'21st Century Choreographers'
ASH: *Laracey, *Catazaro [Conductor: Capps]
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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]
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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.
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| Devon Alberda, Cameron Dieck and Spartak Hoxha in Peter Martins' 'Ash'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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.
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| Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle in Christopher Wheeldon's 'This Bitter Earth' in 2012. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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.
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| 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:
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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':
Here's a short promotional video from the Company with snippets from 'Paz de la Jolla':
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| 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 |
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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.
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