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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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
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
A Serenade to Remember
May 23, 2010
NYCB dancers in George Balanchine’s Serenade, photo by Paul Kolnik
There was a collective moan of disappointment from the audience on Friday evening at New York City Ballet when it was announced that Darci Kistler, who is retiring at the end of this season, would not be performing in George Balanchine’s Serenade. But with the radiant Jenifer Ringer dancing in her place, along with Teresa Reichlen and Sara Mearns in the other principal roles, it was one of the most sublime performances of Serenade that I have seen in a long time. I had chills down my spine and tears in my eyes.
Tchaikovsky’s luxurious score is moving on its own, but it becomes even more transcendent with the signature opening of the ballet: the corps, scattered across the stage in long blue tulle skirts and serene blue lighting, looks up at their raised right hand that appears to be blocking the sun from their eyes (In fact, the first performance of Serenade, in 1934, was outdoors at Felix Warburg’s estate in White Plains, New York). The rush of movement that follows is superbly attuned to the delicate score for strings. In this performance, there was a crisp urgency to the corps’ dancing that felt incredibly fresh, yet they remained ethereal. As the “fainting girl”, Sara Mearns built on the otherworldly quality of the ballet as she practically floated across the stage in a swirl of movement. I am increasingly amazed by the power and the intensity that she offers in every role.
NYCB dancers in costume for Serenade, photo by NYCB dancer Gwyneth Muller
Although there is no narrative, Serenade weaves themes of loss and sadness with brighter optimism, from the disoriented fainting girl scene, to the cheerful quintet of women in the “Russian Dance” (led by Reichlen), to the partnering section in which Mearns guided Askegard across the stage while covering his eyes, as if wandering blindly. Throughout the performance, these two dancers along with Reichlen and Ringer conveyed the emotional richness that Serenade and Tchaikovsky’s score deserve. The ballet’s closing image is the most achingly beautiful moment in the ballet and has lingered in my memory since Friday. Ringer arched her back as she was carried aloft – a line of women bourree-ing on each side of her and Gwyneth Muller following behind – and slowly ascended towards a faint blue light.
I will always cherish this memorable performance, but for me, every Serenade is special because I was fortunate enough to learn and perform in the ballet in 2002 while attending The Jillana School, a summer ballet program in New Mexico founded by former NYCB principal Jillana. As a company member, she danced every role in Serenade, and as she staged the ballet for me and the other students, listening to her stories about rehearsals with Balanchine was a treat. We performed on an outdoor stage, and just as the piece began, the skies opened up and there was a massive rainstorm. I could barely hear the live accompaniment over the booming thunder, but it was such a thrill – emotionally overwhelming, frighteningly chaotic, and definitely exhilarating. Serenade had never felt so dramatic.
NYCB in Serenade, photo by Paul Kolnik
NYCB: 21st Century Movement
March 3, 2009
Tyler Angle and Abi Stafford in "Mercurial Manoeuvres", photo by Paul Kolnik
A wrap-up of New York City Ballet’s winter season, written by Alastair Macaulay, appeared in the NY Times a few days ago. His assessments of current dancers – both positive and negative – are mostly accurate, and he is correct that too many dancers are pigeon-holed “along the lines established by the ballerinas of Balanchine’s last decade.” The review uses Darci Kistler’s approaching retirement – during the 2010 season – as a starting point for evaluating some of the younger female dancers, but what about the men? True, Macaulay notes the company’s “gifted male dancers” while also criticizing Nilas Martins’ pitiful performances in just two ballets this season, but the rest of the article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of many female principals and soloists. Surely a review of the season should devote equal space to critiquing the company’s men and women. I wonder what this review suggests about the value placed (or not placed) on male ballet dancers.
In fact, it was the men’s performances that were most memorable in last Saturday evening’s program, 21st Century Movement. The quadruple bill, which includes works by Jorma Elo, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon along with a new ballet by Melissa Barak, is not a particularly strong advertisement for the future of ballet. There are far better ballets in the repertoire that could have made a more significant statement about what distinguishes 20th and 21st century movement – that is, how ballet choreography has evolved and how choreographers’ contributions are redefining the art form. But in each ballet, the men brought life to the works much more so than the women. It’s unfortunate that Macaulay did not shed some light on their contributions throughout the season.
NYCB in "Slice to Sharp", photo by Paul Kolnik
Robert Fairchild performed brilliantly in Jorma Elo’s Slice to Sharp, despite this ballet’s shortcomings. The high-speed, athletic choreography does not allow for many pauses – either for the audience to linger over a moment or for the dancers to play with timing (although Fairchild manages to stretch out some of the phrasing). This is frustrating, along with Elo’s heavy reliance on arm gestures, manipulative partnering, and the “wow” factor. Rather than highlighting subtleties of the Baroque selections from von Biber and Vivaldi, Elo crams each moment with as much lightning-quick movement as possible. The dancers are able to keep up, but only Fairchild looks inspired.
Peter Martins’ Hallelujah Junction also lacks inspiration, which becomes more noticeable as it drags on with little direction. The opening, however, is striking: two pianists (Cameron Grant and Richard Moredock), playing a score by John Adams on raised platforms upstage, appear to be floating in the darkness. To the music’s rhythmic variety, the dancers – dressed in black and white – move rapidly through Martins’ typically intricate choreography. Like many of Martins’ ballets, this work never gains momentum, but Daniel Ulbricht’s performance adds pizzazz as he elegantly soars on and off stage with effortless jumps.
Unlike Hallelujah Junction, Christopher Wheeldon’s Mercurial Manoeuvres builds as it progresses – in a rather unexpected way. It begins with a brooding solo for Gonzalo Garcia, who embodies the complexities of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Opus 35. As a large corps of dancers crisscross in vertical and diagonal lines, red lighting creates an ominous atmosphere. But after a lyrical, mysterious duet for Abi Stafford and Tyler Angle – who has a much more commanding presence than Stafford – the mood drastically shifts. The corps is now playful and cheeky, but Wheeldon still infuses the movement with intricacies.
Sara Mearns and Jared Angle in "A Simple Symphony", photo by Paul Kolnik
In contrast to the other works on the program, A Simple Symphony serves as a reminder that Balanchine’s influence is still significant in the 21st century. This new work by former NYCB dancer Melissa Barak includes a corps of six women along with two demi-soloists and cavaliers, and a leading couple. Set to Benjamin Britten’s score of the same title, the corps is cheerful as they frequently change formations (all very exact), while the lead dancers, Sara Mearns and Jared Angle, are moodier and romantic in their pas de deux. There is nothing unpleasant about this ballet, but the movement so precisely reflects the music that it never surprises the audience or offers something unexpected. Jared Angle is intriguing, but Mearns has yet to make this role her own. She dances with clarity and lyricism, but her performance is unmemorable when compared to her wide range of roles.
It’s unfortunate that a program devoted to the future of ballet was lackluster, but this is certainly not true of the men’s performances. They added life to these works when the choreography looked tired, and deserve more credit than they’re given.
