Alternate Casts at ABT
"Symphonie Concertante", "Garden Blue", "Fancy Free"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 20, 2018 matinee
At American Ballet Theatre, the dancing did the talking in a program that included a revival of Balanchine's "Symphonie Concertante" to Mozart, once considered lost; "Garden Blue" in which the production carried the day; and an unalloyed classic, Jerome Robbins' "Fancy Free" all with debuts in leading roles.
What amazes initially in "Symphonie Concertante" is how easy Balanchine makes the work of a choreographer look; how deceptively) simple the results, how elegantly the dancing perches on the score. Balanchine set himself a few challenges here: two ballerinas, and a corps of twenty-two women, including six demis. Parse those numbers and you realise that "Symphonie Concertante," for all its tutus and tiaras, is further from the hierarchical, pyramidal model of classical ballet than it seems to be.
The ballet was led by Stella Abrera and Gillian Murphy, reprising their roles, and Alexandre Hammoudi, in his debut, to the manner born as their partner but stiff in his solo passages. The tone was reticent and respectful: the norms of classical ballet at its purest front and center, and arabesque unfolded to a ninety degree angle, no more. What's missing is avidity, of joy, of desire to be on that stage at that moment in this ballet
To my knowledge, only ABT dances "Symphonie Concertante". The company is responsible for it (this revival was staged by ballet mistress Susan Jones with no indication of coaching from any Balanchine organization). Does the responsibility weigh everyone down? Is this reticence due to the score or its origins as a dance for students? I wish everyone involved would take ownership the ballet: "it is ours and we are proud of it.
Though choreographed by Jessica Lang, "Garden Blue" really belongs to Sarah Crowner designer of the sets and costumes. The dancers, Skylar Brandt with Blaine Hoven (in fuschia), Catherine Hurlin with Aran Bell (in red orange) and Stephanie Williams with Joo Won Ahn (in mustard) look wonderful; both the color and the cut of the costumes are very attractive. The backdrop, the green of a newly mown lawn under a streaked blue sky, brings the warmth and weight of summer air with it. The wooden wings, one set suspended and two on the ground, add summer fauna -- crickets, darning needles, flies -- to the mix. But this is also a dance where one woman, on her back, leg raised, is pulled between her partner's legs by her ankle. And where Christine Shevchenko, in a white and green leotard (she's different, you see) comes across as unfazed, even joyful at her status as the odd woman out. But her part is so lightly sketched, that it's hard to tell whether that is actually the case.
If the three newest sailors in "Fancy Free" haven't quite coalesced into a trio yet, each had a moment that stood out and provided a quick look at how a dancer builds a character. Each time his buddy got stuck with the bar tab, Arron Scott's initial gestures were all sympathy and commiseration. Only when the chump headed to the bar did he exchange handshakes with his partner in crime. As the easy mark, who gets a girl to himself, Thomas Forster was at his best chastened after a failed pass. His initial reaction was "Hey what did I do?" but he took the hint, nonetheless walking behind the woman as though she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Near the end of his solo, the third sailor, Calvin Royal III, turned barstools into bongos and was blissed out by the rhythms they've made. These were personal choices (the other cast made other choices)which personalized the roles, making dancer and character one. What would Robbins, a notorious perfectionist in the studio have made of this? One hopes, that as a man of the theater, he would have approved of finding your own way.
One of the pleasures of ABT's annual fall season is the chance to see dancers, particularly soloists and corps members, take on lead roles. One of the problems? How long will it be until we, and they, can show how they've built on these debuts. "Fancy Free", done to death worldwide in this centennial year of both Bernstein and Robbins, needs a short rest. "Symphonie Concertante", last shown in 2006, needs to be taken out of mothballs more frequently. The dancers' efforts deserve no less.
copyright © 2018 by Carol Pardo
