Kyra Nichols in George Balanchine’s “Mozartiana”, photo by Paul Kolnik, 2004
On May 5th, former New York City Ballet principal dancer Kyra Nichols returned to the stage. Not to perform, sadly – it was a pleasure to watch her until she retired in 2007 – but rather to lead a free seminar along with Peter Martins about similarities and differences between the choreography of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. The hour-long discussion was filled with anecdotes and reflections on the two choreographers along with excerpts performed by current company members.
Musicality and partnering were both popular topics. While Robbins wanted the man to fully support the woman, Balanchine preferred for the woman to move independently for as long as possible until the man would swoop in and assist her. Company members Ana Sophia Scheller and Gonzalo Garcia showed an excerpt from Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux during which she does a series of pirouettes. At first Garcia stepped in right away, but Peter Martins repeatedly told him to wait until the last possible moment to support her. The hesitation and slight discomfort among the two dancers was visible as they experimented with Martins’ instructions.
That evening, it was a treat to watch Scheller and Garcia perform the ballet on an all-Balanchine program. I had hoped to see the changes from the afternoon demonstration incorporated into their performance, but alas, they stuck with their old habits and didn’t take the riskier approach that Balanchine preferred.
Another interesting point that Martins and Nichols emphasized was that Robbins wanted his dancers to mark his ballets in rehearsals (meaning not perform them to the fullest), while Balanchine expected the dancers to perform at 100% in rehearsals. This surprised me, as I remember reading and hearing stories about how Robbins was a tough grader and always pushed his dancers for more, which seems to lend itself to the opposite of marking a ballet. “Easy! Easy!” said Martins, imitating the tone that Robbins would take with his dancers. What a joy it was to see Sterling Hyltin perform an excerpt from Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering with such ease and fluidity. I think Robbins would have approved of her relaxed demonstration.
These seminars are always eye-opening. The stories about Balanchine and Robbins as told by the people who were fortunate enough to work with them are priceless. Nichols and Martins shared far too many to list here, but they certainly offered some insight into working with the company’s two most significant choreographers.
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New York City Ballet: All Wheeldon
February 11, 2012
New York City Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's "Polyphonia", photo by Erin Baiano
From 2001 to 2008, Christopher Wheeldon was New York City Ballet’s first-ever resident choreographer, providing him with a home for creating dances (not to mention a company of talented dancers) and offering NYCB new work from the man that many considered a promising heir to Balanchine. Though Wheeldon departed in 2008 to start his own company, Morphoses, he returned to NYCB often. On January 28th and February 4th, the company honored him with an all-Wheeldon program.
This is the first time that NYCB has created such a program, but it has popped up elsewhere in the past. Miller Theatre presented three of his works (all set to music by Gyorgy Ligeti) in 2005. Each ballet on that program was fascinating on its own, but when placed side by side, certain choreographic habits became apparent. NYCB’s program suffered in a similar way: by the third ballet, there was repetition in his choice of movement and shapes. Angular arms that carve through space and women held aloft with spread limbs make frequent appearances in his work. Last week’s program was further proof of this, and it revealed Wheeldon’s limitations – making each piece look less striking on a Wheeldon triple bill.
Les Carillons, a world premiere this season, is chock-full of movement – particularly arm gestures – that seemed detached from the music. The endless footwork and changing formations were too excessive for Georges Bizet’s regal score. Although the choreography tapped into the principal women’s individual strengths (Tiler Peck’s musicality, Sara Mearns’ lyricism and supple back, and Maria Kowroski’s long limbs), the ballet suffered from a “more is better” mentality and appeared thematically disjointed. Wearing brown costumes with a hint of color, the corps of ten swept on and off the stage between solos and duets for the principals in a dizzying rush of movement.
New York City Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's "Les Carillons", photo by Andrea Mohin
Even though Les Carillons felt chaotic, it looked rather calm compared to DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, a 2006 work for The Royal Ballet that was making its NYCB premiere. Set to Michael Nyman’s propulsive but eventually repetitive score, which was created to commemorate the 1993 inauguration of the north European train line known as TGV, twenty-four dancers were on a journey of their own that rushed from one place to the next. Jean-Marc Puissant’s thin sheets of metal peeled upward from the stage, creating a sense of motion. Arms and legs carving through space; bodies suspended in geometric shapes; and countless lifting of women overhead – the dancers’ lightning-quick bodies were part of DGV’s powerful but frustratingly busy engine.
Sandwiched between the two works – a smart choice – was the spare and haunting Polyphonia, to a piano score by Ligeti. With architecturally rich movement set within an environment that shifted from tense to meditative, the ballet looked as inventive as it did when it premiered in 2001. The four couples, in simple purple costumes, are sublime. Sara Mearns was poignant in her slow duet with Craig Hall, and Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia’s waltz was quietly profound. Wendy Whelan, performing in the role she originated, was otherworldly. In her second pas de deux with Jared Angle, the final image of Whelan rotating overhead and crawling underneath one of Angle’s legs to end in a sitting position, was chilling. She looked so at home in the choreography, filling every shape and line with spectacular dimensionality. On a program with two large-scale, fast-moving works, Polyphonia is even more gratifying for its minimalism and severe beauty.
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A Memoir by NYCB Dancer Jock Soto
October 2, 2011
I just finished reading Every Step You Take, the new memoir by former New York City Ballet principal dancer Jock Soto, which goes on sale to the public on October 4th. Throughout the 90s, Jock was one of my favorite dancers to watch on stage at NYCB, and his partnership with Heather Watts – and later with Wendy Whelan – was spectacular. So I’ve enjoyed reading the “back story” in Soto’s new memoir, which ties together his childhood growing up on a Navajo reservation in Arizona (he is half Navajo, half Puerto Rican), his early years scraping by in New York City, and his personal and professional relationships that shaped and influenced his career as a dancer.
For dancers and dance fans, the book offers insights into the creative process and struggles he faced as a dancer, including bad reviews from critics, injuries, being a perfectionist, or difficulty in the rehearsal process. For non-dancers, Soto reveals many personal challenges: being the gay son of a macho father, choosing to leave the reservation (and his entire family) to try and make it in New York, and how he grappled with retirement from performing at age 40, in 2005, and thought about life after NYCB. In addition to photos from his professional and personal life, each chapter of the memoir includes a related recipe that marked a pivotal moment in Soto’s story (he is passionate about food, and co-authored a cookbook with NYCB dancer Heather Watts in 1998). The recipes cover a lot of territory and reflect his surroundings, growth, and the people that impacted his life: the first is for “Mama Jo’s pork chops” with poblano peppers (Soto’s mother was a powerful influence in his life, and not just because of her cooking), later is the “accidental adolescent’s grown-up version of Hamburger Helper”, and later, a bagel and caviar sandwich inspired by George Balanchine’s favorite – an English muffin with lots of sweet butter and black caviar.
Jock Soto, photo by Luis Fuentes
Soto’s writing is honest, straightforward, and full of reflection and contemplation. Coming to terms with his upbringing, his escape from his childhood to pursue his career, and his professional life after performing, Soto clearly has embraced his many identities. He writes, “I can now say with complete confidence that I am one very happy, very lucky Navarican-Puertojo-desert-born-New-York-bred-gay-recently-engaged-part-time-cook-fledgling-choreographer-proud-first-time-home-owner-recently-published-author-retired-dancer-ballet-teacher.”
Every Step You Take, by Jock Soto, goes on sale October 4th.
Jewels at New York City Ballet
June 14, 2011
Teresa Reichlen in "Rubies" from George Balanchine's Jewels, photo by Paul Kolnik
Last Wednesday, George Balanchine’s Jewels offered some of the finest dancing that I’ve seen this spring from three of New York City Ballet’s principals. Sara Mearns (in “Diamonds”), Sterling Hyltin, and Teresa Reichlen (both in “Rubies”) gave memorable performances that revealed all of the nuances, musicality, and flavor that make each section of Jewels so unique.
In a 1970 review of the ballet, Clive Barnes wrote that Jewels is “like breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Tiffany’s”. True, but it is also much more. Debuting in 1967, Jewels is considered the first plotless full-length ballet, and according to repertory notes, each section is representative of a country: “Emeralds” is an evocation of France and all its elegance; “Rubies” illustrates the journey to America; and “Diamonds” portrays the royalty of Russia and the Maryinsky Theatre.
Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia in "Rubies", photo by Paul Kolnik
With its lush green set designs and mysterious quality, “Emeralds” could have been part of the forest scenes in Sleeping Beauty. The lead pas de deux was danced cautiously by Rachel Rutherford and Sebastien Marcovici. Marking one of her final performances with the company, Rutherford was lyrical and expressive, evoking the tranquility heard in Faure’s delicate score. In the solo, Jenifer Ringer swept gracefully across the floor with admirable calmness. Of the three jewels, “Emeralds” is the simplest and certainly the quietest – at times it even feels a bit sleepy.
After the tranquility of “Emeralds”, “Rubies” comes as a delightful, powerful shock. Distinctly neoclassical, it evokes hints of Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements (which includes a score by Stravinsky, like this piece – set to the lively Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra) and Who Cares?. Teresa Reichlen was bold, seductive, and jazzy as the soloist. Radiating confidence, she commanded the stage throughout her performance, even when surrounded by four men who held her wrists and ankles while manipulating her into various extensions. Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia’s fiery duet pierced the space. They literally threw themselves into the playful yet aggressive choreography.
“Diamonds” appears to be a scene out of Swan Lake, and in fact, the score is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29, composed just before he wrote Swan Lake. The uniform movement and structure for the corps de ballet reflects that of a regal court scene. Yet, it was nearly impossible to watch the corps with Sara Mearns in the principal role along with Jonathan Stafford. Dazzling and majestic in her sparkling costume, Mearns’s lines are so pure and precise while her balances and backbends – there are plenty in “Diamonds” – are gorgeously lush and expansive. Infusing her performance with otherworldly calm and unpredictable suspense, Mearns also offers solid technique and strength – making her one of the company’s most distinctive dancers. Her performance here – and in most roles she takes on – was transcendent.
Sara Mearns in"Diamonds", photo by Paul Kolnik
Jacob’s Pillow Launches Dance Interactive
March 17, 2011
I think I’ve just found my newest form of procrastination.
Jacob’s Pillow, located in Becket, Massachusetts, has extensive on-site archives that allow visitors to view rare footage from dance performances — but you have to travel to Becket to view them. Virtual Pillow, which offers a series of digital dance programming for online audiences (such as PillowTalks), was an excellent step in the right direction to make their programs more widely accessible. On March 28th, the Pillow will launch Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive, its most extensive Virtual Pillow program to date. Dance Interactive is a curated online portal of select artists who have performed at Jacob’s Pillow from 1937 through 2010. The collection features performance video and corresponding insight about the artists and works. All videos were filmed at Jacob’s Pillow over the past 70+ years – and these aren’t videos that you can find on YouTube.
Although the general public can access Dance Interactive on March 28th, I was fortunate to get a press preview of the new tool. Searching by genre, era, or artist makes it incredibly user-friendly. Once I let it sink in that I was watching Maria Tallchief perform George Balanchine’s Firebird at the Pillow in 1951, I realized how unique Dance Interactive is – and how fortunate the public will be to have this at their fingertips. It’s also incredibly addictive. To give you an idea, I watched excerpts of the following, one after the other:
- Merce Cunningham in Banjo (1955)
- Pearl Primus in Spirituals (1950)
- Wendy Whelan and Peter Boal in William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman (2004)
- José Limón in Doris Humphrey’s Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías (1946)
- Members of the Royal Danish Ballet in August Bournonville’s in Konservatoriet (1955)
It’s a treat to marvel at these performances and get some background on the artists’ relationship with the Pillow. If you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, you can click “Dive In”, which randomly selects an entry from the archives. And if you’re in the mood to test your knowledge, clicking “Guess” will show a video and ask the viewer to choose who the performer is from several options. This leads to information about the performance – who choreographed it, when it was performed at the Pillow, and more.
I’m eager for the public to start using Dance Interactive (watch choreographer Kyle Abraham getting a preview of the tool below), and hopefully there will be a lively online discussion about it. Mark your calendars for the 28th! But for now, I’ll simply say thank you, Jacob’s Pillow, for making your archives accessible to people worldwide in an intelligent, informed way. Not only will students, educators, and dance audiences benefit from this curated resource. Dance Interactive is also a welcomed resource for the field – artists, choreographers, dancers, and historians will find this endlessly rewarding.
