Accent on Youth
"Dances at a Gathering", "West Side Story Suite"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
May 13, 2016
The all-Robbins program consisted of the fragile "Dances at a Gathering" and the robust "West Side Story Suite", two very different approaches to youthful relationships, which, seen together, have some striking similarities, one of which was committed and well-rehearsed dancers. "Dances at a Gathering" is a difficult work to perform, since it needs both a cohesive group and distinctive personalities. Many in the audience have vivid memories of earlier dancers and it can seem like a parade of ghosts of former favorites; this is, of course, not fair to the current cast, but it can be difficult to watch with fresh eyes. That said, this performance, well-danced though it was, seemed a bit gauzy, if this the magical work was more about wafting extensions, precise poses, and impressive lifts than an exploration of emotions.
There were two debuts, Sterling Hyltin in pink and Robert Fairchild in brown. Fairchild gave the opening solo a delicate, introspective air and a somewhat studied gravitas to the touching the earth moment. I was especially struck by the way he paused and looked as he touched the stage. It was a stylish performance, but it didn't look spontaneous. Hyltin, too, hit every pose but her dancing was smooth rather than nuanced and so many little moves -- holding her legs in an inverted "V", the little shiver of her shoulders, presenting her hand to her partner--which can look so sensuous, were all given the same stylish gloss.
Rebecca Krohn, in mauve, also gave a rather one-note performance. Letter perfect, she had the same soulful expression whether dancing with her friends or being abandoned by her lover. Sarah King, in blue, was a fine exception to the nostalgic haze, as, even in that small role, projected a natural warmth. Megan Fairchild and Antonio Carmena gave their bubbly pas de deux a fine spark, and Fairchild was fearless as the final crescendo in the girl tossing event. Sara Mearns as the woman in green gave her solo a witty nose-in-the-air feeling. I also enjoyed Amar Ramasar as her final possibility in the flirtation walk, as he gave an appalled gasp and bolted off, a very funny and individual take.
There is nothing funny about "West Side Story Suite", Robbins' 1995 distillation of the Broadway musical. The energy was electric, the costumes colorful and the dancing dramatic, but for me the thuggery as entertainment and often sloshy sentimentality is a bit off-putting. The audience, though, loved it.
There was certainly much to love. Andrew Veyette as Riff/Mercutio sang "Cool" and danced hot, though not as hot as Justin Peck's Bernardo/Tybalt, who moved like he was marinated in hair oil. Brittany Pollack was his girlfriend Anita and she threw herself into the Latin-from-Manhattan role, glorifying every South of the Border cliche, except for a fruit basket hat.
Adrian Danchig-Waring was a calm center as Tony and Mimi Staker was a sweet presence in the rather token role of Maria; she just gets to stand around and look innocent, and there is no real personality for Tony to fall in love with. The final scene, set in a cyclorama heaven, seems to suggest that heaven is a place where the gang members audition for parts in "Dances at a Gathering" as they gaze up to the sky holding hands and singing "Somewhere" with such pious sincerity that Little Nell would feel right at home. But as Noel Coward said "How potent cheap music can be" and how potent good dancing is.
Copyright © 2016 by Mary Cargill
