NYCB Winter '06, Week 1: Jan. 3-5 and 7

[lampwick]

I thought Sylve looked fantastic, actually. Didn't stike me as lacking anything at all.

I wouldn't expect that final line of 4 women to be perfectly together, either. I, for one, would have fallen flat on my butt or barely missed knocking over my fellow dancers before even getting to that point, so it's all pretty impressive to me

[Helene]

In my experience of Symphony in C, when properly executed, there is no question about whether there is a step between the fouettes in the fourth movement. If a dancer has difficulty with those turns, it doesn't ruin a performance for me, partly because I know what is supposed to happen there, but if most of the rest of the performance is well done, it is a jarring contrast and worth noting.

Normally, when there is a sloppiness at NYCB performances, there are other compensations as well, but in the case of the ending of the 4th Movement of Symphony in C, I give the company no leeway. The ur-ballet for this ballet was created on the Paris Opera Ballet, which had/has one of the greatest corps ever, and especially when the NYCB corps are dancing in synch, it can ruin an entire performance when those ending fouettes go awry. Just my opinion, but at that point, I think the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts, and all of the parts should be up to snuff.

[oberon]

There are two places in the finale with fouettes, I hope we are talking about the same thing. The first comes when the 4th movement principal ballerina starts at the back of a diagonal of corps girls and comes forward: fouette, step forward, fouette, step forward, etc. to the front of the angle. The turn and the step flow into one another but the fouette movement is not continuous. Later, all 4 ballerinas do fouettes in sync (hopefully)...these are continuous fouettes with no intervening step and each woman should stay - as much as possible - on her mark.

[drb]

Frankly, I enjoyed the last movement in this performance of Symphony in C. La Sylve brought a very appropriate French "perfume" to this section, a sassy insouciance and warmth that really made a difference. A sort of compensation for a feeling of incompleteness (but for Oberon's remark, I might have passed it off as just my age-weakened attention span) in the second movement. Of course I didn't see any of the four leading women dancing together: when Bouder was on stage I focussed on The Miracle, herself, and am very happy I did.

In sum, it was a really good performance of this work, especially considering that two lead ballerinas are coming back from very major injuries, and a third was making a debut. The corps and demis danced to a rather high standard as well.

Trying to understand why M & M didn't work (other than for following Liturgy with just a pause), I went back to Leigh Witchel's wonderful essay in Danceview:

http://www.danceview.org/archives/balanchine/Monumentum.htm

and wish I'd seen that Farrell-coached rehearsal rather than this performance...

[oberon]

Yes, Bouder's blazing fouettes made the other women seem slow.

In MONUMENTUM/MOVEMENTS, Helene Alexopoulos seemed to me the type of dancer the ballets call for. Cool, contained glamour.

[Helene]

There are two places in the finale with fouettes, I hope we are talking about the same thing. The first comes when the 4th movement principal ballerina starts at the back of a diagonal of corps girls and comes forward: fouette, step forward, fouette, step forward, etc. to the front of the angle. The turn and the step flow into one another but the fouette movement is not continuous. Later, all 4 ballerinas do fouettes in sync (hopefully)...these are continuous fouettes with no intervening step and each woman should stay - as much as possible - on her mark.

Yes, I was speaking about those two places, but separately. It's the end of the finale, when all ballerinas are turning together, that, at least for me, demands precision, at least when the corps is spot on.

[Michael]

My impression was that Sylve may have been having trouble feeling confident or comfortable with with Charles Askegaard -- no idea if that was the case -- What one saw however was that she seemed to be a little cautious in the partnered adagio, she moved a little smaller and with much less legato flow than I've seen her employ in Cortege or Theme, for instance; didn't extend her balances too much, really didn't dive for the floor. In the supported arabesques the trailing arm (the one where he was gripping her hand for support) would be kept quite flexed and she would be constantly readjusting her counter pull against his hand.

Then again, some of it was also a different style in the arabesque -- She set the center of gravity towards which she reached, the point to which the lead hand and face were extended at the fullest reach of the arabesque, more in front of the body horizontally than one has been used to in 2d movement with this company. Not as much penchee, more in front. That's really sort of a lovely, classical, euroepean style (look at old video of Fonteyn) but not what we've been used to.

Then again, Sylve showed me something very different about the musical phrasing and shape of the petite adagio that sort of erupts in her solo turn during 2d movement -- it was totally lovely, musically phrased, very fluent, and she covered a lot (a lot lot) of space. Just ate up the stage there. And her coda was just superb.

But as a very wise friend said after the performance, "When was the last time you saw someone dance 2d movement and what you were saying after the performance was 'What a great Coda'?"

[drb]

Wow! Thanks Michael (and also Wise Friend), this is exactly the kind of insight I relish from this forum. I'll be sure to reread your post before my next Symphony in C. As a non-dancer I know I miss a lot; in this case memories of Suzanne are so dominant that I focus on what were HER high points. And, in addition to being a star, La Sylve also brings so much new to the table, not only from her European background but also from her individual intelligence.

[drb]

By the way, tonight marked the return of Damian Woetzel, as Prince Siegfried no less. Please, someone tell us how it went.

[Anna NYC]

My impression was that Sylve may have been having trouble feeling confident or comfortable with with Charles Askegaard --

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sylve was gorgeous with huge, full lines, womanly, regal, etc., but clearly under rehearsed for this part.

Nobody here noticed that 1/3 of the 3rd movement was cut for Bouder replacing Fairchild... The repeat in the music was cut so there was only one entrance (instead of the usual two) when both leads are circling the stage in huge leaps. I was disappointed only not to see Bouder's explosive, brilliant jumps a bit longer... I think she'll be a fantastic Black Swan!

Overall, I thought this was the best Sym in C I've seen in a long time. The male leads are lacking, but the females danced so beautifully, and Tess as 1st movement demi stood out strikingly so from everyone. One day, I hope to see her in the lead of 2nd movement....

[chiapuris]

1-5-06 NYCB

The Thursday performance was a more satisfactory program overall.

The opening Allegro Brillante was excellently cast with Miranda Weese and Philip Neal.

Weese exhibited her virtues of fluency and clarity of movement, while Neal appeared ebullient not only as a partner but as a solo dancer. Their work was thoroughly enjoyable.

Not all was perfect. The final overhead lift (that etches a parting picture) ended too soon- for those on the right side of the auditorium- as we watched him bring her down just inside the wing, but still in audience view.

The Wheeldon liturgy provided Wendy Whelan an ideal vehicle for her unique plasticity and musical vibrancy. Albert Evans gave the right support with his secure partnering. Moreover, his strong physical presence matched her delicate frame for an ideal casting.

The Stravinsky pair- of Gesualdo madrigals and serial tone music- is a tough pair to bring off.

Kistler's dance persona lacks a sense of menace, or maybe arrogance, or an undercurrent of a subtext, to ground the courtly manners that serve to build the choreographic textures. Maybe more energy on the part of all the participants would have enlivened the proceedings.

Symphony in C was even better that Tuesday night's. The four leads of Thursday's performance -Somogui, Sylve, Bouder, and Stafford- gave more coherence to the whole work with their individual contributions.

Jennie Somogui (1st mv't.) had an authoritative aura and a confident style. I wished she had a different partner. The male demi-soloists outshone the male principal (in the ensemble work) in jumps, line, change-of-direction movements-you name it.

Sofiane Sylve (2nd mv't.) (whom I had never seen perform) I found an ideal interpreter of the part. Her reserved but fully articulated presentation (French reticence?) added an aura of mystery to the courtship of the adage, one which I found in line with earlier performers of the part. Charles Askegaard, as a partner, added, with his unobtrusive support and self-effacing demeanor, to an atmosphere of contained emotion.

Ashley Bouder (3rd mv't.) together with Millepied entered and took over the stage with a verve and brio that seemed unstoppable. Truly impressive dancing, joyous and effervescent.

Abi Stafford (4th mv't.) repeated her Tue. night role with the same clear-eyed, no-nonsense approach that I find very likeable.

The demi-soloist couples in all the movements seemed exemplary.

The finale seemed more energetic than Tue. night's.

Particularly impressive were the four leads dancing together in the finale- sheer bliss.

I was not disturbed by any metronomic inconsistencies in steps or timing.

I marveled at their performing steps together but with each keeping her own personality intact. To me it was glorious dancing.

Symphony in C remains a “pristine classic”.