Angel Corella has been Haglund's drug of choice for a long time. As soon as he steps on stage, you recognize that he is in another state of being – one filled with intense light and energy – and it's where you want to go – fast.
The Corella Ballet Castilla Y Leon, which opens at NY City center this Wednesday, March 17th, will close each program with Christopher Wheeldon's DGV – Danse a Grand Vitesse. Wheeldon created this work for The Royal Ballet in 2006 to Michael Nyman's score MGV – Musique a Grand Vitesse. Nyman's music was originally commissioned to celebrate the inauguration of the Paris-Lille Train à Grande Vitesse – TGV Service in the early 1990s.
TGV, of course, is France's high speed electric rail service that rockets passengers along at around 200 mph. In 2007, a test TGV train set a train world speed record of 357 mph.
True to its inspiration, Nyman's music accelerates its pulsating rhythms to exhilarating levels. You feel it charging through your nervous system, and you don't know where it's taking you and you don't care.
Angel at 357 mph? Save me a window seat.
A YouTube clip of the first 2:41 of the score.
March 17th – Be there or be square.