Mary Cargill

"Whipped Cream"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 27, 2019

Alexei Ratmansky's "Whipped Cream" is a multi-layer confection, full of surprising treats, among them the opportunity Ratmansky gives to some of ABT's explosion of young talent. This performance highlighted this, with one principal (Devon Teuscher as Princess Tea Flower), two soloists (Cassandra Trenary as Princess Praline and Thomas Forster as Prince Coffee) and a corps dancer as the Boy (Jonathan Klein, making his

"Whipped Cream"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 25, 2019 matinee

Alexei Ratmansky's colorful extravaganza "Whipped Cream" returned for the third year, looking vivid and fresh; the dancers, it seems, have become at home in their roles and have added individual touches and comic flourishes.  The many roles, from the Worm Candy Man to the leads, were danced with a snap and vigor, combined with fine comic timing which created a sort

"Whipped Cream"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 25, 2019 matinee

Alexei Ratmansky's colorful extravaganza "Whipped Cream" returned for the third year, looking vivid and fresh; the dancers, it seems, have become at home in their roles and have added individual touches and comic flourishes.  The many roles, from the Worm Candy Man to the leads, were danced with a snap and vigor, combined with fine comic timing which created a sort

"Serenade after Plato's Symposium", "The Seasons"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 20, 2019

ABT's Spring gala saluted Alexei Ratmansky's ten year association with the company by presenting an evening of his works, opening with the dense, fascinating "Serenade after Plato's Symposium" and closing with a premiere, "The Seasons", a plotless excursion through Alexander Glazunov's eponymous score, written in 1900 for Marius Petipa.  Fun fact – Glazunov was commissioned to compose the ballet

"Harlequinade"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 16, 2019

Dying may be easy and comedy hard, as the old saying has it, and "Harle- quinade" has both, though this performance of Petipa's frothy confection of commedia dell'arte characters as reconstructed by Alexei Ratmansky made comedy look easy.  The ballet has all the trappings of an old-fashioned comedy: a poor young man, a beautiful girl, an angry father, and a fatuous rich suitor

"Harlequinade"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 15, 2019 matinee

"Harlequinade", Alexei Ratmansky's gleaming reconstruction of Petipa's 1900 ballet, complete with mime, character dancing, and what looked like hundreds of hats, gave the audience a taste of ballet as seen by the Tsar and his family.  The Tsar, of course, did not have to watch it in the cavernous Met Opera House, so it was easier for him to focus on the

"Scotch Symphony", "Duo Concertant", "Sonatine", "Stravinsky Violin Concerto"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
April 30, 2019

The most recent work on the all-Balanchine program was the 1975 "Sonatine" but all the dancers looked fresh and vibrant.  Even "Scotch Symphony", that charming but illogical wish-mash of Romantic themes with kilted men switching effortlessly from menacing barriers to bouncy villagers and an illusive sylph morphing into a triumphant ballerina, shimmered.  NYCB

"Dance/Speak: The Life of Agnes De Mille"
New York Theatre Ballet
Florence Gould Hall
New York, NY
April 17, 2009

The small and innovative company celebrated its 30th anniversary Broadway style, with a play about the life of the American choreographer Agnes de Mille.  There was plenty of dancing, carefully reproduced and immaculately rehearsed, but the acerbic, fierce, independent spirit of de Mille was front and center.  The work was written by the novelist Anderson Ferrell, a

"Prodigal Son", "Liebeslieder Walzer"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 28, 2019

The typical image of a Balanchine ballet features an austere backdrop illuminating the dancers (in leotards or pastel shifts) and their glorious formations, but the February 28th performance showcased two Balanchine ballets whose sets and costumes created distinctive atmospheres.  Georges Rouault's stained glass glow helps give "Prodigal Son" the rooted, ritualistic feel of an ancient parable and David

"Apollo", "Orpheus", "Agon"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 22, 2019

The whims of the calendar decreed that New York City Ballet's winter season opened on Balanchine's birthday and the company honored him by dancing three of his most significant works, the so-called Greek trilogy.  "Apollo" is the oldest of his ballets currently being performed, the theatrical "Orpheus" is the ballet that inspired Morton Baum to invite the young company

"Les Patineurs", "Enigma Variations", "Diamonds"
The Sarasota Ballet
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida
December 14, 2018, December 15, 2018 matinee and evening

"Theme and Variations", "Concerto Barocco", "A Suite of Dances", "Todo Buenos Aires"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 14, 2018

The final program of New York City Ballet's fall season celebrated Joaquin De Luz's retirement, though it was certainly a bitter sweet celebration as the ageless charmer proved he could still thrill an audience.  Indeed, the opening work, Balanchine's "Theme and Variations", has one of the most challenging of male