Mary Cargill

"Aureole", "Troilus and Cressida (reduced)", "Last Look", "Beloved Renegade"
Paul Taylor American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
November 5, 2019

The second Paul Taylor Memorial Performance (the free event was given twice) included an impressive range of Taylor's works, from the sublime "Aureole", the silly "Troilus and Cressida (reduced)", the harrowing "Last Look", and ended with the new Artistic Director Michael Novak's farewell performance in "Beloved Renegade".  He received a shower of

"Theme and Variations", "Let Me Sing Forevermore", "A Gathering of Ghosts"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 16, 2019

ABT's Fall gala abandoned the usual trappings – not a fouetté in sight – though there were some extended speeches, especially the one from Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the president of Celebrity Cruises, in which she quoted statistics showing the small number of current female choreographers and touting the fact that the ABT gala featured works by

"Eleven", "Dans l'Engrenage", "Shadow Lands", "Salvaje"
Fall for Dance, Program 2
New York City Center
New York, New York
October 3, 2019

The second program of Fall for Dance opened and closed with live music, a rare luxury nowadays.  Mark Morris' women dominated the opening dance and the final performance was an all male affair from the Argentine group Malevo.  The two middle pieces had mixed casts, (very loud) recorded music, a lot of energy, and some fairly

"Valse-Fantaisie", Kammermusik No. 2", "Union Jack"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 1, 2019

This Balanchine triple bill showed a breathtaking variety of styles, as well as an impressive number of fearless, accomplished debuts, especially in the exacting "Union Jack" with its phalanxes of precision marchers.  There was no marching in "Valse-Fantaisie", Balanchine's 1967 spun sugar valentine set to Glinka's lilting, sweeping melodies.  This extended pas de deux, augmented

The Bournonville Legacy
"La Sylphide, Act II", "A Bournonville Square: pas de trois from 'The King's Volunteers on Amager', Jockey Dance from 'From Siberia to Moscow', the street singer from 'Napoli', pas de deux from 'Kermesse in Bruges', pas de six and tarantella from 'Napoli'
Members of the Royal Danish Ballet
Joyce Theater
New York, New York
July 9, 2019

Ulrik Birkkjaer, formerly with the Royal Danish Ballet and now dancing with the San Francisco Ballet, has put together a

"The Sleeping Beauty"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
July 6, 2019, evening

ABT's final performance of its spring season starred two of its group of talented soloists, Cassandra Trenary and Joseph Gorak, as Aurora and her prince. The only principal on view that evening was Stella Abrera as the Lilac Fairy; her arch enemy Carabosse was Craig Salstein, a former ABT soloist who left the company a year ago.  The ballet is

"The Sleeping Beauty"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
July 3, 2019, evening

Unlike Aurora, Alexei Ratmansky's 2015 production of Petipa's "The Sleeping Beauty" doesn't believe in long naps, and Ratmansky has added and subtracted elements over its brief life.  This scrupulous attention to detail seems to keep the company awake and fresh, and the dancing, highlighted by Hee Seo's lyrical Aurora and Aran Bell's noble prince, was enticing. Ratmansky's version is a

"Brandenburgs", "Rewilding", "Cascade"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Neidorff-Karpati Hall
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York
June 23, 2019, matinee

The final performance of the Paul Taylor Company's part of the Orchestra of St. Luke's Bach Festival was a heartfelt farewell for many in the packed audience, as it was their last chance to see so many members of the company Taylor molded by the choreographer – six members are retiring soon and it will inevitably be a different company.

"Le Corsaire"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 12, 2019 matinee

ABT's version of "Le Corsaire" is loosely based on Petipa's revisions to the 1856 French ballet by Joseph Mazilier, which was even more loosely based on the 1814 poem by Byron.  This season, ABT has included a somewhat apologetic note in the program explaining that in 1814 "pirates, pashas, and damsels in distress" were commonplace.  In fact, Byron's poem has

"Junction", "all at once", "Promethean Fire"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Neidorff-Karpati Hall
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York
June 7, 2019

The Orchestra of St. Luke's is presenting a three-week festival of Bach's music in various New York City venues, including the elegantly restored theater at the Manhattan School of Music where the Paul Taylor Dance Company is performing all six of Taylor's works set to the composer.  The company's first night included the first ("Junction" from

"Clearing", "Trio Sonatas", "Nights and Dreams", "Undercurrent"
Lydia Johnson Dance
The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater
New York, New York
June 6, 2019

The small company (thirteen dancers plus a guest appearance by former New York City Ballet dancer Craig Hall) presented four works by Lydia Johnson, one premiere ("Clearing") and three older pieces.  Johnson has a wide-ranging taste in music and the evening had works set to Handel ("Trio Sonatas", Schubert ("Nights and Dreams"), Henryk Górecki ("Undercurrents"), and Philip

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 30, 2019

As is semi-traditional, the New York City Ballet is ending its Spring season with a flourish of Balanchine, Shakespeare, and Mendelssohn with refreshed costumes, looking much brighter (though in an odd oversight, some of the men's bloomers in the second act divertissement were missing their red ribbons). The end of the season also saw a number of debuts, an