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New Directions

“Dichotomous Being: An Evening of Taylor Stanley”
Henry J. Leir Stage
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Becket, Massachusetts
Saturday, July 30, 2022

by Gay Morris
copyright ©2022 by Gay Morris

Taylor Stanley projects a sense of mystery that seems an intrinsic part of his personality. It is as if his dancing is a means of self-exploration, a search for answers that may not yet be fully available. A principal with New York City Ballet since 2016, Stanley’s classical technique is pristine but never solely the point. His dancing, like his race and gender (he is bi-racial and refers to himself as “they”), is not singular but plural, a point made in his concert, “Dichotomous Being: An Evening of Taylor Stanley,” presented last week in performances at the Henry J. Leir outdoor stage at Jacob’s Pillow.

Taylor Stanley in "Redness," choreographed by Shamel Pitts.  Photo by Danica Paulos.

 

 

 

“An Untitled Love”

“An Untitled Love”
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham
Jacob’s Pillow
Beckett, Massachusetts
July 17, 2022

by Gay Morris
copyright ©2022 by Gay Morris

Kyle Abraham’s “An Untitled Love” is dedicated, in his words, to “Black love,” as evoked through the music of R&B artist D’Angelo. Abraham has been a fan of D’Angelo’s music since his college days. He developed his choreographic response to it over the last four years, which included two residencies at Jacob’s Pillow.

Young Love

American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
July 16, 2022, matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet" is an audience magnet and the Met was pointing straight north for Cassandra Trenary's debut as the doomed heroine.  Though the work does have its dry patches--cue those frizzy haired harlots who help pad the second act (and who seem to have had a fresh perm for the occasion)--it is a true tear-jerker, as effective as any Puccini opera in getting the audience to cry on cue.  Trenary certainly got those tears going; with her fresh, youthful face and elegant dancing, she was a natural and gave an extremely accomplished and detailed performance.  She toned down the opening hijinks with that silly doll and made her Juliet youthful but shyly eager to grow up.  She was intrigued and a bit flattered by Paris and very happy to be at the ball.  This made her quietly passionate reaction to Romeo (Calvin Royal III) seem a natural development, and she seemed to dance the role in complete sentences, seamlessly merging the steps and the acting.

Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal III in "Romeo and Juliet" photo © Rosalie O'Connor.

Thanks for the Memories

American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 22, 2022, matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

This performance of ABT's only triple bill this season, subtitled (a bit hopefully) "American Splendor", was dedicated to Kevin McKenzie,  after 30 years as Director of ABT.  The evening opened with brief remarks by Gillian Murphy and Herman Cornejo introduced a short film summarizing Mr. McKenzie's career (including adorable pictures of him as a very young, dedicated ballet student) interspersed with interviews of Mr. McKenzie and a few of the dancers he had worked with, some of whom were in the audience.  The intermissions were trips down memory lane, spotting dancers who brought back so many happy memories.  Then, no more speeches, on with the show, until the confetti exploded in the curtain calls.

Devon Teuscher and ABT dancers in "Theme and Variations" photo © Rosalie O'Connor

Greek Fire

"Of Love and Rage"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 22, 2022, matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

"Of Love and Rage", Alexei Ratmansky's newest work for ABT, may never become a second "Romeo and Juliet", able to fill the Met with its name alone, and audiences new to it will always have to study the synopsis with devoted attention. Nevertheless, with the luminous settings and elegant costumes (Jean-Marc Puissant), the robust Khachaturian score, and the many choreographic delights (including lots of male jumping) it should find its audience.  I certainly hope so, because Ratmansky has provided a fine vehicle to show off ABT's many newer, younger, and very interesting dancers.

ABT in "Of Love and Rage" photo © Gene Schiavone.

The Boys from Syracuse

"Of Love and Rage"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 20, 2022

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

ABT's newest full-length ballet, by Alexei Ratmansky, is based on the world's oldest surviving novel, "Callirhoe" written in the First century A.D. by the Greek Chariton, described in a 1935 article as "a melodrama of no slight vigor".  It is certainly not a household story, but has elements of Romeo and Juliet (including a false death) and  the idea that beautiful women are prone to being kidnapped.  The beautiful Callirhoe (Catherine Hurlin) and the athletic Chaereas (Aran Bell), living in the Greek colony of Syracuse, whose fathers hate each other, fall in love.  Callirhoe's defeated suitors convince Chaereas that Callirhoe is unfaithful, he loses his temper, confronts her and she collapses offstage, apparently dead.  (In the book he kicks her but today's heroes are a tamer lot.) The unconscious Callirhoe is buried and pirates, complete with ship, rob her tomb and kidnap her.  They sell her to Dionysius (not the alcohol-flavored god, but the ruler of Miletus, in Asia Minor), danced by the impressively dignified Daniel Camargo.  He is a recent widower who finds her beauty irresistible, but is also quite a decent fellow.

Catherine Hurln in "Of Love and Rage" photo © Gene Schiavone.

Getting to Know You

Program A: "Fibers", "Images and Reflections", "Hope is a Thing with Feathers", "Profiles", "Aureole"
Program B: "Tracer", "Events II", "A Call for Softer Landings", "Profiles", "Aureole"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Joyce Theater
New York, New York
June 17, 2022 (Program B) and June 18, 2022 matinee (Program A)

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

The Taylor Company's brief Joyce season was a history lesson of sorts, featuring several early Taylor works, some not seen since their original performances, and a possible glimpse of the future, with two new pieces by two choreographers in an effort, as the program notes by Michael Novak, the current Artistic Director, say "to commission a new generation of American choreographers".  The season was a portrait of early Taylor, but also an introduction to a number of new dancers--about half of the present company have joined since Taylor's death.

The Taylor Company in Peter Chu's "A Call for a Softer Landing" photo © Steven Pisano

Woman Power

"Swan Lake"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 10, 2022 

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum

Karen Kain’s “Swan Lake” has been a long time coming. Originally scheduled to premiere in June 2020, the new production was pushed back two years due to the pandemic. It marks the end of Kain’s long career as artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, from 2005 to 2021. This “Swan Lake” is a collaborative effort. Kain is not a choreographer and while the production is directed and staged by her, she also relies on Associate Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and Choreographic Associate Robert Binet for choreography, which is listed in the program as “after Erik Bruhn, after Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa”. Sometimes this version suffers from too many cooks in the kitchen and can feel a bit scattered. Nonetheless, it is truer to the heart of the love story and more dynamic than James Kudelka’s bleak and dreary version that the company has been performing since 1999. As such, it feels like a breath of fresh air and will be part of Kain’s legacy with the NBoC. 

Jurgita Dronina and Harrison James in "Swan Lake". Photo by Karolina Kuras. 

Olé!

"Don Quixote"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 15, 2022

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

"Don Quixote" as a ballet tends to ignore the poor fellow, using him as a hook to hand all those dances on, so it was surprising to see how the tall, lean Cy Doherty commanded attention in the opening scene, staring at the vision of Dulcinea with a befuddled but awestruck sincerity as his creaking, aged body reached for her in vain.  His Don never faded completely into the background once the dancing started; there was a hint of anger as he used his lance to protect himself and to attack that windmill and a stubborn determination to reach the dream Dulcinea, no matter what the Dryad Queen said.  His final exit, trembling with determination to keep seeking for the ideal the audience knows he will never find, had a hint of both comedy and tragedy.  It was even more surprising to discover that Doherty is an apprentice; the vivid character he created with so much sympathy and understanding seemed to come from a much older man.

Catherine Hurlin as Kitri in "Don Quixote" photo © Rosalie O'Connor

Sunny Side Up

"Don Quixote"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 14, 2022

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

ABT's colorful version of the long-after Petipa ballet "Don Quixote" showcased three of its exciting younger dancers (Skylar Brandt at Kitri, Cassandra Trenary as Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads, and Gabe Stone Shayer as Espada), along with one of its most thrilling stars, Herman Cornejo, as Basilio.  Now 40, Cornejo is not going to be dancing Basilio for much longer and the audience took this opportunity to thank him for so many sparkling, joyful performances.  He responded generously, with a knowing wink and slight smile before showing off his wonderfully smooth turns, speeding up and slowing down at will, and his flashy yet stylish cabrioles.  He was warm, generous, and very funny.

Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo in "Don Quixote" photo © Rosalie O'Connor.

Appetizers

"Signs", "A Suite for Kay", "Circus Polka", "Symphony in C", fourth movement
School of American Ballet Workshop
Peter Jay Sharp Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 4, 2002 matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill

This SAB program, attended by a packed and enthusiastic audience, was a bit more piecemeal than usual, with only one complete work, Giana Reisen's premiere "Signs".  ("Circus Polka", Jerome Robbins' charming bonne bouche for young dancers, hardly counts as a work.)  "A Suite for Kay" was a collection of Balanchine solos, and only the finale of "Symphony in C" let the dancers tear into some great choreography.  Rehearsing in smaller groups may have been an understandable safety measure, but I did miss the thrill of seeing meticulously rehearsed productions.

SAB students in Balanchine's "Symphony in C" photo © Rosalie O'Connor.

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.