"Scotch Symphony", "Sylvia: Pas de Deux", "Firebird"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 5, 2025

In her gracious introductory speech to the evening’s program, Wendy Whelan honored Maria Tallchief, born 100 years ago.  Balanchine choreographed the three ballets performed, “Scotch Symphony”, “ “Sylvia Pas de Deux”, and “Firebird”, for her.  These works showed her impressive range,  from the lyrical “Scotch Symphony”, the rigorously classical “Sylvia”

“From You Within Me,” “Variations Pour Une Porte et Un Soupir,” “Mystic Familiar”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
January 29, 2025

New York City Ballet's "New Combinations" program proved that while anything old can feel new again, the new can just as easily feel like a rehashing of the old. Along with Christopher Wheeldon’s dreary 2023 ballet “From You Within Me” and George Balanchine’s experimental 1974 work “Variations Pour Une Porte et

"Dances Concertantes", "The Cage", "Concertino", "Stravinsky Violin Concerto"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 24, 2025

The evening featured four ballets set to Stravinsky, two by Balanchine (“Dances Concertantes” and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto”) and two by Robbins (“The Cage” and “Concertino”).  Though they shared the same composer, the ballets were all different, and it made for a varied evening.  

“Dances Concertantes” started life in 1944 for the

"Concerto Barocco", "Allegro Brillante", "Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 23, 2025

This all-Balanchine evening showed off three ballets, each with its own distinctive flavor; “Concerto Barocco” has a luminous white and black simplicity, “Allegro Brillante” is a bright and golden celebration of classical technique, and “Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet” with its haunted-ballroom mauve setting, is an elegiac valentine to a lost (and somewhat imaginary) world.  There were two

“Giselle”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
Nov. 20, 2024

The story of “Giselle” hasn’t changed since its premiere in 1841. Today, “Giselle” is all about the performances. There is a reason this romantic era ballet has endured as long as it has. No other work so perfectly embodies romantic values – idealism, emotion, the supernatural and the irrational. The National Ballet of Canada has been performing Sir Peter Wright’s version

"Arden Court", "The Word", "Syzygy"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
November 21, 2024

This all-Taylor program included works showing some of Taylor’s frequent  themes, from the bright, cheerful “Arden Court”, through the dark and somber “The Word”, and finishing with the bursting energy of “Syzygy”, all danced with an impressive power.  The works, for all their differences, had Taylor’s confident and imaginative use of structure to reinforce

"The Nutcracker"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
November 29, 2024

New York City Ballet’s version of “The Nutcracker” is a straightforward, uncomplicated story which eschews any subtext about good and evil; it is a timeless and magical recreation of the childhood most of us dreamed about having, with parties, presents, and good cheer.  And of course, good dancing, especially in the second act, and the opening night was

"Body of Work", "Rhapsody", "Silent Screen"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 9, 2024

The National Ballet of Canada returned home looking energized after touring in London and Paris last month. They opened their Toronto season with a mixed program designed to attract classical and contemporary ballet fans alike. No classicist could resist Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Rhapsody”, a dazzling exemplar of bravura technique. Created for the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov, it

"Aureole, Vive La Loïe" "Recess", "Funny Papers"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
November 8, 2024

There was a lot of light and cheer in the evening’s dances, including the premiere of Jody Sperling’s homage to Loïe Fuller, an early modern dancer whose voluminous costumes and imaginative lighting inspired thousands of Art Nouveau lamps.  It opened with Paul Taylor’s “Aureole”, his light-filled vision of a world full of Handel

“Crime and Punishment”
American Ballet Theater
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
November 1, 2024

As a novel, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” can be deeply intellectually rewarding or torturously challenging.  As a ballet, Helen Pickett’s adaptation, which premiered during ABT’s fall season, was solely the latter.  Set over twenty scenes to commissioned score from Isobel Waller-Bridge, the work felt like it was based on the CliffsNotes version of the book, not the actual

"The Traitor", "Scherzo", "The Quake that Held Them All", "Two Ecstatic Themes", "Missa Brevis"
Limón Dance Company
Joyce Theater
New York, New York
November 6, 2024

The Limón Dance Company’s Joyce season presented a generous program, with revivals of three significant Limón works, “The Traitor”, “Scherzo”, and “Missa Brevis”, The first and final pieces emphasized Limón’s spiritual qualities and command of movement, while “Scherzo” was a delicious playful romp.  The company also offered a solo by

"Crime and Punishment"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 30, 2024

As Oscar Wilde wrote “all bad poetry is sincere”.  The same can be said for all forms of art, as unfortunately Helen Pickett’s “Crime and Punishment”, ABT’s new ballet, shows.  In a recent interview in the “New York Times” Pickett described her fascination with Dostoevsky’s famous novel and talked about her dedication in turning