Wrap-Up to the SAB 2015-16 Winter Term

Workshop Gala Dinner at David Geffen Hall following
the performance on Tuesday evening, June 7th. 

The last day of The School of American Ballet's 2015-16 Winter Term was Friday, June 17th.  Following the successful Workshop Performances on Saturday, June 4th, and the Workshop Performance Gala Benefit on Tuesday, June 7th, the students in the advanced division were back in the SAB studios again on Wednesday, June 8th, refining what had already seemed perfect at the performances.

2016 Mae L. Wien Award winners with Kay Mazzo, Co-Chairman of the SAB faculty
were (left to right): Jon Stafford (faculty award), Ms. Mazzo, Ethan Fuller,
Emma Von Enck, and Christopher D'Ariano
Photo by Paul Kolnik for SAB

Advanced students at the end of the last class on June 17th.  Jon Stafford is at left.

Of the Capstone students (those that aged out of the School's programs this June) 18 have accepted offers of apprenticeships, second company positions and traineeships.  Look for these students (now SAB alumni) on professional ballet stages during the years ahead:

New York City Ballet apprentices:

• Eliza Blutt
• Christina Clark
• Ethan Fuller
• Jennifer Hackbarth
• Kennard Henson
• Emma Von Enck

Pacific Northwest Ballet professional division trainees:

• Christopher D'Ariano
• Hailey Dupont
• Dallas Finlay
• Marie Millard

Other companies around the U.S. and the world:

• Lillian Casscells, apprentice at Dresden Semperoper Ballett
• Lucia Connelly, apprentice at Joffrey Ballet
• Rachel Costin and Wilson Livingston, apprentices at Sarasota Ballet
• Gabriela Schiefer, member of Boston Ballet II
• Marc LaPierre, apprentice at LA Ballet
• Taylor Ayotte, trainee at Carolina Ballet
• Lucy Nevin, trainee at Washinton Ballet

In addition, four students have elected to go on to universities and colleges:

• Ana Maria Del Mar, Harvard University plus London University of the Arts
• Trevor Dines, Columbia University
• Michael Garcia, The Julliard School
• Xhosa Scott, University of Virginia

Thirty students graduate(d) from high school this spring.  Twelve of them received a total of 37 acceptances from 31 different colleges and universities.

Capstone students with Suzy Pilarre (second from left), Suki Schorer (third from right) and Kay Mazzo (far right).

Obviously, Jonathan Stafford's efforts as Professional Placement Manager (one of the three positions Jon fills at SAB and NYC Ballet) and the Student Life staff directed by Kelly Novitski have done another wonderful job this year in assisting students as they move along their paths toward professional careers or other opportunities.

Most of the remaining advanced division students will be attending summer programs at ballet companies and schools around this country and the world, before returning to SAB in September for the 2016-17 Winter Term.  And SAB will be hosting 200 students from around the world during its own 5-week Summer Session and then several more students at its 2-week summer workshop for younger dancers in southern California.

We wish them all further successes as they move forward now and anticipate learning more about their future achievements both on ballet stages and in the wider world. 

On a Sadder Note:

The SAB 2015-16 Winter Term has had some sad moments as well.

Jock Soto with Luis Fuentes and their dog Bandit in near their home in Eagles Nest, NM this June.
Photo from Laura Ortman's Hair Today on Tumblr

Jock Soto, a highly regarded member of the SAB faculty, retired at the end of 2015 to pursue his interests in the culinary world.  Jock hopes to write more cookbooks (he co-authored 'Our Meals' in 1997 with Heather Watts -- his long time partner at NYC Ballet).  He and his spouse, Luis Fuentes, also hope to open a restaurant and catering business.  Jock had been a teacher at SAB since 1996.  His Adagio (Partnering) classes were widely admired in the ballet world and produced a long line of superb male partners for New York City Ballet -- including Jared Angle, Craig Hall, Amar Ramasar, Tyler Angle, Chase Finlay and Taylor Stanley.

Violette Verdy teaching an Advanced Division class at SAB.
Photo from http://www.bigouden.tv/ obituary (probably by Rosalie O'Connor)

Violette Verdy, the School's first permanent guest teacher, died in early February 2016 after a short illness.  Her regular visits to the School were always highly anticipated by SAB's advanced students.  As one of George Balanchine's favorite ballerinas during her years with New York City Ballet (1958 thru 1977), Ms. Verdy had danced in a wide variety of the company's repertory and creating memorable roles in Mr. B's 'Liebeslieder Waltzer', 'Emeralds', 'Tschaikovsky Pas des Deux', 'La Source' and 'Sonatine' and in Jerome Robbins' 'Dances at a Gathering'.   Following her retirement from the stage, Ms. Verdy had a distinguished career as artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet and Boston Ballet and as a dance educator at Indiana University.  During her brief residencies at SAB her students were privileged to have both a link to the great ballet creators of the 20th century and an inspiring and caring teacher.

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.

Further Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .

Violette Verdy:

In May, Violette Verdy, came to the School of American Ballet for one of her periodic gigs as 'Principal Guest Teacher' at the School.  Her classes are always wonderful and the students adore her.

Violette Verdy teaching at The School of American Ballet.  Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

While I was rummaging around the internet looking for background information about her, I discovered this lovely 2010 video of  Violette Verdy discussing  with Damian Woetzel three ballets created by George Balanchine in 1960 that she danced in (almost) from the beginning -- 'Donizetti Variations', 'Liebeslieder Waltzer', and 'Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux':

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fFK6-LsQEU

The video runs one hour and 23 minutes during which Violette and Damian discuss the three works and the historical context in which they were created.  Excerpts from the three works are danced by Tiler Peck, Joaquin De Luz, Daniel Ulbricht, Jenifer Ringer and Jared Angle with Cameron Grant providing musical support on the piano.  Both Violette and Damian offer suggestions to the dancers.  Violette's comments are especially interesting and her language is brilliantly evocative, capturing the essence of each work.

ABT's 'Cinderella' -- 6/29 Dress Rehearsal:

My friend Jean invited me to join her for the June 29th dress rehearsal of American Ballet Theater's production of Frederick Ashton's 'Cinderella' at the Metropolitan Opera House.  We sat in a parterre box to watch as two different casts rehearsed in the three-act ballet.  For logistical reasons Act I was followed by Act III and then Act II was performed.  There were 20 minute intermissions between the acts.

The cast for Acts I and III were Stella Abrera as Cinderella, Isabella Boylston as the Fairy Godmother, and Joseph Gorak as the Prince.  The cast for Act II was Gillian Murphy as Cinderella and Alexandre Hammoudi as the Prince.  The dancing was generally excellent, but the acting was less assured.  The comic drag roles of the two step-sisters, played by Sean Stewart and Duncan Lyle, needed to be scaled up to fill the opera house.

Gillian Murphy acknowledging ovation for her performance of Ashton's 'Cinderella'.  Photo by Kent Becker

Gillian Murphy danced brilliantly in the ballroom scene and Stella Abrera caught the pathos of the kitchen scenes.  Both Mr. Hammoudi and Mr. Gorak were struggling with aspects of the Prince's choreography.  Ms. Boylston was gracious and expansive as the Fairy Godmother.   But all of the featured dancers had to compete with the surrounding clutter of Ashton's fussy choreography and David Walker's decor and costumes.

Prokofiev's score has never struck me as particularly hospitable to ballet.  It doesn't fit the contours of ABT's bravura dancing style -- lacking enough grand crescendos and striking climaxes.  ABT has never had distinguished musical support and the orchestral playing that afternoon seemed wan and muffled -- bland even beyond the inadequacies of the score.

Conclusion of Act II Ballroom scene of Ashton's 'Cinderella' at the Met.  Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

The sets are sumptuous but poorly lit.  The drops for the four seasonal fairies in Act I are probably lovely, but the lighting turned them grey and destroyed any sense of depth.  The candlelit ballroom set for Act II and the conclusion of Act III with its receding colonnade is grand, but the lighting often casts the dancers into the shadows.  The kitchen in Act I and the start of Act III is also overly gloomy.

SAB Announces National Visiting Fellows Program:

The School of American Ballet has just announced it's new National Visiting Fellows Program which will commence with the 2015-16 Winter Term.  Up to five ballet teachers from around the U.S. will be selected as national fellows.  Each will come to the School twice during the Winter Term with all expenses paid to meet with faculty and administrative staff, observe classes and demonstrations, attend New York City Ballet performances, and discuss diversity initiatives that SAB and the schools they represent can undertake to expand the opportunities for minority students in ballet.  Their dance schools will each receive a $5,000 grant to be used for expansion of programs to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds.

You can find out more about the program here: 

https://sab.org/school/diversity__inclusion/visiting_fellows_program.php

If you have connections to a ballet school outside of New York City, please make them aware of this opportunity to partner with SAB in learning more about the school that founder, Lincoln Kirstein called 'the West Point of ballet' while improving opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.

New York City kids waiting to audition for SAB's Childrens' Division.
"Up a steep and very narrow staircase . . . I was happy -- at the ballet" lyric from 'A Chorus Line'.
Photo by Jason DeCrow for AP

All of the hype about Misty Copeland's promotion to principal dancer at ABT wouldn't be necessary if the career pipeline was filled with dancers from all backgrounds from the very start of their dance training.

Teen Vogue's Strictly Ballet Miami City Ballet School Series:

Teen Vogue has put the entire 17-episodes of Season 2 of its series Strictly Ballet on line.  The second season follows six students in the Miami City Ballet School as they brave the struggles of being away from their families and in several cases their countries (Russia, Brazil and Cuba are represented), suffer through their first injuries, prepare for auditions, and perform in the the School's year-end showcase.  It's a little disconcerting to see them doing the choreography of Balanchine's 'Western Symphony' without the lively and evocative Hershey Kay score.  This URL leads you to the first episode (there is a 15 second advertisement at the start of each episode and the 17 episodes vary in length from about five-to-ten minutes):

http://video.teenvogue.com/watch/strictly-ballet-meet-the-dancers-at-miami-city-ballet-school

Valentine's Day at School of American Ballets

I would normally avoid writing about classes I've observed at the School of American Ballet, but this is a place I love and the Valentine's Day open house is a wonderful event.  Both the students and the faculty are by every measure extraordinary.  This year, I observed the Adagio Classes taught by Darci Kistler and Jock Soto to the advanced men and D and C-2 girls (i.e., the top students at the school -- I use the School's terminology of 'girls' for the advanced women and 'men' for the advanced boys which I believe is an anachronism carried over from the early days of the School).

Darci and Jock have been teaching these students Balanchine's pas de deux from the Act II divertissement of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which was first staged in 1962.

Wendy Whelan & Philip Neal in the Act II Divertissement from Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
photo probably by Kolnik for NYC Ballet

This is a pinnacle of Balanchine choreography, an idealized love duet performed as part of an entertainment at the wedding of the three dysfunctional couples reconciled at the conclusion of Act I (which contains virtually all of the action of Shakespeare's play).  It was created for Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow. Ludlow was a rather stolid performer, but a terrific partner and Verdy was a beloved French ballerina who had joined the company in 1958 at the height of her powers.  After her retirement from NYC Ballet in 1977, she went on to a distinguished career as artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet and the Boston Ballet and as a teacher.  In recent years she has been a frequent guest teacher at the School of American Ballet.

The duet that Balanchine created for Verdy and Ludlow to the Andante from Mendelssohn's  'Symphony #9 for Strings' looks deceptively simple, filled with promenades, bourrées, and low lifts.  It is clearly the predecessor to the duet Balanchine created for Verdy and Ludlow in 'Emeralds' in 1967.

Watching Soto and Kistler patiently coax an approximation of this pdd from the advanced students at SAB on Friday afternoon was fascinating.  The steadiness and strength required of the men is astonishing.  And the ability of the girls to trust their partners and allow themselves to be guided through the choreographic complexities seems to be an even bigger challenge.  There is no question that the students learn an immense amount from Darci and Jock in these classes.  The student couples compete eagerly to be the first to perform at the beginning of each class, knowing that they will get the most attention and hands-on coaching from the teachers.  Because they do receive so much attention during the first run through, the latter part of the class becomes more chaotic as each student couple struggles to have enough time and space to practice what they are learning.

The students will have a chance to see the finished product as part of the full 'Midsummer Night's Dream' to be performed by NYC Ballet during the final week of Spring season.

Tiler Peck & Tyler Angle in the Act II Divertissement from Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
photo by Kolnik for NYC Ballet