ZviDance at Celebrate Brooklyn
June 29, 2010
Aaron Carr and Alison Brigham Clancy in ZOOM, photo by Julieta Cervantes
On Thursday evening, July 1st, ZviDance presents ZOOM at the Prospect Park Bandshell as part of Celebrate Brooklyn! ZOOM integrates dance, cell phones, video projection, a real-time web interface, and live music. Conceived by Israeli-born artistic director Zvi Gotheiner and his creative team, ZOOM shatters the wall between audience and performers, creating a new interactive performance environment. Photos and text messages from the audience are used to create real-time video collages. Without the use of words, the audience crosses the proscenium to take close-ups of the performers, finding themselves in a radically different relationship to the creative process.
The bandshell gates open at 7 PM, and the FREE evening begins at 8 PM with a performance by Lottdance. But ZviDance is kicking off the festivities a bit earlier with a potluck picnic from 5 to 7 PM. All are welcome to stop by, enjoy some snacks, and meet the dancers. Details are on the Facebook event page.
Darci Kistler Retires from New York City Ballet
June 27, 2010
Darci Kistler at 16, performing Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3, photo by Costas, 1980
After thirty years with New York City Ballet, today is principal dancer Darci Kistler’s final performance. Her retirement not only marks the end of a remarkable career, but also the departure of the last dancer hand-picked by George Balanchine to join the company – truly the end of an era. She joined NYCB in 1980 after performing in Balanchine’s one-act Swan Lake at the School of American Ballet Workshop, and rose to principal in just two years. Balanchine never choreographed a role for her (he died in 1983), but some of her most notable roles are in his ballets, including Apollo, Vienna Waltzes, Serenade, Concerto Barocco, and La Sonnambula. In a recent New York Times article, she said of Balanchine, “The real reality is there is nothing in the world like being talked to and being graced by his presence, by his words, by his thoughts.”
Read more about Darci Kistler in a recent Wall Street Journal article, where she shares her experience visiting Balanchine in the hospital the night before he died. You can also listen to a brief interview with Kistler on Studio 360, and look at Jill Krementz’s photo journal of Kistler from 1980.
A Farewell to Albert Evans at New York City Ballet
June 22, 2010
Albert Evans and Wendy Whelan in Herman Schmerman pas de deux, photo by Paul Kolnik
On Sunday afternoon, after twenty-two years with New York City Ballet, principal dancer Albert Evans took his final bow at the David H. Koch Theater. The warmth, generosity, and grace that defined his performances were evident even when he expressed gratitude to the audience and marveled at the immense applause. As confetti rained down and the company’s dancers joined Evans on stage to present him with flowers, it became clear that he is deeply respected and admired by his colleagues. He spontaneously swung some of the women around amidst laughter and enthusiastically accepted a drink in a silver goblet from two cheering men.
Some of my earliest memories of Evans include his frequent partnership with Wendy Whelan, so it was gratifying to see him perform with her in William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman pas de deux. This 1992 piece, set to an electronic score by Thom Willems and a bright blue backdrop, is a witty conversation – perhaps even a playful argument – for the two dancers. Evans and Whelan infused every push and pull and every dramatic angle with their unique quirks and mesmerizing fluidity. Halfway through the piece, they both appeared in bright yellow skirts – designed by Versace – that showed them as equals. After a momentary chuckle from the audience upon seeing Evans in a skirt, it became clear that his poise and elegance were stronger than ever.
Albert Evans takes his final bow, photo by Paul Konlik
The program also included a shining performance from Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz in Balanchine’s La Source, along with Lauren King, who gave a pleasant but overly zealous debut. Alexey Miroshnichenko’s The Lady with the Little Dog, which premiered last January, was the lowest point of the afternoon. In spite of Sterling Hyltin’s lovely, expressive performance and Andrew Veyette’s strength as a partner, the choreography lacked nuance and subtlety.
Fortunately, that ballet’s mediocrity was quickly replaced with Evans’s marvelous farewell in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, a praiseworthy choice for a final performance since it features many dancers and not just a soloist in the spotlight. This emotionally rich work, set to a wonderfully moody score by Paul Hindemith, reflects the four medieval moods. Teresa Reichlen continued her powerful streak in “Choleric”, as she did earlier in the season, and Jennie Somogyi and Jared Angle’s “Sanguinic” was pristine. In “Phlegmatic”, Evans was calm and remarkably poised as he effortlessly shifted from severe angular positions to softer, sinewy movement. Amidst the jovial atmosphere during his bows, the curtain lowered and then rose to show Evans striking the final iconic pose from the ballet. Both he and the audience savored the moment and took in the last few breaths of his remarkable career.
Fuerza Bruta: Meaningless Sights & Sounds
June 20, 2010
courtesy of Fuerza Bruta Press
For nearly three years, I walked past the Daryl Roth Theater every day on my way into work and reminded myself that I should see Fuerza Bruta, the show by Diqui James that originated in Argentina and has been performed at the Roth since 2007. Last week, I finally saw this fragmented, mindless spectacle. I’m glad I did, because now I can honestly tell others who are considering seeing Fuerza Bruta (Brute Force, in English) that they can skip it, unless they’re entertained by one or more of the following:
-Being herded around and told where it’s permissible to stand, which to me, does not qualify as audience participation
-A club-like scene with predictable visual stimulation, techno music, and mediocre choreography
-A man endlessly running on a treadmill who gets violently shot in the chest (don’t worry, he lives), without ever learning why or from what he’s running
-Performers who repeatedly smash Styrofoam over each other’s heads
-Jumping up and down while a DJ, looking ridiculous in a George Washington wig, sprays you with a water hose
courtesy of Fuerza Bruta press
The plot-less performance, which mainly took place overhead while the audience stood on the floor for the duration of the show, strung together special effects and a few technical feats set to a constantly thumping beat. The most original section involved a clear pool that descended from overhead until it reached just above the audience’s heads. Four female performers splashed around, slid in diagonals across the pool, and made rippling designs with the water. This went on for far too long, and though the performers looked like they were having a ball, it became irritating to stand and watch without being invited to join the fun. Perhaps this was why Fuerza Bruta was so unsatisfying. The performers were having much more fun than the audience, and sadly, jumping up and down didn’t transport us into their world.
I have immense admiration for the creative team – for their ability to come up with some of the more intriguing concepts – and especially for the hardworking crew members who directed the audience and ensured that the show ran smoothly. But I pity the myriad tourists – and handful of New Yorkers – who are impressed by Fuerza Bruta and view it as well-crafted art. In truth, it’s one-dimensional, uninspiring entertainment.
