evening to see one of the final performances of Peter Martins' new work Mirage
set to an original score composed and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen with a set sculpture by
Santiago Calatrava, and violin solo by Leila Josefowicz. Ignore the New York Times'
review. Macaulay either has to complain irrationally about a dance or gush
irrationally about a dance, because just saying something is okay or nice or
perhaps worth taking a look at doesn't inspire reading the newspaper or buying
it. Okay is not news that's fit to print.
scenery and the fantastic Jennie Somogyi makes Mirage a pleasant and interesting
middle to the evening's program. The Martins cliches are ever present;
however, there is plenty of new and inventive material to ponder. And if it's
not new material, it looks new because of the interpretive powers of
Somogyi.
knows that's modern dance-speak) of any ballet dancer anywhere,
Somogyi's slinking, grounded style deals uncommon strength to her torso and
hips. When her powerful legs extend, one can almost see and feel the path of
the energy as it travels through the limbs and out the end of her feet. When
Somogyi's leg flies up in a battement, one sees the energy arc as it is drawn
with her pointe. All of her movement emerges from her lower core, and it is
truly beautiful to watch the power, control, and freedom that gives
her.
The Calatrava set is stunning. Industrial art meets the
stage. Here's a picture of it opened up but much of the time its halves, which resemble big combs of steel, are closed together is one form or another:
It slowly turns and twists its
shape throughout the music – which is part of the choreography by Martins. It divides
and assembles. It raises and lowers. Steel silver for most of the ballet, it
takes on colors at the end. It's fascinating. Haglund thought that it was cool the way the backs of the costumes of Somogyi and her partner Jared Angle had vertical combs that connected the viewer's eye to the sculpture.
The music, clearly "new music," is much more than a violin
solo for Josefowicz and doesn't strive to hurt the ears the way some new music
does. It has depth and passion and melody and drama. But as with most new
music, Haglund cannot recall 8 counts of it to hum.
NYCB's whole concept of the season's Architecture of Dance was a really good one, and Haglund hopes the company repeats it utilizing other architects or visual artists and more new musical compositions. But next time, let there be more actual collaboration among the artists – particularly the composers and choreographers.
Sunday is Darci Kistler's last dance. It will mark the
passing of an era as the last Balanchine-trained dancer leaves the company. The
symbolism of this retirement has been underestimated instead of underscored, but it will be honestly
felt come Sunday afternoon.
Haglund bestows this Calatrava-inspired Pump Bump Award to Jennie Somogyi for her lovely performance in Mirage: