Sonora

Ib Andersen is in his second season as Director of Ballet Arizona, a regional company that has managed, Phoenix-like, to rise from a rather desperate financial situation and that is presenting choreography and dancing well worth seeing. I long ago promised a review of Andersen's new ballet and never delivered; however the company was on tour recently and performed the ballet again, along with lesser pieces by Oscar Araiz and Dwight Rhoden, and what follows are some impressions of its performance. Andersen choreographed "Indigo Rhapsody" to Rachmaninoff's lushly romantic and familiar "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini". The stage is quite dark, lit by intense sidelights. The dancers - dressed in shades of dark blue and black - walk forward out of the murky darkness and into the light, and begin to move to the first theme, first in unison and then separated by sex into two groups. Three couples eventually distinguish themselves; one of the couples embraces. Another couple remains alone on stage, in a pool of light. They reach toward each other, slowly, and embrace. He supports her, but she sinks back to the earth. He carries her body horizontally, as if on a bier. They may have a deep familiarity with one another, and their measured and intertwined movements produced in me(at least at that moment) a sense of inevitability and peaceful resignation, of loss, and of the time just before grief. The two dancers were Luis Torres and Kanako Imayoshi. Imayoshi's curving body eloquently expressed a radiant spirit - one not easily defeated by despair or even death. She was beautiful. The ballet premiered a few weeks after Sept. 11, and whether or not it was intended, the darkness, the quiet simplicity of the choreography, the subtle, ambiguous relationships between men and women of the three couples, all aroused in me that same sense of painful loss and enormity of grief that seemed to linger in the atmosphere like clouds of dust. This was balanced by the joyful musicality of the group sections... During Rachmaninoff's climactic and overwhelmingly passionate theme, the three couples created a triptych. With one hand the men supported the inclined heads of the women, who looked skyward and then sank deeper into stillness as the men released their hands and stepped away. Finally they seemed to support each other in a kind of equilibrium. After this beautiful adagio the ballet rushed forward vigorously, all dancers on stage, and ended, on the last quiet notes of the 'Rhapsody', in stillness. This ballet ought to be seen! It's one of those ballets whose images linger in the mind's eye long after performance, and that allows for a multitude of different emotions with each viewing.

For some reason I cannot find the video through Amazon. Am I just missing it?

I would suggest Ib Andersen's gorgeous ballet to Rachmaninoff, 'Indigo Rhapsody', premiered a few weeks after 9/11.

I hope that, in the aftermath of the events of 2001, at least a significant percentage of the typically non-balletgoing public will turn to ballet and the arts in general - for something along the lines of comfort, inspiration, joy...and that ballet companies and choreographers across the country will actually have something interesting and inspired to say. I hope that the relatively small proportion of artists who really do have something to say will receive the financial support and critical acknowledgement that would allow their voices to reach as many people as possible. I think ballet has to change and evolve now, maybe get beyond the triviality of much of the current repertoire, in order to survive in this new social climate.

I hope that, in the aftermath of the events of 2001, at least a significant percentage of the typically non-balletgoing public will turn to ballet and the arts in general - for something along the lines of comfort, inspiration, joy...and that ballet companies and choreographers across the country will actually have something interesting and inspired to say. I hope that the relatively small proportion of artists who really do have something to say will receive the financial support and critical acknowledgement that would allow their voices to reach as many people as possible. I think ballet has to change and evolve now, maybe get beyond the triviality of much of the current repertoire, in order to survive in this new social climate.

Sorry - I have been away. Some comments on the Ballet Arizona performance will follow!!

I don't have an answer as to why village demographics are so narrow - but would counter with another query: why are all the Witches old? Does it take that long to learn the techniques for poisoning scarves and casting spells?

Thank you for posting that review! Don't know anything about Lund. Who is dancing with him?

I believe they only had two performances. I would be interested to know how they were received in the press.

Yes, it seems to me believing in what you are dancing, particularly when you are dancing Bournonville and other choreography with a certain time depth, is so important, and then beyond that, the ballets must be staged by those who deeply understand them, in part through their own experience.

Dancers in Cuba apparently are in dire need of almost anything - clothes, shoes, etc. I am not sure how one would get the donations to the dancers, but I know of a woman who could probably help you - she is in charge of costumes at Ballet Arizona and there is a Cuban connection there. You could probably reach her through their website.

Ballet Arizona, in Phoenix, is about to perform Bournonville's Napoli on a program with Balanchine's Concerto Barocco and a beautiful new ballet by Ib Andersen, the company's Artistic Director. I'm sure members on this board have discussed before the whereabouts of former NYCB dancers, and their involvement, or lack of involvement, with the Balanchine repertory... The situation in Phoenix is remarkable in that Ib Andersen, a great Bournonville dancer as well as leading dancer for Balanchine during the 80s, is presenting works of both choreographers to the dancers and audiences out here (Napoli has actually been staged by Nicholaj Hubbe, who seems to breathe Bournonville, and Barocco by Zippora Karz). It is not unusual to see Barocco (and perhaps Napoli as well) performed by regional companies; what is worth noting is the unique viewpoint Ib Andersen seems to bring to Balanchine and Bournonville. These two ballets are jewels, distinct and rare, but not unrelated in some ways; one can really see the connections between the two choreographers' styles when the musicality and style of each one is understood and upheld. In light of recent events, I can't help but think of the radically changed social environment that both ballets - especially the Bournonville - now exist in. How does the passage of time affect great works such as these? I'm not necessarily talking about whether or not they will survive as time passes, but rather how they are perceived by early 21st c. audiences as compared to how they would have been experienced when first performed. Bournonville created for a world so different from the one we live in now; yet his choreography seems at times so contemporary. Any comments, perhaps from those who have a greater experience with Bournonville than I?

Thank you. I'd still be very interested to see that Etudes! If you have any tips on how to get hold of it, I would be grateful.

Is anyone aware of a film version of Napoli that might be available - other than the early 80s video of NYCB dancing that ballet and others (narrated by Peter Martins)? I am also hopeful of finding a Danish television production of Etudes, filmed in the late late 70s and broadcast, I believe, throughout Europe.

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing this Swan Lake and so greatly appreciate the vividly descriptive reviews. Comments about the 'endless death throes' of Rothbart reminded me of what I consider two of the most uncomfortable passages in ballet - the interminable deaths of first Mercutio, then Tybalt, in Romeo and Juliet. Their lengths dictated by the score, I realize. Nevertheless I am always thrown off by the histrionics. They would seem even more disturbing within the context of Swan Lake's (Tchaikovsky's) purity and Classicism.

Aren't there multiple satellite schools associated with BB? I believe they are financially discrete entities, or at least relatively unattached to the financial ups and downs of the professional company. So I'm not sure what Babcock would have had to do with the failure or success of the satellite school(s) anyway. It seems the highly topical question of who should be in charge of a ballet company, an Artistic Director or a CEO-type business manager, is one that companies large and small must grapple with either today or in the very near future. A more appropriate question might be not who should be in charge, but how will power and authority be shared between the artistic and business leaders? At NYCB and ABT, do the AD and CEO really perform discrete functions? It has been my experience that, at least in the smaller companies, the AD is required to be somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades with his hand in artistic endeavors (choreography, teaching, staging, rehearsing) as well as business matters, including, of course, fund-raising! The same is NOT asked of the CEO-business manager, who 9 times out of 10 does not have the expertise required to make decisions about those same artistic endeavors. [ 06-19-2001: Message edited by: Sonora ]

I am not surprised that Miami City performs Slaughter, but it's interesting that Birmingham RB also has it. As for the new set designs - who would have authorized such a radical change? If the ballet is owned by, for example, the Balanchine Trust (and I don't know if it is), wouldn't some permutation of the original set designs be protected along with the choreography?

I have a question or two about Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. Is it currently performed by companies other than NYCB? I would love to know a bit about its history - it is an interesting anomaly of a ballet, with somewhat of a dual theatrical life.

I'm surprised the audience reacted that way. In my experience, the audience is usually startled by a slip or fall, and may buzz about it, but in a concerned-for-the-dancer's-welfare sort of way. Of course slips, falls, and other unplanned stage occurrences are part of live performance. I wonder rather darkly if audiences aren't less and less accustomed to live performances, particularly younger audiences, and more inclined to expect perfection - the perfection they get from television and film.

"...too many comparisons to dancers new viewers can never see leaves us reading these interesting posts with huge holes shot through them." I would have to disagree with this perspective. Because of the ephemeral nature of ballet, much of its past, even its very recent past (i.e., last night's RB evening), must live in the minds' eyes of those fortunate enough to have been in attendance. I'm envious of those who can vividly recall performances by Nureyev and Fonteyn, for example, but personal accounts are, in many many cases, all we have left to go on. I find the comparisons helpful as well as fascinating and hope they continue!

Thanks for the wonderful Nureyev story. He had what seem to me an unquenchable will and spirit.

As a very young dancer I also saw Haydee in Onegin, and she carried the ballet through the strength of her personality and acting abilities. I remember being impressed by the way she used her hands, so simply and expressively. I would have to agree with Alexandra that the ballet is greatly dependent upon its cast. I suppose lightweight spectacles bring in the audiences, but I don't think that in the end they are terribly good at developing either dancers or audiences. [ 06-04-2001: Message edited by: Sonora ]

I agree with your assessment of Kent's Giselle. Her technique, always rather amazing, seemed perfectly in service to her interpretation of the role, and that interpretation brought forth Giselle's beauty, innocence, and tenderness. Carreno's subtle and thoughtfully conceived Albrecht was a fine compliment to Kent.

A strange juxtaposition last night - Peter Martin's new ballet Morgen received what I thought was a (deservedly) lukewarm reception, followed by the charming new Wheeldon ballet. I will defer to others more familiar with the Company and with the work of these two choreographers; what did others think of the evening? I was surprised there were so many empty seats. I had expected to have a difficult time getting a last-minute ticket.

I was dejected to discover that I will not arrive in NY in time for the performance of Duo Con. Friday evening. If I remember correctly there are only 2 performances of the ballet scheduled, at least early in the season. How were the violin and piano the other night? I think it's such a wonderful score.