New York City Ballet Matinee on Sunday, February 21st

SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 21, 3:00 PM

'21st Century Choreographers'

ASH: *Laracey, *Catazaro [Conductor: Capps]
     pause
THIS BITTER EARTH: **Mearns, T. Angle
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THE INFERNAL MACHINE: *Phelan, *Chamblee [Conductor: Capps]
     intermission
JEUX: Mearns, *Lovette, Danchig-Waring, *Hall [Conductor: Capps]
     intermission
PAZ DE LA JOLLA: Hyltin, Ramasar, T. Peck [Conductor: Sill]

  *  First time in role at Saturday Matinee, February 21st
**  New York City debut at Saturday Matinee, February 21st

New York City Ballet's '21st Century Choreographers' program was on our subscription series.  Since we had watched Justin Peck's creation of 'Paz de la Jolla' in the movie 'Ballet 422', we were anxious to see the result on stage.  The rest of the program was not new to us -- we had seen several of these works close to the dates when they were first introduced to the Company's repertory.

'Ash' is a busy, energetic work by Peter Martins to a score by Michael Torke.  It was created in 1991 when the original cast was Wendy Whelan and Nilas Martins backed by four couples: Yvonne Borree, Rebecca Metzger, Monique Meunier, Kathleen Tracey, Albert Evans, Arch Higgins, Russell Kaiser and Ethan Stiefel.  At Sunday's program it was danced by Ashley Laracey and Zachary Catazaro with Sara Adams, Laine Habony, Ashley Hod, Unity Phelan, Devin Alberda, Cameron Dieck, Spartak Hoxha and Sebastian Villarini-Velez.

Devon Alberda, Cameron Dieck and Spartak Hoxha in Peter Martins' 'Ash'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The general design of 'Ash' reminds me of Balanchine's 'Square Dance' -- the hierarchy of principals and corps, the use of call and response, the dancers' general glee with their performances.  Ms. Laracey was sunny, but a little generic; Mr. Catazaro seemed subdued and underpowered.  Among the corps, I was particularly impressed with Mr. Alberda's crisp delivery of his solo passages and also enjoyed the sparkle added by Ms. Phelan, Ms. Adams and Mr. Dieck.

Christopher Wheeldon created 'This Bitter Earth' for Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle as part of a larger work, 'Five Movements, Three Repeats', first performed at the Vail International Dance Festival in August, 2012.  As a stand-alone pas de deux it entered the Company's repertory at the 2012 Fall Gala.

Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle in Christopher Wheeldon's 'This Bitter Earth' in 2012.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet 

The music by Max Richter and Dinah Washington comes from the soundtrack for the movie 'Shutter Island'.

Partnered by Tyler Angle, Sara Mearns made her debut in the work the previous day.  Sara's dramatic temperament and extraordinary amplitude fit nicely into Wheeldon's duet of convoluted shapes and tricky partnering.  Tyler provides strong, somewhat stoic support.  'This Bitter Earth' is not a favorite ballet of mine -- more a piece d'occasion than a repertory staple -- but cast with first rate dancers like Sara and Tyler it makes a positive impact.

Peter Martins created 'The Infernal Machine' for Diamond Project V in May, 2002, to music of the same name by Christopher Rouse.  The original cast was Janie Taylor and Jock Soto.

The score is filled with odd ticks and jolts and sputters.  Unity Phelan and Preston Chamblee -- two of the Company's emerging young talents -- made their debuts in this work at the previous day's matinee.  Chamblee is a steady, confident partner while Phelan provides a feline intensity.  Martins gives them complicated, manipulative partnering moves that can often look awkward, but here they seem appropriate for the astringent score.
    

Preston Chamblee and Unity Phelan in 'The Infernal Machine' by Peter Martins.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Here is a brief YouTube clip showing these two dancers in this work which has just shown up on the Company's website:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156630720785529/

'Jeux', the ballet by Kim Brandstrup to the Debussy score, was new last fall.  You can read about my initial reaction here:

http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2015/10/nyc-ballet-performance-on-friday_23.html

I concluded those comments by questioning whether 'Jeux' (and several other new Fall Season works) would hold up on repeated viewings -- it does not.  Sara Mearns was again extraordinary as the blindfolded woman who is cast aside.  Adrian Danchig-Waring again offered strong if nonchalant partnering for her as the jock with the ball.
  

Sara Mearns and the ensemble in Kim Brandstrup's 'Jeux' to the music of Debussy.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Craig Hall and Lauren Lovette were new in this performance -- Craig as the cad who casts Sara aside for Lauren's flirty seductress.  Mr. Hall certainly has the matinee idol looks and strong partnering technique for the part, but he lacks the intense focus Amar Ramasar brought to the role.  With her gorgeous looks and sparkling presence Ms. Lovette makes seduction look simple.

Nevertheless, 'Jeux' is a disappointing ballet that doesn't offer new rewards on repeat viewings.  The vaguely sinister atmosphere and the harsh lighting on the women's bare legs also distract from it's appeal for me.

Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla' which was the subject of the movie 'Ballet 422' was both old and new to us -- old in that we had watched its creation in 'Ballet 422', but new in that we had never seen the complete ballet on stage.  The ballet is set to Bohuslav Martinu's 'Sinfonietta la Jolla for Piano and Chamber Orchestra'.  Here is a description of the work written by Dr. Richard E. Rodda from a Harrisburg Symphony program:   

The opening movement is based on traditional sonata form and utilizes two basic thematic types. The first is bustling and active, filled with rapid figurations passed among the instruments; the second derives from the songfulness of folk music in its lyricism and chordal texture. A pleasing balance is achieved between these two contrasting elements without ever losing the exuberance and spontaneity that enlivens Martinů’s music. The second movement, slow in tempo and soulful in expression, uses folk song models to such an extent that Brian Large, in his study of the composer, labeled it “a virtual fantasia on Czech folk songs.” The finale is a vivacious rondo indebted to the irresistible closing movements of Haydn, whose music Martinů was studying closely at the time he composed the Sinfonietta.  

Justin created a ballet set on the beaches of Southern California where he grew up -- sun drenched by day and moonlit by night.  The cast was led here by Sterling Hyltin, Amar Ramasar and Georgina Pazcoguin (replacing Tiler Peck).  The 15 other dancers were a mix of soloists and corps -- most from the original 2012 cast.  They are all individually costumed in what I would characterize as Eisenhower-era beach wear designed by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung.

Costume sketch for 'Paz de la Jolla'  by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung.

Following the structure of Martinu's music, Justin's choreography begins with lively beach games interspersed with the stirrings of summer romance between Amar and an outsider, Sterling.  The moonlit central section is a romantic duet for Sterling and Amar often engulfed by shimmering images of surf or coastal fog for the ensemble, their bright beach wear now shrouded in silvery translucent smocks. 
 

Ensemble in translucent smocks during the central movement of Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla'.
Careful inspections shows Amar Ramasar and Sterling Hyltin partially visible behind the ensemble.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet 

In the final rondo the full cast engages in more beach frolics with Sterling now integrated into the larger group.

By now, we are familiar with some of the signature movement motifs that run through Justin's choreography.  What is amazing is how well he adjusts them and integrates them with the music he has chosen so that they produce a unique result.  Here's a video from the Company which highlights Justin's creation of 'Paz de la Jolla':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86qGrO9fJFY

Better yet, seek out the movie 'Ballet 422' which provides even deeper insight into Justin's creative process.

Here's a short promotional video from the Company with snippets from 'Paz de la Jolla':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG5YxO89hO4

Final image of Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla' with Tiler Peck, Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Gina Pazcoguin, replacing Tiler Peck apparently on short notice, has been with 'Paz de la Jolla' from its earliest rehearsals.  She dances with sparkle and wit, but lacks Ms. Peck's indelible stage presence.  The costume (designed for Ms. Peck) did Ms. Pazcoguin no favors.  Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar seemed to be an unlikely romantic couple on paper, but with Justin Peck's choreography the improbable becomes indelible.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

For me, the best impressions in this program were made by Unity Phelan and Preston Chamblee -- together in Martins' 'Infernal Machine' and separately in the ensembles of Martins' 'Ash' (Ms. Phelan) and 'Jeux' (Mr. Chamblee).  They are young dancers to watch as they progress further up through the Company's rich and diverse repertory and (hopefully) find themselves inspiring choreographers in roles made for their unique abilities.

Program for the 2016 School of American Ballet Workshop Performances

The faculty of the School of American Ballet has announced the program for the 2016 Workshop Performances on Saturday, June 4th, and for the 2016 Workshop Gala on Tuesday, June 7th:

'The Four Temperaments', Hindemith, Balanchine
'Les Gentilhommes', Handel, Martins
'Danses Concertantes', Stravinsky, Balanchine

After a few years of an 'odds and ends' dance recital format, this year they're returning to a substantial Workshop program that honors the School's seriousness of purpose and offers rewards for the talented students it trains and the devoted audiences who attend the three Workshop Performances.

'The Four Temperaments'

'The Four Temperaments' was first staged by Ballet Society -- the immediate precursor of New York City Ballet -- in 1946 at the auditorium of the Central High School of Needle Trades.  Unlike the austere black-and-white leotard ballet that we will see this June, the original 1946 performances had bizarre costumes by the surrealist artist Kurt Seligmann.
  

Kurt Seligmann's sketch of costume designs for Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'.

According to many contemporary viewers Seligmann's costumes distracted from Balanchine's revolutionary choreography. 

Elise Reiman and Herbert Bliss in Kurt Seligmann's original costumes for Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'. 

Even before the first performance Balanchine pruned some of the greatest excesses of the costumes.
  

Maria Tallchief in Kurt Seligmann's costume for 'The Four Temperaments'.

When 'The Four Temperaments' re-entered the repertory of New York City Ballet in 1951, Seligmann's costumes had been completely scrapped -- replaced by black-and-white leotards that display Balanchine's choreography in pristine glory.

The commissioned score by Paul Hindemith was created in 1940.  Igor Stravinsky admired the music of Hindemith and probably urged his friend George Balanchine to work with him.  Hindemith initially suggested a work titled 'The Land of Milk and Honey' as a joint project in 1938, but he was unable to produce the score on Balanchine's time table.  In 1940 Hindemith offered to produce the first part of a score for a different ballet in one week.  This opening section of Hindemith's score for piano and string orchestra was first heard that year at one of Balanchine's informal musical evenings.  Among the musicians that evening were Nathan Milstein, Samuel Dushkin (for whom Stravinsky wrote the 'Violin Concerto') and Leon Barzin.  Barzin went on to conduct the first performance of 'The Four Temperaments' at Needle Trades and to become the first conductor for Ballet Society and then for New York City Ballet.

The conceit of 'The Four Temperaments' is the medieval theory that each individual is composed of varying amounts of four temperaments or 'humors' -- melancholic, phlegmatic, sanguinic, and choleric -- which collectively form each personality.  The structure of the ballet is first a series of three pas des deux which establish movement motifs that will recur; then sections for each of the four temperaments; followed by a finale.  There are a total of 25 dancers -- 19 women and 6 men.

Here's a short video clip of the New York City Ballet principal Adrian Danchig-Waring discussing, rehearsing and performing 'The Four Temperaments': 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRgViWiqqr8 

Balanchine's choreography is mostly a response to Hindemith's music.  The sections for the four temperaments have a tenuous relationship to those humors at best.   Balanchine uses the classical ballet vocabulary, but makes subtle alterations.  Often the relationship of the dancers to the audience shifts to profile or diagonal; knees are often bent; feet are flexed; hands, arms and wrists stray from classical positions.  

Justin Peck and Rebecca Krohn of NYC Ballet show the bent knees and profile poses characteristic of Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The finale is like a fireworks display as four men lift their ballerinas in explosive grand jetes above the rest of the cast.  Here's a link to a video from San Francisco Ballet performing snippets from the Phlegmatic section and the finale:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqOG3mJyl0

Suki Schorer is enlisting the help of several men from New York City Ballet -- Ask la Cour, Cameron Dieck, and Peter Walker -- in staging this modern masterpiece.

'Les Gentilhommes'

This year the SAB Workshop Gala on Tuesday, June 7th, will celebrate the School's Boys Program, which provides tuition free ballet training to male students.  The Boys Program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  Here's a video describing the program:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VllP_nNcWis

Listen for Jock Soto's comments about retirement -- Jock retired from the School's faculty at the end of 2015.

Peter Martins created 'Les Gentilhommes' in 1987 as a tribute to Stanley Williams who taught at the School of American Ballet from 1964 until 1997.  Peter Martins himself had studied with Williams at the Royal Danish Ballet before Williams left Copenhagen for SAB.  Williams' men's classes were legendary for producing some of the finest dancers in American ballet -- and for attracting ballet stars, including Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, whenever they were in town.  Nine of Williams' students danced in the original cast -- Gen Horiuchi, Peter Boal, Carlo Merlo, Jeffrey Edwards, Michael Byers, Damien Woetzel, Richard Marsden, Cornell Crabtree and Runsheng Ying.

The cast of the 2011 School of American Ballet Workshop production of Peter Martins' 'Les Gentilhommes'.

Set to Georg Friedrich Handel's 'Concerto in F, Opus 6, #9' and the Largo from 'Concerto in F, Opus 6, #2', Martins choreography displays the refinement and elegance that Williams demanded of his students.  Through the costumes, lighting and movement, we are brought into the courtly world of the 18th century with allusions to fencing and dancing and formal rules of conduct.

Peter Martins and Arch Higgins are already working with the Advanced Men on 'Les Gentilhommes'.

'Danses Concertantes'  

Balanchine's 'Danses Concertantes' was created in 1944 for the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo.  Igor Stravinsky composed the score in 1941 as an orchestral work --  in effect, 'concert dances'.  The score is decidedly dancey and Balanchine found it inspiring -- twice.  The original 1944 production was lead by Alexandra Danilova (another legendary teacher at SAB) and Frederic Franklin.  Although the pick-up orchestras the Ballet Russe used on their perpetual tours struggled with the complexities of the score, it remained in their repertory until 1948.

Balanchine created new choreography for a second version for New York City Ballet's 1972 Stravinsky Festival -- he claimed that he couldn't remember the original steps.  Linda Yourth and John Clifford led the 1972 cast.  The same colorful sets and costumes designed by Eugene Berman were used for both the 1944 and 1972 versions -- they were particular favorites of Stravinsky.

Darci Kistler and Robert LaFosse led New York City Ballet's 1988 revival of the 1972 version.  Hopefully, Ms. Kistler will be involved in staging 'Danses Concertantes' for the SAB workshops.  

New York City Ballet dancers in a recent revival of Balanchine's 'Danses Concertante' led by Megan Fairchild and Andrew Veyette.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The cast consists of a principal couple and four color-coded trios of two women and one man.  They are introduced in a prologue -- a parade in front of Berman's colorful front curtain.  When that curtain rises there is a sequence of four pas des trois followed by a pas de deux for the lead couple and then a final parade for the entire cast.  

Balanchine's choreography is bubbly and effervescent -- like champagne -- but then quickly evaporates.  The whole ballet is colorful, clever and energetic.  It will provide a frisky, insouciant high note for the students at the end their program.