Janie Taylor & Sebastien Marcovici Farewell Performance

SATURDAY EVENING, March 1, 8 PM
JANIE TAYLOR AND SÉBASTIEN MARCOVICI FAREWELL PERFORMANCE
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN: Taylor, Marcovici [Guest Conductor: Christensen]
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LA VALSE: Taylor, Marcovici, J. Angle, Kayali, Segin, Schumacher, Pollack, Applebaum, Arthurs, Scordato, Smith, Muller, Anderson [Guest Conductor: Christensen]

The Taylor/Marcovici farewell performance featured them in two works -- Robbins' 'Afternoon of a Faun' and Balanchine's 'La Valse' -- created by the two great choreographers for their shared muse, Tanaquil LeClercq. 

Tanaquil LeClercq with Francisco Moncion, the original cast of 'Afternoon of a Faun', photo by Melton

Janie has been a dancer of fragile, almost tenuous grace, most comfortable in the repertory's romantic roles -- the Sleepwalker in 'La Sonambula', the 'waltz girl' in 'Serenade', the ballerina in 'Scotch Symphony' come to mind.  Illness and injuries have sapped her technique, but never her uniquely ethereal stage beauty.

Sebastien has been known primarily for his roles in Balanchine's 'leotard' ballets like 'Four Temperaments', 'Stravinsky Violin Concerto', and 'Agon'.  His stage persona is astringent, angular and muscular -- and though he has been a dependable partner he has never had great on-stage rapport with his ballerinas.

Paired in performance, they are yin and yang -- vulnerability and strength; delicacy and power.  Their most successful pairing was probably in Balanchine's 'Liebeslieder Walzer'.  A performance of 'Liebeslieder' became the occasion for Sebastien's marriage proposal.
 

Sebastien Marcovici and Janie Taylor at their August, 2012 wedding, photo by Wendy Whelan

Unfortunately, their 'Faun' on Saturday evening didn't emit much of the heat and sensuality that can make this work so appealing.  You'd think as a married couple Janie and Sebastien would exude the romantic chemistry that should develop here between Robbins' two ballet students alone in a ballet studio.  Instead they seemed more comfortable emphasizing the work's balletic narcissism and downplaying it's sexual tension.  The work sagged as a result.

Janie Taylor & Sebastien Marcovici in 'La Valse', photo by Yana Paskova for NYTimes

In the weirdly sinister world of 'La Valse' Janie and Sebastien dance together in a fairly brief section in the middle of the ballet, but just as they are beginning to build an intense relationship it is cut short by 'fate'. 
  

Janie Taylor & Sebastien Marcovici in Balanchine's 'La Valse',
photo from NYC Ballet website probably by Paul Kolnik

Jared Angle, as the death figure, lures Janie with foreboding gifts (black necklace, black gloves, black frock) and then sweeps her into a dance of death. It's rather odd that the couple who first came to our attention as the leads in the 1998 SAB workshop performances of Balanchine's 'Gounod Symphony' -- Janie and Jared -- should be the couple that danced the last waltz of Janie's ballet career.  Jared made his debut in the role this week.  He is chilling and implacable. Janie is covetous and vulnerable.  Janie dies, Jared disappears, Sebastien despairs.

Sebastien Marcovici (left), Janie Taylor and the company in final moments of 'La Valse',
photo from NYC Ballet website, probably by Paul Kolnik

The white-gloved arms and hands of the soloists and corps are so important in setting the creepy mood for this work. The entire company provided a wonderful framework for the two principals' farewell.  I single out Kristin Segin & Troy Schumacher, Faye Arthurs & Andrew Scordato, and Gwyneth Muller for special praise for their work in establishing the ominous atmosphere in the early sections of this ballet.   


Between the two farewell ballets we had the new work, 'Acheron', by the British choreographer Liam Scarlett to Poulenc's 'Organ Concerto'  and Balanchine's 'Walpurgisnacht Ballet' to Gounod's ballet score from the opera 'Faust' (which I'll discuss in separate posts).


The guest conductor for these two works was Henrik Vagn Christensen.  Here he kept the players together, but offered no special insights on these iconic, well-known scores.  I would characterize his approach as generic rather than inspired.

Janie and Sebastien are off to Los Angeles where Sebastien will become the ballet master of L.A. Dance Project, Benjamin Millipied's West Coast company.  I wish them well in their new endeavors.  Their special gifts will be missed at NYC Ballet.