Hard Work, and a Wedding

“Don Quixote”
American Ballet Theatre
The Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
May 16, 2017
 
For her debut in the role with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland presented the crowd with a robust but not particularly enthusiastic Kitri, and fellow debutants Jeffrey Cirio as Basilio, Luciana Paris as Mercedes and Calvin Royal III as Espada enlivened the production with joyful and appealing dancing. The ballet wasn’t perfect, but the shining moments shone brightly, even if that light did not come from where one expected it. 

The traditionally infectious entrance of Kitri on stage for the first time was the first sign of trouble for Copeland’s performance, as the usually charismatic ballerina’s appearance was embellished with a confident but uninspired smile, and riddled with heaviness in the steps. Still, even through the strained jumps, there was hope that Copeland was on the path of presenting to us a Kitri who was perhaps more mature than usual – a different approach to the role.  Alas, the smile quickly faded and never again returned during the dancing sequences (though we did see it a few times in the miming parts), and for the rest of the performance this story about a playful young woman who dances her way to marriage to her poor barber boyfriend against her strict father’s wishes felt like hard work. The steps were rehearsed to a T, and it showed, but the dancing and freedom and lightness of movement were simply not there. 

 Not helping matters was the fact that the lack of joy in Kitri was contrasted starkly by the energetic and flirtatious performance from Cirio. This Basilio’s first entrance onto the stage was light and crisp, and besides the technically admirable dancing, he made great efforts to keep the ballet fun, which was no easy feat next to Copeland.  Where his variation in the first act was infectious and laced with playfulness, hers – lacking any excitement, and without a single smile!  Where his technique was exacting, with effortless execution of the jumps and turns and meticulously clean conclusion of those steps, hers looked strained.  He suffered a bit in partnering, particularly during the pas de deux where he was to hold Copeland up on just one arm, but in this asymmetrical partnership this could be forgiven.  Next to them, Paris, as Mercedes, had more presence than anyone on stage during the evening, and her gorgeously bent torso and shoulder positioning made the role, the dancing and the music, all feel more expansive. Similarly, as her Espada, Royal danced with equal poise, and if the leads were to have disappeared, the two of them could have easily carried the ballet to the end without much loss to the performance. Royal’s Espada could be cultivated into a deeper character still, but the attractive core features were already all there, and he is certainly one to watch in performances and seasons to come.

Similarly, the dancing of the flower girls, Skylar Brandt and Catherine Hurlin, and in the Dream Scene Cassandra Trenary as Amour, were a revelation.  Brandt and Hurlin were all energy, smiles and dedication, and they seemed to really enjoy being on stage and inhabiting their characters. Like them, Trenary too seemed to genuinely have fun with her role, so much so that her that her double turns during the diagonal in the Amour variations seemed unplanned but unavoidable for all the excitement she felt in the role. It was difficult to look at these women, clearly enjoying the dancing, and not wish for them to have more time on stage. Next to them, Veronica Part danced the Queen of Dryads, and got the job done, but was overshadowed by the rest of the supporting cast. 
 
With all these exciting moments, getting to the final wedding scene pas de deux was a disappointment. Here, Copeland and Cirio gave an over-rehearsed but underdanced and underdelivered performance, with once again not a single smile from the ballerina. Perhaps, when you work so hard at getting yourself to a wedding actually enjoying it is the last of your concerns, but a few smiles are expected from the bride, even if only out of politeness. Cirio’s variation with its grand jumps elevated the overall impression somewhat, but a labored wedding pas de deux with missed accents, nearly missed lifts, and a coda that failed to give the full 32 fouettes, even with all of them executed as single turns, definitely fell short of expectations.  Of course, Copeland has her loyal audience, who seemed to have enjoyed the night and gave the ballerina her applause, but the rest of us can only hope for better performances, and a quick rise of the shining members of this cast.

copyright © 2017 by Marianne Adams