Olé!
"Don Quixote"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 15, 2022
"Don Quixote" as a ballet tends to ignore the poor fellow, using him as a hook to hang all those dances on, so it was surprising to see how the tall, lean Cy Doherty commanded attention in the opening scene, staring at the vision of Dulcinea with a befuddled but awestruck sincerity as his creaking, aged body reached for her in vain. His Don never faded completely into the background once the dancing started; there was a hint of anger as he used his lance to protect himself and to attack that windmill and a stubborn determination to reach the dream Dulcinea, no matter what the Dryad Queen said. His final exit, trembling with determination to keep seeking for the ideal the audience knows he will never find, had a hint of both comedy and tragedy. It was even more surprising to discover that Doherty is an apprentice; the vivid character he created with so much sympathy and understanding seemed to come from a much older man.
In 2003 another ABT apprentice captured the stage, when Zhong-Jing Fang danced one of the side girls in Ashton's "Symphonic Variations" with a profound musicality and serenity. A serious injury stalled her career for years, so it was good to see her cast as Mercedes/Dryad Queen. She was a blazing Mercedes, with an eye for every man in the village. It was not perfect--she did come off point briefly in the bourrées around the daggers, but it was a vivid interpretation . Her interactions with the Don in the vision scene showed off her warm and elegant upper body as she gently but firmly guided him away from his dream. She did come off point again in the Italian fouettés but despite the mishaps it was a luminous performance.
Catherine Hurlin, in her New York debut as Kitri, was blazing rather than luminous, charging on to the state as if she knew she was the snappiest castanet in the square; she danced with such joy that the audience couldn't help but soar with her space devouring jumps. She was a more single-minded Kitri than some, keeping her eye clearly on Basilio. Even the dance with the Don in the first act seemed to be aimed at making Basilio jealous, and she enjoyed rather than sympathized with the old man's attentions. But her final gentle farewell kiss for the Don during the wedding scene showed that indeed she did have a warm heart.
Joo Won Ahn was her Basilio. He is an elegant, slightly reticent dancer, not a natural for the outgoing, flamboyant barber, but he had a quiet charm, enjoying the flirtatious flower girls, and was a secure and generous partner. He avoided the one handed lifts, so difficult, I expect with the statuesque Hurlin, and allowed his Kitri to shine.
The wedding pas de deux opened on a somewhat muted note, as the adagio seemed for of a demonstration of the familiar poses and Hurlin seemed to concentrate on her generally securely held balances; I missed the feeling of the shared security and contentment of a couple united in joy that Petipa's adagios can have. But once Ahn appeared for his solo, everything took off. His juicy jumps and beautifully controlled turns into arabesque were both exciting and classically pure. Hurlin's fouettés and his fast turns a la second quite literally stopped the show as groups in the audience stood up and cheered. Hurlin, a fan in her hand which she raised and lowered, tore into the fouettés with a musical abandon and speed that left the audience gasping. They deserved every second of their ovation.
Copyright © 2022 by Mary Cargill
