City Center Week 1

[Michael]

Gala Opening, 10/21

The Gala was an extremely mixed bill: the debut of the revival of Spectre de la Rose; the Nocturne from the revival of Les Sylphides (the full revival debuts tonight); pas de deuxs from Swan Lake and Le Corsaire; a Dying Swan from Irina Dvorovenko; Robbins’ Other Dances performed by Angel Corella and Alexandra Ferri; and a full length performance of Sinfonietta (Jiri Kilian).

It was hard to see what held this all together as a program. After Spectre de la Rose, Kevin McKenzie delivered some extended remarks which showed that he is an extremely “nice guy” who displays an amazing amount of good nature combined with an equal amount of aesthetic confusion. (“Michael Fokine was the William Forsythe of his day”). This combination of good will and aesthetic confusion could be said to be an image of where the company is as a whole.

Extremely briefly, some program notes which omit much:

The revival of Fokine’s Spectre de la Rose featured Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes. The sets and costumes are attractive 2d Empire. The piece was beautifully played by the orchestra but compromised fundamentally by its casting. Neither Cornejo nor Reyes is a very lyrical dancer, particularly in the way they use their upper bodies. But this ballet demands a lyric romanticism above all things. This is to take nothing away from either dancer. Cornejo is Puckish and dynamic, he jumps and turns explosively. Reyes foot work is elegant and delicate, her balancees are extremely musical. She moves well. But the character of the Rose is not that of Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream. The qualities involvede are completely different. The Rose is not a demi character role and Cornejo is essentially a great demi character dancer. Neither Cornejo nor Reyes was able to convey what they needed to in this ballet. I cannot imagine that Ethan Stiefel will be better next week.

The excerpted Nocturne from Les Sylphides (with Julie Kent, and a surprisingly good Maria Ricetto) was somewhat better. This received quite a lukewarm reception from the audience, however –

The audience then woke up big time for the pas de deuxs and, in defense of the somewhat bizarre combination of programming, this gives you an idea of what this company is up against. A gala that came to life for the fouettes. Paloma Herrera and Marcello Gomes in the Black Swan pas de deux were particularly impressive and received a corresponding response. Herrera, once considered dramatically flat, has a new amplitude in her upper body.

The highlight of the evening was Angel Corella and Alessandra Ferri in the Robbins. I have never seen Corella better, he has just that dramatic presence, that ability to exploit his very physical nature and to fill the stage that the Robbins demands and his wonderful performance was able to carry Ferri along, despite the obvious physical restrictions and weaknesses, particularly in her gorgeous feet, at this point in her long career.

Sinfonietta is much heat and little light. David Hallberg and Marcello Gomes, in those big turning jumps side by side, were magnificent, though. Stella Abrera also gave a warm and fine performance, one whose subtle amplitude would have been well beyond her just a couple of years ago.

In all, it is hard not to feel an air of crisis and instability about this company at the moment. The evening resembled, to a frightening degree, one of those “20th

Century Stars” Galas picked up for the evening, instead of the work of a coherent ongoing institution. Without a permanent home, having lost major sponsors, its Board somewhat isolated and in transition, financially unstable from week to week, having cancelled recent tours – there is much, very much to worry about. We in the audience and the dancers in the company need a strong and vital ABT. It would be impossible for me to imagine the ballet scene in America, or indeed the World without them. We have taken this company for granted but it also needs to focus its vision and to clean house, especially where the finances and the foundation and vision of the company are concerned – both the physical foundation (as in where they perform, perhaps they should have accepted the Ken Centers overtures two years ago), the financial foundation (they should not have so lightly and nastily blown off Movado – how do you expect to attract new sponsorship when you treat the old benefactors in this way?) and the aesthetic vision (as in McKenzie’s lack of taste) underlying the entire enterprise.

[Alexandra]

Thank you so much for this, Michael. I especially loved your introductory analysis

[oberon]

Did anyone see Chris Wheeldon's VIII? Reports, please! One of the Company members e-mailed me that it was a "big HIT" but that's all he said.

Need details!

Michael, I read your notes on SPECTRE with interest. Who, among current male dancers, could do justice to the Rose in SPECTRE? Not just technically, but "spiritually"? I can think of one I'd like to see: Adam Hendrickson from NYCB.

[nysusan]

I saw VIII, it was wonderful!

But first - after reading Michael’s impressions of Spectre I also wondered who (at ABT) could have done justice to the role of the Rose. Beloserkovsky has the line and would have been more poetic but isn’t enough of a virtuoso. Nobody comes to mind. I see Michael's point completely about Cornejo being miscast, and agree, but I still found his performance enjoyable on it's own merits.

I agree with many of Michael's impressions of the gala - Paloma Herrera has never been one of my favorites but she looked wonderful in the Black Swan pdd. In contrast - I have never seen the Corsaire pdd performed with as little heat as Murphy & Carreno. Murphy's pirouettes were astounding but what an academic and detached performance. And opposite Carreno no less!

On to VIII - it was fascinating and very theatrical. I really didn’t know what to expect - a costumed period drama - yet abstract, not narrative. It worked beautifully, laying bare the feelings and situations of the 3 principles and placing them squarely within the context of their society while just sketching the outline of the actual story. It was much more dramatic than I expected. Corella was wonderful, as was the entire supporting cast but the evening belonged to Ferri & Kent. They were both brilliant. In fact, even though I know there are 2 more casts coming I can’t imagine anyone else in those roles, they will be a tough act to follow.

The other premiere was completely different. It was fun to watch, very speedy & joyful but probably not choreography for the ages. But something that’s fun right now is ok with me and one of my favorite things about McIntyre’s piece was the casting - Stella Abrera, Sarawanee Tanatanit, Zhong-Jing Fang, Herman Cornejo, Bo Busby, Alexandre Hammoudi and Matthew Murphy. It seems like Abrera & Cornejo have been in everything these first few days, and good for them. It was also really great seeing the rest of those talented young dancers get something to sink their teeth into. They all did themselves proud, but especially Fang. She has everything that is missing today in so many of ABT’s leading women - starting with inate musicality & lyricism.

Which brings me to my one real disappointment so far, Les Sylphides. Others may disagree, but I really found this Sylphides to be very earthbound. It wasn’t actually bad - in fact it was fine, but not magical. The dancers all painted a very pretty picture but it seemed static, lacking poetry. Murphy was better than I thought she might be but it still felt as thought she was over-emoting and placing her movements where they belonged rather than responding to the music. In the great Sylphides I remember it felt like the dancers were impelled by the music, floating on a breeze. Here they looked fine but with the exception of Erica Cornejo I just didn’t think they showed the fluidity, the lyricism necessary. I’m of two minds about this because it was very pretty but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing. I’d be interested to hear what others thought...

[Leigh Witchel]

Michael - I really enjoyed your analysis; I apologize, if I am writing myself I have to delay reading others. I thought you took a very perceptive and accurate pulse of the evening; I wasn't able to coalesce in my mind the tenor and mood of the remarks and evening and you nailed it.

One general question thrown out to all. Are we sure of the exact character of the Rose? That's the only area you and I slightly disagree. What was Nijinsky actually like? I felt Cornejo wasn't exotic as I can well imagine Nijinsky, but I also imagine Nijinsky as powerful - and I thought Cornejo could emphasize that instead with some validity.

Sigh, I would love to see Fang, but I'm just less interested in that program. If only they cast her in Sylphides. . .

[Michael]

It's perhaps not that important what Nijinsky was like and I think I'd fine tune my thought that the Rose is not a demi character role -- The type of dancer may not be what is important as much as that the dancer, who portrays the embodiment of a romantic and quasi-erotic dream, be a performer who can create such a reverie. You are right, there are many ways that could be approached.

To answer Oberon, of all the recent NYCB dancers I can think of, the one I would have wanted to see try this role would have been Igor Zelensky. Off topic, but as more and more time passes I feel more and more how much City Ballet lost when he departed. (Come to think of it, he and Meunier would have been a wonderful cast and I would love to see Monique dance it now at ABT).

[Colleen Boresta]

I went to the October 23rd matinee, and saw "Les Sylphides", "Pillar of Fire", and

"Theme and Variations". I've been attending ABT performances since 1980, but I have never seen them do "Les Sylphides" live. (I did ABT dance Sylphides on tv back in around 1985 I think.) Actually, I have never seen any company do "Les

Sylphides" live. I really did enjoy the ballet - especially the choreography and the music. I thought it was well danced, but I agree with NY Susan that it wasn't magical. The audience reaction was tepid at best. Maybe when the ABT dancers get used to dancing this ballet again, the magic will happen.

I always love "Theme and Variations" and this time was no exception. Paloma Herrera was wonderful, the best I've ever seen her in this role. I think Herrera has really come into her own the last year or two. She gets better every time I see her dance. Corella was good as well, except for his turns during his big solo.

Instead of staying planted in one spot while he did his turns, Corella was all over the stage. I've seen Corella dance "Themes" about four or five times, and I've never seen him do this before. It looked really sloppy (to me anyway).

For me the highlight of the afternoon was Tudor's "Pillar of Fire". Pillar is another former ABT staple, but I only saw it once - back in 1982 or 1983 I think. What a great, great ballet this is! Michele Wiles as Hagar gave an incredibly powerful and moving performance. Marcelo Gomes as The Young Man from the House Opposite was so seductively evil. I can see why Hagar went off with him. (I think most of the women in the audience, myself included, would have secumbed to Gomes' charm.) Marian Butler was very good as the flirtatious, self-centered Younger Sister. Monique Meunier was wonderful as the prim, self-righteous Elder Sister. I know I say this every time I mention Meunier, but is she playing these soloist parts? I think Meunier would make a great Hagar. David Halberg was perfect as the Friend. And he and Wiles are so wonderful together. They have such great chemistry. I noticed in my program that Gillian Murphy was going to be Hagar in the evening's performance of Pillar. Has anyone seen Murphy in this role? I really love her as a dancer, but I never thought acting was Murphy's strong suite. She has improved in the last couple of years, but Hagar is a part that requires great depth and emotion. Wiles definitely showed that depth and emotion in the part. It's a performance and a ballet I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

[carbro]

I saw Murphy's Hagar last spring at the Met, and I was almost tempted to check my program.

Murphy is a complicated dancer. You can see in her classical roles little shifts in epaulement that indicate extremely subtle nuances of emotion, but she doesn't act, so it comes across as cool and intellectualized. In Pillar, she acted, and she already understands the emotional connotations of various postures. It was quite a strong reading -- completely satisfying.

Enjoy!