go unnoticed but it didn’t soil the performance either. Tiler’s elegant curves in the elbows and the length of the triceps in the upper arms revealed a new eloquence in her port de bras that, if one can even imagine, enhanced her storied musicality. The subtle peeling apart of the palms to open a fifth position overhead was one of many details in this exquisite performance.
The pas de deux with Anthony Huxley revealed slight imperfections while also promising something new and interesting. What could these two offer one another? How might they inspire and challenge each other? Huxley’s allegro solos astonished in their clarity and effortlessness. His allegro sprang from joy and anticipation — always on the “o” of count one, the “f” of the four, the “e” of the eight.
Troy Schumacher’s Gigue was enjoyable, and we were glad to see him back in top form. The Menuet crew of Christina Clark, Naomi Corti, Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara, and Malorie Lundgren were mostly precise but offered some unhelpful facial expressions.
My oh my, how a fresh coat of paint can make the old walls new again. Mira Nadon and Adrian Danchig-Waring brought a daring amount of glamour and sensuality to Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Movements for Piano and Orchestra. It takes a lot more than just the right physiques to bring these two abstruse creations by Balanchine to clarity and to fasten them securely to Stravinsky’s musical ideas. Enlightening, to say the least, were these performances where strength and beauty were equals.
Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH saw the performance levels of David Gabriel and KJ Takahashi soar to their next stages. Both of them — so charismatic and confident. Indiana Woodward as their scampering compeer blazed through her allegro like her feet just couldn’t stop even if she wanted them to. Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle showed great joy in their pas de deux. However, Tyler appeared to be dead-lifting Sara most of the time. Can he accomplish that and make it work? Yes, he’s that strong. Should he have to? No.
The corps de ballet in DSCH was ready to go. We need to make a special mention of Mary Elizabeth Sell who always excels in this work. Stephen Gosling's piano performance was worth the price of the ticket.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, black lace from Manolo Blahnik, is bestowed upon Tiler Peck for her dancing in Mozartiana — not yet at the center of her bailiwick but soon could be.
NYC Ballet 9/21 evening
Intelligence For Our Times
The highlight of Saturday evening was Lar Lubovitch’s Each In Their Own Time, a pas de deux he created for New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival in 2021 to Johannes Brahms’ Eight Piano Pieces. Lubovitch was 79 years old when he created this dance to Brahms’ 188-year-old piano cycle using a style of choreography steeped in the classical ballet idiom several hundred years old and reflecting the 20th Century influence of Jose Limon. The end result was a sensitive, universal, timeless portrayal of two human beings connecting through dance, connecting through music, connecting via their educated instruments that allowed them to speak with unusual eloquence.
Susan Walters beautifully performed the Brahms from her piano positioned up stage and properly amplified while Adrian Danchig-Waring and Taylor Stanley amplified the beauty of Lubovitch’s signature style — oceanic in its flow with swirling undercurrents and waves washing over the music.
Indiana Woodward and David Gabriel brought imagination to Balanchine's Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fée and handled the intricate, difficult choreography with ease. Alston Macgill and Mary Elizabeth Sell were lovely demi-soloists, and the corps included newer members and apprentices who at times wore terrified expressions which we assume will subside quickly.
Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle performed Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth. It was all competently and smoothly danced, but Wheeldon’s casting of this ballet is curious because the choreography clearly calls for subtle and languid qualities such as those found in Wendy Whelan, Ashley Laracey, and Yuan Yuan Tan of San Francisco Ballet. The dancers managed all the positions and partnering, but to what end, we’re not sure.
Jerome Robbins' The Four Seasons included standout performances by Olivia MacKinnon in Spring and Ashley Laracey in Summer. The sweeping romantic pas de deux showed MacKinnon at her best and gave her ample opportunity to show us that she could inhabit a role with style, particularly when partnered by the skilled Chun Wai Chan. Ashley Laracey’s engaging mysterious quality was perfect for the sultry Summer section. Her partner, Davide Riccardo, responded with his own sensual, alluring style. Summer never felt so hot.
Erica Pereira, Devin Alberda, and Andres Zuniga skated through the Winter section in a lively manner. The fabulous Fall section was led by Unity Phelan and Andrew Veyette with KJ Takahashi as the little goat. No complaints at all about Unity’s output; she was gorgeous and danced impeccably. Veyette — what can we say — he held nothing back. He simply would not let go of any turns and pushed his grand allegro to its maximum. He was at times thrilling because the viewer had no idea if he was going to survive what he set out to do.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, A Jimmy Choo blue-green sea sandal, is bestowed upon Adrian Danchig-Waring and Taylor Stanley for their moving interpretation of Lubovitch’s thoughtful and highly crafted ballet.
NYC Ballet 9/17-18
Ready or not, here we come!
The theater doors sprang open and in we ran on the first night of New York City Ballet's Fall Season. As if in a game of Hide & Go Seek since June, we had counted a hundred days with our eyes closed and now we were on the hunt for Balanchine.
Boy oh boy, did we ever flush out of hiding a magnificent performance of Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 by Tiler Peck, Chun Wai Chan and an energized corps de ballet. Following a polite, somewhat colorless grand allegro solo by Olivia MacKinnon in the opening moments where she wove in and out of a circle of corps women and danced her steps spiritedly, Tiler calmly walked from the upstage wing to the center of the stage and began a master class in what it means to be a ballerina. She is in terrific physical shape with new length in her port de bras and upper back & neck. Her speed seemingly required no force — almost as if her joy propelled her. Watching Tiler embrace Tschaikovsky was to watch a dancer literally living the music. As much joy as it was for her to dance, we hope she understands the incredible joy it brought to the audience. Chun Wai Chan was the perfect partner and seemed to find a new comfort in releasing emotion. Beautiful batterie and grand allegro although the size of that grand allegro may have gone down since his Houston Ballet days. The composite elegance of Chan and Peck was so natural and effortless that it made their pas de deux a dance of one.
Unfortunately, the performance on the second night didn’t rise anywhere near to what we witnessed on the first night. Haglund knows that Sara Mearns has a tribe who will gush over anything and everything she does. But honestly, her performance on Wednesday wasn’t good and at times was mediocre. She shuffled through allegro, “kind of” doing beats while showing great effort. She fell off point while doing a couple of simple fouettes. The throwaway arms and arabesques were worse than we’d ever seen them. At one point in the last section when she and her partner were standing watching the soloist dance, Sara just let her arms hang at her side like she was standing on the subway platform waiting for a train. From her first entry until her final step, there was a serious question as to why this ballet was in her rep. Her partner, Tyler Angle, on the other hand, made it clear that he was committed to delivering a respectable performance without fudging beats or heaving grand allegro like a DSNY worker heaving a load of trash into the back of a truck. Angle was good, very good in every respect.
The star of this performance, however, was the soloist Emily Kikta who simply stole the show with her glamour, expansive dancing, speed & clarity, rapport with the audience from the orchestra up into the tiers, and all around generosity of artistry. She should have been dancing the lead ballerina role on this night — and on future nights.
The corps de ballet was ready on night one and busted out of the gate at the bell — racing their hearts out. As the women shared the stage with Tiler Peck in the initial section, they beamed and seemed inspired to give even more. We’ve seen this before. When Tiler comes out and dazzles with her grace and artistic force, the whole corps de ballet responds by raising its level even higher.
Duo Concertant received fine performances from Megan Fairchild with Anthony Huxley and Indiana Woodward paired with Taylor Stanley. Huxley, in particular, possessed style in spades. Duo is his surfing speed.
Glass Pieces was a little rough on the first night and gave the impression that it was slower than usual. The initial crowd sequence included some innovative randomness that was cleared up by the second night. By the third performance, everyone was up to high speed and dancing with the verve and joy that makes Glass Pieces so enjoyable to watch. Unity Phelan with Adrian Danchig-Waring and Ashley Hod with Aaron Sanz were handsome pairs and displayed eloquent lines in the central pas de deux.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, a creative beauty from Badgley Mischka, is bestowed upon Tiler Peck for her glorious performance in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. What a pleasure it is to watch this artist lovingly create a new piece of art every time she takes the stage.
