Jonathan Stafford Farewell Performance in 'Jewels'

SUNDAY MATINEE, MAY 25, 3:00 PM

JEWELS

JONATHAN STAFFORD FAREWELL PERFORMANCE

(Guest Conductor: Kessels)

EMERALDS: Bouder, Ramasar, A. Stafford, J. Stafford, Pereira, Carmena, Laracey 

RUBIES: Hyltin, Veyette, Reichlen [Solo Pianist: Grant] 

DIAMONDS: Mearns, J. Stafford 

We attended the first performance of 'Jewels' in April, 1967.  The performances of its original cast are the after-images against which I judge all of the performances that we've seen in the intervening 47 years -- not only by NYC Ballet, but also by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Maryinsky Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet.

Balanchine with his 'Jewels' ballerinas: (clockwise from lower left) Suzanne Farrell (Diamonds);
Mimi Paul & Violette Verdy (Emeralds); and Patricia McBride (Rubies).
McBride's puffy ruffled skirt was jettisoned after the initial performances.

In fact, we also saw Sara Mearns and Jonathan Stafford make their debuts in 'Diamonds' in 2008.  This past January at a NYC Ballet seminar, we heard the four retiring principals (Ringer, Taylor, Marcovici, and Stafford) talk about their careers and their future plans.  The moderator, Tyler Angle, asked them each to pick a word about their career and explain it.  Jon chose the word 'proud' and explained how proud he was when he and Sara finished their joint debut in 'Diamonds' after working so hard to realize it.  I remember noting at the time that they looked thrilled, even triumphant, at having scaled this particular peak of the Balanchine repertory together.

Jonathan Stafford and Sara Mearns in Balanchine's 'Diamonds', 
(NYC Ballet has used this dramatic photo by Paul Kolnik in their advertising this Spring)

Due to debilitating injuries, Jon Stafford has had a rather stop-and-go performing career at NYCB.  He received his early training at Marcia Dale Weary's Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then came to the School of American Ballet in 1997.  He was named an apprentice at NYCB in October, 1998 and joined the company's corps de ballet in February, 1999; advanced to soloist in March, 2006, and to principal in May, 2007.   Jon began teaching at SAB in 2006.  He now teaches intermediate and advanced men's classes and beginning adagio classes when his performing schedule permits.  Upon his retirement from performing, Jon will become a ballet master at the company and continue to be on the SAB faculty.
  
Jon is a tall, elegant dancer and an attentive partner.  His stage presence is somewhat stiff and formal, often lacking fluency and personal charisma, but Jon can be close to ideal in certain Balanchine cavalier roles.  His first important principal role was as the 'walking' cavalier in 'Emeralds' and one of his outstanding personal successes was in 'Diamonds' with Sara Mearns.

On Sunday afternoon, Jon danced the 'walking' cavalier (created for Francisco Moncion) in 'Emeralds' with his younger sister, Abi (in the role created for Mimi Paul).  Although they looked very comfortable dancing together they have only rarely been paired at NYC Ballet.  For me, some of their steps looked too robotic, lacking the subtle interior pulse that the best performances of these roles convey and that is clearly heard in Faure's hushed, almost mystical music.

Jonathan and Abi Stafford in 'Emeralds', photo by  Julieta Cervantes for NY Times

Ashley Bouder and Amar Ramasar danced the 'Emeralds' roles created for Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow.  Both Ashley and Amar successfully tamed their more flamboyant instincts and danced their parts with sensitivity and nuance.  Ashley used her arms and hands to project the depth, mystery and musicality with which Verdy had imbued the role.  Amar was an attentive partner, but also a musically sensitive soloist.  He grins a bit too much when the music is livelier, which dissipates the overall solemnity that should permeates the piece. 

Ashley Laracey, Erica Pereira and Antonio Carmena danced the pas de trois (created for Suki Schorer, Sara Leland and John Prinz) with a nice airiness.  Antonio is a bit too solid to fit my ideal (Prinz was a tall, slender dancer), but he does have the lightness and precisely etched technique required.

Erica Pereira, Antonio Carmena, and Ashley Laracey in the 'Emeralds' pas de trois,
 photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

The music for 'Emeralds' is from Gabriel Faure's incidental music for 'Pelleas et Melisande' and 'Shylock'. In 1976 Balanchine added an additional pas de deux (to the 'Nocturne' from 'Shylock') and the final pas de sept (to 'La Mort de Melisande' from 'Pelleas et Melisande') to the original choreography. In some performances the intricate and stately finale can seem anticlimactic, but on Sunday it was spell-binding -- beautifully danced by all seven dancers while the audience seemed to collectively hold its breath.

A recent pas de sept cast including (front) Ashley Bouder, Jared Angle, Jon Stafford, Sara Mearns,
(back) Ashley Laracey, Antonio Carmena, Erica Pereira, photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

It's interesting to note that six of the ten women in the 'Emeralds' corps are apprentices from the School of American Ballet.  They looked lovely and danced the simple corps passages with novice solemnity and unity. 


On Sunday, Sterling Hyltin, Andrew Veyette, and Teresa Reichlen danced the roles created by Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, and Patricia Neary in 'Rubies'.  The music for 'Rubies' is Stravinsky's 'Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra' with Cameron Grant as the piano soloist.  It is one of Stravinsky's jazziest and most approachable scores and inspired Balanchine to choreograph a lively 'American' piece filled with his version of bathing beauties, pin-up girls and jocks.

At this point, Tess Reichlen virtually owns the role created by Patricia Neary as the tall, enigmatic siren.  Her technical control of the difficult balances, soaring jetes and assorted exotic moves is astonishing and she dares to be witty, flirty, sensuous and aloof.

Teresa Reichlen with corps women in 'Rubies', photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet
(I'd swear that this was Photo-Shopped, if we hadn't just seen Tess do it live)

Hyltin and Veyette are less persuasive in the McBride and Villella roles.  Sterling's technique has improved tremendously since she first burst on to our radar as Juliet in Peter Martins' 'Romeo+Juliet', but McBride made this role more angular and spiky than Sterling manages.  No one any longer bends her knee slightly the way McBride did when she swung her leg forward with knee nearly touching forehead and then back so toe nearly touched the back of her head -- which always struck me as one of the role's signatures -- or crumples rag-doll limp into her partners arms the way McBride did.  Sterling performs the role like a slightly inebriated southern sorority girl, never achieving McBride's mix of control and abandon.

Andrew Veyette and Sterling Hyltin in 'Rubies', photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Like Villella, Veyette is a jock.  Balanchine made this role a slightly tongue-in-cheek tribute to Villella's prowess as a college baseball player and championship boxer.  Veyette came to ballet via gymnastics and his dancing is always athletic and usually vital.  On Sunday though, he seemed a little off his game and slightly preoccupied -- not fully invested in this role that can seem such a delightful romp with jogging, mimed rope skipping and chases by the four corps men.

Teresa Reichlen with corps (including Messrs. Schumacher, Villalobos and Laurent) in 'Rubies',
photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The work of the four corps men (Ippolito, Laurent, Schumacher, and Villalobos) was vibrant and joyous throughout.  Their interaction with the disdainful Reichlen was especially fun to watch.

Balanchine set 'Diamonds' to the last four movements of Tschaikovsky's 'Symphony #3 in D Major (he deemed the first movement 'undanceable').  On Sunday afternoon, the fourth movement (Scherzo: allegro vivo) -- with its swirling bravura variations for the lead couple and eight demi-soloists -- was also omitted, probably in deference to Jon Stafford's having earlier danced a leading role in 'Emeralds' as well.  I believe that there are some previous precedenst for eliminating or truncating this section. 

'Diamonds' was Balanchine's tribute to the Imperial Russian ballet of his youth.  The ballet's first movement (Alla tedesca: allegro moderato e semplice) for 12 corps women and two demi-soloists is filled with diamond patterns and often lacks a sense of urgency or purpose.  The two demi-soloist women drift on and off stage, while the corps women form various pretty configurations to a gentle waltz tempo.  Basically, it feels like the warm-up to the main event.  

The principal couple have an extended pas de deux (Andante eligiaco) which makes allusions to the encounter between Odette and Prince Siegfried in the second act of 'Swan Lake', the vision scene in 'Sleeping Beauty', and even moments in 'Raymonda' -- all works that Balanchine knew from St. Petersburg.  It was created for Suzanne Farrell and Jacques d'Amboise, although it is more closely associated with Farrell and Peter Martins.  Martins began dancing with NYC Ballet as a guest artist in 1967 and became a principal in 1970.  One critic suggested that d'Amboise presented Farrell like a proud father at his daughter's debut, while Martins treated her as a consort fit for a royal prince.

Peter Martins and Suzanne Farrell in 'Diamonds', photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Jon Stafford presented Sara Mearns on Sunday afternoon with both pride and deference.  As Balanchine intended this adagio is all about the ballerina (Farrell, the 'elusive muse') and Sara looks splendid with Jon's support and guidance.  Jon seemed appropriately enthralled, dropping to one knee at the end to kiss Sara's hand.

Jon Stafford and Sara Mearns in 'Diamonds', photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Moving from the pas de deux directly to the finale (Finale: allegro fuoco: tempo di polacca) brought the entire cast of 12 corps couples and four demi-soloist couples onto the stage for the grand polonaise followed by the long, hierarchical tribute to the principal couple.  Jon lifted Sara in a triumphant series of split jumps before they led the ensemble forward first in a slow, stately unison wave and then again in a swift, showy surge -- Jon dropped to one knee in a final tribute to Sara Mearns, his final ballerina.

Jonathan Stafford holding the mystery envelope during final ovation, photo by McClure
(behind Jon from left Ashley Laracey, Russell Janzen, Peter Martins, Sara Mearns)

The applause was thunderous, there were several traditional curtain calls including three in front of the curtain.  Then the curtain rose on the entire company; bouquets of roses were presented by each of the company's principals -- women then men -- then single roses from the female soloists; a bouquet and a mysterious envelope from Peter Martins; and finally a bouquet from Jon's fiancee, soloist Brittany Pollack (they'll be married in August); then streamers and confetti and bouquets tossed on stage from the audience.  Jon made two or three additional bows before the golden curtain -- a self-effacing, courteous cavalier acknowledging his many admirers -- before disappearing behind it to begin the next chapter of his dance life.

Quibbles & Bits:

The orchestra, conducted by yet another 'guest conductor', Koen Kessels, sounded best in the Faure music for 'Emeralds'.  The Stravinsky music for 'Rubies' was enlivened by the piano soloist, Cameron Grant, but was otherwise wan and predictable.  The Tschaikovsky music for 'Diamonds' was a disaster and certainly contributed to the enervating affect of the first section.  Orchestra balances were way off in both the Stravinsky and the Tschaikovsky -- often bass heavy and lacking vibrancy from inner voices.  Where's the new music director?  In my opinion, this was another failed audition.

I was offended that in the corps of 'Diamonds', two wonderful young multi-racial dancers, Silas Farley and Olivia Boisson, were paired.  Silas is the tallest man in the corps and should have been paired with the tallest woman, Emily Kitka (who he danced with as demi-soloists in 'Who Cares?' in SAB workshop performances).  Olivia -- neither short nor tall -- would look well with any number of partners (she's a gorgeous woman).  Enough of the 'separate, but equal' casting policy!  It's offensive and out of line -- let's go for color-blind casting from now on -- 2014 is the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.