New York City Ballet -- Sunday, October 19, 2014

How disheartening to walk home from the performance by New York City Ballet last Sunday afternoon!  We had just seen four works by Balanchine choreographed to the music of Tschaikovsky -- Balanchine's company performing four works to the music of one of his favorite composers.   And yet, the fall season had just ended for us with a dull thud.  

SUNDAY MATINEE, OCTOBER 19, 3:00 PM
[Conductor: Capps]
SERENADE: Mearns, Lowery, Reichlen, J. Angle, Danchig-Waring
MOZARTIANA: Kowroski, T. Angle, Huxley
pause
TSCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX: Bouder, Garcia
TSCHAIKOVSKY SUITE NO. 3: ELEGIE: Krohn, la Cour; WALTZ: A. Stafford, J. Peck;
SCHERZO: Pazcoguin, Schumacher; THEME & VARIATIONS: Hyltin, Veyette

Sure, the company had celebrated the retirement of an iconic ballerina (Wendy Whelan) after a storied 30-year career with the company the night before.  Sure, they were just finishing a season packed with premieres of four new works.  Sure, three of its principals have gone on sabbatical to perform in Broadway shows.  Sure, the company's ranks have been depleted by illness and injury. Sure, sure, sure there are excuses to be made for this bloated, dull performance.

The most egregious reason for this lackluster performance, is the continuing erosion of the standards of the orchestra.  It is now nearly three years since the former music director, Faycal Karoui, announced his decision to leave the company.  Since his departure in the Spring of 2012, the company has not succeeded in securing a competent replacement and has struggled along with an inadequate 'interim music director',  two associate conductors of good-to-indifferent quality, and a collection of so-so guest conductors who may have been auditioning for the music directorship.

The failure of Peter Martins and the Board of Directors to find and engage a music director of the stature of Andrea Quinn and Faycal Karoui for the house of Balanchine is a disgrace.  Having allowed the orchestra to deteriorate in the years prior to Maestra Quinn's arrival in 2001, one would think that management had already learned the lesson that inadequate attention to the pit can have a disastrous impact on the artistic merit of what is presented on stage.

It is interesting to note that three of the four new works this season were performed to solo piano music or small chamber ensembles.  Are the choreographers choosing not to entrust their new pieces to an interim music director and his deficient orchestra?

Instead of just complaining about the lousy music making, let me propose a long-term solution.  Together, New York City Ballet, the Julliard School and Career Transitions for Dancers should establish a joint fellowship/apprenticeship program that identifies dancers reaching the end of their stage careers who have the interest and aptitude to become conductors -- specifically ballet conductors.  Julliard provides formal training and mentorship in music and conducting; City Ballet, the Julliard Dance Division and the School of American Ballet provide apprentice conducting opportunities; individuals who understand ballet from the perspective of dancers gain the technical skills to become ballet conductors and music directors; meaningful career transitions for dancers are facilitated; and the pool of qualified candidates for music director is expanded. 

On Sunday, the orchestra's playing under Daniel Capps wasn't awful, merely indifferent, rote and plodding.

NYC Ballet corps in the opening image of the Balanchine/Tschaikovsky 'Serenade'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

In 'Serenade' to Tschaikovsky's 'Serenade in C for Strings' it seemed that the dancers were given no incentive to listen to the music and respond to it.  When dancers of the stature of Sara Mearns, Teresa Reichlen and Jared Angle appear lethargic and unmotivated something is quite wrong.  Reichlen's 'dark angel' barely completed the manipulated rotations in arabesque above Mearns and left out the final stretched arabesque pose that usually makes this moment so striking.  Adrian Danchig-Waring flubbed a lift with Reichlen.  The final tableau with Mearns carried by the four men looked perilously shakey. 

The closing image of the Balanchine/Tschaikovsky 'Mozartiana' with Tyler Angle, Maria Kowroski and 
Daniel Ulbricht.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Balanchine created 'Mozartiana' in 1981 for Suzanne Farrell, Ib Anderson and Christopher d'Amboise -- to Tschaikovsky's 'Suite No. 4', his arrangement and orchestration of four short works by Mozart.  Balanchine had used the music before -- first for Les Ballets 1933 and then in 1945 for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

Maria Kowroski looked calm and poised in the opening 'Preghiera' which Balanchine stages as a kind of prayer.  Unfortunately, the four young students from the School of American Ballet looked ragged and undone by the lack of musical pulse coming from the pit.  The elegant Anthony Huxley, new in the 'Gigue' this season, gave a surprisingly uninspired performance.  The four tall women (Marika Anderson, Megan Johnson, Emily Kikta, Gwyneth Muller) looked gorgeous in the 'Menuet' but the pit undermined their precision.    Tyler Angle joined Kowroski for the 'Theme et Variations'.  They danced beautifully despite the orchestra's failure to adequately differentiate one variation from another.

Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia in Balanchine's 'Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux'
Photo from (Albany) Daily Gazette

Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia brought the requisite dazzle to Balanchine's 'Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux'.  They looked great together.  Gonzalo turns the opposite direction from most male principals in the variations, which is a little disconcerting, but doesn't detract from the clarity of his execution.  Bouder's bravura was on full display -- without the smugness that can often undermine her performances.

Corps and demi-soloists in 'Tema con Variazioni' from Balanchine's 'Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

In 1970 Balanchine created 'Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3' by choreographing the first three movements of the Tschaikovsky suite and tacking them onto the front of 'Theme and Variations' -- a ballet he had created for American Ballet Theatre in 1947 using the final movement from the suite, 'Tema con Variazione'.  The first three sections take place behind a scrim in a hazy, dimly lit, 'ghost' ballroom. The women are in long flowing gowns in shades of lavender with unbound hair and the men are in loose silk trousers with ruffled shirts.  

The opening 'Elegie' was lead by Ask la Cour and Rebecca Krohn.  Ms. Krohn seems uncomfortably miscast as the passionate, romantic 'ideal' woman to Mr. la Cour searching dreamer.  Abi Stafford and Justin Peck could not do much with the lackluster Balanchine choreography for 'Valse Melancolique'.  Georgina Pazcoguin and Troy Schumacher took the spins and leaps of the 'Scherzo' with dare devil speed.  Their final jetes into opposite wings lead to a blackout accompanied by the raising of the scrim (which coupled with the dim lighting always seems like an annoyance by this point in the work).

When the lights blaze on for the 'Tema con Variazioni', we are in a magnificent ballroom with Sterling Hyltin, Andrew Veyette, the four demi-soloist women, and eight corps women symmetrically arrayed in glittering costumes of white, gold and turquoise.  The two principals state the theme, followed by the women.  Variations follow, alternating between the ballerina and her cavalier with support from the demi and corps women.  Unfortunately, Hyltin does not have the technique and strength for this demanding role.  Her footwork and beats are blurred and indistinct and her energy flags noticeably.

The polonaise and finale for the full 26-member cast are always glorious and uplifting.  But they couldn't erase the memories of inadequacies earlier in the performance.  Perhaps an all-Balanchine/Tschaikovsky program looks better on paper than the reality -- nearly three hours in their company with inadequate musicianship and spotty casting.  Perhaps the season should just have ended with Wendy Whelan's farewell performance instead.

School of American Ballet Workshop Performances on May 31st

So, how did the School of American Ballet workshop program (described in my 4/26/2014 post) work out in the actual performances, which we saw Saturday afternoon and evening May 31st?  (I had also attended the final dress rehearsal on Friday afternoon.)

The pinnacle of both performances was Suki Schorer's staging of Balanchine's 'Serenade'.  Eschewing the SAB tradition of double casting each workshop ballet, Suki concentrated on a single beautifully rehearsed cast for all workshop performances.  The corps of 17 women changes size and shape, swirling and eddying through the ballet. In their constantly shifting patterns and interactions with the five soloists, they alternate between background and foreground, individuals breaking out for brief solo turns, setting a motif and then receding back into the group.  'Serenade' is never more gorgeous than it is in a well-rehearsed SAB workshop production.

Addie Tapp*, a tall, slim 18-year-old from Colorado, danced the 'waltz girl' to perfection.  Her role is a long dramatic arc through the ballet -- from lost neophyte to first love, from romantic rivalry to resignation, from despair to transcendence. Without any recognizable plot, Balanchine choreographed an entire biography and Ms. Tapp inhabited it with both technical authority and radiance. 

Addie Tapp with Preston Chamblee in Balanchine's 'Serenade' staged by Suki Schorer,
Photo by Paul Kolnik

Baily Jones*, a petite, blond 17-year-old from Utah, performed the 'Russian girl' with enormous power. Her spins were beautifully centered and her leaps into Dammiel Cruz's arms were fearless.

Mikayla Lambert, a statuesque, dark-haired 18-year-old beauty from Pennsylvania, was a somber 'dark angel'.  Ms. Lambert brought the role dramatic intensity and a secure technique.

Preston Chamblee, a 19-year-old from North Carolina, was Ms. Tapp's strong, confident partner in the middle 'waltz' section of the ballet.  He comes on stage in a slow diagonal as all the other women leave the 'waltz girl' alone on stage.  He taps her on the shoulder and they begin in waltz.  Mr. Chamblee's performance conveyed a great musical sensitivity, a secure technique and a rare ability to relate to his ballerina with empathy and command.

Dammiel Cruz, a 16-year-old from Queens, was the second man -- guided on stage by the 'dark angle'.  Mr. Cruz has the difficult task of partnering all three lead ballerinas plus an assortment of women from the corps.  He has enormous technical promise and is a secure partner for this varied group of women.  His beaming smiles during the curtain calls summed up his performance -- triumphing over performance jitters to deliver wonderful performances.

The apotheosis, where the 'waltz girl' is carried through a diagonal corridor of six corps women on the shoulders of three men trailed by a maternal figure, is achingly beautiful.  As one lady in the audience said to me after the curtain fell: 'it makes me cry every time I see it'. 

The second half of the program began with excerpts from Act III of 'Coppelia'.  The curtain opens on 24 little girls in pink ruffles.  They looked adorable and danced with admirable precision.

In the evening they were led in the 'Waltz of the Golden Hours' by Lyrica Blankfein* (an 18-year-old from California)  -- with diamond-hard brilliance and extraordinary musicality.

Joscelyn Dolson (a gorgeous 18-year-old red-head from Michigan) was a lovely 'Prayer' in the afternoon performance, her final arabesque steadied on cue by two of the tiniest little girls.  A beautiful finish to an exquisite performance.

Both Jennifer Pauker (afternoon) and SarahAnne Perel (evening) were energetic and musically vital as the 'Spinner' with the little girls 'spinning' around them.

'Discord and War' is one of Balanchine's lesser efforts and the horned helmets, flowing chiffon capes and spears only add to the confused effect.  Despite these reservations, Jasmine Perry** was the striking lead valkyrie in both performances, partnered by Eric Beckham (afternoon) and Taylor Carrasco (evening) and backed by a corps of 8 valkyries and 8 vikings. Ms. Perry (18, from North Carolina) remained confidant and dynamic with both partners.  Mr. Beckham (18, from South Carolina) danced with clarity, and will project even more self-confidence as he gets additional performance experience.  Mr. Carrasco (18, from New Mexico) swept through the role with strong attack and clean beats.

All seven faculty stagers --  Dena Abergel*, Yvonne Borree, Arch Higgins, Katrina Killian, Lisa deRibere, Jock Soto, and Sheryl Ware -- took bows with their respective students during the curtain calls at the end of the 'Coppelia' segment.

The excerpt from Balanchine's 1-act 'Swan Lake' was staged by Darci Kistler.  Alston Macgill (a petite 16-year-old from Georgia) and Joshua Shutkind (a tall 17-year-old from Manhattan) led both performances backed by the same corps of 20 swans.  Ms. Macgill as the Swan Queen, Odette, was at her best in the final moments, when her precise beats, stabbing bourees, and traveling pirouettes demonstrated both steely technique and stamina.

Alston Macgill rehearsing Odette in Balanchines's 'Swan Lake'  in SAB studios,
photo by Andrea Mohin for NYTimes 

Mr. Shutkind, as Prince Siegfried, was a caring partner, especially in their evening performance.  He handled Siegfried's solo variation with complete command, ending with a secure double tour to one knee.

The dance for the four 'Little Swans' was performed with great synchronicity by both the afternoon (Misses Corrigan, Delman, Ireland-Buczek, and Reisen) and evening (Misses Cosgrove, Dupont, Nugent, and Von Enck) casts who range in age from 14 to 16.  Their precision won warm ovations from both audiences.

Misses Nugent, Von Enck, Cosgrove and Dupont rehearsing the 'Dance of the Little Swans',
photo by Andrea Mohin for NYTimes

The final work was the 'Fourth Movement: Rondo' from Balanchine's 'Western Symphony' staged by Susan Pilarre. Led by Nancy Casciano, a 19-year-old beauty from Georgia, and Alec Knight**, an 18-year-old Australian, at the matinee and by Clara Miller, a glamorous 17-year-old brunette from Iowa, and Christopher Grant*, an 18-year-old from Manhattan, in the evening.  It's a hoe-down for dance hall girls and cowpokes set in Balanchine's idealized American west and it's a romp for the whole cast.

Ms. Casciano and Mr. Knight were first rate in the bravura leading roles at the matinee.  Ms. Casciano executed a series of arabesque balances while traveling a backward diagonal with elan.  Mr. Knight took the soaring leaps and fast spins with great glee and style.

In the evening, Ms. Miller and Mr. Grant brought show-biz flair to their roles.  Ms. Miller performed an impeccable series of single and double fouettes ending with a nonchalant flip of her ruffled skirt.  Mr. Grant countered with a series of flawless double tours with insouciant ease.

Clara Miller and Christopher Grant rehearsing Balanchine's  'Western Symphony' for the SAB workshop,
photo by Andrea Mohin for NYTimes

The leads were joined by three other couples (the leads from the other three missing movements) for a stylized square dance backed by a corps that had grown to 20 women and 8 men.  The entire cast of 36 ends the piece in six rows of 6 dancers whipping through flawless synchronized fouette turns as the curtain falls, leaving the audience gasping in awe and cheering with delight.

The evening program was taped for PBS Live from Lincoln Center.  I'll definitely keep readers advised on when it will air on public broadcasting stations.

An interesting New York Times article about the importance of passing down the oral traditions of ballet at SAB can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/arts/dance/lessons-of-old-are-still-in-the-air-at-the-school-of-american-ballet.html

When I see all of these accomplished students perform for the workshop performances every year, I am proud to be associated with the School of American Ballet as a volunteer, a donor and a member of their Founders' Society.

* Winners of the Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise (students) and for Distinguished Service (Ms. Abergel). 

** Two of the students featured in TeenVogue.com's 'Strictly Ballet' (see my 5/24 post for a link to the site).