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Perplexity

"Wall"

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company

Courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery

Washington, DC

Thursday 19 May 2022 at 6 PM

 

by George Jackson

copyright 2022 by George Jackson  

 

There was no printed program for this dance premiere. Yet some credit information could be had from the Internet announcement for the event, Burgess had based his choreography on a magical realist novel by Mexican author Octavio Paz (1914 - 1999). Nevertheless, it wasn't the story or an aspect of plot that captured my attention first and foremost but the scenery: several large, square tablets arranged wall-like at the rear of the courtyard's dance space. The space between tablets could be opened up to let dancers penetrate and pass through the wall. 

Similarities

ICONS Choreographic Institute Thesis Dance Concert 2022
Dance Loft on 14
Washington DC
Sunday 15 May 2022 at 2 PM

by George Jackson
copyright 2022 by George Jackson

It is not surprising that there were resemblances among the dance works shown on this program. Vladimir Angelov was, after all, the teacher of all the choreographers and performers who were being presented. Angelov's pupils seem to think that dance is an unfolding of the human body - as if were a piece of clothing that had been wrapped up and needed to be unrolled before being worn. Some of the unfoldings on this bill were emotional, others were mechanical.

The most fascinating unfolding was a solo - Mimi Hoorami's "Richard" as danced by former child prodigy and later teen terror Rasta Thomas. "Richard" is this dance soliloquy's title and it is based on Shakespeare;s drama of King Richard. Thomas shows the king as royal, refined, thoughtful, capable of being evil and of noble actions. What a great performance!

 Other choreographers iwere Elizabeth Watson, Millicent Parker and William L. Miller Jr. but it was easy to confuse the dances, especially those in which the unravelling motions tended to become routine. One fine new dance per program, though, is a true gift! Thank you, Mr. Thomas and Ms, Noorami !

Old & Young

“Don Quixote”
Royal Danish Ballet
Copenhagen, Denmark
5 March 2022

by Eva Kistrup
copyright 2022 by Eva Kistrup

According to the handout program, onopening night May 2022, Nikolaj Hübbe claimed that Marius Petipa´s “Don Quixote” is one the greatest Russian Classics.  I myself will not go that far. However, I will support that “The Don” provides both classical and comical dancing and acting. 

“Don Quixote” arrived at The Royal Danish Ballet in 1983 and became a great hit, as well as having a significant number of runs in the following years. It proved to be a great match with the Royal Danish ballet´s owns stars in acting as well as comedy - all going back to the Bournonville lessons that have remained until this time. “Don Quixote” had since remained a standing member of the RDB.  However, some changes have hit “The Don” and made it somewhat more difficult to keep the performances on a high level.

 

 

Geometry Lessons

"Divertimento No. 15", "Afternoon of a Faun", "Allegro Brilliante", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
April 27, 2022

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

The three Balanchine ballets in this program varied musically and sartorial (tutus for "Diverti- mento", chiffon for "Allegro" and leotards for
"The Four Temp- eraments") but all three showed Balanchine's mastery of geometric shapes to create a hierarchy, with the corps and soloists weaving through the music and around the principals. These shapes can comfort or challenge or soar as required, and there is something magic about the shifting symmetries of bodies on stage.

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia in Balanchine's "Allegro Brillante" photo © Eric Baiano.

"Don Quixote"

"Don Quixote"
Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky, Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones
American Ballet Theatre 
Opera House
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC
Thursday, 31 March 2022

by George Jackson
copyright 2022 by George Jackson

 

It was fun, this production of a 19th-Century Russian ballet. Not sophisticated humor but shrewd slapstick. Danill Simkin blazed as the barber Basillo so that people in the audience asked whether it wasn't Baryshnikov. No, it was Simkin indeed in the barber boy role. As his love Kitri, Isabella Boylston was pliant and crystal clear. Devon Teuscher had two parts, not a good idea because it confuse the viewers. Teuscher had verve as the street dancer and dignity as dryad queen. As the cupid figure, Amour, Lea Fleytoux was filligree to the utmost. This ballet's abundance of pantomime parts were a reminder that movements can express character, passages of bravoura dancing by soloists and corps kept proceedings lively.

 

The music by Ludwig Minkus hasn't the nuance ofTchaikovsky's ballet scores but propels the story. Compared to this century's "whim" choreographies, the old "Don Q" provides satisfaction.   

 

Isabella Boylston and Danil Simkin in American Ballet Theatre's production of "Don Quixote." Photo by Gene Schiavone.

Whims: 23rd Century Ballet

Whims:  23rd Century Ballet

Farewell Celebration for Kevin McKenzie

American Ballet Theatre

Kennedy Center Opera House
March 29, 2022

 

by George Jackson
copyright 2022 by George Jackson

 

Two things happened in Washington, at the Kennedy Center's Opera House on Tuesday evening, March 29. One was a farewell celebration for American Ballet Theatre' artistic director Kevin McKenzie. He has been in charge of the company for about 3 decades but will be retiring at the end of the current season. Who will succeed him has not  yet been announced. The other event was an attempt by three choreographers chosen by McKenzie to define 23d Century ballet.  

 

American Ballet Theatre. Scene from Alexei Ratmansky's Bernstein in a Bubble. Photo_Rosalie O’Connor

 

 

A golden classic

"The Sleeping Beauty"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 17, 2022 

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum

Rudolf Nureyev's The Sleeping Beauty is a signature ballet for the National Ballet of Canada. A lavish production with challenging choreography for the whole company, it has been used to mark many special occasions. It opened the inaugural season at the company's current home, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, in 2006. This ballet was also a highlight of the company's 60th anniversary.  The last time they performed The Sleeping Beauty in Toronto was in 2018, marking Marius Petipa's 200th birthday. This year, the production turns 50. The NBoC has come a long way since its premiere and Nureyev's production, a huge investment at the time, has paid off and then some. It continues to be a touchstone for company dancers. 

Harrison James and Heather Ogden in "The Sleeping Beauty". Photo by Teresa Wood.

 

Uplifted and Grounded

"Skyward", "After the Rain", "On Solid Ground", "Elite Syncopations"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 9, 2022

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum

The National Ballet of Canada's winter season started with a farewell run of "A Streetcar Named Desire" for company veteran Sonia Rodriguez. The farewells continued with a mixed program to celebrate Jillian Vanstone's retirement after 22 years. The NBoC acquired Christopher Wheeldon's stunning "After the Rain" for the occasion -- an intimate and emotional choice. Vanstone paired it with Sir Kenneth MacMillan's jaunty "Elite Syncopations" where she could let loose and have fun, surrounded by an ensemble of many of her longtime colleagues. The quadruple bill also includes two new works by emerging talents, choreographic associate Alysa Pires and principal dancer Siphesihle November. 

Harrison James and Jillian Vanstone in "Elite Syncopations". Photo by Karolina Kuras. 

It's Only a Paper Moon

"A Streetcar Named Desire"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 2, 2022 

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum

The National Ballet of Canada is back with full capacity performances at last. The pandemic delayed many retirements and planned farewell performances for dancers around the world. Thankfully, principal dancer Sonia Rodriguez was able to hold out and close a remarkable 32 years in the company with a run as Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire." It is the kind of meaty dramatic role that highlights a mature dancer's range. John Neumeier's production is a flawed one, but Rodriguez and the large supporting cast gave a committed and emotional performance. 

Sonia Rodriguez in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Photo by Johan Persson. 

Something out of Nothing

"For a Dance Never Choreographed"
A film by Luca Veggetti
Text from notes by Martha Graham
Voice: Chen-Wei Lee
Cinematography: Stefano Croci
Music: Paolo Aralla

--By Tom Phillips 
Copyright 2022 by Tom Phillips 

Still from For a Dance Never Choreographed, 2021. Photo: Stefano Croci.

For artists and introverts, the Pandemic of 2020-22 was a window of opportunity -- a chance to observe the world in the absence of normal human activity.  During lockdown and quarantine periods, walking deserted streets or sitting in empty public spaces, we could suddenly see form without function --- the structure of civilization without its uses.   

Italian artist-choreographer Luca Veggetti found himself stuck in his hometown of Bologna, Italy, when the pandemic struck in 2020.  So he made something out of nothing.  

 

New Faces and Old Ballets

Swan Lake II
"The Four Temperaments", "Sonatine", "Black Swan Pas de Deux", "Swan Lake"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 15 and February 19, matinee, 2022
by Mary Cargill

copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

These two performances featured debuts of many of City Ballet's talented young dancers.  Some, of course, were more successful than others but all of the dancers, new and old, looked comfortable, confident, and very well rehearsed, especially when dancing in pairs; the dancers seemed to be focused on each other, letting the stage disappear as the audience shared their feelings.  The corps too looked sharp, energized, and synchronized, especially in the complex rhythms of "The Four Temperaments".

New York City Ballet dancers in "The Four Temperaments" photo © Paul Kolnik

Tchaikovsky's Night

"Serenade", "Andantino", "Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux", "Swan Lake"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 11, 2022
by Mary Cargill

copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

 

New York City Ballet had scheduled a marathon of Peter Martins' "Swan Lake", but like so many plans, it had to be revised, though echos of that eternal bird did remain in the programing.  The audience did get a full evening of Tchaikovsky's music, a pas de deux set to the music originally written for the Black Swan, and Balanchine's take on Ivanov's white act.

New York City Ballet in "Swan Lake" photo © Paul Kolnik

Through the Years

"Mozartiana", "Rubies", "La Valse"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 5, 2022, evening

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

City Ballet's all Balanchine program spanning 30 years, from the 1951 "La Valse" to the 1981 "Mozartiana" included snapshots of some of Balanchine's most distinctive ballerinas, Tanaquil Le Clercq ("La Valse"), Patricia McBride ("Rubies"), and Suzanne Farrell ("Mozartiana").  The current dancers, so different from the originals, need to both copy the steps and go beyond them to create their unique interpretations.  It is a challenge, but fascinating to watch.

Mira Nadon and NYCB dancers in "Rubies" photo © Erin Baiano.

 

All’s Well That Ends…

San Francisco Ballet
“Nutcracker” 
San Francisco War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
December 22, 2021

By Rita Felciano
Copyright © Rita Felciano, 2021

Even if you are not that interested in Ballet, chances are you have seen “Nutcracker” at least once as a child, during an elementary school class visit, or even on a date, I have been told that those are popular as safe and pleasant. But then are those of us who go year for year, sometimes wondering whether it  is really worthwhile one more time. Usually, I  succumb because there is always something fresh to discover if only a surprising casting. Though partially driven by professional responsibility, I have yet to regret this yearly ritual.

At Long Last

"Serenade", "Angels' Atlas"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 11, 2021

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2021 by Denise Sum

Having endured one of the longest lockdowns in the world, the pent up desire for connection and live performance in Toronto has been palpable. The National Ballet of Canada’s triumphant return to the stage after 20 months was cause for joyous celebration, an opening night like no other. The evening consisted of two great ensemble pieces: George Balanchine’s “Serenade” and Crystal Pite’s “Angels’ Atlas”. In lieu of an intermission, a 10 minute video interlude allowed the dancers just enough time for a quick change. The video was filmed during the pandemic for the NBoC’s virtual 2020-2021 season, featuring “Soul” by Toronto-based indigenous choreographer, Jera Wolfe.