Week 5 - May 25-30

[E Johnson]

Notes (somewhat belated) on the May 29 matinee: Western Symphony, Ivesiana, Who Cares.

First, this was odd programming – the bipolar program (UP, down, UP!). I heard several audience members who were charmed by Western complain about Ivesiana – “weird” and “the worst I’ve ever seen,” for example.

Western was performed very well. As with Union Jack a few weeks ago, the corps seemed both well-rehearsed and enthusiastic, especially in the first movement (LaCour was a standout, he’s a lovely dancer and so tall).

Ringer and Fayette danced the first movement Ringer was very good – she’s been really enjoying some more comedic roles this season and they are a good fit for her. Fayette was a bit of a disappointment – he partnered well, but didn’t put his variation across well. Not strong or clear in the steps at all.

Second movement – Ansanelli and Tewsley. A good role for Ansanelli; she was appropriately goofy and sweet, and a good sport. Tewsley was trying hard but doesn’t quite have the role down – he slipped between just getting the steps OK and actually performing the role. He needed to swagger and look lovestruck and only did the latter consistently. (Definitely didn’t help him that I saw Evans’ fully-realized performance in my head.)

Third movement – Hubbe and Sylve, substituting for Kowroski. Sylve is very strong and did a nice job here, Hubbe a wonderful ham and gave a nice performance.

It was interesting to see this very American ballet with such a “glorious mosaic” cast.

Ivesiana. I love this ballet. As soon as it was over I wanted to see it again because I knew I was missing things or just picking them up late in the game. It was also generally well-performed, and the orchestra, under guest conductor Carolyn Kuan, was outstanding.

Central Park in the Dark: a chilling piece. Fayette was appropriately menacing and implacable, but I was disappointed n Tinsley. Instead of looking like a frightened and uncertain person, she seemed like a dancer who didn’t know exactly what she was doing, and sometimes like an actress on a bad Lifetime movie. I can see she might grow into the role but this time her performance did not work for me.

The Unanswered Question: Taylor and Gold were both superb, and Taylor’s unseen bearers did good work too. This is the first role I remember seeing and liking Taylor in and it is a good one for her – she seems truly unaware and unconcerned about everything that is going on around her and done to her. Gold was moving in his desperation.

In the Inn – Evans and Sylve (again substituting for Kowroski, and I think debuting in the role) are a terrific pair. They have comparable levels of maturity and theatricality that worked very well in this; a pair of lovely jazzy athletic dancers meeting, having a good time, and parting. The choreography – with hand slapping and ponytail flipping and all that goes with them – is a huge contrast to the rest of the piece. But it all hangs together because the choreography is in each case a perfect response to the music. There is also a theme of failed partnerships, perhaps – none of the couples end up together, and what connections they have are at best fleeting and at worst dangerous.

The final movement, In the night, consisting only of corps members walking on their knees across a darkened stage, was also well-done.

Who Cares? This ballet did not, to me, benefit from following Western. There is a lot of similar shtick and it played better in Western, either because it was the first time we saw it or because it was better performed. The women’s corps did not have the same sparkle, or precision, that I saw n the Western corps. The men were better, with Andrew Veyette and Kyle Froman standing out.

The principals were Weese (substituting for Boree), Bouder, Carrie Lee Riggins (substituting for Sylve), and Martins. Weese was great, both in the lyrical “The Man I love” pas de deux and the quick “Fascinatin Rhythm.” Bouder did a nice job on “Stairway to Paradise”, but was not as impressive in “Who Cares?” – She is not a naturally emotional dancer and paring her with Martins practically guarantees that you’ll get the steps (very well done) and nothing else from her. Riggins, like Weese, struggled mightily to get a genuine reaction out of Martins but to little success. Martins’ performance was just too calculated for me – My companion said you can just see him thinking “step, step, snap fingers, turn.” Nothing spontaneous, nothing relating to the music or the other dancers on stage. He’s willing to be jazzy, but not to relax and see what happens.