Spring 2004: Week 4

[carbro]

Feijoo and Garcia in Ballo: What fun! Feijoo has not only the technique to sail through with no apparent effort, but she is very musical and extremely charming. As others noted last week, what Garcia lacks in polish he more than makes up for in heart. I'd love to see more of them! Also, Bouder deserves another mention for the clarity of her "pictures" in the third soloist variation.

Borree and Marcovici each had lovely moments in Square Dance. She had those bounding pas de chat voles, and he has a beautiful plie and clean, feathery beats. But too often I found myself shaking my head and silently muttering, "These are principal dancers in a world-class company?!"

A Sonnambula pdd for the ages: Boal and Whelan hit every pang of desire and yearning. After he pushed her upstage, the urgency of his run as he chased after her was heartstopping. I've seen very moving Poets, very moving Sleepwalkers, but I cannot bring to mind a pair who together cast the spell I was under tonight.

And of course, this being Hugo Fiorato's special night, he got a special ovation as he entered the pit before Ballo, and many post-performance bows that included, besides the dancers, his applauding orchestra members. Had to be walked to center stage by PM, where he generously returned the applause all assembled. Flowers came out from the wings, from the audience, from the catwalk above the stage. A well deserved and sentimental recognition. And let me add, this was the audience that would not leave. None of the usual race for a taxi. People just wanted to express their appreciation to him. Bravo, Maestro!

[Balanchinomane]

Enjoyed Tuesday's performance very much. Ballo was terrific - almost marred

by the smattering of applause whenever someone exited the stage or posed

for 3 seconds.....after each principal took a stop-the-show bow it seemed to

subside and the whole cast enjoyed the well deserved applause at the end.

The cleverness of Square Dance is sometimes underappreciated. It really

is a gem ---I can't help thinking it should have tutus - maybe because the

music is so rich and courtly --- but perhaps Balanchine didn't want costumes

to detract from the Dance.

La Sonnambula had such magic and mystery - what a great cast -

Tinsley and Hall and Tom Gold certainly stood out.

Whelan and Boal were a dream.

It was so wonderful to see Mr Fiorato be acknowledged. What a treasure he

has been. And the great news is at 90 years old, he is not going to retire.

So Italian Night concluded with a shower of flowers and many curtain calls

for the Maestro. The only thing missing was the Tarantella. And Mr Fiorato

probably could have provided us with that too.

[bobbi]

Tuesday was a delightful evening of ballet. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll just say last night's Ballo -- like the two others -- was top notch. Ballo is shaping up to be one of the highlights of this season.

The Square Dance was given a very respectable rendition by Yvonne Borree and Marcovici, and the audience seemed pleased; however, long-time NYCB goers may have trouble blocking out other interpretations (i.e., Merrill and Bart and/or Kyra and Peter Boal). Maybe someday we'll get back the fireworks in this ballet . . . (with guess who??).

The first Sonnambula of the season went very well. I'm sure all Ballet Alertnicks have favorite sections various ballets that just "speak to them." For me, one of my favorite sections in all ballet is the Pastorale in La Sonnamula. Last night, it was danced by Dronova , Mandradjieff, Carmena and Severni. For me, the entire variation is a short lesson in classical dancing at its purest. Last night, the men were especially good. I agree with Carbro that Wendy and Peter Boal were just outstanding; it just doesn't get any better. Even the places where you often hear audience titters were quiet because Wendy had us so spellbound by her other worldly performance, and of course Peter Boal could have been Lord Byron. Sofiane Sylve brought a wiff of French perfume to the role of the Coquette. Her excellent technique allowed her to hold poses longer and give us beautiful images that we haven't seen in quite a while. James Fayette too was a very good Baron; he acted as though he was to the manor born. One little quibble: I do remember Allegra carrying the "dead" poet in her arms almost from the middle of the stage. It doesn't seem to be done that way any more. If pint-size Allegra could do it, why not others? It was so dramatic that way.

The tribute to Hugo Fiorato was very nice. Two huge bouquets of flowers were presented on stage -- and he was surrounded by lots of dancers. Peter Martins came out. Flowers rained down from above and were tossed from the sides of the stage apron. A well-deserved and touching tribute.

[Michael]

I do not remember ever seeing Ballo better performed and, knowing how the World goes, I don't expect ever to see this perfection again. Viva Merrill Ashley for the casting and for putting this piece into such perfect shape. It was extremely well rehearsed, the Heart and Spirit of the Ballet were so well represented -- corps de ballet, soloists and principals. I don't find Garcia raw at all. I find him, if possible, even more impressive than the impressive Ms. Feijoo. I'll trade him straight up for Angel Corella any time.

Though I liked the clean performance of Sonnambula, I'm still waiting (year after year) for the company to convey a coherent dramatic reading of this Ballet. I always feel that the Coquette and the Party Goers appear too damn Nice in this production. The Poet is going to be murdered at this party. The party has to be a glittering exterior with a Corruption and Evil at its heart. It is subtler than La Valse but just as eerie. There are options for the Coquette -- she acts possibly out of vanity, possibly out of boredom, possibly out of sadism, but she does not fall in love with the Poet, that is too Nice a character. The Poet has similar options -- he can be toying with the Sonnambula, he can be an older man, a younger man -- but above all not too innocent. What after all is he doing with or to the Sleepwalker when they are alone upstairs? I got none of this from Boal and little from Ms. Sylve and I thought Fayette quite awful. It was, however, beautifully danced.

[art076]

Quick notes on Wednesday night: the evening was truly Ashley Bouder's night, replacing an injured Abi Stafford in "La Source" and dancing her previously anounced role in "Dances at a Gathering." She was spectacular in both, especially in her duet with Joaquin De Luz in "Gathering." I enjoyed the rest of "Gathering" a ton; its nearly 60 min long, but it remains constantly interesting throughout. A real Robbins masterpiece.

[carbro]

Wasn't there, but this business of Bouder triumphing in every role, every performance is getting a little boring.

Dare I ask, how went Chaconne?

[The Uncrossed Fifth]

Darci's Chaconne is the stuff dreams are made of. She took my breath away.

[carbro]

Glad to hear it, TU5th! Thanks!

[bobbi]

Art076, thanks for your report re Bouder on Wednesday. Although it may have tested the patience of Carbro, it just made me wish I'd been there! My next time seeing her is as one of the leads in Stars on Tuesday, and I'm really looking forward to it. I can't get enough of her dancing, and reading about her is the next best thing. To me, she's the best thing that's happened to NYCB in many a year.

[justafan]

Abi Stafford danced the same role in La Source Thursday night and she was nothing short of perfection. Despite all the hullabaloo about Abi a couple of years ago, she never grabbed me the way she did last night. Of course, it's a great role -- one that allows the dancer to really demonstrate their leaps and allegro gifts. Abi won thunderous applause from the audience and several deserved curtain calls.

Another treat was Four Temps, most notable for the corps dancing in total unison. I thought Marcovici did a fine job last night. As has been noted, this is one of Evans signature roles. And Teresa Reichlen once again demonstrated that she is one to watch -- she turned in quite a stand out performance.

[Leigh Witchel]

Last night the soloist role in La Source was in fact danced by Ashley Bouder in a substitution announced on an insert in the program. Also substituted was Robert Tewsley for Charles Askegard in Sanguinic in Four T's.

[justafan]

Ahhh. We didn't get any notice in our fliers. I was wondering if it was the case.

Well, she turned in a terrific performance once again!

[Farrell Fan]

As Bobbi recalled above, Allegra Kent used to carry the "body" of the poet in Sonnambula from midstage back into their alcove. Other dancers did it that way too. In recent years however, the sleepwalker stands just at the entrance to the alcove while the poet is placed in her arms. Last night (Friday, Oct 21) even this proved too much for Yvonne Borree, who stumbled into the side of the scenery under the weight of Nikolaj Hubbe. One reads how today's dancers are "stronger" than those of the past. Not when it comes to strength, apparently.

[canbelto]

I saw La Sonnambula last night, and am I the only person who thought it was a gentle satire of Romantic ballet? The jester who blows out his back, the mysterious "dark lady," the aloof, otherworldly "white" sleepwalker, the entire solo en pointe, the melodramatic death, and finally the twist on the traditional sight of a male sweeping a female off-stage ... It all seemed to be George Balanchine poking fun (goodnaturedly) at Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadere ...

In other news I am in love with Jennifer Ringer, who was adorable in La Source.

And i loved Shambards. I thought the way Wheeldon designed the corps and the soloists was very striking. I found the rather violent relationship between Jock Soto and Miranda Weese to be one of the more memorable duets I've seen this year.

[Leigh Witchel]

canbelto - the ballet was made in the 40's, so it's got six decades of evolution from the original meaning under its belt, but I don't think Balanchine intended it as a satire at all. It is definitely a comment on the Romantic period and it does assemble conventions of the period, but I believe it was intended to be taken at face value.

[Alexandra]

I'd agree -- if it looks like a satire, then something's gone wrong, I'd say.

[tempusfugit]

Indeed something has gone wrong if it looks even vaguely satirical.

The moment when the Sleepwalker carries the Poet's corpse away is, or should be, unlike anything else in ballet-- the reversal of role is bonechilling and, in the words of Arlene Croce, "high traumatic bliss". Allegra Kent recalls the first time she saw the ballet in which she was later famous...... "did I imagine that?" I felt exactly that way at my first performance of this work. I couldn't believe my eyes.

[Leigh Witchel]

It seemed like the right time to start a thread on La Sonnambula to discuss what we think of the ballet itself. Do other people think it's a satire - do you have favorite moments?

Let's continue with the topic of this week's performances here!

[Alexandra]

I love the ending, too. In older versions (still done in Denmark in 1993) the Sleepwalker is stopped by the body of the Poet, as now -- but she doesn't step over him. She stands there. The loss is unbearable. The entertainers sense this and pick the body up and put it into her arms, and THEN she turns and walks, displaying the body to the crowd (which is why they hide their eyes), then walks into the tower. Perhaps one too many poets were dropped during this half-circling of the stage, or too many Sleepwalkers' backs were damaged, but it's an incredible ending.

[bobbi]

Vivaldi, Corelli, Bellini and Gluck were very well served on Sunday matinee. The delicious program was Square Dance, La Sonnambula and Chaconne.

Square Dance: I am happy to report that the fireworks are back!! Miranda Weese took over the role and gave clear definition and shape to the zillions of gargouillades that make up Square Dance. But most impressive for me was Miranda's opening adagio with the sublime Peter Boal as her partner. Miranda phrased the section gloriously; she totally mesmerized the audience. The only thing missing was the clean grand jete that Merrill always treated us to in this ballet. Question: How can a dancer who is at the peak of his career get even better? The Corelli solo and Peter Boal were made for each other. Male classical dancing at its purest. The corps also seemed energized by the new deluxe casting in the female role.

La Sonnambula: The only cast change from when I saw the first one of the season was that Hubbe took over the role of the poet. Sofiane Sylve was even more compelling as the Coquette than in her debut; when she whispered in the Baron's ear, you just knew she was deliberately provoking him "to do no good." James Fayette as the Baron was even more forceful in his acting that the first one I saw. Wendy, Wendy, Wendy. Wow! One of the best interpreters I've seen in this role. Am I the only one who -- after having seen scores of La Sonnambulas through the years -- still follows the light at the end of this ballet? I fall for it every time, especially after a great performance!!

Chaconne: Standouts were Megan Fairchild and Adam Hendrickson in the quirky pas de deux. Megan was able to do the bent leg turns clearly and cleanly, and Adam handled the tricky partnering assignment very well indeed. They were an audience favorite. The main couple were Darci and Nilas. Darci looked as good and was in command and in control as I've seen her in a while. Her variations were very well done indeed. (I wish I didn't know that Darci and Nilas were son and step-mother; this pairing always makes me queezy and spoiled my enjoyment of their pas.)

[art076]

I second bobbi's comments above on the Saturday matinee. Peter Boal in Concerto Barooco was amazing, such strong, sharp dancing. ANd Maria Kowroski was sublime in the adagio. Wendy Whelan was my favorite of the afternoon - her sleepwalker in La Sonambula was perfectly mysterious and ethereal on top of a rock solid technical performance.

[carbro]

Just to embellish on Bobbi's post on Sunday's performance.

Weese's Square Dance was a demonstration of the delight of discovery. She was able to generate her movement from different parts of her body, varying the quality of weight. Much of the pointe work in the "Girls' Dance" flowed from the hips, connecting her firmly to the floor. Other times, she seemed to send the movement out from a very high center. Fascinating.

Darci no longer has the pliancy for a beautiful arabesque. That said, she turned in an amazing Chaconne. There was something of her old abandon, and as solid a technique as she's shown in many years. Nilas skimmed the floor very lightly -- most surprising given his current chunkiness. I, too, felt somewhat uncomfortable watching this pair, but as it became evident that it didn't bother them, I figured I shouldn't let it bother me! The ballet is courtly, a context in which stepmom and stepson would be perfectly appropriate.

In addition to the secondary pas de deux, I thoroughly enjoyed the pas de trois (Beskow, Krohn and Hannah). Its sophistication -- so long missing -- is back. The first vision as the curtain rose on the Dance of the Blessed Spirits gave me a small jolt of deja vu; the central willowy blonde with the huge eyes was, of course, not Nina Fedorova, but Teresa Reichlen.

My remarks on the Sonnambula are on that ballet's own thread. What an afternoon of ballet! If every performance were like this, there'd be nothing to complain about, and then where would we be?

[charlieloki]

i was able to see miranda weese in both the friday (her debut in this piece) and saturday performances of square dance

she now owns square dance

beautiful, cat-like performances by her on both days

and what a gorgeous smile: a perfect match of dancer and the dance

she and nikolaj hubbe, on friday, were stunningly matched partners

smooth and silky facility and artistry, but no lack of sharpness where it was required

hubbe's solo was literally breath-taking

on sunday, with peter boal as her partner, the tempo seemed to have speeded up, and the performance had a different texture -- he must be the most elegant male dancer in the world

twice in a row, an unforgettable forty-five minutes of ballet at the new york state theater

i was so entranced by it all, that i could not, on either day, stay for the rest of the program

a question: why did it take so long for ms. weese to be cast in this piece?

[flipsy]

Having recently criticized the programming of NYCB's "European Festival," let me now praise whoever thought up Sunday's satisfying matinee program of Square Dance, La Sonnambula, and Chaconne. The afternoon had variety, but more important it had integrity, even a theme that ran through three otherwise dissimilar Balanchine works. Each of them drew heavily on the formal patterns of courtly dance, in all its incarnations from the ballroom to the barn dance. It was an afternoon of quadrilles and contra lines, grand marches, couples advancing and retiring, passing through, dipping and diving and weaving under arches, trading partners and admiring each others' hotfoot variations. Lincoln Kirstein said ballet is about "how to behave," and here it was, the behavior of the dance, with just enough surprises thrown in by the master to transform it from social ceremony to high art.

Peter Boal and Miranda Weese set the tone in the opener. Square Dance is a modest miracle, a baroque social gathering for a dozen elegant dancers, joined by a couple of aristocrats. It was they who raised the dancing to a higher level, Weese with her sparkling footwork and flying exits, Boal with his impeccable graciousness as he takes her hand, and his solo passion in the strange, latter-day variation that precedes the brilliant finale. But they raised the level of the dancing without ever seeming separate from the corps; on the contrary, they seemed serenely thrilled to be there, dancing with each other and with their company. One of my favorite moments: as Boal began his first solo variation, Weese strolled to the sideline and put her arm around Elizabeth Walker, to exchange what looked like some gentle girl talk. It was so realistic that I think it may have actually been a real "moment," but that doesn't matter. What matters is that it completed the illusion of dance as the basis of social life, the place where social differences exist, but don't matter.

The opener turned out to be the highlight. Darci Kistler was in rare form for Chaconne, where Megan Fairchild also contributed a perfect star turn in the pas de deux. But some of the others looked overmatched. Nilas Martins looked like a man missing his train in his allegro solo, Steven Hanna needs to practice his air guitar so he can hold it more familiarly in the pas de trois, and Carrie Lee Riggins was way too wild in the pas de cinq. Still, Darci had the elegance and energy to make the occasion come off.

La Sonnambula was something of a disappointment to me. The ballroom scenes were fine, but as others have noted this week, the plot didn't seem to be working. Wendy Whelan was ethereal, and her backwards bourrees were awesomely fast, but I never got the sense of the mysterious curse that set this tragedy going. I think this is currently a drama in need of a director, to re-establish the relationships among the characters and the story behind the story.

[perky]

Sorry this is being posted so late, we just got back last night after an eleven hour drive.

We saw both Tuesday's and Thursday's performances. Tuesday's opener of Ballo Della Regina was danced at a whirlwind pace with abundant charm. I had never seen Square Dance which was next. You always hear about how hard a ballet it is to dance and it is, but I also thought the opening adagio was quite lovely and it quickly became my favorite part of the ballet. Next was La Sonambula, another ballet I haven't seen but always wanted to. You know how you build up a ballet in your mind, you read about it, look at pictures of various dancers dancing it over the years. It's almost impossible to to match the reality to the vision that's been built up in your head all these years, But La Sonambula came pretty darn close, due I'm sure to the casting of Whelen, Boal and Sylve. All three were wonderful and kept me so involved in the story that my heart was breaking as it followed that light slowly up the tower at the end. Amazing.

Thursday's opener was La Source. As wonderful as Weese and Hubbe were, I was completely blown away by Ashley Bouder. You know when Christopher Walken as The Continental says, "WOW, WOWEE WOW WOW!!!". That's what I kept hearing in my head watching her. This girl eat's up steps like a demon. Her whole body looks alive and radient and her face lights up with joy. Awesome. Next was Davidsbundlertanze. You know, Farrell Fan in another post mentioned that although he loved the ballet, the current cast doesn't do it justice enough. You Sir, are correct. Although I am happy I got to see Kyra Nichols dance live at least once before she retires. The Four Temperments was next. This ballet was danced so well by everyone. Count me as a a new Sofiane Sylve fanatic. Both here and as the Coquette in La Sonambula she impressed me with her technique and the large scale of her dancing. She has a real womanly allure on stage. You know your watching a woman dance, not a girl. Would love to see her dance Emeralds!

And I got to see Albert Evans dance too, in a role that he somehow makes look like it was created on him.

I feel very lucky I got to see these performances, even the not so great ones When your passionate about NYCB and Balanchine and you hardly ever get to see them, when you finally do attend a performance you feel like, I dunno this sounds kind of silly, but you feel like you've finally come home.