“Spindrift,” “Images,” “Promethean Fire”
Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
March 19, 2016 (matinee)

It is but a truly extraordinary artist who can produce remarkable art decade after decade without the creative aquifers running dry, and Paul Taylor’s works, time and time again, prove him to be one of them. With “Spindrift" (1993), “Images" (1977) and “Promethean Fire" (2002), the choreographer’s recently reincarnated company, Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance,

“Improvisao”
Farruquito
New York City Center 
New York, NY
March 10, 2016

The New York audience hasn’t seen him in 13 years, but from the first tap of his foot Farruquito did everything to make those in the hall glad they came to witness his return. His "Improvisao" was purposefully stripped down, designed to present flamenco in its pure, back-to-basics form. There were no sets, storylines or pre-determined choreography to embellish, or encumber, the performance,

“Carmen Suite,” “Woman in a Room”
Mariinsky Ballet
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
New York, NY
February 27, 2016

Mariinsky Ballet’s visit to New York this winter was incredibly short and focused, presenting only four shows of mixed-bill variety, all dedicated to the late Russian ballet legend Maya Plisetskaya who passed away last year, and spearheaded by the two biggest names of the company, Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina. Program C of this four-part tribute was headlined

"Ride the Culture Loop", "We Remember", "Steps of Silence", "Kurt Weill"
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble
The Theater at the 14th Street Y
New York, NY
March 9, 2016

"Theater" is listed first in the title of the company founded by the late Anna Sokolow and the dancers all lived up to the billing, giving dramatically incisive and committed performances; there were no too cool for school vacant stares that so many modern choreographers ask for in the compelling

"Episodes", "Agon", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 26, 2016

The current tread of programming similar ballet together has its uses. "If you like one you will like them all", the marketing department seems to promise subscribers, but it does dilute the effect that contrast can offer and it is a shame that the idea of a program as a substantial meal has been lost. But the current "Balanchine Black

"Square Dance", "Prodigal Son", "Stravinsky Violin Concerto"
Pacific Northwest Ballet
New York City Center
New York, NY
February 25, 2016

The Pacific Northwest Ballet returned to City Center with an all-Balanchine program, a vote of confidence, perhaps, by their director, Peter Boal, who obviously believes that his dancers can stand up to comparisons with the home company. This confidence was certainly justified and the company looked well-rehearsed, at ease and dynamic. Boal has inculcated a remarkable style, devoid

"La Sylphide", "Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No 2"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 13, 2016, evening

New York City Ballet paired its Romantic Bournonville classic "La Sylphide", new last year but based on the nine- teenth century Danish version, with Balanchine's "Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2", one of his streamlined homages to Petipa, a relationship made clear in its original title "Ballet Imperial".  This was an imaginative juxtaposition, the older work

"Ballo della Regina", "Kammermusik No. 2", "Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 6, 2016, matinee

NYCB's all Balanchine program opened with a bang (Tiler Peck's debut in "Ballo della Regina") and closed with a flourish, ending with "Theme and Variations", where Balanchine appears to have made a bet that he could to "The Sleeping Beauty" in 20 minutes, a bet which he won.  "Ballo della

“The Taming of the Shrew”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Live Movie Theater Broadcast by Fathom Events
January 24, 2016

The live movie theater broadcast of its 2014 production of “The Taming of the Shrew” showed the Bolshoi Ballet taking a confident step into what could well be its new era.  The ballet features original choreography by Ballet de Monte Carlo’s Jean-Christophe Maillot to a selection of music by Dmitri Shostakovich, and strikes a careful balance among English

“Barber Violin Concerto,” “Fancy Free,”“Who Cares?”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
January 30, 2016, matinee

The all-American music program devised by Andrew Litton, NYCB's new Music Director, for the opening night was repeated on Saturday without the Candide overture and with some exciting debuts. Peter Martins' "Barber Violin Concerto" opened the program with a newish cast (Georgina Pazcoguin had made her debut on Thursday). Martins choreographed it in 1988 for the

"Nocturne/Etude/Prelude", "Welcome a Stranger", "Simkin and the City", "Simkin and the Stage", "Islands of Memories"
Daniil Simkin's Intensio
Joyce Theater
New York, NY
January 5, 2016

Daniil Simkin, a principal dancer with ABT, has created a small company of several dancers from ABT and a guest from Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Céline Cassone.  The company hopes, according to its website, to "combine the new ways of technology with the substance of world-class dance."  

Lincoln Center White Lights Festival
Thomas Adès: Concentric Paths – Movements in Music
“Outliers,” “Life Story,” “The Grit in the Oyster,” “Polaris”
New York City Center
New York, NY
November 20, 2015

The Thomas Adès program of the Lincoln Center White Lights Festival, offering four works by as many choreo-graphers to Adès’s music performed live with Adès himself behind the podium or piano for each, culminated in a riveting presentation of Crystal Pite’s 2014 ballet “Polaris,” but not