Mary Cargill

Through the Years

New York City Ballet

Through the Years

"Mozartiana", "Rubies", "La Valse"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 5, 2022, evening


City Ballet's all Balanchine program spanning 30 years, from the 1951 "La Valse" to the 1981 "Mozartiana" included snapshots of some of Balanchine's most distinctive ballerinas, Tanaquil Le Clercq ("La Valse"), Patricia McBride ("Rubies"), and Suzanne Farrell ("Mozartiana").  The current dancers, so different from the originals, need to both copy the steps and go beyond
By Mary Cargill
Birthday Offerings

New York City Ballet

Birthday Offerings

"Allegro Brillante", "La Source", "Firebird"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 22, 2020


New York City Ballet celebrated Balanchine's 116th birthday with an all-Balanchine program which looked back to his (and ballet's) past.  The classical clarity of "Allegro Brilliante", the nineteenth century Parisian perfume of "La Source", and the Diaghilevish exoticism of "Firebird" are from different streams which flowed into his imagination.

"Allegro Brillante" opened with a
By Mary Cargill
The Legat Legacy

book review

The Legat Legacy

"The Legat Legacy" edited by Mindy Aloff.
University Press of Florida, 2020.


With its rich list of books on dance history, technique and memoirs,  The University Press of Florida has become the go to publisher for dance books.  This recent work, a reprinting of the 1939 "Ballet Russe: Memoirs of Nicolas Legat" and the 1977 "Heritage of a Ballet Master: Nicolas Legat" under the title "The Legat Legacy" is a welcome addition.

Caricature of Pauyl Dukes by Nicolas
By Mary Cargill
In With the Old

New York City Ballet

In With the Old

"Haieff Divertimento", "Concertino", "Episodes", "Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 6, 2020


New York City Ballet's February 6 performance was a look back, featuring two revivals (Balanchine's "Haieff Divertimento" from 1947 and Robbins' "Concertino" from 1982), a rarely performed solo from "Episodes" which was choreographed by Balanchine for Paul Taylor, then a member of the Martha Graham Company.  (The first episode by Martha Graham
By Mary Cargill
Twenty Years and Counting

Twenty Years and Counting

Herman Cornejo: Celebrating 20 Years
Act II pas de deux from "Giselle", Second solo from "Apollo", "Sinatra Suite"
Studio 5
New York City Center
New York, New York
December 2, 2019



Alastair Macaulay's too brief stint as Studio 55 programmer ended with a salute to ABT dancer Herman Cornejo's twenty year career with the company.  Cornejo himself selected the repertoire and the dancers (Skylar Brandt in "Giselle" and Luciana Paris in "Sinatra Suite"), which with characteristic modesty
By Mary Cargill
Nuts and Bolts

Nuts and Bolts

"The Art of Partnering"
Studio 5
New York City Center
New York, New York
November 25, 2019


The intimate and imaginative Studio 5 presentations give the audience, who sit in a semi-circle around the artists, fascinating glimpses into the creative process.  This evening Alastair Macaulay, the former Chief Dance Critic of the "New York Times", put together a discussion on ballet partnering in three works by Balanchine with Jonathan Stafford, the Artistic Director of the New York City
By Mary Cargill
Dust to Dust

Paul Taylor Dance Company

Dust to Dust

"Dust", "Private Domain", "Piazzolla Caldera"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
November 16, 2019, evening


The three Taylor works in this program were all, in different ways, sardonic but sympathetic observations of loneliness and isolation.  This emotional downer did seem fitting, for this season is the final one for several Taylor dancers (Michelle Fleet, Parisa Khobdeh, Sean Mahoney, and Jamie Rae Walker – Robert Kleinendorst will retire later this year) and for
By Mary Cargill
Old Favorites

Paul Taylor Dance Company

Old Favorites

"Airs", "Sunset", "Syzygy"
Paul Taylor American Dance
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
November 9, 2019, evening


For its annual New York season the Taylor Company has not adopted the idea of themed triple bills, where the same dances are performed together.  This may be easier on the schedulers, but it does limit and repertory, and a repertory as rich as Taylor's deserved to be seen from all angles.  The Saturday night performance
By Mary Cargill
In Memorium

Paul Taylor Dance Company

In Memorium

"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
By Mary Cargill
Let Them Eat Cake

American Ballet Theatre

Let Them Eat Cake

"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
By Mary Cargill
Fresh Faces

New York City Ballet

Fresh Faces

"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
By Mary Cargill
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