NYC Ballet 'Swan Lake' Dress Rehearsal

On Tuesday afternoon, September 22nd, I attended the 'dress' rehearsal for Peter Martins' 'Swan Lake' which was opening later that evening.  The idea that it was a 'dress' rehearsal seemed pretty casual -- most of the corps dancers were in practice clothes, except the men wore their garish orange boots.  Even the principals weren't in pristine costume -- Prince Siegfried wore grey sweatpants over his costume through much of the first scene and Odette wore footless tights.

The 'orchestra' consisted of a piano in the pit 'conducted' by Stuart Capps and a violinist who showed up in time for the solo violin passage in the lakeside scene.

Still, it was an opportunity to see a brand new Siegfried, Russell Janzen, perfectly paired with a lovely Odette, Teresa Reichlen.  They are both tall, slender dancers with long arms and legs.  The pas de deux in the first lakeside scene was notable for their long, beautifully coordinated lines and for Russell's partnering of Tess with steady calm.  Surrounded by a corps of swans in drab and raggedy practice clothes Tess and Russell indeed stood out.   

Teresa Reichlen and Russell Janzen in the pas de deux from George Balanchine's 'Diamonds' from 'Jewels'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

At this rehearsal, Taylor Stanley in the role of Benno danced the pas de trois with Indiana Woodward and Sarah Villwock.  Ms. Woodward and Ms. Villwock are new to their roles and there were still a few kinks in the pas de trois to be ironed out later in a rehearsal studio.  Harrison Ball danced the Jester -- a role I dislike and find hard to judge objectively.  It's showy and requires a bravura dancer.  Harrison seemed to be having an off day.  Gwyneth Muller was regal as the Queen, although she or a page or lady-in-waiting need to mind her train which was doubled back on itself here.  The children from the School of American Ballet were well-drilled and adorable -- although they were still getting used to the Theater's stage and the adult dancers surrounding them.

In the lakeside scene, the four cygnets -- including Claire Von Eyck at one end of the chain -- were brilliant.  Silas Farley waved Von Rotbart's flaming orange cape with panache.  Although the role of Rotbart was created by Albert Evans, I see no reason to continue casting minorities -- Silas and Preston Chamblee in the current run -- in this role.  It's way past time for New York City Ballet to introduce color blind casting in all of its works and move beyond this type of tokenism -- it's racist and appalling.

This cast will  be dancing Thursday evening, September 24th -- when Russell will make his debut as Siegried -- and again at the Sunday, September 27th, matinee.

Following the rehearsal of the first half -- I'm never sure if it is two scenes and one act or two acts with no intermission -- of 'Swan Lake' there was a rehearsal of the pas de quatre from the ballroom scene with Megan Fairchild, Ana Sophia Scheller, Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz.  This stellar cast did a partially danced walk-thru of this so-so piece of Martins' choreography.  I assume that they've danced this enough times that they were saving themselves for the performance that evening.  It was a rather lackluster finish to a spotty afternoon.

On a different note, Jared Angle was listed in the handout as one of the 'rehearsal masters' and was on stage offering pointers to Reichlen and Janzen about their performance.  Does this portend a transition from principal dancer to artistic staff in Jared's future?  If so, the NYCB website hasn't caught up with the news.  We'd hate to see Jared stop performing, but he's a great addition to the artistic staff with a wealth of experience dancing a wide range of roles.