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Keeping it Simple

"The Nutcracker"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
November 29, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

New York City Ballet’s version of “The Nutcracker” is a straightforward, uncomplicated story which eschews any subtext about good and evil; it is a timeless and magical recreation of the childhood most of us dreamed about having, with parties, presents, and good cheer.  And of course, good dancing, especially in the second act, and the opening night was no exception.  Megan Fairchild was a sparkling Sugar Plum Fairy, supported by Joseph Gordon in his welcome return from an injury.  But it is Act I, with its warmth, exuberant children, and magical stage effects, that give this version its power.

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

The Power of Love

“Giselle”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
Nov. 20, 2024

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2024 by Denise Sum

The story of “Giselle” hasn’t changed since its premiere in 1841. Today, “Giselle” is all about the performances. There is a reason this romantic era ballet has endured as long as it has. No other work so perfectly embodies romantic values – idealism, emotion, the supernatural and the irrational. The National Ballet of Canada has been performing Sir Peter Wright’s version since 1970. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke… 

Svetlana Lunkina with Artists of the Ballet in "Giselle". Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Taylor Cubed

"Arden Court", "The Word", "Syzygy"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
November 21, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

This all-Taylor program included works showing some of Taylor’s frequent  themes, from the bright, cheerful “Arden Court”, through the dark and somber “The Word”, and finishing with the bursting energy of “Syzygy”, all danced with an impressive power.  The works, for all their differences, had Taylor’s confident and imaginative use of structure to reinforce the various moods.  His distinctive vocabulary, so full of stag leaps, bouncy jumps, sudden pauses, and creative lifts is a choreographic language of apparently infinite accents. The dancers all moved with a powerful commitment, but the veteran Madelyn Ho got an especially vigorous workout, as she was featured an all three works, an astounding achievement.

Paul Taylor dancers in "Syzygy" photo © Whitney Browne

Bodies in Motion

"Body of Work", "Rhapsody", "Silent Screen"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
Nov. 9, 2024

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2024 by Denise Sum

The National Ballet of Canada returned home looking energized after touring in London and Paris last month. They opened their Toronto season with a mixed program designed to attract classical and contemporary ballet fans alike. No classicist could resist Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Rhapsody”, a dazzling exemplar of bravura technique. Created for the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov, it remains one of the most stunning (and challenging) ballets in any company’s repertoire. “Rhapsody” was paired with “Silent Screen”, the first work from prolific choreographic duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot acquired by the NBoC. “Silent Screen” marries film and dance, blurring the lines between them and showcasing León and Lightfoot’s unique contemporary style. Rounding out the program was a solo choreographed and performed by principal dancer Guillaume Côté, “Body of Work”, as part of his farewell season (he will retire in June 2025 at the end of the 2024-2025 season). 

Guillaume Côté in "Body of Work". Photo by Bruce Zinger. 

Throw The Book Out

“Crime and Punishment”
American Ballet Theater
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
November 1, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

As a novel, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” can be deeply intellectually rewarding or torturously challenging.  As a ballet, Helen Pickett’s adaptation, which premiered during ABT’s fall season, was solely the latter.  Set over twenty scenes to commissioned score from Isobel Waller-Bridge, the work felt like it was based on the CliffsNotes version of the book, not the actual classic literary text.  Thus, the viewing experience was reduced to a quest to find salvage in the quality of the company’s dancers.

Photo of Breanne Granlund as Raskolnikov. Photo © by Kyle Froman

Let There Be Light

"Aureole, Vive La Loïe" "Recess", "Funny Papers"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
November 8, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

There was a lot of light and cheer in the evening’s dances, including the premiere of Jody Sperling’s homage to Loïe Fuller, an early modern dancer whose voluminous costumes and imaginative lighting inspired thousands of Art Nouveau lamps.  It opened with Paul Taylor’s “Aureole”, his light-filled vision of a world full of Handel and white dresses and closed with his “Funny Papers”, a cockeyed look at some playfully silly popular songs.  Another premiere, “Recess”, by the resident choreographer Lauren Lovette, was also slightly cockeyed, featuring grownups bouncing through some well-known childhood games.

Lisa Borres Casey in Paul Taylor's "Funny Papers" photo © Whitney Browne.

 

The Spirit Lives

"The Traitor", "Scherzo", "The Quake that Held Them All", "Two Ecstatic Themes", "Missa Brevis"
Limón Dance Company
Joyce Theater
New York, New York
November 6, 2024

by Mary Cargill 
copyright © 2024 

The Limón Dance Company’s Joyce season presented a generous program, with revivals of three significant Limón works, “The Traitor”, “Scherzo”, and “Missa Brevis”, The first and final pieces emphasized Limón’s spiritual qualities and command of movement, while “Scherzo” was a delicious playful romp.  The company also offered a solo by Doris Humphrey, “Two Ecstatic Themes”, and a new work by Kayla Farrish, “The Quake that Held Them All”, inspired by a lost Limón lost 1951 work “Redes”.

Limón Dance Company in "The Traitor" photo © Kelly Puleio

The Heart of the Matter

"Crime and Punishment"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 30, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

As Oscar Wilde wrote “all bad poetry is sincere”.  The same can be said for all forms of art, as unfortunately Helen Pickett’s “Crime and Punishment”, ABT’s new ballet, shows.  In a recent interview in the “New York Times” Pickett described her fascination with Dostoevsky’s famous novel and talked about her dedication in turning it into a ballet.  She did describe the murderous Raskolnikov as “a family-loving, generous, self-sacrificing fighter against injustice”, though, so perhaps she used a different translation than the one I read.  She certainly absorbed the plot details, which appear in 20 scenes plus a prologue and an epilogue, all in two hours, racing through the events at the speed of a classic comic book. This episodic approach tends to emphasize the more minor characters, leaving Raskolnikov haunting the edges of the action in constant agony.  The basic themes of the book, Raskolnikov’s specious rationalization justifying his murder of the repulsive old pawnbroker (as a superior being, he has the right to commit any crime to further his ends) and the poor prostitute Sonya’s religious beliefs, exemplified in the parable of Lazarus, are almost completely obliterated.  

ABT dancers in Helen Pickett's "Crime and Punishment" photo © Kyle Froman.

A Foggy Day

"The Kingdom of the Shades", "Sylvia Pas de Deux", "Pas de Deux from Great Galloping Gottschalk", "Neo", "In the Upper Room"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 26, matinee 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

The theater’s dry ice machine got a good workout during this matinee as three of the five works used the fog machine to great effect.  “The Kingdom of the Shades”, the white act from the full length nineteenth century Petipa extravaganza “La Bayadère”, has a bit of atmospheric mist to haunt the ghostly dancers, Alexei Ratmansky’s “Neo” has lights projecting through some smoke to create some amorphous triangular shapes, and Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room” dancers appear and disappear in a cloud of smoke.  The two unadorned works, both pas de deux (an excerpt from Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s “Great Galloping Gottschalk”, 1982, and Balanchine’s “Sylvia Pas de Deux”, 1950) both held their own among the mist.

ABT dancers in "The Kingdom of the Shades" photo © Gene Schiavone

The Human Element

"La Boutique", "Mercurial Son", "Études"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 8, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

ABT opened it’s Fall season with two premieres, Gemma Bond’s “La Boutique” and Kyle Abraham’s “Mercurial Son”, and Harald Landers’ 1948 “Etudes”, a salute to classical ballet that ABT first danced in 1961. Though “Etudes” does have an homage to the grand nineteenth century ballets, especially the works of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville, and “La Boutique’s” program note refers to Léonide Massine’s 1919 “La Boutique Fantasque” which told the love story of two dolls in a toyshop, all of these works are plotless, with some outstanding dancing, but little emotional resonance.

ABT dancers in Gemma Bonds' "La Boutique" photo © Emma Zordan

Change, One Dance Step At A Time

“Ará,” “Network,” “Toujours,” “Monarcas,” “Moss Anthology: Variation #5,” “This Bitter Earth,” “The Golden Turtle,” “Divinity in Paradox”
vildwerk.: “Time To Protect Our Planet” Program
Theatre of Museo del Barrio
New York, NY
October 15, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

Can dance save the world?  The question feels rhetorical, but vildwerk., a new foundation that seeks to raise global environmental awareness through dance, is on a mission to have it at least help. Featuring commissions from noteworthy choreographers of our time, such as Joshua Beamish and Gianna Reisen, the program titled “Time to Protect Our Planet” delivered a powerful message through movement. Not all eight works were timeless pieces, but all deserve mention, and maybe, just hopefully, the emotional charge they brought with them can help ignite a deeper passion for the conservation cause.

Photo of Unity Phelan and Preston Chamblee in Christopher Wheeldon’s “This Bitter Earth.” Photo © by Hisae Aihara

Going Everywhere With Peck

“In Creases,” “Solo,” “Partita,” “Everywhere We Go”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 12, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

Ten years is a long time to be doing anything, and when it comes to serving as Resident Choreographer and creating ballets at a rate of up to four per year for one company, it’s an especially admirable feat.  It was thus fitting that New York City Ballet celebrated Justin Peck’s big anniversary as a resident creator with a program of all his works, ranging from the more classically Peck “In Creases” and “Everywhere We Go,” to his more experimental “Solo” and “Partita.” Whether these were the most representative ballets, or the best ones to show Peck’s range, is perhaps a matter of taste and certainly a matter of opinion, but the company danced them well, and it was clear that if there is a legacy heir to fit the shoes of Balanchine and Robbins as the company’s era-defining choreographer, Peck is starting to fit the bill.

Photo of Miriam Miller and Peter Walker in Justin Peck’s “Everywhere We Go.” Photo © Erin Baiano

Women, Center Stage

“Signs,” “Beneath the Tides,” “Concerto for Two Pianos”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 11, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

In the Contemporary Choreography program of recent ballets by all female creators, including this season's world premiere, New York City Ballet presented rich dancing and a level of comfort with the material that is seldom seen with newer works. It may not have been the best choreography the company has in its repertory, but all three works were excellent vehicles for the dancers to explore ways to make the roles their own, and in all three the cast capitalized on the opportunity.

Photo of Sara Mearns and Gilbert Bolden III in Caili Quan’s “Beneath the Tides.” Photo © by Erin Baiano.

Not Forgotten

The National Ballet of Ukraine and the Shumka Dancers
Classical pas de deux and Ukrainian folk dances
New York City Center
New York, NY
October 15, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

Twenty four dancers from the National Ballet of Ukraine and the Canadian based Ukrainian folk dance troupe Shumka are on a grueling three-week, seven-state, sixteen-city tour to raise money for the war effort.  The gala format (including a Don Q pas de deux) showed off their dancers and was generally upbeat, with many in the audience clapping along with the infectious folk rhythms.  The dancing, despite what must be a difficult adjustment to new stages at almost every stop, was thrilling, especially the go for broke folk dancing, yet nuanced, as the dancers, even in the brief, out of context pas de deux, shaded their interpretations clearly.  There were no sets, but the imaginatively chosen projected photographs set the mood; a misty graveyard for “Giselle”, a rocky cliff for “La Bayadere”, rippling water for the “Dying Swan”. (The 3-D glasses handed out helped bring the sets to life.)

The National Ballet of Ukraine photo © Oleksandra Zlunitsyna

Star Quality

"Mozartiana", "Monumentum pro Gesualdo", "Movements for Piano and Orchestra", "Concerto DSCH"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 8, 2024

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2024 by Mary Cargill

This exciting program, called by the Marketing Department simply “Balanchine and Ratmansky”, does not need any other description to entice the viewer.  In addition, it had one of the most anticipated debuts of the season, as the tall and lovely Mira Nadon danced “Mozartiana”, the final ballet Balanchine created for Suzanne Farrell.  One of the most welcome innovations of the new administration is their eagerness to have former dancers back to coach and Nadon had the opportunity to work with Farrell on the role.  There were other new and newish faces on the program, as corps member Victor Abreu made an unexpected debut as one of the energetic side boys in Alexei Ratmansky’s “Concerto DSCH) and Miriam Miller with Arrón Sanz and Dominika Afanasenkov with Davide Riccardo gave their second performances in “Monumentum pro Gesualdo” and “Movements for Piano and Orchestra” respectively.  The company is blooming with young, talented dancers who are not just technical phenoms; they have specific and individual personalities which makes each performance a theatrical (if usually plotless) thrill.

Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle in Alexei Ratmansky’s "Concerto DSCH" photo © Erin Baiano