I went on Wednesday night. I agree with Natalia. For me the highlight of the evening was Justin Peck's "Everywhere We Go." It was such a treat, especially following lackluster "Symphonic Dances" and "Pictures at an Exhibition."
In "Symphonic Dancers" I enjoyed Teresa Reichlen -- such a tall ballerina with great lines and a dignity in her performance. However, Rachmaninoff's score to me seemed to detract from the lovely movement. I would have enjoyed something lighter, and more enchanting, that actually expressed the feeling of the dancers' moves for me. The score felt laborious. It was not an inspiring beginning.
"Pictures At An Exhibition" just did not make sense to me. First off, the costumes were quite off-putting. They certainly did not flatter the ladies, and somehow felt completely inappropriate. And they detracted from the movement. And then I never got the connection of Mussorgsky's piano score to Kandinsky's projections on the screen and the movements in the dance. It did not go anywhere for me. Alas.
By then, some of the people around me had left. The fellow behind commented that he fell asleep. It felt late in the evening after the second intermission and my partner and I talked to see if we wanted to stay. Fortunately, we did. "Everywhere We Go" was so refreshing. First off, the costumes were strikingly delightful, the set was fun, and the movement was creative and upbeat. Sufjan Steven's score was delicious and captured every movement. And the dancers grabbed out attention and never let go. It was an exhilarating experience. We did not want it to end. Now my partner is going back on Sunday, just to see it this performance again.
