New York City Ballet Sunday Matinee, May 1st

SUNDAY MATINEE, MAY 1st, 'Jewels', 3:00 PM (Conductor: Otranto)

EMERALDS: *Scheller, *Finlay, *Laracey, *Scordato, *Woodward, *Ball, *Segin 

RUBIES: *Lovette, *Huxley, *Kikta [Solo Piano: Grant] 

DIAMONDS: Mearns, T. Angle 

* First Time in Role 


The May 1st performance of George Balanchine's 'Jewels' by New York City Ballet offered a mixture of new faces and familiar veterans in a ballet that we have watched from its opening night in April, 1967.  No matter the casting, it is always wonderful to encounter this beloved ballet (or is it three ballets?) anew.  Here's a video of three of the Company's current principals -- Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck and Teresa Reichlen -- discussing the ballet (4:39):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj5gbyZw1q0

Even though Balanchine's works were always closely tied to his musical choices -- Faure, Stravinsky, and Tschaikovsky here -- these three works have always been most closely associated in my mind with the ballerinas who created these roles for him -- Violette Verdy and Mimi Paul in 'Emeralds'; Patricia McBride and Patricia Neary in 'Rubies'; and Suzanne Farrell in 'Diamonds'.  

George Balanchine surrounded by 'Jewels' ballerinas (clockwise from lower left):
Suzanne Farrell, Mimi Paul, Violette Verdy, and Patricia McBride.
Photo by Martha Swope

While the men were important, except for Edward Villella in 'Rubies', they were primarily there to support and display Balanchine's chosen ballerinas.

In 'Emeralds', it is virtually impossible to erase Violette Verdy's performance as the first ballerina from my mind.

Violette Verdy in George Balanchine's 'Emeralds'.
Photo by Martha Swope

Her death this past winter ended her continuity with this role -- which she continued to coach for several companies around the world after she had stopped dancing in 1977.  Here's a link to an interview with Ms. Verdy and Mimi Paul (the other principal ballerina in 'Emeralds') published at the time they were coaching 'Emeralds' at Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2009:

http://ballet-dance.com/200904/articles/interview_verdypaul_20080300_speer.html

And here is a videotaped interview with Ms. Verdy and Conrad Ludlow discussing their roles in 'Emeralds' with Jennifer Dunning for the Balanchine Foundation's Memory Project (17:19):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShON2Rcd6uI

Many others have tried, but few have approached the heady perfume Ms. Verdy delivered in her 'Emeralds' role during those first ten years.  Ana Sophia Scheller was woefully miscast in this role.  Scheller is a hard-edged dancer much better suited to unsubtle bravura roles.  Here her pointes clattered and stabbed when they should have whispered and caressed the stage in quietly impressionistic bourrees.  Chase Finlay as her cavalier harked back to the strong, stolid original of Conrad Ludlow -- with perhaps a greater gloss of elegance.

Ashley Laracey and Andrew Scordato as the couple in the 'walking' pas de deux were appropriately aloof.  Ms. Laracey offered a windswept quality to the role and Mr. Scordato provided terrific support in the tricky partnering.  Let's hope that they both receive more opportunities like this to display their artistry.

In this pas de deux there should be a pulse that emanates from within the dancers almost like a heart beat.  It's tricky to achieve the balance between being inspired by the musical pulse clearly heard in Faure's music and seeming too mechanical.  In Mimi Paul's videotaped discussion with Nancy Goldner for the Balanchine Foundation Memory Project she describes how she worked to soften the 'notches' and achieve the mesmerizing quality of this role which should leave the audience rapt (19:36):

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

The briskly effervescent pas des trois featured Kristen Segin, Indiana Woodward and Harrison Ball in their debuts.  While all three were very good, I was especially taken with the twinkle of Ms. Woodward in her too brief solo.

The 'Emeralds' 10-woman corps was filled with apprentices (Rachel Hutsell, Sasonah Huttenbach, Alston Macgill and Clara Ruf-Maldonado) and newly minted corps members (Miriam Miller and Mimi Staker stood out).  They provided a gorgeous framework for all of the featured debutants.

An earlier cast nearing the 'false' ending of Balanchine's 'Emeralds'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet 

As usual the 'false' ending of 'Emeralds' catches many in the audience off guard.  The resulting ovation, while deserved, detracts from the eloquence and poignancy of the epilogue that Balanchine added in 1976.  The transition from this 'finale' to the epilogue is somewhat jarring and possibly needed further thought from Balanchine.  The addition also makes the ballet seem overlong for many observers (although not for me).  Nonetheless, the solemn pas de sept for the seven leads is a wondrous thing -- filled with characteristic Balanchine motifs and flourishes that he uses to deal with the odd number of dancers involved.  It ends on a note of melancholy as the four women depart leaving the three men alone.

An earlier NYC Ballet cast in the final 'Pas de Sept' from Balanchine's 'Emeralds'.  
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

 
'Rubies' was led by Lauren Lovette and Anthony Huxley.  It was interesting to see them take on the iconic roles associated with Patricia McBride and Edward Villella.  Of course, we had seen Ms. Lovette dance the pas de deux with Jeffery Cirio (then of Boston Ballet and now of American Ballet Theatre) at the Kennedy Center Honors in December, 2014 (honoring Ms. McBride).  Here's a video clip (2:17): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTEmzNxb530

Both Ms. Lovette and Mr. Huxley had danced the pas de deux at the NYCB Fall Gala. 

Lauren Lovette and Anthony Huxley in Balanchine's 'Rubies'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

 This, however, was their first performance of the complete 'Rubies' and they were vibrant.  Ms. Lovette has a wonderfully vivacious persona that fits this role nicely.  There are details -- like the arm and hand gestures alluding to the Far East and some balances that were held too briefly for full impact -- that she can still improve.  Mr. Huxley produced a playfully athletic, out-going performance, while retaining his customary technical brilliance.

Emily Kikta as the tall girl was sexy, secure and Amazonian, offering an expansive, take-no-prisoners interpretation of the role and providing an effective contrast to Ms. Lovette's coquettish ballerina.
  

Emily Kikta in Balanchine's 'Rubies'.  
Photo by Kolnik for NYC Ballet

(For my money, Teresa Reichlin still 'owns' this role for the current generation -- a role originated by Patricia Neary and danced memorably over the years by Gloria Govrin, Colleen Neary, Maria Kowroski, and several others.)

Teresa Reichlin as the 'tall girl' in Balanchine's 'Rubies'.  
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

At the 1967 premier of 'Jewels', 'Diamonds' was lead by Suzanne Farrell and Jacques d'Amboise.

Jacques d'Amboise and Suzanne Farrell in Balanchine's 'Diamonds'.
Photo from Pinterest.

When Peter Martins joined the company from Denmark in 1970 he took over the role as Suzanne's cavalier from d'Amboise and it changed from a 'father proudly presenting his beautiful and gifted daughter' as one observer noted into a more romantic relationship of imperial equals. 

Peter Martins and Suzanne Farrell in Balanchine's 'Diamonds'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Farrell and Martins were one of the legendary partnerships of ballet and 'Diamonds' was one of their primary vehicles.  With Martins, Farrell was able to indulge her famously idiosyncratic tendencies, presenting different facets of the role at each performance.  Martins responded with ever more assured partnering that reflected and refracted the moods of his mercurial ballerina.  When Farrell abruptly left the company in 1969, Kay Mazzo took over the role, offering a more self-contained dynamic to her dancing in the pas de deux.  Farrell's shifting approaches to the role validated the choices of Miss Mazzo and future interpreters of the role .  It is an iconic role made malleable by its originator. 

During a NYCB seminar on the Monday after the May 1st performance, Jon Stafford called this performance of the 'Diamonds' pas de deux by Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle the 'most nearly perfect' he had ever seen.  Jon was Sara's cavalier when she made her debut in the role and I would judge their performance then more exciting, if somewhat tense.

Jon Stafford and Sara Mearns in Balanchine's 'Diamonds'.

Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Here, Sara and Tyler seemed perfectly attuned to each other -- dancing expansively and confidently and with exceptional rapport.
  

Tyler Angle and SaraMearns in Balanchine's 'Diamonds'.
Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

Both Sara and Tyler have danced their roles with others -- Tyler notably with Maria Kowroski, and Sara most recently with Ask la Cour and Zachary Catazaro.  By all standards this was an exceptional performance by two artists at the peak of their artistry. 

The four demi-soloist couples and the twelve corps couples seemed to grasp the impact of occasion -- dancing the concluding polonaise with precision, grandeur and joy.

Demi-soloist and corps couples entrance for the finale of Balanchine's 'Diamonds'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The capacity audience responded with a huge, and hugely justified, ovation.

More Ballet Quibbles and Bits

SAB's Holiday Showcase by Advanced Students

Because I usually work as a volunteer at School of American Ballet on Thursday afternoons, on the Thursday before the holiday break in December I was lucky enough to be included in the audience of staff and faculty for SAB's Advanced Division students' performance of variations they had learned during the fall.  It included all of the advanced students who were physically able (injuries and flu had taken a toll) performing variations from 'Raymonda Variations', 'La Source', 'Agon', 'Stars and Stripes', 'Donizetti Variations', 'Symphonie Concertante' (all by Balanchine), 'Russian Seasons' (by Alexei Ratmansky) and probably several others that I can't recall.  These were performed by groups of three, four or five students -- or in the case of 'Symphonie Concertante' by the entire class of D girls.

These were all introduced by members of the faculty – Kay Mazzo, Suki Schorer, Susan Pillare, Arch Higgins and Jock Soto.  Ms. Pillare seemed particularly intent on pushing for a revival of ‘Symphonie Concertante’ – perhaps on the SAB workshops program.

The program concluded with two couples each performing the entire Sugarplum pas de deux from Balanchine's 'Nutcracker' -- including the solo variations.  To say that all of these performances were exceptional is an understatement -- but it will do.

SAB's Capstone Program for Advanced Students

The School of American Ballet started a program last year for advanced students who are probably in their final year at the school.  They are identified as 'Capstone' students.  While all of them probably yearn for an apprenticeship with New York City Ballet there are a limited number of opportunities there each year -- dictated by retirements, injuries, but most of all by budget constraints.

The program which was started last year prepares these students to take the next steps in their lives.  Just before the holiday break posters created in group research projects by Capstone students were posted in the main hall of the School.  They covered companies that will be auditioning dancers at the School this winter -- Los Angeles Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, the Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Washington Ballet and one or two other companies -- highlighting interesting things about their cities, their repertory, their SAB alumni, their directors (sometimes also SAB alumni), their performance schedules -- whatever these teenagers think their fellow students should know before their auditions during the winter.

These youngsters have received wonderful ballet training at SAB.  Now they're also preparing for the next step -- whether it's into coveted apprenticeships at NYC Ballet, into the wider world of dance or on to some other option.  Take a look at the impressive list of professional dance opportunities that the School's alumni have taken in the last five years here:

https://sab.org/winterterm/career_planning/recent_professional_employmentp.php 

Nutcracker Debuts:

On the NYC Ballet facebook page, they announced a record number of twelve debuts in the performance of 'George Balanchine's The Nutcracker' on Sunday, December 28th:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/photos/a.194499540528.254487.112319735528/10155004814490529/?type=1&theater

Brian Siebert wrote about some of them in the 1/2/2015 NY Times.

The long run of 'The Nutcracker' and the large number of featured roles gives the company an opportunity to showcase promising  members of the corps -- only one of the dozen is a soloist.

Kennedy Center Honors Segment on Pat McBride: 

On December 30th, CBS aired the 2014 The Kennedy Center Honors.  One of the honorees this year was Patricia McBride, a favorite NYC Ballet ballerina who danced with the company from 1959 to 1989 -- 28 years as a principal.  Among the roles George Balanchine created roles for her are 'Jewels' (Rubies); 'Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet' (2nd movement); 'Who Cares?' (The Man I Love & Fascinatin' Rhythm); 'Harlequinade' (Columbine); 'Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fee'; and 'Coppelia'.  Jerome Robbins memorably cast her in 'Dances at a Gathering' (girl in pink); 'In the Night'; 'Goldberg Variations'; 'The Four Seasons' (Fall); and others.  Among her partners were Edward Villella, Helgi Tomasson, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Peter Martins.

After leaving NYC Ballet, McBride and her husband, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, have become artistic directors of the Charlotte Ballet & School and the Chautauqua Institute School of Dance (summer program).  

The segment saluting McBride in the Honors program was produced by Damian Woetzel, another well-known former NYCB principal dancer, who is Artistic Director of the Vail International Dance Festival, among many other roles.

Christine Baranski introducing the Patricia McBride segment of the Kennedy Center Honors.

Christine Baranski, a star of the CBS show 'The Good Wife' introduced the biographical film on McBride with eloquence and class.  Following the film, Tiler Peck (NYCB principal) danced 'Fascinatin' Rhythm' from 'Who Cares?'; Lauren Lovette (NYCB soloist) and Jeffrey Cirio (Boston Ballet principal) danced part of the 'Rubies' pas de deux; Misty Copeland (ABT soloist) danced a variation from Balanchine's 'Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux'; Tiler Peck and Jared Angle (NYCB principals) danced a pas de deux from 'Dances at a Gathering'; and Alessandra James, Anna Gerberich, Sarah Hayes Harkins, and Pete Walker (Charlotte Ballet dancers) led off 'I Got Rhythm', the finale from 'Who Cares?' with all of the other dancers joining in for the ending.

Misty Copeland (ABT), Alessandra James (Charlotte Ballet), Jeffrey Cirio (Boston Ballet), Pete Walker (Charlotte Ballet), Anna Gerberich (Charlotte Ballet), Tiler Peck (NYCB), Sarah Hayes Harkins (Charlotte Ballet), Jared Angle (NYCB), and Lauren Lovette (NYCB) backstage at Kennedy Center Opera House.  Photo from Jeffrey Cirio

Tiler was in Broadway babe mode for 'Who Cares?' -- a little too much pizzazz for me, but probably just right for the CBS audience.  

Lauren Lovette and Jeffrey Cirio in the pas de deux from 'Rubies'.

Lauren and Jeffrey looked great together and danced with supreme assurance in the snippet from 'Rubies'.  Misty danced with confidence and style in the female variation from the Tschaikovsky pdd.  Jared and Tiler were wonderful in the Robbins snippet.  The four dancers from Charlotte looked grand in 'Who Cares?' which provided a great finale for the McBride segment.

Now, if the Kennedy Center Honors/CBS producers and editors could just have been induced to film this segment with fewer close-ups, less chopping off of feet, and without cutting away to the First Lady looking bored, it would have been a totally splendid tribute to a truly great American prima ballerina.

Among the audience 'reaction' shots we spotted Heather Watts and Damian Woetzel and Lauren Lovette's swain, Chase Finlay (NYCB principal).  And here's a glamorous shot of Ms. Lovette in the Kennedy Center lobby before or after the show.

Lauren Lovette in the lobby of the Kennedy Center in Washington for the Kennedy Center Honors.

Look for a longer post about Patricia McBride's outstanding career at New York City Ballet coming soon.

New Role at SAB for Jon Stafford  

I just learned that in addition to his post-performing career as a ballet master at NYC Ballet and a faculty member at the School of American Ballet, Jon Stafford will be advising SAB's 'capstone' students (see above) on their professional careers.  Not only is Jon a recent (and relatively young) retiree from the company and a trusted SAB teacher, but he also has wide connections with dancers and directors throughout the dance world which can help the 'capstoners' in making smart career moves.

Apprentices Going from SAB to NYC Ballet 

At least three School of American Ballet apprentices --  Jacqueline Bologna, Laine Habony and Mimi Staker -- have been given contracts with New York City Ballet following the completion of 'The Nutcracker' season on January 3rd.  And another student -- Miriam Miller -- was named an apprentice by Peter Martins just before the start of the company's Winter Season on January 20th.

'Coppelia' at NYC Ballet

After a five year absence 'Coppelia' returned to the New York City Ballet repertory on Valentine's Day.  We have seen this ballet many times since the company first staged it -- including at it's premier in Saratoga Springs in 1974.  The choreography by George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova is based on their recollection of the version by Petipa that they had seen at the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg as youngsters.  Balanchine and Danilova both left the Soviet Union for Europe in 1924 and each soon joined Diaghilev's Ballet Russes.

Mme. Danilova went on to a distinguished career as a prima ballerina in the various companies that arose out of the Ballet Russes after the death of Diaghilev in 1929.  Among her most illustrious roles was Swanilda in several productions of  'Coppelia' that were derived from the Petipa production at the Mariinsky.  

Alexandra Danilova & Frederic Franklin in the Sadlers Wells production of 'Coppelia'

In 1964, sometime after the end of her performing career, Balanchine invited Mme. Danilova to join the faculty of the School of American Balle.  At SAB she became a beloved teacher and in 1965 she staged the first of the annual student workshop performances.  One of my regrets as a dance lover is that I was never able to observe one of her classes at the School.

Alexandra Danilova in 1979, photo by Tom Buck

Balanchine supposedly convinced Lincoln Kirstein (who had always been in favor of presenting only new work at NYC Ballet) to stage 'Coppelia' by pointing out how many family members and friends of each of the 24 little girls in the Act III divertissements would fill the seats at each performance.

Balanchine created and reworked the choreography for the ensembles in Acts I & III, while Mme. Danilova recreated the entire Act II and the pas de deux for the central couple in the opening and closing acts from her memory of the productions she had danced in.  The stellar original cast included Patricia McBride as Swanilda, Helgi Tomasson as Frantz and Shaun O'Brien as Dr. Coppelius.  

Mme. Alexandra Danilova working with Helgi Tomasson & Patricia McBride in 1974,
photo by Martha Swope for NYC Ballet

The production was designed by Rouben Ter-Arutunian.  The sets are in a faux-naif style that was fresh and charming in 1974, but has become rather shabby and dated now.  In researching for this post, I noted that San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet have mounted a joint production of the Balanchine/Danilova version of 'Coppelia' "beautifully designed by Roberta Guidi di Bagno in shimmering pastels and whimsical patterns" according to Moira Macdonald in the Seattle Times.

Roberta Guidi di Bagno's designs for Pacific Northwest Ballet's 'Coppelia', photo by Angela Sterling for PNB

The cast we saw last weekend should have sparkled in these roles:
  
COPPÉLIA: SWANILDA: T. Peck; FRANTZ: Veyette; DR. COPPÉLIUS: La Fosse+;
WALTZ: *Lovette; DAWN: *Isaacs; PRAYER: *Smith; SPINNER: *Pazcoguin; WAR and DISCORD: *Kikta, *Ball
(Guest Conductor: Litton)
* First Time in Role

Andrew Veyette's punkish athleticism should be ideal for the loutish, two-timing Frantz and Tiler Peck's solid technique and ingenue sparkle seem ideal for the irrepressible Swanilda.  Robert LaFosse's experience as both Drosselmeier in 'Nutcracker' and as Dr. Coppelius should allow him to work magic.  Instead, we saw confused, almost incoherent story-telling from all three principals.  Andrew didn't convey Frantz's ardor for both Swanilda and the doll, Coppelia.  Tiler couldn't decide if Swanilda was curious or downright malicious in her treatment of Dr. Coppelius.  LaFosse seemed to be torn between creating a daft old codger or a much darker character of Coppelius.  Finally, in the pas de deux of Act I and Act III there wasn't enough chemistry between Tiler and Andrew.  Certainly all of the steps were brilliantly in place, but there was not really much reason for them.

Tiler Peck as Swanilda in the Act III Wedding Pas de Deux from 'Coppelia'
 photo by Andrea Mohin for the NYTimes

Fortunately, the rest of the company looked wonderful -- well rehearsed and enthusiastic.  In the Act III divertissements, Lauren Lovette was musical and enchanting in the 'Waltz of the Golden Hours' -- even though she had to compete with 24 adorable little girls from SAB for attention (didn't W.C.Fields say something about never performing with children or animals?). Gretchen Smith was lovely and solemn in 'Prayer'. Emily Kitka and Harrison Ball even salvaged the kitschy 'War and Discord' from total disaster (it's got to be one of Balanchine's least inspired pieces of choreography).  

And the orchestra under the direction of the guest conductor, Andrew Litton, provided nuanced and lilting musical support.  The Delibes music is among the loveliest in the classical ballet canon and it was brought to robust life in this performance.  Maestro Litton is one of the better 'guest' conductors who have been in the pit since the departure of Fayçal Karoui nearly two years ago.   When will Peter Martins and the NYCB board hire a new music director for the company and bring this conductor 'audition' process to a close?