"Harlequinade"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 4, 2018
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2018 by Mary Cargill
Nineteenth century ballet comedies often involve poor girls in love with poor young men, rebelling against a parent who has a beady eye on a rich suitor ("Don Quixote" and "La Fille Mal Gardée" are familiar examples), with true love winning happily in the end. (As Oscar Wilde would say, that's why it's called
"Harlequinade"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 5, 2018
The Petipa/ Ratmansky soufflé "Harlequinade" has many ingredients, chief among them the older terre à terre style, with its sharp, fast footwork; making lace with their feet is a frequent description of those Imperial ballerinas. Columbine, the heroine of the comic ballet, has choreography packed with these terre à terre moves, as she hops almost continually – slow hops, fast hops, backwards,
"Concerto Barocco", "Agon", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 3, 2018
The final performance of New York City Ballet's spring season had several debut and farewell performances, and in the case of corps member Cameron Dieck's role in "Agon", both happened at once. Long-time soloist Savannah Lowery said goodbye dancing the second violin in "Concerto Barocco" and the Bransle Gay in "Agon"; it is rare that soloists,
"Coppélia"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 1, 2018
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2018 by Mary Cargill
Ashley Bouder's first "Coppélia" was part of a busy final week of New York City Ballet's Spring season, which saw a number of debuts, including that of her Frantz, Joseph Gordon. With her forthright stage presence and radiant classical technique, Bouder would seemingly have been a natural for the spunky Swanilda long
"La Bayadère"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 29, 2018
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2018 by Mary Cargill
ABT has abandoned its policy of importing guests wholesale to populate its Spring season roster, but with the current shortage of tall, princely men (so many injuries), the company invited the Korean-trained Maryinsky dancer Kimin Kim back for "Bayadère" week, a wise and rewarding decision. Kim's noble bearing and superb partnering helped
"Nocturne in E Flat", "Witch Dance", "Brahms Waltz", "Quasi Waltz", "As I Remember", "Time is Money", "Mourner's Bench", "Lyric Suite", "Second Line Blues", "Bonewash", "Short Story", "Etude, Op. 9 No. 12"
Modern Rebels
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble
The Tank
New York, New York
May 30, 2018
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2018 by Mary Cargill
The generous program put together by Samantha Géracht, the Artistic Director of the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, was made up of short dances (mainly solos)
"Coppélia"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 25, 2018
Though New York City Ballet is renowned for its one-act plotless ballets, it is exceptionally satisfying to watch a character (and a dancer) develop and change over several acts, as Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz showed in their magnificent "Coppélia". Story ballets also give dancers a chance to show that ballet is richer than a collection of steps and the
"Harlequinade", "Praedicere", "AfterRite"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 21, 2018
ABT's Spring Gala included three premieres, two of coming attractions ("AfterRite" and excerpts from "Harlequin- ade") and one gala special (tap dancer Michelle Dorrance's "Praedicere"). "Harlequinade" is a reconstruction by Alexei Ratmansky of Petipa's 1900 ballet, based on the Stepanov notations now owned by Harvard, so it is technically not a premiere, but the Petipa version was last danced in Russia
"Giselle"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 17, 2018
ABT's Giselle Week hooped along with a fine and moving, if not always technically perfect, performance by Stella Abrera and Cory Sterns, supported by an impressive debut by Katherine Williams as Myrta, a haunting mime scene by Nancy Raffa, and a sparkling and elegant peasant pas de deux by Skylar Brandt and Joseph Gorak.
Abrera's Act I Giselle was fresh and eager, though
"Giselle"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 16, 2018, matinee
ABT has a solid version of the Romantic classic "Giselle", with beautiful, traditional designs which, even if the first grape was harvested in 1987, look vivid and fresh. Though some of the stage business could be rethought (Bathilde's nose now almost scrapes the sky, eliminating the sad irony of the two girls sharing their love stories, and why, if all the
"The Unsung", "The Body is a House Without Walls", "Querida Herida", "Missa Brevis"
Limón Dance Company
Joyce Theater
New York, New York
May 10, 2018
The Limón Dance Company opened its New York season with a program bookended by two powerful works by José Limón supporting two newer works, both of which sported interesting designs, committed dancers, and somewhat meandering choreography, which put Limón's focused, structured works into sharp relief.
Limón's "The Unsung" from 1970 is a memorial to Native
"The Four Seasons", "Circus Polka", "Easy", "A Suite of Dances", "Something to Dance About"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
May 3, 2018
New York City Ballet's Spring gala celebrated Jerome Robbins' 100 birthday with three of his works, a premiere by Justin Peck, and a lavish compilation of Robbins' Broadway choreography. Maria Kowroski introduced the evening with a gracious speech and reminded the audience that she is the only