Haglund is clearly out of shape for the MLB spring season. (That's Major League Ballet for those who have forgotten.) After only five treks to the outfield bleachers, he's exhausted. What a week!
Friday night included repeats of fantastic performances of Symphony in Three Movements, Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto with the same great casts as earlier in the week. Haglund cannot emphasize enough what phenomenal focus the corps de ballet has demonstrated thus far.
Also on Friday night's program was Duo Concertant with Megan Fairchild and Chase Finlay making their NY debuts. They delivered another fully formed, intelligent, and interesting interpretation that was danced beautifully. As in the previous evening's Apollo, Finlay looked totally prepared and had a complete grasp of all the details. He looked fantastic in the scoop-necked leotard top which can be an unforgiving costume if you happen to have a male physique like an underfed plucked chicken. Just saying. The definition in Finlay's arms and shoulders is pretty nice to look at. Within his dancing, he seems so aware of the importance of employing dynamics. In the final section of Duo Concertant when the woman disappeared and there was an empty circle of light on the floor, Finlay gestered toward it with such surprise that it actually made Haglund surprised that the circle of light was empty and the woman was gone. Fairchild was also fantastic in Duo – less mysterious and less remote than others who have danced it, but her warmth worked just as well. There is plenty of room for different interpretations in this ballet.
Saturday matinee was a repeat of Finlay as Apollo with Hyltin, Peck, and Scheller. Just as fantastic as on Thursday night. Please try to make it to NYCB to see this young man's effort. It is totally worth it. The two performances of Apollo this week were not in any way performances after which you went away thinking that Finlay would grow into it. It's a fully-formed interpretation already, and he dances it extraordinarily well.
Ashley Bouder and Taylor Stanley ripped through Square Dance this afternoon with more than a little spirit. Again, the corps de ballet was splendid and kept up with the brisk tempo even when all the members of the orchestra couldn't. Haglund keeps pushing the memory "replay" button to see Bouder's circle of silent flying coupe jetes. They were darned pretty and looked effortless. But also pretty was her entrance right before the adagio. The classic stance seemed a bit more classical than usual. Stanley has a magnetic stage personality and showed great confidence and strong allegro in this ballet. But the tension in his hands and the 90 degree jutting of the thumbs is truly distorting the lines of his arms – lines that could be quite handsome. But he kept up with Bouder today, which is no small feat, and also delivered quite a beautiful solo.
What a week it's been – for all of us – but especially for Chase Finlay who hammered three big hits out of the ballpark. Haglund bestows this Sergio Rossi swirling Pump Bump Award on Finlay, the newest star in our swirling constellation.