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Rodgers: Broadway to Ballet


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I attended the Rodgers: Broadway to Ballet performance last night. Recently, I have really felt the need for a light evening of entertainment and this did not disappoint. I was also psyched because my favorite female dancers were featured. We sat in the third ring and from my perspective, the house looked pretty full considering it was a Wednesday night. I couldn’t see directly below me, though, so I don’t know if the orchestra was full.

 

Carousel: Tiler Peck and Zachary Catazaro started off the evening in Carousel. To me, a non-ballet dancer, Peck was perfection. This choreography moved briskly and Peck loves that kind of a challenge, so what a match! Her combination of musicality, fluidity,  technique and ability to embrace the audience delighted me immeasurably. I am so thrilled that I’ve been able to make it into NYC lately to see her in multiple roles. I’m afraid I can’t speak to Catazaro’s performance because I couldn’t take my eyes off Peck.

 

Thou Swell:

Sterling Hyltin is, far and away, my favorite current dancer at any ballet company (well, I haven’t seen Alina Cojocaru lately). She embodies everything I look for in a dancer and I’m fairly certain she’s discovered the secret to anti-gravity. I know some people love tall female dancers, and while I am often brought to tears at their exquisitely beautiful adagio in story ballets like Swan Lake, I think that a shorter ballet dancer can be a more complete dancer. I swear every hair on Hyltin’s body is beautifully expressive and she’s the most musical and artistic of dancers (as a musician, that’s critical to me). She often reminds me of Gelsey Kirkland. My companion, who’d never seen Peck dance and was thrilled by her performance, said, after the evening was over, that Hyltin was also the highlight of the night for her.

I was wowed by Chase Finlay despite wishing he were a little less classical in that particular role because I felt the music dictated otherwise. However, I was very excited to see him dance in person and thought he and Hyltin were mostly well-matched. I'm looking forward to seeing him in other roles.

 

My happiest surprise was Rebecca Krohn. I’ve never seen her in a lead role. Her performance has made me determined to seek out tickets for ballets where she is featured. Krohn, a tall dancer, flowed with elegance and grace, with every inch of her body fully extended. She was striking in fuschia. What beautiful arms and legs! I found her mesmerizing and I am so delighted to have discovered the talent in her that so many other BAers have described.

 

Her partner, Amar Ramasar, was the standout male dancer here, although that’s arguable since he didn’t get much solo time. But I thought he was the only male whose body expressed the music. I felt that the other men were perhaps a little stiffer, although I’m not sure that’s the word I should be using, (maybe I should say they were more classical). While they were excellent, especially Chase Finlay, I thought that the music called for Ramasar’s ease. How I wish he had a bigger role!

 

Sara Mearns, as usual, was elegance personified. She delivered a very grounded, mature performance. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much about la Cour, but again, that’s because I love Mearns so much that my focus was all on her.

 

The maids: Oh my gosh, who was the pert blonde dancer on the audience’s far left? She looked like she was having the time of her life. Sassy, cute with spot-on gestures. I want to see more of her: what a flair for comedy! And all lightness and sprightliness!

 

Slaughter on 10th. Avenue: So much fun from start to finish! Kowroski and Angle were a delight. Big props to the policemen’s pratfalls.

 

Altogether, a very happy night at the ballet.

Edited by vagansmom
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14 minutes ago, vagansmom said:

I

 

 

 

I was wowed by Chase Finlay despite wishing he were a little less classical in that particular role because I felt the music dictated otherwise. However, I was very excited to see him dance in person and thought he and Hyltin were mostly well-matched. I'm looking forward to seeing him in other roles.

 I had the opposite reaction to Chase's performance.  I saw Robbie Fairchild do Chase's role during the Fall season.  Robbie Fairchild had the perfect blend of jazzy movement and Broadway style sparkle for his role in Thou Swell.  He was fantastic.  I thought Chase's performance was dull and unimpressive in comparison to R. Fairchild's. 

 

Great to see Maria K. back in such great form in Slaughter.

Edited by abatt
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HI abatt,

 

I think we are more in agreement than not. Like you, I wanted Finlay to dance in a more Broadway style because I felt that the classical style didn't suit the music. What I was excited about, however, was imagining him in other roles as this is the first time I've seen him dance and I can imagine him in more classical roles. I mentioned further down that I thought Ramasar was the only male dancer who suited the musical style. Sorry for not being clear enough. 

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I saw this Wed night performance as well. I loved Carousel.  Just perfection and the most clever choreography I have seen.  Peck was perfect.

 

Thou Swell was also lovely.  I liked Hylton and Mearns (stole the show IMO) and Amar.  Felt like Krohn was tentative and held back. She was looking down a great deal. Just didn't "sell" it to me.

 

Those maid costumes must be changed.  The girls looked fat and the black ribbons on the legs further accentuated that.  Afterward I watched the 2003 debut and the maid costumes were far more flattering.  (Silk skirts that hit mid thigh). Also, the boys in the black turtlenecks didn't work either.  Again, I found the white tux shirt in the 2003 far better.

 

Slaughter. . .just didn't do it for me.  The corps parts just look weak, under rehearsed and silly.  I kept mentally contrasting the dancing with what a polished Broadway ensemble girl would do and that's the genre here.  NYCB dancers could do it, the steps were so simple.  Just not given proper preparation IMO.

 

Vagansmom. . SO AGREE with your analysis of Amar.  I kept thinking, "When is someone going to pluck him away and drop him in a Broadway leading man role. . . It would be magnificent."

 

I think that the blond girl was one of the Von Ecks.

Edited by balletforme
typos
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