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.
Quadruple Bill at New York City Ballet
February 26, 2011
Amar Ramasar, Sterling Hyltin, and Tyler Angle in Benjamin Millepied's "Plainspoken", photo by Paul Kolnik
Last Wednesday evening, in the final week of its winter season, New York City Ballet presented an array of pieces that spanned from 1957 to 2010. Plainspoken, Benjamin Millepied’s most recent ballet for the company (which premiered last year) featured four male-female couples in duets that all centered on a push-pull, yes-no dynamic set to a commissioned piano and string quartet by David Lang. The repertory notes state that, according to Millepied, the ballet “was inspired by each dancer’s personality. After all, they are my friends and colleagues.” Although their uniqueness might be apparent to a good friend, it all blends together into a rather voiceless array of vignettes. Plainspoken has some structurally rich moments, like when Sterling Hyltin is tossed at lightning speed among three men. But the disconnect between movement and music is frustrating. Rather than playing with or echoing the music, it looks like Millepied chose to ignore it, which is unfortunate – the music on its own is intriguing, complex, and full of nuance.
After listening to such complexity, it would seem like a waltz such as that heard in Balanchine’s Valse-Fantaisie would be matched with straightforward movement. But no. In the leading roles, the gorgeously lyrical Tiler Peck played with Glinka’s waltz so as to bring out each subtlety. Her suspended balances practically stretched the music beyond its limits. Joaquin de Luz was a generous partner, but Tiler’s lush movement was the highlight throughout this brief gem of a ballet.
In Square Dance (1957), Balanchine joined American folk dance with classical ballet set to music by Vivaldi and Corelli. He believed that the two types of dance had common roots, and compositionally, this piece does indeed show their similarities through classical movement arranged in spatial patterns that resemble those of square dancing. Megan Fairchild’s sunny performance reflected the mood of this piece. Anthony Huxley debuted in his role with quiet intensity and lovely expression in his introspective solo. His performance was thoughtful and precise – both good qualities for a role that doesn’t require ostentation.
Dancers in "Glass Pieces", photo by Paul Kolnik
No matter how many times I watch Jerome Robbins’ 1983 work Glass Pieces, I always find something new and intriguing. The urban setting is filled with brightly costumed pedestrians crossing through the space on very precise paths. Watching the specificity of a particular dancer’s walk – the way his or her shoulders move or the slight bobbing of their heads – is fascinating, but so is re-focusing your eyes so as to zoom out and watch the entire scene as an organized yet chaotic engine. The rhythmic force of Philip Glass’s score propels these bodies forward through the streetscape on what could very well be their rush hour commute.
In the second, meditative section, Wendy Whelan and Craig Hall pierce the space with otherworldly poise while a row of women in silhouette sway back and forth in a repetition of minimalist movement. There is a striking contrast between sharp, sudden gestures and more delicate, lush partnering between the pair, and they always keep audiences guessing what will come next. The forceful percussion that follows this section is accompanied by a corps of men who travel as a pack. They stomp and slap their hands into the floor before the stage is flooded by a corps of women. As the music increasingly gains momentum and feels on the verge of spinning out of control, the dancers charge forward in a flurry of movement before abruptly coming to a halt. The final image of the dancers in silhouette, fingers spread and arms lifted overhead, is unforgettable.
"Glass Pieces", photo by Paul Kolnik
2010 in Dance: A Look Back
December 25, 2010
Faye Driscoll's "There is so much mad in me", photo by Yi-Chun Wu
We’re days away from the end of 2010, so like in past years on this blog, I’m sharing what struck me as most memorable and impressive throughout the year. Both new and old works performed in a variety of venues and settings made the list. I hope that the older works mentioned here continue to make an impact and that the newer ones withstand the test of time.
I was blown away by Faye Driscoll’s There is so much mad in me at Dance Theater Workshop last April, and which I ended up revisiting this past September. The cast opened themselves up emotionally and physically to showcase extreme states of consciousness in a seamless series of vignettes.
Last February, Trisha Brown Dance Company performed at one of my favorite museums, the Dia: Beacon. It was a fitting setting for Brown’s spiraling, sprawling works, in which her dancers tested the limits of gravity and used the museum as their playground.
George Balanchine's "Serenade", photo by Paul Kolnik
A New York City Ballet spring performance of George Balanchine’s Serenade, featuring Jenifer Ringer, Teresa Reichlen, and Sara Mearns, gave me chills. Unforgettable.
At Dancespace Project, Kyle Abraham’s company performed The Radio Show. The work explored communication and the role of radio during difficult times, while also featuring Abraham’s lush movement style.
Pina Bausch's "Vollmond", photo by Laurent Philippe
A little over one year after Pina Bausch’s death, her company Tanztheater Wuppertal returned to BAM to perform Vollmond (Full Moon). The tons of water used for the performance stayed on stage, but even the audience felt drenched in shifting emotions, and often tears of mourning.
LEVYdance showed an interactive, thought-provoking work at Joyce SoHo called Everyone Intimate Alone Visibly. It was my introduction to the choreographer Benjamin Levy, and I look forward to seeing more from him.
Benjamin Levy and Aline Wachsmuth in "Everyone Intimate Alone Visibly", photo by Andrea Basile
In France, Paris Opera Ballet performed a new version of Jiri Kylian’s Kaguyahime. Original lighting, sets, choreography, and wonderful percussion music brought this ancient story to life.
I jumped at the chance to see Mikhail Baryshnikov perform at Baryshnikov Arts Center last May. His poise and presence were mesmerizing.
Mikhail Baryshnikov in Benjamin Millepied's "Years Later", photo by Andrea Mohin
