American Ballet Theatre

“Whipped Cream”
American Ballet Theatre
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
February 1, 2018

Alexei Ratmansky's “Whipped Cream” stirred up a concoction of whimsy and merriment that lifted the mood and lightened the spirit of balletgoers on Thursday. The production’s fast-paced frenzy of activity was both delightful and dizzying. Danced assuredly by a stellar cast, this ballet is less a showcase for the dancers than a platform for Mark

“Songs of Bukovina,” “Symphonic Variations,” “Other Dances,” “Serenade after Plato’s Symposium”
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
October 21, 2017 afternoon

The two ballets by Alexei Ratmansky on the program, including his newest work, were vibrant and full of life. Meanwhile iconic works by Ashton and Robbins were more or less dead on arrival. On Saturday afternoon at ABT, if you needed proof positive that it’s Ratmansky’s company now, the dancers his,

"Her Notes", "Symphonic Variations", "Other Dances", "Thirteen Diversions"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
October 22, 2017, matinee

ABT's Sunday matinee showcased four ballets choreographed to concert music, music which was originally intended to stand alone. The choreographers all faced the challenge of improving, so to speak, the original works of art, and though all works were very well danced and had impressive moments, only Ashton's "Symphonic Variations" melded the steps, the atmosphere,

"Her Notes", "Symphonic Variations", "Other Dances", "Serenade After Plato's Symposium"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
October 19, 2017

American Ballet Theatre has long had a dual identity in New York. In the spring at the Metropolitan Opera, the company presents itself as the guardian of 19th century imperial Russian tradition. Spectacle, scale, hierarchy rule. The fall season, at the home theater of the New York City Ballet, is more egalitarian. Mixed bills provide

Silver Lining

"The Gift", "Songs of Bukovina", "Thirteen Diversions"
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theatre
New York, New York
October 18, 2017

ABT's Fall gala celebrated Kevin McKenzie's twenty-five years as Artistic Director with a silver jubilee.  Appropriately, it was a company effort, celebrating the JKO students and the ABT Studio Company as well as the current dancers; as the gracious hosts, Stella Abrera and David Hallberg noted in their opening remarks, 63 of ABT'

"AfterEffect", "The Nutcracker pas de deux", "Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher", "Mozartiana"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
July 8, 2017, matinee.

The final Saturday matinee's all-Tchaikovsky program was a real souvenir program, with a ballets set to the composer's "Souvenir de Florence", his "Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher", his "Nutcracker", with its cosy memories, and his "Mozartiana", his salute to the earlier composer. But it was also a souvenir for

"Swan Lake"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 14, 2017, matinee

ABT's ever-popular but problematic "Swan Lake" had a glorious new swan queen in Devon Teuscher, who made her New York debut in front on an enthusiastic matinee audience. Fortunately, most of her choreography remains traditional, though the truncated and breathless Act 4 (or Act 2, Scene 2 in this version) continues to flutter anticlimactically and Odette still has to

"Le Corsaire"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 5, 2017

The Ringling Brothers may be defunct but New Yorkers can still enjoy three-ringed entertainment as "Le Corsaire" is still floating, with its milling throngs of slave girls auditioning for a role in an "I dreamt I joined a harem in my Maidenform bra" advertisement, its dashing men jumping with sub-Byronic flair, and its intricate female choreography culminating in the j

"The Golden Cockerel"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 1, 2017

Alexei Ratmansky's version of "The Golden Cockerel", based in part on the earlier Fokine ballet, is a hybrid work, a partially mimed (and quite complicated) story with episodes of dancing set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera. The original 1914 full-length ballet was danced to the opera with singers on the side of the stage, though Fokine'

"Giselle"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 27, 2017, evening

For the past two years ABT has limited its guest-star list, relying on its own dancers, which has meant several long-awaited debuts, Gillian Murphy's "Giselle" among them. Murphy is a strong, sturdy, redhead who dances a stupendous Myrta, not the traditional dark-haired shrinking violet but as her sepia-toned Nikiya proved, she is a

"Giselle"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York
May 30, 2017

ABT has produced some outstanding "Giselles" this season, but the Wednesday night performance celebrating Marcelo Gomes' twenty years at ABT was extra-special, culminating in emotional curtain calls where the audience and the company thanked Gomes for so many years of committed, generous, dramatic, as well as comic, performances. Though he has given up some roles (I especially miss his noble but flawed Solor and his

"Giselle"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
May 27, 2017, matinee

The Saturday matinee of "Giselle" was a mini-festival of debuts, as all the leads made their first New York appearances in the ballet; Sarah Lane as the doomed heroine, Daniil Simkin as Albrecht, Christine Shevchenko as Myrta, and Craig Salstein as Hilarion. None showed any hint of nerves and all gave strong, detailed, and moving performances in one of ABT's most durable classical productions.