You can learn more about the three works on the program -- 'Danses Concertante' (Balanchine/Stravinsky); 'Les Gentilhommes' (Martins/Handel); and 'The Four Temperaments' (Balanchine/Hindemith) -- in my earlier post about the program here:
Kay Mazzo, Co-Chairman of the Faculty at SAB, told me this was a "very ambitious" program. She was not kidding!
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| Emma Von Enck (center) and Thomas Davidoff (right) rehearsing Balanchine's 'Danses Concertante' for the 2016 SAB Workshop . Marie Millard, Gilbert Bolden III, Christina Clark (mostly hidden), Taylor Ayotte and Nathan Compiano behind them. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor for The School of American Ballet |
Much of the dress rehearsal was devoted to improving the coordination between the stage and the pit -- the stagers conferring with the conductor, David LaMarche, about tempo or adjusting the students response to the music.
Let me say at the outset that I have enjoyed watching all of the advanced students in the studios and hallways of the School during the 2015-16 Winter Term. They have impressed me with their discipline and devotion to their art and they have thrilled me in performances in the student choreography workshops and other performance opportunities. During the last three months they worked diligently to perfect the three works that they performed at the Workshop.
I regret that a few of them -- including four of my particular favorites -- were unable to dance in these performances due to illnesses and injuries. Others were not cast in these works, often to give older students a chance to perform. There are only so many places in these works and many of the younger students will return for SAB's next Winter Term and will probably be cast in next year's Workshop Performances.
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Although 'Danses Concertante' is not often performed in recent years, these performances clearly demonstrated that it is an ancestor of later -- and better -- works in the Balanchine canon -- particularly 'Rubies'. It was interesting to see Mr. B's similar choreographic impulses set to different Stravinsky music. Susan Pilarre -- who specializes in staging lighthearted romps for the Workshops -- staged this piece and brought out the carefree exuberance in both casts.
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| Emma Von Enck and Thomas Davidoff as the lead couple in 'Danses Concertante'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
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| Emma Von Enck and Thomas Davidoff (in yellow) in Balanchine's 'Danses Concertante' at the 2016 SAB Workshop . Marie Millard, Gilbert Bolden III, Christina Clark, and Taylor Ayotte behind them. Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
Among the four trios -- two women and one man each -- I was particularly taken in the afternoon with the trio in purple -- Christina Clark (18: New York City), Marie Millard (17; Alanson, MI) and Gilbert Bolden III (17; Lincoln, CA) -- who brought out whimsical aspects of their choreography despite its difficulty.
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| Christina Clark, Marie Millard and Gilbert Bolden III rehearsing the 'purple' pas de trois. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor for the School of American Ballet |
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'Les Gentilhommes' was staged for these Workshop performances by Arch Higgins. Peter Martins' choreography is supposed to evoke 18th century court life -- incorporating the steps and gestures of fencing and court dancing from which ballet arose. In general, many of the men needed to employ greater stretch in their legs and feet. Also, the spacing between the dancers occasionally looked haphazard and the choreographic formations for the entire cast of nine men sometimes seemed tentative.
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| Ethan Fuller (center) rehearsing 'Les Gentilhommes' by Peter Martins with (left to right) Christopher D'Ariano, Thomas Davidoff, Nathan Compiano, Ethan Fuller, Michael Garcia, Darius Black, Andres Zuniga and Kennard Henson. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor for The School of American Ballet |
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Ethan Fuller (center) leading 'Les Gentilhommes' by Peter Martins with (left to right) Thomas Davidoff,
Andres Zuniga, Christopher D'Ariano, Adrian Pasten, Michael Garcia, Mark Cuddihee, Davide Riccardo
and Kennard Henson.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
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Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments' is a neoclassical masterpiece and posed a daunting challenge for the students. Staged by Suki Schorer (with some input from Allen Peiffer and Jared Angle on the partnering and men's roles) it was a triumphant conclusion to each performance.
At both performances I was impressed by the boldly astringent dancing of Courtney Nitting (19; Lafayette, NJ) and Gilbert Bolden III in the 'Sanguinic' variation. Kennard Henson was appropriately unruffled dancing the 'Phlegmatic' variation at the matinee; while Christopher D'Ariano danced with cool elegance and almost architectural clarity in that role in the evening. Ethan Fuller handled the 'Melancholic' variation in the afternoon with restrained aplomb; in the evening Nathan Compiano offered a thoughtful, pensive performance. Christina Clark was particularly fierce and emphatic in the 'Choleric' variation at the evening performance.
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| Ethan Fuller flanked by Jennifer Pauker and Gianna Reisen in the First Variation: Melancholic of Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
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| Kennard Henson (center) with Lillian Casscells, Taylor Ayotte, Isabella Carroll and Christina Clark in the Third Variation: Phlegmatic from Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
Among the couples in the three opening 'Theme' sections, I was particularly impressed by Marie Millard (Theme 1 at the matinee and Theme 3 in the evening); Nathan Compiano (Theme 2 in the afternoon); Eliza Blutt and Wilson Livingston (Theme 3 in the afternoon); and Darius Black (Theme 3 in the evening with Ms. Millard). They were all terrific in the angular, off-center partnering of the 'Theme' sections and along with Ms. Nitting and Mr. Bolden they provided the spectacular 'fireworks' jetes for the finale.
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| Darius Black and Marie Millard in the evening performance of Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for The School of American Ballet |
All of the 14 corps women danced beautifully (hardly the right word for this spiky choreography) and are collectively deserving of praise. All-in-all these were both splendid performances of a very significant Balanchine work.
Nataliya Pinelis -- a staff pianist at The School -- was the excellent piano soloist for 'The Four Temperaments' and the workshop orchestra conducted by Maestro LaMarche provided solid musical support to the students throughout both performances.
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For many of these SAB students these Workshop performances are a stepping stone to professional careers on stages in the U.S. and around the world. For others they are the culmination of years of ballet training which have prepared them for entirely different opportunities. For still other younger students they will lead to summer sessions at ballet schools around the nation and then back to SAB in September. Good luck to all of them, no matter their 'next step'.
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| Ethan Fuller, Justine Flores and Christopher D'Ariano (center) rehearse the finale of George Balanchine's 'The Four Temperaments' with the women's corps. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor for The School of American Ballet |
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