Into the Woods
"Bournonville Divertissements", "La Sylphide"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 23, 2015, matinee
New York City Ballet hosted another "La Sylphide" debut as Lauren Lovette and Anthony Huxley danced the unfortunate couple on Saturday afternoon. Lovette is a dark-eyed beauty with an expressive face and a light, easy, airy jump and she used both to great effect. Her opening bourrées, as she skimmed over the stage, were particularly effective. Her sylph was beautiful and capricious and she was able, with the tilt of her head, to show the poor sylph's contrasting moods. She made the final first scene particularly poignant as she looked around in vain for James as he was hiding with the scarf to trap her. She walked slowly and sadly, then looked around the forest and picked up her head as if to say "Even if I have lost him, this is all mine and I will live here forever with all my sylphs." Then she saw the scarf and lost everything. With experience Lovette may be able to give the sylph more of the moonstone glow and tinge of danger that Hyltin conveyed but it was a remarkable debut.
Huxley, too, gave interesting grace notes to his character, though he was not able to make sense of James's perky, bouncy first solo. No matter how well it is danced (and Huxley showed off some very nice beats) it undercuts James's confusion and isolation. But before and after that solo, his James was compelling. He made more of the opening scene than the others I saw, shifting positions restlessly as if he were uncomfortable in that safe, tidy little world. His first reaction when awakened by the sylph's kiss was to grab her and that impetuous, forceful reaction helped make his fear and hatred of Madge understandable.
Effie (Lauren King) and Gurn (Troy Schumacher) were also debuts. Schumacher's Gurn was a fine contrast to Huxley's moody James and his clear "That James, he's such a dreamer" mime as he saw James staring at the fire after the sylph flew up reinforced the feeling that James had long been out of place. Schumacher's Gurn was a nice boy but insecure and unsure of himself. He was crestfallen when Effie ignored his flowers but was honorable enough to hesitate when Madge told him to lie about James--I could almost hear him stammer.
King's Effie too was more complex than the earlier bright-eyed Effies who just wanted to get married. She was sweet and loving in the first act, but clearly nonplussed by James's behavior (this would not have been a completely happy marriage had James ignored temptation) and almost solemn in the second half. She hesitated slightly before accepting Gurn and couldn't even smile at him. It was clear that the poor boy would always know he was the second choice.
Gretchen Smith's Madge, also a debut, was not a complete comic book character but she could not match their complexity, and like the other Madges, could only suggest a bad-tempered young woman who had robbed a ribbon store and hoped to be Lucille Ball. Mime is not City Ballet's strong point but at least Martins hasn't taken the Soviet path and turned the heavy into a dancing role (all those preening, prancing von Rothbarts!) so there is a proper contrast between the witch and the human world.
Most Danish Madges, of course, grew up in the company watching and learning from older artists. As children, they would stand on that Neapolitan bridge absorbing all that mime. There is no bridge in City Ballet's "Bournonville Divertissements", and their Bournonville is rarely danced so the style will probably remain a foreign, if very welcome, visitor.
There was only one debut in this performance of the divertissements (Ashly Isaacs finally made it to the pas de six ). Erica Pereira and Allen Peiffer led the Ballabile and showed up for the Tarantella. Peiffer danced with an open-hearted naturalness and easy flow that made those quick little beats look like fun but Pereira could not shed her air of wispy desperation, so unlike the joyful, happy Teresina of the choreography.
Teresa Reichlen and Zachary Catazaro danced the Genzano party piece. Reichlen gave the steps a radiant clarity and was both expansive and delicate. Catanzaro looked more comfortable that he did in his debut though with his long legs petite batterie will probably never be his strong point. His turns were centered and controlled and he has a natural stage presence which made the pas de deux a conversation and not just a demonstration. I especially enjoyed his rueful little shrug when Reichlen pulled her hand away
The pas de six (Sara Adams, Meagan Mann, Ashly Isaacs, Brittany Pollack, Russell Janzen and Andrew Scordato) was clear and joyful. Adams, despite her hands occasionally turning into pancakes, had a soft and fluid upper body and a radiantly understated presence that was irresistible. The Tarantella, with its uninhibited bustle and infectious rhythms, swept up the audience--I hope it won't be another 15 years before the dancers get to pound those tambourines.
copyright © 2015 by Mary Cargill
