NYC Ballet's (Mis)Adventures with Bournonville: Part Three, Dress Rehearsal of 'La Sylphide'

Before we saw the all-Bournonville program at NYC Ballet on Sunday, May 24th, I had attended a dress rehearsal of 'La Sylphide' on May 5th and together we went to the NYCB Seminar on " Peter Martins' 'La Sylphide' and the Bournonville Style" on May 18th.  This is the third of four posts about these events.

May 5th Dress Rehearsal for 'La Sylphide':
I attended the piano dress rehearsal for 'La Sylphide' on Tuesday, May 5th, which was lead by Peter Martins and  Petrusjka Broholm with the opening night (May 7th) cast including:  Sterling Hyltin (Sylph), Joaquin De Luz (James), Daniel Ulbricht (Gurn) and Georgina Pazcoguin (Madge).

I was struck by Peter Martins' detailed coaching of the mime passages which are important in conveying the plot.  He spent quite a bit of time working with Joaquin De Luz and Georgina Pazcoguin on the mime passage where Madge reluctantly gives James the poisoned scarf.

I found Susan Tammany's sets for both acts very distracting, making it hard to concentrate on the dancers and the dancing.  In the Act I Manor-House set, the fireplace and beams created too many strong diagonals.  In the Act II Forest set, the complicated backdrop of trees and clouds and moon which I had loved in the promotional materials seemed to distract from the sylphs dancing in their natural environment.

Sterling Hyltin and Joaquin De Luz in the opening scene of 'La Sylphide'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Ms. Hyltin and Mr. De Luz, although mismatched in height, danced brilliantly.  His precise beats and wonderful elevation make him ideal for the Bournonville choreography.  Ms. Hyltin danced with both airiness and new found technical strength and looked like a 19th century lithograph come to life.  Mr. Ulbricht seemed wasted on the small part of Gurn.  Ms. Pazcoguin, the Company's finest mime artist, played Madge with wonderful expressiveness and clarity.  

Here's a link to a video of Ms. Hyltin and Mr. De Luz dancing in Act II:
  
https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/vb.112319735528/10155556052500529/?type=2&theater

And here's a link to Sterling and Joaquin dancing with the corps of sylphs:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10155576659685529/

Note that the single partnered moment in this ballet is the one at the end of this second clip.

NYC Ballet's (Mis)Adventures with Bournonville: Part Two, The Seminar

Before we saw the all-Bournonville program at NYC Ballet on Sunday, May 24th, I had attended a dress rehearsal of 'La Sylphide' on May 5th and together we went to the NYC Ballet Seminar: 'La Sylphide' and the Bournonville Style on May 18th.  This is the second of four posts about these events.

May 18th Seminar: "Peter Martins' 'La Sylphide' & the Bournonville Style":
On May 18th we attended the NYC Ballet seminar about 'La Sylphide' and Bournonville style.  It was moderated by Faye Arthurs -- a long-time member of the company.  In addition to Peter Martins, the panelists included the lead dancers from the first cast of 'La Sylphide' -- Sterling Hyltin, Joaquin De Luz and Georgina Pazcoguin; the stager, Petrusjka Broholm; the stage manager, Marquerite Mehler; and the set and costume designer, Susan Tammany.

Ms. Arthurs first presented a brief history of 'La Sylphide' which originated at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1832 in a production made by Filippo Taglioni as a vehicle for his daughter, Marie Taglioni.  The score was by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer.  It was the first ballet that integrated dancing en pointe into the plot.  Taglioni had her skirts shortened -- which was considered scandalous -- to show off her excellent pointe work.

Marie Taglinoni dancing 'La Sylphide' in Filippo Taglinoni's Paris Opera production of 1832.

Bournonville saw 'La Sylphide' in Paris and began to prepare a production for Copenhagen.  Stymied by the high price demanded by the Paris Opera for Schneitzhoeffer's score, he commissioned a new score from the Danish composer Herman Severin Lovenskjold.  The Sylph was danced by Lucile Grahn and Bournonville himself danced James.  The Danish version premiered in 1836 and has remained in the Royal Danish Ballet's active repertory ever since.

It is this version that Peter Martins danced in as a child and later in the mid-1960's he danced the role of James with the Royal Danish Ballet.  He staged this version in 1985 for the Pennsylvania Ballet with decor by the artist Susan Tammany.  
In discussing Ms. Tammany's sets, Ms. Arthurs showed a slide of  'Mountains at Collioure' painted in 1905 by the Fauvist, Andre Derain.  With the Act II 'La Sylphide' set behind and the Derain painting on a large screen in the center it is certainly plausible to see the connection between Ms. Tammany's set design:

Backdrop by Susan Tammany for Act II of Peter Martins' staging of 'La Sylphide'.

and Derain's painting:

'Mountains at Collioure' by Andre Derain, oil on canvas, 1905.

In discussing the costume designs, Ms. Tammany noted that the colors for the tartans of the three main human characters were chosen to reflect aspects of their characters -- blues and purples for James, the dreamer; browns and rusts for Gurn, the practical farmer, and blues and greens for Effie, the optimist. 

Skirts in tartans for (left to right) Effie's clan, James' clan, and Gurn's clan in NYC Ballet's Costume Shop.
Photo from NYC Ballet website.

Petrusjka Broholm, the stager, worked with the company for eight months teaching and perfecting its Bournonville dancing in order to mount 'La Sylphide' in the Danish style.  All of the dancers on the panel -- Ms. Hiltyn, Mr. De Luz, Ms. Pazcoguin, and Ms. Arthurs -- agreed that Ms. Broholm's Bournonville classes had improved and strengthened their overall technique.

Peter Martins spoke briefly about the importance of effective mime passages for the audience's understanding and appreciation of 'La Sylphide' and of the need to train NYC Ballet dancers in the Danish style of mime.  All of the dancers expressed the view that Peter really wanted to play the mime role of Madge, the old fortune teller and witch, but Peter denied it.

Peter Martins working on a mime passage with Georgina Pazgoquin (Madge) and Joaquin de Luz (James).

This was an impressive debut for Faye Arthurs as a seminar moderator.  She had clearly prepared for the program with extensive research and had a definite agenda that she followed, but with enough flexibility to allow the panelists to expand on their responses to her questions and make additional comments where appropriate.  It was also to her credit that there was enough information presented that there were only two questions/comments from the audience. (The questions and comments from the audience are usually the low point of the NYC Ballet seminars, since they are often silly or self-serving.  So the less, the better in our view.)
  
The seminar handout points out that Ms. Arthurs was the valedictorian when she graduated from Fordham University and from her performance here we know why.  You can read Faye's blog, 'Thoughts from the Paint' here:

http://www.thoughtsfromthepaint.com/

It's interesting to read about NYC Ballet from the viewpoint of an intelligent, articulate dancer immersed in the company's activities.

December 6th Matinee of The Nutcracker at NYC Ballet

Poster for this year's 60th Anniversary of 'George Balanchine's The Nutcracker'.

This is the 60th anniversary of 'George Balanchine's The Nutcracker' which was first produced in February, 1954.  Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes were the Sugarplum and her Cavalier and Tanaquil Le Clercq was the Dewdrop.  Michael Arshansky played Herr Drosselmeier.

The end of the Party Scene in the 1954 production with Michael Arshansky, Paul Nickel and Roberta Grant.
Photo by Frederick Melton from the Dance Division of the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts

Every year as part of our holiday season we take our nephew and his wife and daughter to see 'George Balanchine's The Nutcracker' performed by New York City Ballet.  Because it is always sold out, to get decent seats we order the tickets in mid-summer.  So you always get luck-of-the-draw on casting.

SATURDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 6, 2:00 PM
(Conductor: Otranto)
SUGARPLUM: Pereira; CAVALIER: De Luz; DEWDROP: Reichlen; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Suozzi;
MARZIPAN: Dronova; HOT CHOCOLATE: Muller, Scordato; COFFEE: Mann; TEA: *Bachman; CANDY CANE: Ball;
MOTHER GINGER: Thew; FLOWERS: King, Laracey; DOLLS: Villwock, Adams; SOLDIER: Hoxha;
MOUSE KING: Sanz; DR & FRAU STAHLBAUM: Arthurs, Catazaro

On paper this was not a cast that I was thrilled with, but in the theater they were remarkably good.

In general, the lighting cues sometimes seemed to be out of sync with the Tschaikovsky music emanating from the pit and the pace of the production on stage.  Clotilde Otranto conducted at a brisk pace throughout, keeping the ballet moving forward, but sacrificing nuance for impetus.

In the first act, the School of American Ballet students in the party scene seemed a bit stiff and lacking in spontaneity -- although Sawyer Reo as Fritz, the naughty little brother was outstanding.  I don't believe I've ever been so aware that the motivation for his outbursts is that his older sister Marie is getting all of the presents and attention.  By the way, Marie's party dress has turned a nasty shade of slush grey and needs to be renewed or replaced.  Zachary Catazaro as Dr. Stahlbaum, the host, seemed too flamboyant, but Faye Arthurs as Frau Stahlbaum looked gorgeous and played the concerned mother and hostess perfectly.  Sean Suozzi's Herr Drosselmeier didn't have enough eccentricity or mystery or flamboyance to carry him convincingly into the vital transition scene between the party and the battle of the mice.

Balanchine's snow scene is so exquisitely designed that even indifferent dancing can never bring it down.  Here the dancing by the 16 snowflakes was brilliant -- etching Balanchine's patterns with crystalline perfection.  Bravo, women of the corps (including the four SAB apprentices)!

The final moments of the Act I Snow Scene as the Little Prince and Princess walk among the Snowflakes.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Act II opens with 12 of the youngest SAB students as tiny Angels. Balanchine understood how to give children steps and patterns that were effective on stage, but not too difficult to learn and perform.  Here the little girls floated across the stage in skimming steps that looked effortless.  Even the tricky criss-crossing diagonals didn't phase them -- they stayed in line and in motion without any hesitations or collisions.

Students from the School of American Ballets as Angels in 'George Balanchine's The Nutcracker'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Erica Pereira's solo as the Sugarplum was well danced, but she lacks empathy with her adoring 'court' of little angels -- the eye contact and flirtatious interactions that the best Sugarplums create with them was missing.

Philip Henry Duclos as the Little Prince didn't quite pull together the mimed passage recounting the battle with the mice to get the audience ovation that it often receives.

Hot Chocolate, lead by Gwyneth Muller and Andrew Scordato, seemed merely proficient, without the flash and panache that this Spanish-flavored divertissement should have.  Meagan Mann had the right sensuality for Coffee and used the music's pulse effectively.

A highlight of the divertissements was Austin Bachman's debut in Tea.  His split jumps were astonishing and rightly cheered by the audience.  Harrison Ball lead the Candy Canes with a sense of confidence and brio, but missed the mischievous quality that can make this part especially appealing.

Alina Dronova as the lead Marzipan Shepherdess is a proficient dancer, but almost totally devoid of stage presence.  Fortunately, my eyes kept straying to Megan Johnson and Sara Adams who looked especially lovely in her backup shepherdess quartet.

Joshua Thew nicely underplayed the role of Mother Ginger and didn't distract from the dancing of the eight little Polichinelles that emerge from her giant hoop skirt.  I'm sure that their parents appreciated him ceding the spotlight to their little darlings.

The Waltz of the Flowers is the other Balanchine choreographic masterpiece in 'The Nutcracker'.  With Teresa Reichlen's sparkling Dewdrop, Lauren King and Ashley Laracey as the graceful demi-soloists, and a lovely bouquet of twelve corps flowers it was danced with clarity and musicality.  Reichlen has the technical prowess and stamina for the Dewdrop.  More importantly, she imbues it with daring musical freedom -- sustaining balances, curling through pirouettes, challenging the boundaries of time and space with exploding leaps and grand jetes. 

Teresa Reichlen as Dewdrop with corps in Waltz of the Flowers.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NYTimes

In the grand pas de deux for the Sugarplum and her Cavalier, Erica Pereira was joined by Joaquin De Luz.  Erica is a wonderful partner for Joaquin (who has temporarily lost his regular Sugarplum, Megan Fairchild, to the Broadway revival of 'On the Town').  Erica is slender and petite with a dark beauty that complements Joaquin's short stature and fiery Latin demeanor.

They carried off the difficult adagio with assurance -- missing the timing on the second multiple supported pirouette into backbend, but doing a beautiful arabesque and balance on the slide across the back of the stage and ending with a lovely promenade into Erica's unsupported balance followed by a spectacular fishdive.  Joaquin's performed his variation with extraordinary precision and panache.  Erica's circle of pique turns into Joaquin's waiting arms showed finesse, daring and exquisite timing.

The final coda, which brings all of the characters from the Act II 'Land of the Sweets' back for brief reprises, is always lots of fun.  It gives the Dewdrop one last chance to show off a beautiful series of pirouettes into arabesque and the Sugarplum and her Cavalier a few more bravura lifts before the Little Prince and Princess are sent flying off in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

The Little Prince & Princess depart in the sleigh in the final scene of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker.

Since we used to see 'The Nutcracker' twice each season, we've probably seen this production at least 75 times since 1967.  With Tschaikovsky's lovely music, Balanchine's indelible choreography, and casts of dancers at every stage of development -- from beginning students to seasoned principals -- it is always a wonderful holiday treat.   

New York City Ballet -- Sunday, October 5, 2014

On Sunday afternoon, October 5th, we saw New York City Ballet in an all Balanchine program.  It was anything but austere neo-classical Balanchine though.

SUNDAY MATINEE, OCTOBER 5, 3:00 PM
[Conductor: Capps]
DONIZETTI VARIATIONS: T. Peck, De Luz
LA SONNAMBULA: Whelan, R. Fairchild, Arthurs, Sanz, Adams, Villwock, Laurent, Ippolito, King, Carmena, Schumacher
FIREBIRD: Bouder, J. Peck, Muller. Catazaro

Tiler Peck airborne in Balanchine's  'Donizetti Variations'.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

The opening work was 'Donizetti Variations' from 1960, set to the effervescent ballet music from Gaetano Donizetti's 'Don Sebastian'.  Unfortunately the dancing didn't consistently project the buoyancy of Mr. B's choreography.  Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz are not ideally paired as the principal couple -- Joaquin is too short and too forceful, while Tiler is a bit too reticent and refined, neither projecting quite enough of the work's bubbly exuberance.  The corps dancing lacked the crispness that makes their sections so witty when they are danced with confidence and brio.

'La Sonnambula' (called 'Night Shadow' when it was first seen in 1946 at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo) uses music of Vittorio Rieti based on themes from the operas of Vincenzo Bellini.  It is set at a masked ball given by the Baron in the courtyard of his castle.  An arch at the back of the stage is bridged by a second floor gallery leading to a circular tower stage left with a starry sky beyond.

After an initial dance lead by the Baron (Aaron Sanz, who made his debut in the role the prior day) and the Coquette (Faye Arthurs), the Poet (Robert Fairchild) appears. The Poet and the Coquette seem to know each other, but the Baron stiffly introduces them anyway and then stalks off.  There are divertissements for the guests:  a Pastorale for two couples (Sara Adams, Sarah Villwock, Ralph Ippolito and Austin Laurent); a pas de deux for an Oriental couple (Lauren King and Antonio Carmena, both in splendid form); and a Harlequin (Troy Schumacher).  During the divertissements, the Coquette and the Poet sit on a bench under the arch where they flirt, while the guests gossip about them.

After the entertainment, the Coquette and the Poet lead the guests in a dance which involves a great 'ice capades' circle and some intertwining chains.  As the guests promenade off stage, the Baron suddenly appears and grabs the Coquette away, leaving the Poet alone on stage.

A light appears in the gallery window stage right and slowly crosses the gallery and descends the tower stairs.  The Sleepwalker (Wendy Whelan) enters from the tower door carrying a candle while wafting about the stage in ethereal bourrees.  

Wendy Whelan as the Sleepwalker in Balanchine's 'La Sonnambula'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The Poet is enchanted but the Sleepwalker continues on in her trance, eluding him and his efforts to distract and awaken her.  They engage in a 'pas de deux' -- the Poet only touches the candle, but never the Sleepwalker.  The Coquette emerges and observes the Poet following the Sleepwalker into the tower.  Enraged, she rushes off to tell the Baron.  

The guests reappear for another dance lead by the Baron and the Coquette. During the dance she tells the Baron that the Poet has followed the Sleepwalker into the tower.  The Baron draws a dagger and rushes into the tower.  The Poet staggers out clutching his chest and collapses center stage.  The Sleepwalker reappears, still in a trance but somehow aware that the Poet lies dead at her feet.  The four divertissement men lift his lifeless body and place it in the Sleepwalker's arms.  She exits into the tower carrying the dead Poet.

Rob is the lucky Poet torn between Faye's gorgeous, worldly Coquette and Wendy's ethereal, other-worldly Sleepwalker.  As an artist, of course he chooses the elusive muse over the glamorous but shallow courtesan.  This role is one of Wendy's late-career triumphs and in Rob Fairchild she has found yet another ardent partner.

Wendy Whelan and Rob Fairchild during curtain calls for 'La Sonnambula'.
Photo by Edward G. Becker for Ballet Focus

The final ballet of the afternoon was 'Firebird' to the familiar Stravinsky orchestral suite with costumes and scenery based on the work of Marc Chagall.  Balanchine created the ballet in 1949 for Maria Tallchief, his wife and muse at the time.  It created a sensation and catapulted Tallchief into the role of prima ballerina of the year-old New York City Ballet.

Ashley Bounder in the title role of George Balanchine's 'Firebird'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

    
Ashley Bouder's interpretation of the Firebird is justly renowned.  Legend has it that she learned the role from Sean Lavery in something like 20 minutes in 2000, when she was called upon as a last minute replacement.  Ashley has since polished it to a breath-taking gleam.  Her glamorous entrance, her avian pas de deux with Justin Peck (as the oafish Prince Ivan), her calmly skimming berceuse all use Ashley's technical arsenal to magical effect.  The surrounding ballet goes on too long and relies on Stravinsky's music and Chagall's decor to carry the tale and provide both platform and frame for Ashley's superb dancing in the title role.