It's only about two months between the end of NYCB's Winter Season and the beginning of its Spring Season but it can seem like an eternity. When the curtain rose tonight on the first performance of this spring, the energy which the dancers were holding inside themselves detonated with explosive jubilation. It happens at just about every first performance of every season – that's why Haglund never misses them.
Tonight's All-Balanchine program included the not often performed Ivesiana – a four part modern experimental piece that actually used to have six parts before Balanchine trimmed two of them away. The music used is four unrelated modernistic pieces by Charles Ives. Unlike much of today's modern music, Ives' isn't difficult to listen to in the sense that it offends the ears. But it is difficult to follow rhythmically; so it may be best to just think of it as background music to what's going on on the stage instead of trying to find a relationship between the music and the choreography.
It's entirely possible that Balanchine and Ives crossed paths as some point in their lives. Ives was said to have enjoyed attending the New York Philharmonic concerts in New York City, and Leonard Bernstein even conducted the world premiere of one of Ives' symphonies on live radio in 1951. So it's possible that George and Charles knew each other. Balanchine premiered his Ivesiana a mere four months after Ives died in New York in 1954.
It's a strange piece – strange but interesting, especially if one takes into account a few pieces of locally relevant information.
The first of the four sections, Central Park in the Dark, shows us lovely Ashley Laracey wandering apparently through Central Park at night unable to see anything in front of her, in back of her, or around her. What she doesn't see is a large population of dark figures who are flowing all around her. Ashley has an encounter with a man, Zachary Catazaro, and they engage in a difficult conversation via PdD. It's never quite clear what they meant to each other or whether she was happy about the fact that she met up with him in the dark.
That flowing population of dark figures, spirit type figures, is pretty curious because of what it suggests. We tend to forget that Central Park was built on top of Seneca Village, the home to many free African Americans and German and Irish immigrants until New York City took their property by eminent domain in order to construct the park in 1857. The Village was demolished, buried, and Central Park was built on top of it. Seneca Village had at least a couple of cemeteries and there doesn't appear to be any record of the graves being moved to other locations. In other words, there are plenty of people buried under Central Park, and that means plenty of spirits to rise and roam at night and perhaps cause directional difficulties for a pretty young woman wandering through the park by herself. Never mind all the pets that continue to this day to be buried there and what their roaming spirits can do. (Listen, just because no one else seems to have come up with this scenario doesn't necessarily mean that Haglund is wrong or that he's got the Giselle Wilis permanently on the brain. Someone will probably read it here and conclude that he's right, and then copy it in their DanceTabs review or some other such place.)
The second section of Ivesiana, The Unanswered Question, also took place on a darkened stage. Janie Taylor flowed onto the stage atop the shoulders of several men. She was lighted but the men were in the dark; so, the concept was that she was elevated and moving on her own power. She swirled around and about all over the stage, never touching the ground with her feet — think of Gerald Arpino's Round of Angels from 1983. Her suitor, Anthony Huxley, tried everything that he could think of to reach her to no avail. So, The Unanswered Question was how to get to Janie.
In The Inn was the only piece of the four that was not in the dark. Here we saw Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar engage in a fun, sometimes competitive PdD that was clearly a distance from the action of the first two darker sections of this dance.
The final section, In The Night, saw the brief return of the population of dark figures simply moving across the stage – in the dark.
Haglund enjoyed Ivesiana as an experimental piece and plans to go back Wednesday night to see it again.
The evening opened with a sensational performance of Who Cares? by Tiler Peck, Robert Fairchild, Ana Sophia Scheller, and Abi Stafford with some excellent demi-soloist work by Devin Alberda, Ashley Laracey, and Savannah Lowery. Haglund has been watching this ballet for a long time and cannot remember ever seeing anyone fill out Fascinatin' Rhythm the way Tiler does. She and Fairchild are 1920s Gershwin glam personified.
Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz spun through Tarantella with pristine pyrotechnics and plenty of flair. It is going to be great to see De Luz on stage in On Your Toes next week. He's another one with a great big Broadway stage personality.
What an outstanding Stars and Stripes tonight. Ashley Bouder and Andrew Veyette as Liberty Bell and El Capitan were superb. Terrific chemistry. Dazzling technique. Bouder's musicality was pure genius. Daniel Ulbricht led the Third Campaign through its precision moves with perfection. This regiment was on fire tonight, especially Devin Alberda and Zachary Catazaro.
The audience saluted Stars and Stripes with several well-deserved curtain calls tonight. Haglund will salute Ashley Bouder with the HH Pump Bump Award for her brilliant Liberty Bell.
14 responses to “NYCB – Ivesiana sneaks in under
cover of darkness – 4/30”
Such a great program-probably one of the only ways to make Ivesiana not overwhelming (putting it between light fare like Who Cares and Tarantella, and then finishing with Stars and Stripes).
The Unanswered Question-Suzanne and Balanchine?
Such a great program-probably one of the only ways to make Ivesiana not overwhelming (putting it between light fare like Who Cares and Tarantella, and then finishing with Stars and Stripes).
The Unanswered Question-Suzanne and Balanchine?
Hi Fan Z. You’re probably right about the program design. The casting was excellent, too. Having Ashley Laracey followed all over a dark stage under a spotlight was the perfect opportunity for everyone to see what a gorgeous and dramatic dancer she is. She looked fabulous as a demi-soloist in Who Cares?, also.
Last night, Bouder and Veyette took S&S considerably farther than their superb performance the night before. The chemistry between the two was so great; they were bouncing reactions off of one another with grand delight and swiftness – it drove the audience into a frenzy.
Hi Fan Z. You’re probably right about the program design. The casting was excellent, too. Having Ashley Laracey followed all over a dark stage under a spotlight was the perfect opportunity for everyone to see what a gorgeous and dramatic dancer she is. She looked fabulous as a demi-soloist in Who Cares?, also.
Last night, Bouder and Veyette took S&S considerably farther than their superb performance the night before. The chemistry between the two was so great; they were bouncing reactions off of one another with grand delight and swiftness – it drove the audience into a frenzy.
Interesting interpretation of CP In The Dark. I caught the program Saturday matinee – still very affected. In all my years of frequent NYCB going (1972-1983; sporadically thereafter) I never saw this great work. I think it fell into disuse. Those were Mr. B’s last years and perhaps (just speculating here) he was in an old man in a hurry frenzy, and some of the great old rep was just not done. Anyway I never saw it. I was stunned. I loved it…
I personally did not see the female character’s encounter with the male character as being perhaps an assault, an interpretation I have read elsewhere. I did feel, and perhaps I am reading into things here, that there is a suggestion of the Sleepwalker character in La Sonnambula, in the female character. I know he choreographed LS in the late 40s for Ballet Russe, but he often re-purposed ideas.
Interesting interpretation of CP In The Dark. I caught the program Saturday matinee – still very affected. In all my years of frequent NYCB going (1972-1983; sporadically thereafter) I never saw this great work. I think it fell into disuse. Those were Mr. B’s last years and perhaps (just speculating here) he was in an old man in a hurry frenzy, and some of the great old rep was just not done. Anyway I never saw it. I was stunned. I loved it…
I personally did not see the female character’s encounter with the male character as being perhaps an assault, an interpretation I have read elsewhere. I did feel, and perhaps I am reading into things here, that there is a suggestion of the Sleepwalker character in La Sonnambula, in the female character. I know he choreographed LS in the late 40s for Ballet Russe, but he often re-purposed ideas.
You’re so right that Balanchine re-purposed ideas – and choreography. Ivesiana holds together quite well as a dramatic “suggestion” without an actual plot. I don’t know that I would care for it if it was simply abstract, experimental choreography which I don’t think it is.
It’s thought provoking that Balanchine created this so close to the 100 year anniversary of the date on which NYC imposed its right to eminent domain although it was a couple of more years before the bloody battle to take control of the property and build the park.
You’re so right that Balanchine re-purposed ideas – and choreography. Ivesiana holds together quite well as a dramatic “suggestion” without an actual plot. I don’t know that I would care for it if it was simply abstract, experimental choreography which I don’t think it is.
It’s thought provoking that Balanchine created this so close to the 100 year anniversary of the date on which NYC imposed its right to eminent domain although it was a couple of more years before the bloody battle to take control of the property and build the park.
I’ve been thinking some more about Ivesiana. It was very thought provoking!
I really don’t think of the PdD in Central Park in the Dark as rape. I see the ballerina as completely consenting. She is in a dreamlike state, and the PdD brings her to her senses – and she doesn’t like it. Hence, she crumples. I definitely think Mr. B was quoting from La Sonnambula – maybe he was thinking of reviving it for Kent, if she worked out? (We know how that worked out. It did, in a weird way.)
About The Unanswered Question, Allegra was 16 and was widely regarded as a “sex kitten” when the part was created on her. I think that’s is how it works best. On a tiny, kittenish dancer.
In the Inn – don’t ask me why, but here is where I think the male part might benefit from some leering menace, and the woman….should she be 10 years older than he and “been around the block, you don’t scare me?”
Just a few strange thoughts about this strange ballet.
I’ve been thinking some more about Ivesiana. It was very thought provoking!
I really don’t think of the PdD in Central Park in the Dark as rape. I see the ballerina as completely consenting. She is in a dreamlike state, and the PdD brings her to her senses – and she doesn’t like it. Hence, she crumples. I definitely think Mr. B was quoting from La Sonnambula – maybe he was thinking of reviving it for Kent, if she worked out? (We know how that worked out. It did, in a weird way.)
About The Unanswered Question, Allegra was 16 and was widely regarded as a “sex kitten” when the part was created on her. I think that’s is how it works best. On a tiny, kittenish dancer.
In the Inn – don’t ask me why, but here is where I think the male part might benefit from some leering menace, and the woman….should she be 10 years older than he and “been around the block, you don’t scare me?”
Just a few strange thoughts about this strange ballet.
I forgot to tell you what I thought of Who Cares?
Performance: superlative. Peck literally brought down the house. Bravo! (Of course Fairchild was fantastic in such a taxing part – partnering three ballerinas! — but the audience went wild over Tiler. She’s our dream girl, no?
Costumes: oy vey! What were those things the guys were wearing: blue track suits?
I forgot to tell you what I thought of Who Cares?
Performance: superlative. Peck literally brought down the house. Bravo! (Of course Fairchild was fantastic in such a taxing part – partnering three ballerinas! — but the audience went wild over Tiler. She’s our dream girl, no?
Costumes: oy vey! What were those things the guys were wearing: blue track suits?
I agree, Diana, that the first part of Ivesiana wasn’t about rape. The woman appears to go looking for the man after he leaves which doesn’t fit with a rape scenario. When she’s running around, there’s no sense that she’s trying to escape anything; rather, she seems to be looking for someone.
In The Inn makes total sense to me. We’re seeing a happy, joyful little dance going on at night at the public inn (presumably in the same community as C.P.) in contrast to the spooky stuff going on outside in C.P. at the very same time.
The Who Cares costumes for the women I thought were lovely. The men, though, — those blue outfits should have had orange printing “The Doe Fund. Ready, Willing & Able” because they looked like prisoner garb.
I agree, Diana, that the first part of Ivesiana wasn’t about rape. The woman appears to go looking for the man after he leaves which doesn’t fit with a rape scenario. When she’s running around, there’s no sense that she’s trying to escape anything; rather, she seems to be looking for someone.
In The Inn makes total sense to me. We’re seeing a happy, joyful little dance going on at night at the public inn (presumably in the same community as C.P.) in contrast to the spooky stuff going on outside in C.P. at the very same time.
The Who Cares costumes for the women I thought were lovely. The men, though, — those blue outfits should have had orange printing “The Doe Fund. Ready, Willing & Able” because they looked like prisoner garb.