Damian Woetzel and Tiler Peck at the Guggenheim Museum, photo by Erin Baiano
Last Sunday evening, audience members of the intimate Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim Museum learned and performed George Balanchine’s Serenade, with piano accompaniment by Cameron Grant. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, but former New York City Ballet principal dancer Damian Woetzel started this rare Works & Process event, called “The Art of Teaching: Participation & Perception”, by teaching everyone the ballet’s opening movements. It was the first of many examples of audience engagement, which was a focal point for Woetzel – coming from the world of performing – and Michael Sandel, a political philosopher, Harvard professor of government, and Rhodes Scholar whose widely popular undergraduate class “Justice” is now part of a public television series. By presenting their own areas of expertise in an interactive manner, Woetzel and Sandel explored the relationship between performing and teaching. How does a performer engage the audience? How is teaching a performing art? What does it mean for the audience to participate in a work of art? In addition to insight from Woetzel and Sandel, there were many opinions from audience members, who eagerly crossed the line from spectators to participants during the event.
Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild in an excerpt from Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, photo by Erin Baiano
With assistance and input from current New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck, Robert Fairchild, and Joaquin De Luz, who performed excerpts from Balanchine’s Serenade and The Nutcracker and Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, Afternoon of a Faun, and Fancy Free, Woetzel discussed the process of learning a role in a ballet and how the process evolves from studio to stage. Using Afternoon of a Faun as an example, he explained how the male character in that ballet is in a studio, dancing in front of a mirror and later with a woman. While that may be easy while rehearsing the ballet in a studio, it becomes challenging to engage the audience while performing the ballet on stage, yet still convey the intimacy of rehearsing alone in a studio (which is what the character is doing). According to both Woetzel and Fairchild, learning this role is slightly different for each dancer. After Fairchild, De Luz, and Woetzel portrayed the three sailors from Fancy Free, they discussed the character development that occurred as they performed. Fairchild said he felt like a guy from Kansas just arriving in NYC for the first time. The ballet is silent, so the dancers aim to convey their fictional stories to the audience through movement.
Sandel immediately sparked debate upon entering the stage by asking, “What is the relationship between justice and equality?” More specifically, he was interested in the audience’s opinions on taxing bonuses for bankers. After hearing from many lively participants, Sandel showed wealth disparities by sharing the average salary of a public school teacher and David Letterman, and the salaries of Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Judy. The question seemed to be, what is the value of the contribution to society? And is it just for an entertainer to make drastically more money than a public servant?
Michael Sandel and Damian Woetzel, photo by Erin Baiano
Damian Woetzel and Tiler Peck in an excerpt from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, photo by Erin Baiano
While it might seem as though there was little in common between Sandel’s discussion of justice and equality and Woetzel’s ballet demonstrations, both served as models for audience engagement. And both were remarkably effective. Yet, they had a frank discussion about what to do when an audience isn’t engaged. Woetzel hoped that by learning a small excerpt from Serenade – blocking an imaginary sun with the right hand, bringing the hand to the head as if in pain, slowly opening the feet to first position and “becoming a dancer” – the audience was able to more deeply appreciate Tiler Peck’s polished performance. Jokingly, he added that when dancers perform, “We know when you cough”, which led to a conversation about how to reinvigorate a bored audience. How does one do that when performing in front of a darkened theater? Or when teaching a class of a few thousand? Sandel suggested that the shuffling of papers and even coughing, which he believes can be involuntary, are signs that he’s lost his audience and has to do something different to gain their attention. Woetzel pointed out that, while performing with NYCB, he was fortunate to have a few performances that transported him to another place, which hopefully meant that he transported the audience with him, as well. At other times, pausing to internalize the silence in the theater can indicate if the audience is engaged. Surely it takes a skilled performer to be able to interpret silence.
Works & Process at the Guggenheim should have more thought-provoking events like this one that are both physically and intellectually engaging. Who would have thought that a political philosopher and a former professional dancer would join forces to spark enthusiasm, participation, and vibrant debate?
New York City Ballet’s Short Stories
January 19, 2010
Ashley Bouder in George Balanchine’s Firebird, photo by Paul Kolnik
New York City Ballet’s winter season includes many full-length narrative ballets, but on Saturday evening, the company performed a triple bill of short stories. Although the newest one, Firebird, premiered in 1949, the ballets told timeless stories: three sailors on shore leave in New York City, bickering over two women; the biblical story of the prodigal son who sins and begs for forgiveness; and a fairy tale in which a brave bird comes to the aid of a prince and his community. Not only have the stories endured, but so have the sets, costumes, and George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins’ choreography, which brought these simple stories to life.
There are no suitable words to describe Ashley Bouder’s performance in Firebird. The magic that she brought to the role in 2000 while still in the corps, when she stepped in at the last moment for an injured dancer, was still present. Flitting frantically to escape the prince’s hold, Bouder embodied the firebird’s vulnerability. Even slight gasps were audible as she yearned for release. Her beautifully arched back, sharp arm flaps, and knowing gaze – one that suggested that this little bird had been in harm’s way many times before – lent themselves perfectly to the role of the firebird. Yet, she was not only a victim, but also a heroine, for she rescued the prince (performed by Jonathan Stafford, who reflected the slight naiveté and clumsiness of a young hunter wandering alone in a forest) and princesses from the attack of fantastical creatures by offering one of her magical feathers to the prince. Marc Chagall’s shimmering sets and costumes emphasized the story’s mythical qualities while providing lush colors, and Stravinsky’s score – his first for a ballet – added depth and drama. A golden glow was cast on Bouder throughout much of her performance, but even without this enhancement, she was truly radiant.
Maria Kowroski in Balanchine's "Prodigal Son", with Damian Woetzel, photo by Paul Kolnik
In the title role of Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Joaquin De Luz embodied the youthful enthusiasm that this character requires, and later the exhaustion and desperation when the prodigal son falls at his father’s feet and begs for forgiveness. Maria Kowroski drew upon the alluring sections of Prokofiev’s score to convey a seductive, deceptive Siren. She was shaky throughout some of the partnering with De Luz, but still managed to illustrate the Siren’s power over the prodigal son. Just as a pack of creatures enchanted the prince and princesses in Firebird, a freakish clan of bald, drunk men misled the son and his servants. Their stomping and menacing stares were nightmarish yet unforgettable.
In Jerome Robbins’ 1944 ballet Fancy Free, Tyler Angle, Robert Fairchild, and Daniel Ulbricht all had just the right combination of charm and cockiness to portray three sailors on shore leave in New York City. They managed to sweep two women (Tiler Peck and Georgina Pazcoguin) off their feet in one moment, and exasperate them with their immaturity and macho competitiveness in the next. Leonard Bernstein’s vivid, jazzy score provided many opportunities for suspended moments and textured footwork. The three men drew upon these occasions in their solos – especially Robert Fairchild in the hip-swiveling “samba solo” – as did Peck and Angle in their flowing duet. Ronald Bates’ lighting evoked the lazy, laid-back feeling that comes from summer heat, while Kermit Love’s costumes and Oliver Smith’s set designs contributed rich color to the work.
In the midst of a season filled with full-length classics – A Midsummer Night’s Dream just concluded, Romeo + Juliet is currently being performed, and The Sleeping Beauty is up next – it was thoroughly enjoyable to watch City Ballet perform three short story gems.
Daniel Ulbricht in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, photo by Paul Kolnik
On the Set of Opus Jazz: The Film
September 24, 2009
photos by Yaniv Schulman
Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the set of Opus Jazz: The Film, which recently resumed and completed filming after shooting the third section, “Passage for Two”, on the High Line about two years ago. The new film version of Jerome Robbins’ 1958 ballet is scheduled to debut on PBS’s Great Performances/Dance in America series in the spring of 2010 (for updates, visit the film’s website). For the past several weeks, the cast and crew worked at various locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, including McCarren Park Pool and a school gymnasium in Carroll Gardens, and wrapped up filming in a beautiful 1929 Loews movie theater in Jersey City, where I had the opportunity to observe everyone in action.
As it turns out, the action involves a lot of waiting. Just as I arrived in mid-afternoon, a crew member announced that the sixteen dancers could take five, so they scurried off the stage and into the seats of the theater to check voicemails and text messages, nap, stretch, and re-caffeinate (they had been in the theater since 8 AM). The five minute break turned into a half hour delay as the crew worked on camera angle adjustments – the film is being shot from one camera – and consulted with Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi (the film’s creators and executive producers), but the downtime gave me an opportunity to chat with some of the dancers, all of whom are members of New York City Ballet.
Cast members Amanda Hankes, Georgina Pazcoguin, Adam Hendrickson, Rebecca Krohn, Tiler Peck, and Andrew Veyette
I quickly learned from Craig Hall, an NYCB soloist, that the greatest challenge of filming was exactly what we were doing at that moment: waiting. The go-stop-go nature of shooting was an abrupt change from performing on stage, where the show must go on no matter what happens. Hall added, “The choreography is ingrained in our bodies and the dancers know what the ballet looks like”, but the film version is still a mystery. Between filming out of chronological order and the endless process of editing, the dancers have no idea what to expect. Other dancers agreed that filming doesn’t offer the instant gratification that comes with live performances, where the dancers are in control of the outcome, but Hall proudly stated, “I’m honored to be a part of this, and we’re all really lucky to have such a unique collaboration between dancers and the filmmakers.”
While sipping coffee, Adam Hendrickson added that the cast and crew have become a big, loving family, especially bonding during overnight shoots in a dirty warehouse (On his informative and entertaining blog about the filming process, he wrote, “To call it hazardous would be the understatement of the decade. It will be the craziest place ever danced in.”). He explained, “We’re normally sheltered at NYCB, but here we’ve had the chance to meet new people, watch them work, and be a part of it.” Aside from Sunday rehearsals in the studio and some guidance from Jean-Pierre Frohlich, an NYCB ballet master and member of the Robbins Rights Trust advisory committee, the film project is entirely separate from the company and the dancers used their summer vacation time for filming (they returned to their regular NYCB work schedules this week). Hendrickson admitted that it’s nice to feel distanced from the company, because when working with film directors Henry Joost and Jody Lee Lipes, “You want to do the ballet a certain way for them that might not be the same way you do it on stage at NYCB. The choreography hasn’t changed, but the vision is different.”
Rebecca Krohn
When the crew announced that they were ready to start again, the dancers headed toward the stage, all laughing and in good spirits in spite of the long hours and choppy schedule. As soon as the camera was rolling and the jazzy rhythms of Robert Prince’s score were audible, the dancers’ youthful energy, angst, and rebellious spirit – all at the heart of the ballet – were palpable. As an ensemble, their dancing reflected the description that appeared in the program when the ballet first premiered in June 1958:
Feeling very much like a minority group in this threatening and explosive world, the young have so identified with the dynamics, kinetic impetus, the drives and ‘coolness’ of today’s jazz steps that these dances have become an expression of our youths’ outlook and their attitudes toward the contemporary world around them, just as each era’s dance has significantly reflected the character of our changing world and a manner of dealing with it. N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz is a formal, abstract ballet based on the kinds of movements, complexities of rhythms, expressions of relationships, and qualities of atmospheres found in today’s dance.
Standing breathless on the stage of Loews after a full shoot of the final section, the dancers certainly embodied the spirit of the ballet, but Opus Jazz: The Film is not just a restaging of Jerome Robbins’ piece. It’s a reinvention – one that preserves the choreography and music while offering new costumes, a new backdrop, and a new medium that can reach a much broader audience than a theater can. The film wouldn’t exist without Robbins’ ballet, but the creative team is doing much more than simply transferring the steps to film. By showing respect to their predecessors while building on this timeless ballet with their own ideas and vision, the producers, directors, cast, and crew are making N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz their own and offering a unique contribution to dance and film.
All photos by Yaniv Schulman
NY Export: Opus Jazz (The Film)
September 1, 2009
After performing in Jerome Robbins’ NY Export: Opus Jazz in 2005, New York City Ballet soloists Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi were inspired to put the 1958 “ballet in sneakers” on film. Two years later, a movement from the piece, entitled “Passage for Two”, was filmed at the High Line shortly before it was closed for renovation in order to build the newly elevated park. The brief but beautifully shot excerpt, featuring New York City Ballet dancers Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall, was included in the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts’ 2008 exhibition celebrating the life and work of Jerome Robbins, and was also presented at the Guggenheim’s Works & Process series in January of 2008.
Last month, after years of planning and fundraising, the film was acquired by Channel Thirteen/WNET for its 2010 Great Performances/Dance in America series, which means it will be coming to televisions everywhere sometime in spring 2010! I most recently saw the ballet during NYCB’s 2008 spring season, and it seems natural to reinvent Opus Jazz with present-day NYC as a backdrop while preserving Robbins’ choreography and the lively jazz score by Robert Prince. With a cast of sixteen dancers from NYCB and the streets and buildings of New York as the set, the film has tremendous appeal and demonstrates how a timeless ballet can become more accessible and engaging to a younger, broader audience.
Filming is currently underway to complete the remaining four movements of the ballet. Check the film’s website for more information, photos, and video clips. Plus, you can read all about the filming process by following NYCB dancer Adam Hendrickson’s blog and becoming a fan of the film on Facebook. Just search for “Opus Jazz”.
