Marianne Adams

“LAC (after Swan Lake)”
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
New York City Center
New York, NY
March 14, 2014

Reinterpreting a beloved classic is risky business, and in the case of “Swan Lake” akin to a tightrope walk over a yawning chasm. The few examples that got all the way across distanced themselves from the original with enough creative merit to minimize comparison. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s “LAC” sought to follow suit. Choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot in 2011 to Tchaikovsky’

“Bal de Couture,” “DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse,” “The Four Seasons”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 28, 2014

New York City Ballet’s “Scenic Delights” program was a best-of-three wager – and managed to pay off.  After the uncomfortable presentation of Peter Martins’ “Bal de Couture,” the next two works were winners that delighted in both content and execution.

But if two out of three sufficed for the program as a whole, it

“Dances at a Gathering,” “Union Jack”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
January 24, 2014

Mixing different styles, like flavors, can yield scintillating results, but you have to do it right. In pairing Robbins’s elegant “Dances at a Gathering” with Balanchine’s jolly “Union Jack” New York City Ballet accomplished just that. The expert performances of the two ballets contrasted, instead of clashed, and showcased the company’s artistic range. A little grace, a

“Different Homes,” “Picnic,” “Surmisable Units”
BalletNext
New York Live Arts
New York
January 16, 2014

Both daring and self-contained, BalletNext’s presentation of An Evening by Brian Reeder was an intriguing visual delight that left just enough unsaid.  The program featured three works choreographed by Reeder: the New York premiere of “Different Homes,” the world premiere of “Surmisable Units,” and an older work, “Picnic,” from 2012.  All three were performed to live music and offered a creative depth