New York City Ballet

"Divertimento No. 15", "Afternoon of a Faun", "Allegro Brilliante", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
April 27, 2022

The three Balanchine ballets in this program varied musically and sartorial (tutus for "Divertimento", chiffon for "Allegro" and leotards for 
"The Four Temperaments") but all three showed Balanchine's mastery of geometric shapes to create a hierarchy, with the corps and soloists weaving through the music and around the

"The Four Temperaments", "Sonatine", "Black Swan Pas de Deux", "Swan Lake"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 15 and February 19, matinee, 2022

These two performances featured debuts of many of City Ballet's talented young dancers.  Some, of course, were more successful than others but all of the dancers, new and old, looked comfortable, confident, and very well rehearsed, especially when dancing in pairs; the dancers seemed to be

"Serenade", "Andantino", "Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux", "Swan Lake"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 11, 2022

New York City Ballet had scheduled a marathon of Peter Martins' "Swan Lake", but like so many plans, it had to be revised, though echos of that eternal bird did remain in the programing.  The audience did get a full evening of Tchaikovsky's music, a pas de deux set to the music originally written

"Mozartiana", "Rubies", "La Valse"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 5, 2022, evening

City Ballet's all Balanchine program spanning 30 years, from the 1951 "La Valse" to the 1981 "Mozartiana" included snapshots of some of Balanchine's most distinctive ballerinas, Tanaquil Le Clercq ("La Valse"), Patricia McBride ("Rubies"), and Suzanne Farrell ("Mozartiana").  The current dancers, so different from the originals, need to both copy the steps and go beyond them to

"Allegro Brillante", "La Source", "Firebird"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 22, 2020

New York City Ballet celebrated Balanchine's 116th birthday with an all-Balanchine program which looked back to his (and ballet's) past.  The classical clarity of "Allegro Brilliante", the nineteenth century Parisian perfume of "La Source", and the Diaghilevish exoticism of "Firebird" are from different streams which flowed into his imagination.

"Allegro Brillante" opened with a flourish, with the

"Haieff Divertimento", "Concertino", "Episodes", "Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 6, 2020

New York City Ballet's February 6 performance was a look back, featuring two revivals (Balanchine's "Haieff Divertimento" from 1947 and Robbins' "Concertino" from 1982), a rarely performed solo from "Episodes" which was choreographed by Balanchine for Paul Taylor, then a member of the Martha Graham Company.  (The first episode by Martha Graham for her

"Valse-Fantaisie", Kammermusik No. 2", "Union Jack"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
October 1, 2019

This Balanchine triple bill showed a breathtaking variety of styles, as well as an impressive number of fearless, accomplished debuts, especially in the exacting "Union Jack" with its phalanxes of precision marchers.  There was no marching in "Valse-Fantaisie", Balanchine's 1967 spun sugar valentine set to Glinka's lilting, sweeping melodies.  This extended pas de deux, augmented

"The Sleeping Beauty"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
July 3, 2019, evening

Unlike Aurora, Alexei Ratmansky's 2015 production of Petipa's "The Sleeping Beauty" doesn't believe in long naps, and Ratmansky has added and subtracted elements over its brief life.  This scrupulous attention to detail seems to keep the company awake and fresh, and the dancing, highlighted by Hee Seo's lyrical Aurora and Aran Bell's noble prince, was enticing. Ratmansky's version is a

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 30, 2019

As is semi-traditional, the New York City Ballet is ending its Spring season with a flourish of Balanchine, Shakespeare, and Mendelssohn with refreshed costumes, looking much brighter (though in an odd oversight, some of the men's bloomers in the second act divertissement were missing their red ribbons). The end of the season also saw a number of debuts, an

"Scotch Symphony", "Duo Concertant", "Sonatine", "Stravinsky Violin Concerto"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
April 30, 2019

The most recent work on the all-Balanchine program was the 1975 "Sonatine" but all the dancers looked fresh and vibrant.  Even "Scotch Symphony", that charming but illogical wish-mash of Romantic themes with kilted men switching effortlessly from menacing barriers to bouncy villagers and an illusive sylph morphing into a triumphant ballerina, shimmered.  NYCB

"Prodigal Son", "Liebeslieder Walzer"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 28, 2019

The typical image of a Balanchine ballet features an austere backdrop illuminating the dancers (in leotards or pastel shifts) and their glorious formations, but the February 28th performance showcased two Balanchine ballets whose sets and costumes created distinctive atmospheres.  Georges Rouault's stained glass glow helps give "Prodigal Son" the rooted, ritualistic feel of an ancient parable and David

"Apollo", "Orpheus", "Agon"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
January 22, 2019

The whims of the calendar decreed that New York City Ballet's winter season opened on Balanchine's birthday and the company honored him by dancing three of his most significant works, the so-called Greek trilogy.  "Apollo" is the oldest of his ballets currently being performed, the theatrical "Orpheus" is the ballet that inspired Morton Baum to invite the young company