NYCB 2/8/15 Matinee Performance

SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 8, 3:00 PM [Conductor: Sill]  
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION: Mearns, *Lovette (replaces T. Peck), *Woodward, *Hyltin, Smith, T. Angle, Danchig-Waring, Garcia, Ramasar, Gordon [Solo Piano: Grant] 
RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES/PECK (WORLD PREMIERE): *Mearns, *Ramasar, *Ulbricht, *Garcia, *Veyette Suozzi
MERCURIAL MANOEUVRES: T. Peck, J. Angle, *Segin, *Huxley, *Adams [Solo Piano: Moverman, Solo Trumpet: Mase]

*Debut in role on Tuesday, February 4th, NEW COMBINATIONS evening

The New Combinations program each Winter season at New York City Ballet is always built around new choreography -- in honor of George Balanchine's birthday on January 22nd.  This year the program opened with Alexei Ratmansky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' -- which premiered during the Company's Fall 2014 season -- see my comments here:

http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/10/new-york-city-ballet-thursday-october-9.html

With Wendy Whelan's retirement at the end of the Fall season her role is now danced by Sterling Hyltin.  Since Tiler Peck was dancing the female lead in 'Mercurial Manoeuvres', her role in 'Pictures' was danced by Lauren Lovette on Sunday afternoon and Indiana Woodward danced the role originated by Abi Stafford.  The rest of the cast remained unchanged from last October.

Sterling Hyltin has the regrettable task of taking on roles created or otherwise imprinted by Wendy Whelan.  At the Sunday, February 1st, matinee she was completely successful in taking on The Novice in Robbins' 'The Cage' -- a role which Whelan owned for nearly two decades after learning it from Robbins himself.  Here, undertaking Whelan's role as the woman in gold Hyltin had the right angular airiness in the pas de deux with Tyler Angle, but lacked gravitas for the 'Dances at a Gathering' moment near the end when the character bends down to touch the stage.  In fact, I think that Ratmansky would be wise to rethink that moment -- without Wendy it seems even more cliched.

Amar Ramasar, Sterling Hyltin and Sara Mearns in Ratmansky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet.

Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar continue to provide eloquent performances in their pas de deux, their solos and their participation in larger group passages.  Lauren Lovette and Gonzalo Garcia looked great together in their duets and Lauren added her dark-eyed vivacity elsewhere.  Though Indian Woodward is mostly seen as part of the ensemble in this work, it is nice to see her stepping out of the corps.  She uses the opportunity here to demonstrate her unique musical qualities and hoydenish stage presence.

Although the use of Kandinsky-like design elements distinguishes 'Pictures', it continues to feel like Ratmansky's tribute to (or rip-off of) Robbins' 'Dances at a Gathering' -- a collection of short piano pieces (played eloquently by Cameron Grant) and a cast of ten deployed in a communal round of dances -- even more than his 'Russian Seasons' had (at least that ballet had a singer and hats).  To me, much of Ratmansky's oeuvre for NYCB seems derivative of earlier and better repertory.

Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' uses the orchestral suite that Aaron Copeland created from his ballet music for Agnes DeMille's 'Rodeo' (1942).  The suite is in four movements which Justin labels 'episodes'.  Justin uses a cast of 16 -- a principal couple (Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar); three men (Daniel Ulbricht, Gonzalo Garcia, and Sean Suozzi -- replacing the injured Andrew Veyette); five men (Taylor Stanley, Craig Hall, Daniel Applebaum, Andrew Scordato, and Allen Peiffer); and six men (Messrs. Coll, Nelson, Prottas, Janzen, Walker, and Villarini-Velez) -- that's 1 woman and 15 men.

Amar Ramasar lifts Sara Mearns above 12 of the men in Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The costumes are by Reid Bartelme, Harriet Jung and Justin Peck.  They give the entire cast a high school jock vibe.

Costume sketches by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung for Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes.

The 'five men' are in costumes that resemble rugby uniforms -- dark brownish shorts, long sleeved matching shirts with a wide pale blue band across the chest and blue, brown and white striped knee-length leg warmers that look like rugby socks.  In the two outer movements the rugby players mix with the other 10 men who wear long pants and T-shirts or tank tops in various shades of brown with the same wide chest band. 

Five men in the Second Episode of Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Movements'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The second episode features just the 'rugby team' in a gorgeous adagio for five men that is the heart (and possibly the soul) of the ballet.  Taylor Stanley with his taut line stands out in this group, while Craig Hall is the strong steady anchor and the entire team works together to create sculptural stage images that capture the viewer's eye and beautifully complement the laconic Copland music.

Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar in Episode Three of Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar have a generally contemplative duet in the third episode.  Mearns is mostly in prom queen or head cheerleader mode, but she gives the lone woman a wonderful calm joy that plays well against Ramasar's out-going, hopeful jock.

In the two outer episodes, all of the men are in jock mode -- racing across the stage from the left wing in a long diagonal as the curtain opens, then cavorting in groupings of three, four or five.  The three lead men could be gymnasts -- competing in leaps and pirouettes.  Peck makes striking use of the athleticism of all 15 men.  They seem to belong in the great American West -- where there is plenty of room for their expansive, space-filling exhuberance.

Here's a link to three brief clips from the ballet on the Company's website:

http://www.nycballet.com/Ballets/N/New-Copland-Peck.aspx

The sharp-eyed can pick out Justin Peck in the first clip -- dancing in place of Andrew Veyette as he did in some sections on opening night.  

Peck has given the Company a wonderful new piece, filled with hope and vigor and the wistful innocence of youth.  I would only change the coyly arch spelling of 'rodeo' in his title -- it's too clever for this very appealing work.

Christopher Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manoeuvers' was created in April, 2000, for the Diamond Project using Dmitri Shostakovitch's 'Piano Concerto #1'.  The original cast included Miranda Weese and Jock Soto with Edwaard Liang.  On Sunday it was lead by Tiler Peck and Jared Angle.  Anthony Huxley, Kristen Segin and Sara Adams made debuts in their featured roles the previous Tuesday.

The opening is a coup d'theatre that never fails to impress -- the male soloist (Huxley) stands alone at the back of the stage in a red unitard against a red background flanked by dark translucent panels as the mysterious opening section of the concerto begins.  

Joaquin De Luz as the 'man in red' in the opening of Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manoeuvers'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The shadowy figures of the twelve-member female corps  appear behind these dark panels arrayed in two rows of three on each side.  As the man moves forward the panels slowly begin to lift, revealing the women on either side of him.  The means are so simple, but the effect is dazzling.

Anthony Huxley is an impressive dancer with his own arrow sharp technique, but he is quite different from Edward Liang -- who originated the role -- and from Daniel Ulbricht and Joaquin De Luz who have danced it more recently.  Huxley makes it less overtly flamboyant and more elegantly articulate.  Wheeldon's choreography has enough elasticity to embrace each of these dancers as individuals.

Tiler Peck and Jared Angle in the pas de deux from Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manouevres'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Tiler Peck and Jared Angle were wonderfully fluid as the central couple -- no mean feat given Wheeldon's penchant for difficult, off-center partnering.  Kristen Segin and Sara Adams were perky as the two female soloists.  Wheeldon marshalls the corps of 12 women and four men effectively in complex and interesting patterns.  As with many Wheeldon ballets there are too many entrances and exits -- and an overall sense of busy-ness.  But that haunting and brilliant opening sequence sticks in the mind.  And the central pas de deux -- when it is executed with the confidence and finesse that Tiler and Jared brought to it -- can be a stunning display of partnering pyrotechnics.

The Shostacovitch Piano Concerto was beautifully played by the piano soloist, Alan Moverman, with brilliant trumpet solos by Raymond Mase.  In fact, the music on Sunday afternoon was top notch under the direction of Andrews Sill and with the excellent Cameron Grant as piano soloist in 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.

This program proved a delightful celebration of Balanchine's 111th birthday and a reminder of the mission of NYC Ballet to continue to bring new chorography to the stage.

Comments on 'Ballet 422'

We saw 'Ballet 422' Friday afternoon at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center -- a classy venue with a nice 'take-out' cafe, Indie, and $9.00 tickets for seniors -- $3.00 less than the nearby multiplex.

Poster for 'Ballet 422'

'Ballet 422' is a documentary film about the making of Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla' -- the 422nd ballet created for New York City Ballet -- which premiered during the 2013 Winter season.  Unlike many documentaries, it does not use either voice over narration or on-camera interviews.  A few stark chapter headings let the audience know where we are in the timeline to the premiere which starts two months before the opening night.

At the time, Justin was still a relative choreographic neophyte.  His ballets 'Year of the Rabbit' (October, 2012) and 'In Creases' (July, 2012) preceded 'Paz de la Jolla' into the Company's repertory.  At 25, Justin was still a member of the Company's corps de ballet.

Justin Peck working on 'Paz de la Jolla' in the studio.  Photo: still from 'Ballet 422' by Jody Lee Lipes

'Ballet 422' simply watches as Justin goes through the days leading up to the premiere.  For his music he has selected 'Sinfonietta la Jolla' by Bohuslav Martinu a score for small orchestra and piano soloist from 1950 which was commissioned by a small musical group from La Jolla, CA, a suburb of San Diego -- where Justin grew up.  The selection of the music seems to lead to the ballet's design -- the beach at La Jolla in 1950.

Justin is working with a cast of 18 -- three principals (Sterling Hyltin, Tiler Peck, and Amar Ramasar), 10 corps women and 5 corps men.  The thematic idea of trios -- two women and one man -- seems to occur throughout the ballet as it develops.

The film shows Justin working on a solo with Tiler Peck and a duet with Sterling and Amar in the studio.  For a young corps dancer, he seems both assured and circumspect -- coaxing and coaching them in dancing the passages as he has envisioned them.  There is a nice sense of give and take between Justin and the dancers to achieve what is either possible or comfortable for them within the framework of his creative vision.

With the corps dancers, Justin seems a bit more assertive, going over movements until they are done to his satisfaction.  With all of the cast, Justin knows what he wants and seems to have the knack of getting it from each of them.  The film shows a humorous moment as Justin works out a move when Tiler and Sterling have to brace Amar as he falls back.  Initially the ladies apply unequal strength, causing Amar to slip sideways.  It takes several tries before they get it to Justin's satisfaction without dissolving in giggles.  

Albert Evans is the ballet master working with Justin on 'Paz de la Jolla'.  At one point Albert halts a rehearsal to give Tiler a 5-minute break -- required by the dancers' and musicians' union contracts.  At other points, as Justin develops the piece Albert is there to record and remember the sequences, since he will be responsible for restaging the work and rehearsing other dancers who may take over from the original cast.  Albert also gives Justin a sounding board for his notes and thoughts as the rehearsals proceed.

Sketch of costume for Tiler Pack by Reid Bartelme & Harriet Jung from the NYC Ballet archives.

Justin is seen with the lighting designer, Mark Stanley, and his lighting crew working out the lighting that will give the ballet the on-stage atmosphere he's looking for.  Justin goes over costume ideas with the designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung and interacts with them and Marc Happel, the head of the Company's costume shop.  Later some of the dancers try on the costumes to make sure that they give Justin the look he's after while still allowing the dancers to dance the steps he's created for them.  Each dancer has a different costume to give the effect of a crowded summer day at the beach circa 1950.

Costume designs for 10 of the 15 corps dancers by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung from the NYC Ballet archives.

Cameron Grant, the Company's principal piano soloist, is a presence throughout the creative process -- playing for studio rehearsals as the ballet is developed and then in the pit as piano soloist for orchestra rehearsals with Andrews Sill conducting the orchestra.  Just before the final rehearsal, Grant suggests that Justin give the orchestra a pep talk to thank them for their efforts and rev them up for the premiere.  Following the rehearsal Justin asks the conductor for time to say a few words.  It is a touching moment as the neophyte takes the advice of a mentor (Grant) to get the orchestra's buy-in to his creative process.

While the creation of the ballet proceeds, the rest of Justin's life goes on in parallel.  He takes company class, dances in the repertory, goes home to an empty apartment in Morningside Heights.

Finally, the night of the premiere of 'Paz de la Jolla' arrives.  Justin dons his dark suit, white shirt and tie, puts on his round horn-rimmed glasses and mingles with the Company's benefactors before the premiere.  He takes his seat in the second ring and watches 'Paz de la Jolla'.  Justin seems pleased with the result.  When the curtain comes down he rushes down to the stage to take part in the curtain calls.

Then, negotiating the deserted hallways backstage to his dressing room, he takes off the suit, puts on his costume and make-up and goes on stage to perform in the corps for the last work of the program -- Alexei Ratmansky's 'Concerto DSCH'.

'Ballet 422' was directed and photographed by Jody Lee Lipes.  Lipes is the husband of Ellen Barr, a former New York City Ballet dancer, who is now the Director of Media Projects for the Company and one of the film's producers.  To me, it was a surprise that Peter Martins doesn't appear in the film and gets minimal coverage in the credits.  Did Peter really stay that far in the background?

Banner for 'Ballet 422'

You can watch the trailer for 'Ballet 422' here:

http://www.magpictures.com/ballet422/

But you really should just go see the movie while it's in town.  It really does take you behind the curtain at New York City Ballet to see how the pieces of a very complex puzzle fit into place and to get a sense of how a young choreographer goes from 'let's put on a show' to actually getting the show onto the stage in something like his original vision.  Despite all of its insight it leaves you wanting to know even more.  It also leaves you wanting to see and savor 'Paz de la Jolla' in a live performance now that you know a bit about how it came into being. 

Of course, Justin Peck has gone on from 'Paz de la Jolla' to create even more ballets for New York City Ballet and other companies.  Just this week, his new ballet to Aaron Copland's orchestral suite from 'Rodeo' opened at NYC Ballet -- we'll see it on Sunday, February 8th.  He has been promoted from corps de ballet to soloist and has been named the Company's resident choreographer.  Benjamin Millipied, the director of dance at the Paris Opera, just announced that Justin will create a work for them in 2016.  This film is a glimpse at the creative process of one of the 21st century's most promising choreographers.