"Les Sylphides", "Jardin aux Lilas", "Rodeo"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
May 13, 2015 matinee
ABT is showing off a number of its early productions in the first week of its spring season in honor of its 75th anniversary. Since the company is a comparatively recent convert to the full-length blockbuster approach to scheduling, the first week is made up of triple bills, always a hard sell to the Met's summer audience. These bills,
"Bournonville Divertissements", "La Sylphide"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 7, 2015
The New York City Ballet gala featured works by the 19th century Danish choreographer, August Bournonville, with a revival of the 1977 potpourri "Bournonville Divertissements" concocted by Stanley Williams, and the first performance of Peter Martins' staging of the full-length "La Sylphide". The pieces included in the divertissements have varied slightly over the years, as the luminously youthful pas de
A Tribute to Nijinksy
"Les Sylphides", "L'après-midi d'un Faune", "Petrushka"
Sarasota Ballet
Sarasota Opera House
Sarasota, Florida
May 1, 2015
The Sarasota Ballet's "Tribute to Nijinsky" program featured two works by Michel Fokine ("Les Sylphides" and "Petrushka") and one by the dancer ("L'après-midi d'un Faune"). These ballets are now over 100 years old, ancient history in the ballet world, but the Sarasota Ballet's scrupulously rehearsed performances were fresh. Live
"Agon", "Coming Together", "In the Mirror of Her Mind", "Return"
Dance Theatre of Harlem
City Center
New York, NY
April 10, 2015
The Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to City Center with a smaller company (18 dancers) than the one led by Arthur Mitchell (who, of course, graced the City Center stage with New York City Ballet for years). The new company, rapturously received by the audience, looked strong, happy and stylish, adjectives which unfortunately could not be applied to
"Sunset", "Eventide", "Piazzolla Caldera"
Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 24, 2015
The newly named Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance looked, for tonight, very like the old Paul Taylor Dance Company, as the ensemble performed three of Taylor's haunting examinations human emotions, each anchored in a specific time; the first two, "Sunset" and "Eventide" make that clear in their titles, and the third, "Piazzolla Caldera" with its dark, dank atmosphere,
"Diversion of Angels", "Three Dubious Memories", "Spindrift"
Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance
New York, New York
March 23, 2016
Paul Taylor's recent decision to sprinkle other choreo- graphers' works into his company has rewarded the audience with Martha Graham's 1948 "Diversion of Angels". Graham's exploration of love looked fine on the Taylor dancers –they do share a heritage. Laura Halzack and Michael Trusnovec were the more mature, serene couple. Halzack, tall and beautiful in white, projected
"Arden Court", "Sea Lark", "Esplanade"
Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 11, 2015
Last year, Paul Taylor announced a new approach to his company, adding other modern choreographers' works to his repertoire. The current New York season includes Doris Humphrey and Shen Wei, though most of the schedule is full of Taylor, with the traditional two new works by the indefatigable choreographer. It also includes, after a long, financially determined
"Square Dance", "Harlequinade"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 25, 2015
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2015 by Mary Cargill
"Square Dance", Balanchine's witty salute to American folk dancing by way of European courts, is a dance of crisp and gracious symmetry gilding a warm center. Erica Pereira, who danced the lead in the 2006 SAB performance, made her debut with the grownups. Her SAB version was meticulous, precise and uninflected,
"Pictures at an Exhibition", " 'Rōdē,ō: Four Dance Episodes", "Mercurial Manoeuvres"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 11, 2015
New York City Ballet's "New Combina- tions" program showed works by three modern choreo- graphers, Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck and Christopher Wheeldon. Each piece was an abstract take on symphonic music and had a rambunctious corps surrounding a mysterious couple with a casual atmosphere--there were no tutus in sight and
"Donizetti Variations", "La Valse", "Chaconne"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
January 28, 2015
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2015 by Mary Cargill
The New York City Ballet's intriguing program showcased three takes on Balanchine's views of romance, each featuring a central couple surrounded by formal corps patterns. The Bournonville-influenced "Donizetti Variations" will probably never appear on anyone's list of Balanchine's greatest hits, but it is a supremely
"Preludes", "Homage to Edgar Allan Poe", "Are We There Yet?", "Frida"
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble
The Theater at the 14th Street Y
New York, NY
December 7, 2014, 3:00
The Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble presented a group of dances by modern choreographer Anna Sokolow with American themes; George Gershwin, whose music was used for her 1984 "Preludes" represented the cheerful, optimistic side, while "Homage to Edgar Allan Poe" (1986 and 1993) and "Frida" (1997) focused on the artistic
"Don Quixote"
Mikhailovsky Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
November 22, 2014, matinee
The Mikhailovsky Ballet's production of "Don Quixote" lists seven choreographers (Petipa and Gorsky, of course, but also Fyodor Lopukhov, Kasyan Goleyzovsky, Nina Anisimova, Igor Belsky and Robert Gerbek) plus one stager (Mikhail Messerer). It would probably take a dance archaeologist to sort out the different layers and figure out who actually did what, but the outline and choreography of this production is very similar