NYC Ballet Performance on Friday Evening, October 9th -- Part 1

FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 9, 8:00 PM

POLARIS (new Myles Thatcher ballet): T. Peck, Gerrity, Isaacs, Smith, Hall, Applebaum, Kayali, Scordato, Stanley; costumes by Zuhair Murad;  music by William Walton, "Allegramente" movement of Piano Quartet in D minor.
     pause
THE BLUE OF DISTANCE (new Robert Binet ballet): Hyltin, Krohn, Mearns, T. Angle, Ball, Chamblee, Garcia Carmena;  costumes by Hanako Maeda (of Adeam); music by Maurice Ravel, "Oiseaux Triste" and "Une Barque sur l'Ocean", [Solo Piano: Chelton]
     pause
COMMON GROUND (new Troy Schumacher ballet): Laracey, Maxwell, Reichlen, Gordon, Huxley, Janzen, Ramasar; costumes by Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida of Marques'Almeida; music by Ellis Ludwig-Leone (commissioned score); [Conductor: Sill]
     pause
NEW BLOOD (new Justin Peck ballet): Bouder, King, Kretzschmar, Pazcoguin, Pollack, Segin, Smith, Applebaum, Danchig-Waring, Prottas, Stanley, Veyette, Walker; costumes by Humberto Leon (of Opening Ceremony and Kenzo); music by Steve Reich, "Variations for Vibes, Piano and Strings" [Conductor: Sill]
     intermission
JEUX (new Kim Brandstrup Ballet): Mearns, Hyltin, Ramasar, Danchig-Waring; music by Claude Debussy, "Jeux"; [Conductor: Capps]

The first half of the New York City Ballet program on Friday evening October 9th consisted of the four new ballets that were premiered at the Company's 2015 Fall Fashion Gala on September 30th.  Here's a clip that explains the collaboration between the four choreographers and the four fashion designers -- it also includes a fifth collaboration between Peter Martins and Peter Topping of Oscar de la Renta on Martins' 'Thou Swell' which completed the gala program:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156135274705529/

The clip describes the heroic efforts by Marc Happel and the Company's Costume Shop to interpret the designs and make them wearable as ballet costumes.  They are perhaps the most important element of the collaboration, because they know what will work for the dancers on the stage under stage lights and over many performances.

'Polaris' choreographed by Myles Thatcher uses the Allegramente movement from William Walton's Piano Quartet in D. Minor.  Both the music and the choreography are spacious and unhurried.  Polaris is, of course, the North Star, the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper) and really a cluster of several stars.  I suspect that these astronomical/astrological concepts figured in Thatcher's dance designs for the piece.

Ashly Isaacs in Zuhair Murad's costume for Myles Thatcher's 'Polaris'.  Photo from Elle.

The costumes for the three women and five men are by Zuhair Murad -- A-line dresses overlaid with lace and crystal sparkle for the women and sparkly sleeveless tunics with tights for the men.  The color is powder blue for all of the dancers except for Tiler Peck -- the outsider -- who is in a shade of pearl grey that reacts to the lighting and seems pale pink at times.  Craig Hall is in a lighter shade of blue than the others.

Myles Thatcher, the choreographer, is a corps dancer with San Francisco Ballet.  He has been mentored by Alexei Ratmansky under the 2014-15 Rolex Mentor & Protege Arts Initiative and has choreographed works for SFB and the Joffrey Ballet.  In 'Polaris' Mr. Thatcher introduces ideas that resonated through the first half of the program -- uneven numbers of women and men and same-sex partnering.

The group: Ghaleb Kayali, Emily Gerrity, Craig Hall, Ashly Isaacs, Andrew Scordato, Daniel Applebaum and Taylor Stanley in 'Polaris' by Myles Thatcher.  
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

In 'Polaris', Tiler Peck is the enigmatic outsider, intrigued by the group, but refusing to become part of it.  Craig Hall is the connector between Tiler and the rest of the group -- emerging from the group to partner Tiler and trying to integrate her into the group, but she keeps breaking away.  Here's a clip from NYC Ballet:

http://vp.nyt.com/video/2015/10/01/35851_1_nycb-polaris_wg_360p.mp4

Tiler and Craig are outstanding in the convoluted partnering of their encounters.  The rest of the cast are also wonderful -- dancing in various combinations and creating sculptural clusters that rotate and evolve.

For 'The Blue of Distance' Robert Binet uses two movements from Maurice Ravel's 'Miroirs' -- 'Oiseaux tristes' (sad birds) and 'Une Barque Sur' (a boat on the ocean) -- beautifully played by the pianist Elaine Chelton on the stage apron.  The costumes were designed by Hanao Maeda of ADEAM -- for the women tops covered in paillettes that segue from dark blue near the neck to white on the hips dissolving into tiered, pleated white skirts below, and for the men sleek dark blue sleeveless unitards.

Since 2013, Mr. Binet, a native of Canada, has been the Choreographic Associate of the National Ballet of Canada.  Prior to that he was the first Choreographic Apprentice at The Royal Ballet where he was mentored by Wayne McGregor.  In addition to the National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet, Mr. Binet has created works for Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Hamburg Ballet and several other international dance companies.

For 'The Blue of Distance' Mr. Binet uses three women -- Sterling Hyltin, Rebecca Krohn, and Sara Mearns  -- and four men -- Tyler Angle, Harrison Ball, Antonio Carmena (replacing Gonzalo Garcia) and Preston Chamblee.  
 

Harrison Ball (foreground) with other cast members in Robert Binet's 'The Blue of Distance'.
Photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

The ballet could perhaps be subtitled 'three mermaids encounter four dolphins' -- watery, swimming movement motifs abound.  The ballet opens in atmospheric blue lighting with a pas de deux for Rebecca and Preston, while Sara and Sterling lean ever more precariously on Tyler and Antonio respectively, with Harrison, the odd-man-out observer.  A series of pas de deux for the three couples and solos for Harrison follow.  Harrison has some showy passages before briefly replacing Antonio as Sterling's partner.  Preston Chamblee, who just advanced from apprentice into the Company's corps in February, displays his strong partnering skills.  

Preston Chamblee and Rebecca Krohn in Robert Binet's 'The Blue of Distance'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

In 'The Blue of Distance' music, costumes and movements combine to sustain an impressionistic atmosphere -- part seascape and wholly intriguing.  The choreography doesn't utilize the distinctive personas of these seven dancers, especially the three ballerinas, preferring to sustain an ensemble mood.  One is left with the feeling that other company dancers could easily fill these roles to achieve the same effect.

'Common Ground' by Troy Schumacher has a score by Ellis Ludwig-Leone which was commissioned by the Company for this work.  The music for full orchestra conducted by Andrews Sill is fractured and filled with silences, providing a quirky base customized for Troy's choreography.

Troy Schumacher is a member of New York City Ballet's corps de ballet.  Troy founded BalletCollective where as company director and resident choreographer he collaborates with composers and designers on original works.  He choreographed 'Clearing Dawn' for the Company's 2014 Fall Fashion Gala with costume designs by Thom Ford.

The costumes for 'Common Ground' were designed by Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida of Marques'Almeida.  They consist of loose pieces of fabric in many colors -- from bright scarlet, kelly green, and yellow to neutral taupe, grey and white -- which are loosely hung or draped on the dancers.  In the costume video clip referenced above, Troy seems so delighted with them, that it's a shame to report that they are the most distracting element of his ballet.

Anthony Huxley, Alexa Maxwell, Teresa Reichlen, Joseph Gordon and Russell Janzen in Troy Schumacher's 'Common Ground' (aka 'Help, a clothes dryer just exploded on us!').  
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Troy also uses three women and four men for 'Common Ground' -- Ashley Laracey, Alexa Maxwell and Teresa Reichlen with Joseph Gordon, Anthony Huxley, Russell Janzen and Amar Ramasar.  The choreography deploys them in skittering, overlapping solos, duets and ensembles.  Partnering is ambisexual, with women partnering women, men partnering men, women partnering men and men partnering women.  This format allows Troy to utilize and expand the dance personalities of his cast.  Here's a brief clip from the Company of Alexa Maxwell, Joe Gordon and Tess Reichlen in 'Common Ground':  

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156152125490529/

There's some exciting dancing in Troy's new work -- too bad that it's obscured by the distracting costumes.

Alexa Maxwell thrown into Russell Janzen's arms by Amar Ramasar and Joseph Gordon in Troy Schumacher's 'Common Ground'.   Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Justin Peck's new work for the 2015 Fall Fashion Gala is 'New Blood' costumed by Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony and Kenzo and danced to Steve Reich's 'Variations for Vibes, Piano and Strings'.  The music -- scored for four vibrophones, two pianos and strings -- is in a three movement format (fast, slow, fast) with typical propulsive Reich repeating harmonic phrases providing clangorous energy for the dancers.

Steve Reich and Justin Peck during curtain calls for 'New Blood' with Brittany Pollack, David Prottas and Claire Kretchmer.

When the curtain rises the thirteen dancers (six men and seven women) are lined up at center stage from front to back.  They break out of the line to move forward and also I think to change their sequence.  There is a brief group dance and then as they exit the stage one man (Peter Walker) falls to the floor.  Peter is resuscitated by Brittany Pollack and they dance together.  Peter departs and Taylor Stanley enters and dances with Brittany; Brittany departs and David Prottas comes on to dance with Taylor; Taylor departs and Kristen Segin joins David; David departs and Claire Kretzschmar enters to dance with Kristen; Kristen leaves and Lauren King appears to dance with Claire; Claire leaves and Daniel Applebaum joins Lauren; Lauren leaves and Andrew Veyette comes on to dance with Daniel; Daniel goes off and is replaced by Georgina Pazcoguin who dances with Andrew; Andrew leaves and Meagan Mann shows up to dance with Gina; Gina goes off and Ashley Bouder appears to dance with Meagan; Meagan is replaced by Adrian Danchig-Waring who dances a duet with Ashley (part of which is shown in this clip from the Company):

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/vb.112319735528/10156138975260529/?type=2&theater


Then the entire cast returns for another brief ensemble and Peter Walker collapses again and resuscitation commences as the curtain falls. 

Somewhere during the course of the 'progression' (Justin Peck's apt term) you become aware that the colors of the dancers patchwork unitards morph with each pairing from primarily red and white with dashes of pink for Peter and Brittany, then adding grey with less red for Taylor -- then on and on with each new dancer until finally Ashley and Adrian are in salmon, taupe and black.

Brittany Pollack and Taylor Stanley in Justin Peck's 'New Blood'.  
Photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

And if you're particularly observant (or paid attention during the costume video) you'll note that there are flesh colored patches on each dancer's unitard where they connect with each other.

The progression provides opportunities for male-female, male-male, and female-female pairings.  The progression of the dances also varies from inventive partnering through challenge dancing, mirroring and much more.  Justin engages each of these dancers in unique ways; he obviously enjoys solving the complex puzzle he has posed for himself and his dancers obviously relish the challenges he gives them to display new combinations in new relationships.  I found the combination of Meagan Mann and Ashley Bouder revelatory -- both women displaying secure technique and cheeky flair.  And Claire Kretzschmar was blazing in her encounters with Kristen Segin and Lauren King.

Each of the four new works comprising the first half of this program are relatively short.  The choreographic and visual variety speaks to the wealth of talent that these young -- all in their mid 20's -- choreographers display.  And their dancers took on their challenges with their usual stellar focus and unparalleled technique.

My comments about Kim Bradstrup's 'Jeux' which comprised the second half of the program will come in a separate post.