Fall Quibbles and Bits -- Dance Prizes, Three New Movies, and 'Exceeding Expectations' . . .

NYC Ballet at the Bessies:

The New York Dance and Performance Awards aka 'The Bessies' after Bessie Schoenberg were presented on October 19th at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.  Jock Soto was co-host for the awards show along with the performance artist Carmelita Tropicana. 

Justin Peck, New York City Ballet's Resident Choreographer was honored for Outstanding Production for 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' and Amar Ramasar, a New York City Ballet principal dancer was honored for Sustained Achievement in Performance.

Here are their citations:

Outstanding Production
Justin Peck for 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes', New York City Ballet
For a bracing new interpretation of a well-known score, wiping it clean of prior associations and using it as the springboard for an entirely new ballet marked by wit, surprise, poignant intimacy, and robust ensemble energy.

Sustained Achievement in Performance
Amar Ramasar for his work with New York City Ballet
For his natural ease and contemporary presence on the classical stage. For his ongoing contributions to a wide range of new ballet work, and for his sensitivity and skill in the demanding and sometimes unseen art of partnering. 

Amra Ramasar with his Bessie Award at the October 19th Award ceremony at the Apollo Theater.
Photo from The Bessies facebook page

I couldn't agree more -- congratulations to both Justin and Amar.

The Intern:

In early October we saw 'The Intern' written and directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.

Poster for 'The Intern'

Hathaway plays Jules, the founder and CEO of About the Fit, an on-line fashion retailer.  Jules agrees to start an intern program for seniors.  De Niro plays Ben, a 70-something retiree who's looking for something to do and who's assigned to be Jules' intern.

Jules is trying to have it all -- a successful career and a family.  The family consists of stay-at-home-dad, Matt (Anders Holm) who has given up his own successful career to care for daughter Paige.  As Ben begins working his way into Jules confidence at work they develop an increasingly strong bond.  Meanwhile, complimentary work and family crises develop in Jules life which Ben helps to clarify and resolve.  And Ben begins a romance with About the Fit's in-house massage therapist (Rene Russo).

'The Intern' is a charming twist on the standard buddy comedy that focuses on a mutually beneficial inter-generational relationship between Hathaway and De Niro.  Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the way through it goes off the rails.  Nevertheless, for feminists and seniors it will have special resonance -- and maybe dot-com-ers will even find some redeeming value amidst its cliched view of their environment.

The Martian:

In mid-October we went to see 'The Martian' (in 2D on a normal size screen).  The movie stars Matt Damon and is directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Drew Goddard based on a 2011 novel of the same name by Andy Weir.

Poster for 'The Martian'

As the film opens, a team of astronauts is going about the business of exploring Mars from their base camp, the Hab(itat), when a dust storm develops that threatens to blow over their relaunch vehicle and damage the rest of their equipment.  All of the team except a botanist, Mark Watney (Damon), make it safely to the vehicle.  The mission commander (Jessica Chastain) makes the decision to blast off for Earth (more than 500 days away) and leave Watney behind.

Watney, of course, survives -- with an abdominal wound that he repairs himself.  He calculates how to conserve resources and survive until he can be rescued.  He also figures out how to reestablish communications with NASA on Earth.  One of his greatest successes is figuring out how to grow potatoes in the harsh Martian environment.

This is a wonderful movie -- probably best in IMAX and 3D -- that makes survival on Mars seem achievable.  Matt Damon is spectacular, bringing viewers along as he talks (to himself) about each advance and set-back.  Both Matt Damon and Ridley Scott deserve to be part of the year-end awards buzz for this exceptional science fiction adventure.

'Bridge of Spies':

We also saw 'Bridge of Spies' in mid-October.  The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Matt Charman and Joel & Ethan Coen based on actual events that took place in the late 50's and early 60's during the Cold War.

Poster for 'Bridge of Spies'

It stars Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan, a partner in a prominent New York law firm, who specializes in settling insurance claims.  Donovan is drafted by his partners to defend Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance, superb) a Russian spy posing as a painter who has been caught by the FBI in the opening scenes of the film.  Abel's trial is supposed to showcase the 'fairness' of the U.S. legal system while still leading to Abel's conviction and execution for espionage.  Donovan takes the assignment more seriously and despite the threats to him and his family mounts an impassioned defense of Abel and then appeals Abel's conviction all of the way to the Supreme Court -- where he loses in a 5-to-4 decision.  Fortunately, Donovan has convinced the trial judge to sentence Abel to prison rather than to death -- just in case Abel could prove valuable in a prisoner exchange with the Russians.

Concurrently with Abel's trial and subsequent appeals, the U-2 spy plane program is being developed and launched.  While flying one of the first U-2 missions Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down over Russia. 

About the same time in the chaos surrounding the building of the Berlin Wall, Frederic Pryor, an American economics student, is captured by the East German Stassi and accused of being a U.S. spy.

The last half of the film concerns Donovan's efforts to arrange a 2-for-1 prisoner exchange -- Powers and Pryor for Abel.  The negotiations are complicated by political issues between Russia and East Germany as well as by American Cold War paranoia.

Spielberg weaves this all together into a masterful suspense thriller.  While it's quite long, the film is beautifully paced to sustain viewer interest.  Hanks gives an indelible performance as Donovan -- a man who refuses to compromise his belief in the American capacity for fairness and justice -- and Rylance as Abel practically steals the show with his slyly colorful performance.

'Exceeding Expectations':

George and I have been participating in a project of the Butler Ageing Center of Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health called 'Exceeding Expectations'.  George was contacted last Spring by Lauren Isaacs, one of the reporters on the project and a graduate of Northwestern, because he was listed in the Northwestern University alumni directory -- as a resident of New York City from a graduating class that were sure to be over 80 (he's 81).  At his first meeting with Lauren and Dorian Block the project leader, George suggested (or maybe insisted) that they include me, even though I'm only 75 and below the 80-year-old age threshold established for the project.

Anyhow, Dori and Lauren, along with their photographer, Floor Flurij, have been following us for about six-months.  In late September Dori was joined by Ruth Finkelstein, who conceived and advises the project, for a video shoot at Columbia Medical School.

The first chapters of the Exceeding Expectations project covering the first four subjects have now been released along with an introduction to the project.  You can find them at:

http://www.exceedingexpectations.nyc./

I suggest that you take a look at the 'About' section of the website which includes a brief video compilation of the 20 subjects of the project, including George and me.  If it looks like something that you'd enjoy following, you can subscribe to the entire project by entering your email address in the form at the bottom of the 'About' page.

The sections about us will be published later in the series, but seven chapters on the first four subjects are already available on line and they're very interesting.  Read them for yourself to learn how 20 remarkable New York seniors are 'exceeding expectations' as they get older.

NYC Ballet Performance on Friday Evening, October 9th -- Part 2

FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 9, 8:00 PM

POLARIS (new Myles Thatcher ballet)
     pause
THE BLUE OF DISTANCE (new Robert Binet ballet)
     pause
COMMON GROUND (new Troy Schumacher ballet)
     pause
NEW BLOOD 
     intermission
JEUX (new Kim Brandstrup Ballet): Mearns, Hyltin, Ramasar, Danchig-Waring; music by Claude Debussy, "Jeux"; [Conductor: Capps]


The second half of the October 9th program consisted of Kim Brandstrup's new ballet 'Jeux' which had premiered the previous evening.

Kim Brandstrup, 58, is from Denmark where he studied film at the University of Copenhagen before moving on to the London School of Contemporary Dance where he studied choreography.  Most of his creative life has taken place in Britain.  He founded Arc Dance Company there in 1985 and choreographed many works for them.  In 1994 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the choreographer of Benjamin Britten's 'Death in Venice' which featured Jeffrey Edwards as Tadzio and Karin von Aroldingen as his mother (non-speaking roles).  Brandstrup had previously choreographed 'Death in Venice' for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1992.

Kim Brandstrup (center) in the studio creating 'Jeux'  with Jonathan Stafford, ballet master, Harrison Ball and Indiana Woodward.
Photo by Paula Lobo for NY Times

'Jeux' uses a score of that name that Claude Debussy composed for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1913.  Nijinsky's ballet to the score was set at a tennis game and concerned a menage a trois.  It was completely overshadowed when a few weeks later Nijinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps' to Stravinsky's ground breaking score received a tumultuous reception.

The French 'jeux' is commonly translated as 'play' or 'game', but also has connotations of play-acting, masquerade or deception.  It even figures in phrases of the French casino, such as 'faites vos jeux' (make your bets) and 'les jeux sont faits' (the chips are down).  For his 'Jeux' Brandstrup has created a scenario that takes all of these possible translations into account.

Sara Mearns with Sterling Hyltin & Amar Ramasar (right) and ensemble.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

As the curtain opens, Amar Ramasar is tying a blindfold over Sara Mearns eyes as Sterling Hyltin and the five couples of the ensemble watch.  Sara and Sterling are wearing 'little black dresses' while the other women are in dark street dresses with the men in business suits with loosened ties -- some have even shed their jackets.  They seem to be in an empty industrial building with a single dangling light bulb and a single square black column separating a narrow area on the right side of the stage from a larger area on the left.  The lighting is murky until a black back curtain rises halfway to reveal a white wall that is lit with a glaring, sometimes pulsing (and annoying) white light.
  

Sara Mearns with four ensemble couples in Kim Brandstrup's 'Jeux'.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

Amar and Sterling with the ensemble proceed to force Sara into a game of blindman's bluff, taunting Sara and always avoiding her searching, outstretched arms.  It seems that Amar and Sara have been romantically involved, but Amar is making moves on Sterling while Sara is blindfolded.  After some ensemble dancing including what are known in pairs figure skating as 'tabletop' lifts -- spectacular from some couples, merely adequate from others -- the six couples leave Sara alone groping for contact. 

Sara Mearns and Adrian Danchig-Waring in Kim Brandstrup's 'Jeux'.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

The party crowd is replaced by Adrian Danchig-Waring as a young jock in jeans and T-shirt with a soccer ball.  Initially intrigued by the blindfolded woman, Adrian avoids contact with Sara -- ducking under Sara's leg extended in several extravagant turns. Then he comes to her rescue when she is about to fall and begins to partner her in a sensual, athletic duet.  Here's a link to a brief video clip from the Company of their pas de deux in 'Jeux':

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156161034855529/

Sara removes her blindfold (or maybe Adrian pulls it down) and Sara tosses his ball into the wings with disdain.  

Adrian Danchig-Waring and Sara Mearns in Brandstrup's 'Jeux'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

As Sara and Adrian leave the stage Sterling and Amar return to dance a romance tinged duet.  Sara sneaks back to spy on Sterling and Amar before confronting him in a jealous rage.  Sara and Sterling fight for Amar's attention.  The ensemble swirls around them.

Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar in Kim Brandstrup's 'Jeux'.   Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Or so it seemed to this observer.  But, who are these dancers?  why are they in this sinister space?  what are their connections before and after these dramatic encounters?  Brandstrup gives us few clues and no compelling reason to search for answers.  

This work strikes me as a descendant of Anthony Tudor's oeuvre.  Unnamed characters engage in unexplained interactions to sensuous, mysterious music.  With the right dancers (and these are the right dancers) this can be highly dramatic.  We're in a kind of post-modern lilac garden where four dancers engage in self-destructive behavior to satisfy carnal impulses.   As  'she who is cast aside' Mearns is indelible -- by turns needy, unstable, sensual and implacable.  Ramasar as 'he who moves on' is part matinee idol, part callous cad and always consummate partner.  Hyltin as 'she who seduces' is by turns alluring and flirtatious.  Danchig-Waring as 'he who hooks up' is wholesome, inquisitive and intense.

The ensemble are 'they who join in the game'.  In the ensemble, I was particularly struck by Emilie Gerrity, Rachel Hutsell and Lauren King among the women and Preston Chamblee and Russell Janzen among the men.  Rachel is still an apprentice and Preston joined the corps only last January.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Whether 'Jeux' or any of the other four new works on this program will hold up to repeated viewing, they do provide a showcase the Company's dancers and an opportunity for them to expand their horizons with interesting choreographers.   Mearns and Hyltin shine in very different ways in 'Jeux' and 'The Blue of Distance'; Tiler Peck added cool diamantine sparkle to 'Polaris'; Ramasar provided leading man charisma and assured partnering in 'Jeux' and 'Common Ground'; Preston Chamblee in 'The Blue of Distance' and 'Jeux' stood out for his strong partnering; Russell Janzen in both the 'Jeux' ensemble and in 'Common Ground' is a very tall man who can move with speed and partner with grace; Claire Kretzschmar blazed brightly in 'New Blood' in her female-female duets with Kristen Segin and then Lauren King; and Lauren went on to stand out in the 'Jeux' ensemble; Meagan Mann with Ashley Bouder and Daniel Applebaum with Andrew Veyette held up their end in 'New Blood' duets with the Company's technical dynamos. 

There's always a lot to absorb in an evening of all new choreography, but the vivid dancing of the entire Company taking on new roles helps to point the way.  We're already anticipating Justin Peck's new ballet and to seeing more of these Fall Season premieres during the Winter Season. 

Comments on 'Ballet 422'

We saw 'Ballet 422' Friday afternoon at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center -- a classy venue with a nice 'take-out' cafe, Indie, and $9.00 tickets for seniors -- $3.00 less than the nearby multiplex.

Poster for 'Ballet 422'

'Ballet 422' is a documentary film about the making of Justin Peck's 'Paz de la Jolla' -- the 422nd ballet created for New York City Ballet -- which premiered during the 2013 Winter season.  Unlike many documentaries, it does not use either voice over narration or on-camera interviews.  A few stark chapter headings let the audience know where we are in the timeline to the premiere which starts two months before the opening night.

At the time, Justin was still a relative choreographic neophyte.  His ballets 'Year of the Rabbit' (October, 2012) and 'In Creases' (July, 2012) preceded 'Paz de la Jolla' into the Company's repertory.  At 25, Justin was still a member of the Company's corps de ballet.

Justin Peck working on 'Paz de la Jolla' in the studio.  Photo: still from 'Ballet 422' by Jody Lee Lipes

'Ballet 422' simply watches as Justin goes through the days leading up to the premiere.  For his music he has selected 'Sinfonietta la Jolla' by Bohuslav Martinu a score for small orchestra and piano soloist from 1950 which was commissioned by a small musical group from La Jolla, CA, a suburb of San Diego -- where Justin grew up.  The selection of the music seems to lead to the ballet's design -- the beach at La Jolla in 1950.

Justin is working with a cast of 18 -- three principals (Sterling Hyltin, Tiler Peck, and Amar Ramasar), 10 corps women and 5 corps men.  The thematic idea of trios -- two women and one man -- seems to occur throughout the ballet as it develops.

The film shows Justin working on a solo with Tiler Peck and a duet with Sterling and Amar in the studio.  For a young corps dancer, he seems both assured and circumspect -- coaxing and coaching them in dancing the passages as he has envisioned them.  There is a nice sense of give and take between Justin and the dancers to achieve what is either possible or comfortable for them within the framework of his creative vision.

With the corps dancers, Justin seems a bit more assertive, going over movements until they are done to his satisfaction.  With all of the cast, Justin knows what he wants and seems to have the knack of getting it from each of them.  The film shows a humorous moment as Justin works out a move when Tiler and Sterling have to brace Amar as he falls back.  Initially the ladies apply unequal strength, causing Amar to slip sideways.  It takes several tries before they get it to Justin's satisfaction without dissolving in giggles.  

Albert Evans is the ballet master working with Justin on 'Paz de la Jolla'.  At one point Albert halts a rehearsal to give Tiler a 5-minute break -- required by the dancers' and musicians' union contracts.  At other points, as Justin develops the piece Albert is there to record and remember the sequences, since he will be responsible for restaging the work and rehearsing other dancers who may take over from the original cast.  Albert also gives Justin a sounding board for his notes and thoughts as the rehearsals proceed.

Sketch of costume for Tiler Pack by Reid Bartelme & Harriet Jung from the NYC Ballet archives.

Justin is seen with the lighting designer, Mark Stanley, and his lighting crew working out the lighting that will give the ballet the on-stage atmosphere he's looking for.  Justin goes over costume ideas with the designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung and interacts with them and Marc Happel, the head of the Company's costume shop.  Later some of the dancers try on the costumes to make sure that they give Justin the look he's after while still allowing the dancers to dance the steps he's created for them.  Each dancer has a different costume to give the effect of a crowded summer day at the beach circa 1950.

Costume designs for 10 of the 15 corps dancers by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung from the NYC Ballet archives.

Cameron Grant, the Company's principal piano soloist, is a presence throughout the creative process -- playing for studio rehearsals as the ballet is developed and then in the pit as piano soloist for orchestra rehearsals with Andrews Sill conducting the orchestra.  Just before the final rehearsal, Grant suggests that Justin give the orchestra a pep talk to thank them for their efforts and rev them up for the premiere.  Following the rehearsal Justin asks the conductor for time to say a few words.  It is a touching moment as the neophyte takes the advice of a mentor (Grant) to get the orchestra's buy-in to his creative process.

While the creation of the ballet proceeds, the rest of Justin's life goes on in parallel.  He takes company class, dances in the repertory, goes home to an empty apartment in Morningside Heights.

Finally, the night of the premiere of 'Paz de la Jolla' arrives.  Justin dons his dark suit, white shirt and tie, puts on his round horn-rimmed glasses and mingles with the Company's benefactors before the premiere.  He takes his seat in the second ring and watches 'Paz de la Jolla'.  Justin seems pleased with the result.  When the curtain comes down he rushes down to the stage to take part in the curtain calls.

Then, negotiating the deserted hallways backstage to his dressing room, he takes off the suit, puts on his costume and make-up and goes on stage to perform in the corps for the last work of the program -- Alexei Ratmansky's 'Concerto DSCH'.

'Ballet 422' was directed and photographed by Jody Lee Lipes.  Lipes is the husband of Ellen Barr, a former New York City Ballet dancer, who is now the Director of Media Projects for the Company and one of the film's producers.  To me, it was a surprise that Peter Martins doesn't appear in the film and gets minimal coverage in the credits.  Did Peter really stay that far in the background?

Banner for 'Ballet 422'

You can watch the trailer for 'Ballet 422' here:

http://www.magpictures.com/ballet422/

But you really should just go see the movie while it's in town.  It really does take you behind the curtain at New York City Ballet to see how the pieces of a very complex puzzle fit into place and to get a sense of how a young choreographer goes from 'let's put on a show' to actually getting the show onto the stage in something like his original vision.  Despite all of its insight it leaves you wanting to know even more.  It also leaves you wanting to see and savor 'Paz de la Jolla' in a live performance now that you know a bit about how it came into being. 

Of course, Justin Peck has gone on from 'Paz de la Jolla' to create even more ballets for New York City Ballet and other companies.  Just this week, his new ballet to Aaron Copland's orchestral suite from 'Rodeo' opened at NYC Ballet -- we'll see it on Sunday, February 8th.  He has been promoted from corps de ballet to soloist and has been named the Company's resident choreographer.  Benjamin Millipied, the director of dance at the Paris Opera, just announced that Justin will create a work for them in 2016.  This film is a glimpse at the creative process of one of the 21st century's most promising choreographers.  

Liam Scarlett's 'Acheron'

This post has taken a long time to finish because I wasn't that inspired by 'Acheron', which I saw twice -- once at the final dress rehearsal and once on March 1st at the Janie Taylor/Sebastien Marcovici farewell performance.

SATURDAY EVENING, March 1, 8 PM

ACHERON: Adams, Bouder, T. Peck, Veyette, Ramasar, R. Fairchild, Carmena
[Conductor: Otranto; Guest Organist: Michael Hey]

and final dress rehearsal on January 31, 12:45 PM:

NEW SCARLETT (World Premiere): *Krohn, *Bouder, *Mearns, *T. Angle, *Ramasar, *Danchig-Waring, *Huxley
[Guest Organist: Michael Hey]

Liam Scarlett's 'Acheron', is set to Poulenc's 'Concerto for Organ, Strings and Tympani'.  'Acheron' is one of the five rivers in the underworld according to Greek mythology (along with the more familiar river Styx). It was a stream for the cleansing of sins and healing of souls upon their entry into the underworld -- kind of like the 'River Jordan' in Christian mythology.  Scarlett used another reference to the Greek mythical underground, 'Asphodel Meadows', as the title to his first major work for the Royal Ballet (2011) where we was named 'Artist in Residence' in 2012.  That work also used music by Poulenc, his 'Double Piano Concerto'.  

'Acheron' is plotless, but certainly used the Greek mythological reference as a point of departure, especially for the murky 'underground' lighting design.  There are three principal couples plus a male soloist and five corps couples. They are dressed in costumes designed by Scarlett -- the women bare-legged in light, knee-length dresses shading to dark reddish brown on the top of the bodices; the men bare-chested in light, knee-length tights shading to dark reddish brown toward the knees.  Bare-legged ballerinas always look unflattering to my eye -- with thigh and calf muscles more harshly exposed by light and shadow.  The men's costumes have the unfortunate effect of making them look longer-waisted and shorter-legged than they really are.  Amar Ramasar was an exception, looking sleek (and dancing with great strength and impact) because the dark bottom of the tights blended with his darker skin tone while the lighter-skinned men have an awkward break just below the knees that divides their legs into zones.

Ashley Bouder & Amar Ramasar in Liam Scarlett's 'Acheron', photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

In the cast on Saturday evening (first cast shown in parentheses), Sara Adams & Andrew Veyette (or Rebecca Krohn & Tyler Angle) seemed the most tender couple, Tiler Peck & Robert Fairchild (or Sara Mearns & Adrian Danchig-Waring) seemed the most enthralled, and Ashley Bouder & Amar Ramasar seemed the most passionate.  (The three couples in Jerome Robbins' 'In the Night' come to mind). Ashley & Amar danced in the premier and had replaced Megan Fairchild and Gonzalo Garcia by March 1st.  Antonio Carmena as the solo man on March 1st was fine, but seemed a bit too solid as the lone soul observing the other pairs and seeming to be searching for his own mate. The elegant and enigmatic Anthony Huxley in the first cast gave the role a completely different aura of longing and desperation.

The opening moments are stunning as Sara Adams (or Rebecca Krohn) emerges from a flowing river of bodies to find Andrew Veyette (or Tyler Angle) .  What follows is an intense series of choreographic miniatures often with couples in canonical mirroring and expanding phrases -- among principal couples and between principal and corps couples. 

Sara Mearns & Adrian Danchig-Waring, Amar Ramasar & Ashley Bouder in 'Acheron',
photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

There are lots of tricky and strenuous lifts for the three principal couples as well as occasional pyrotechnics -- like a whiplash fast series of chaine turns from Ashley.

The dancing from both casts was gorgeous and you could see how their confidence in handling the tricky partnering had increased in the intervening month.  There's a snippet of a pas de deux for Sara Mearns and Adrian Danchig-Waring on the NYC Ballet website here:  http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/a/new-scarlett.aspx 

Sara Mearns & Adrian Danchig-Waring in Liam Scarlett's 'Acheron', photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The trouble is that what they were dancing was only sporadically interesting.  This work follows a trend in contemporary choreography -- what I've labeled 'ADHD ballets' -- where choreographic snippets are grafted together without overall coherence. Dancers seem to enter and leave the stage without providing much sense of any larger structure to the work.  It all relates to the music that's being played at the time, but doesn't necessarily add to our enjoyment of it or lead us to a better understanding of its structure.  The same lack of choreographic architecture plagues many recent plotless ballets.  

The Poulenc music was nicely interpreted by the orchestra under Maestra Clotilde Otranto with the guest organist, Michael Hey.  They emphasized the impressionistic murmurings of the opening and the jarring tensions later on. It's an interesting score and obviously lends itself to choreographic interpretation (Glen Tetley used it for 'Voluntaries' at the Stuttgart Ballet which was later staged at ABT and PNB among other companies).


  

Jenifer Ringer's Farewell Performance

SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 9, 3 PM
JENIFER RINGER FAREWELL PERFORMANCE
(Conductor: Capps)
DANCES AT A GATHERING: Ringer (in pink), Krohn (in mauve), M. Fairchild (in apricot), Kowroski (in green), A. Stafford (in blue), Garcia (in brown), J. Angle (in purple), Ramasar (in green), Carmena (in brick), Catazaro (in blue) [Solo Piano: Walters]
UNION JACK: 
SCOTTISH AND CANADIAN GUARDS REGIMENTS: De Luz, T. Angle, A. Stafford, J. Angle, Hyltin, Lowery, Bouder; 
COSTERMONGER PAS DE DEUX: Ringer, Ramasar;
ROYAL NAVY: Bouder, T. Angle, J. Angle, Lowery, Schumacher, Villalobos, De Luz, A. Stafford, Hyltin

Yesterday, we said 'farewell' to a lovely ballerina who had graced the New York City Ballet's stages with warmth, humanity and humor.  Jenifer Ringer's final performances were in Jerome Robbins' masterpiece, 'Dances at a Gathering', which marked his return to NYCB in 1969 after more than a decade as a Broadway and Hollywood choreographer and director, and in Balanchine's 'Union Jack', his 1976 U.S. bicentennial tribute to Great Britain.

We first encountered 'Dances at a Gathering' as a work-in-progress in the company's summer home in Saratoga Springs. There, the dancers all sat on stage throughout the work and simply rose and joined the dance as they were needed.  It seemed charming and nonchalant.  Balanchine famously told Robbins, 'More, make more!' as the work was in development and Jerry certainly took him up on it.  With Chopin's gorgeous piano music and danced by the stellar original cast (Allegra Kent, Sara Leland, Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride, Violette Verdy, Anthony Blum, John Clifford, Robert Maiorano, John Prinz and Edward Villella) the audience loved having more.  But over the years with changing casts, more has become much too much.  Following 'Dances' Robbins created several ballets which further demonstrated his inability to edit his own work.

Although the program was chosen long before her retirement was announced, it was a wonderful platform to showcase Ringer's many charms.  She has been a dancer who has excelled at relating to fellow dancers as well as to the audience.  In 'Dances at a Gathering' she had the opportunity to interact with nine fellow dancers.  Her two pas de deux - first with Jared Angle and then with Gonzalo Garcia were miniature master classes in the art of partnering and being partnered.  Jared is the more natural partner, nurturing and sustaining his ballerina and matching her with beautiful line of his own.  

Jared Angle & Jenifer Ringer in Robbins' 'Dances at a Gathering'; by Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Gonzalo is a less assured partner, but Jenifer seemed to enjoy the challenge of making them both look wonderful together. Elsewhere in the ballet, Jenifer listened and watched her fellow dancers intently, ever attentive to the nuances of their bursts of dance and whimsical couplings and uncouplings.

The rest of the cast was uneven.  Maria Kowroski was delightful in the humorous role Robbins created for Violette Verdy.  She was the only cast member who had no opportunities to interact with Jenifer, but her interactions with the three men (Jared, Amar and Antonio) in the 'speed dating' segment were sly and charming.  Abi Stafford, Rebecca Krohn and Megan Fairchild are varying shades of pallid.  Amar Ramasar's partnering of Rebecca in their early pdd was wonderful, but she seems to have difficulty adapting to the romantic nuances of Robbins' choreography.  Megan and Antonio Carmena caught the humor of the two-against-three waltz, but also made it look rushed and airless.  The central pas de six with Abi, Rebecca and Megan, Jared, Amar and Zack Catarazzo failed to give the thrill of most casts.  The men were all stalwart partners, but the acrobatic lifts, carries and throws all somehow seemed routine.  There was no dance crescendo building to the final series of throws of the three women from Jared to Amar to Zack.

The cast seemed to have been chosen to make Jenifer stand out in relief -- two wonderful partners and no serious competition from the other women.  It was her afternoon and she really was the dancer at this gathering.

'Union Jack' is a work about quantity.  The opening tattoo features 70 dancers in seven regiments of 10 each, moving in precision formations.  Here again there seemed to be some casting 'errors' among the four lead women.  Abi Stafford doesn't have the chops to lead 'Green Montgomerie' which as the first female regiment needs to be lead in with a certain swagger and style.  Sterling Hyltin looked lost under the 'Dress MacDonald' hat and also lacked any specific sense of style, but at least had Jared Angle from 'Menzies' to offer some support and distraction.  Savannah Lowery had the right strength and percussiveness for 'MacDonald of Sleat'. Ashley Bouder is simply miscast in the swaggering 'R.C.A.F.' role which Balanchine created for the off-centered bravado of Suzanne Farrell.  Ashley is a very centered dancer who probably can't handle and doesn't attempt the exaggerated loose-jointed swinging hips that Suzanne used to make the role so distinctively her own.  I would have cast Sara Mearns or Teresa Reichlen or Lauren Lovette to bring some panache to this role.

Jenifer Ringer and Amar Ramasar made the 'Costermonger Pas de Deux' a delightful interlude with appropriate mugging for the audience and great comic timing. Unfortunately, the pony threatened to steal the show in a tug-of-war with his very young handler, finally charging off stage before the pearly princesses could reboard the cart.

The 'Royal Navy' section is always a romp for the cast and the audience.  The seven leads from the opening tattoo augmented by Troy Schumacher and Giovanni Villalobos have great fun with nautical motifs that Balanchine cleverly adapted for ballet.  Here again Bouder was woefully miscast as the leader of the Wrens, another Farrell role.  Ashley at least needs to learn the semaphore flag sequence for 'God Save the Queen' during the bombastic finale.  BTW Ashley is a favorite dancer but her stiff, small-scaled performance here is just wrong.

Jenifer Ringer accepting the ovation from the Company & the audience; photo by McClure

Of course, the afternoon ended with an extended ovation for Ringer and the presentation of many bouquets from the principal men of the company, individual roses from the principal women, and finally bouquets from Damian Woetzel, Peter Martins, and her husband and former principal dancer, James Fayette.

Jenifer Ringer's final bow, February 9th 2014, photo by McClure

Here's a link to an appreciation of Jenifer Ringer in Oberon's Grove:
http://oberon481.typepad.com/oberons_grove/2014/02/farewell-to-jenifer-ringer.html