Helene

This will be first impressions. My head was still in "Dr. Atomic" from the morning when I attended yesterday's matinee, and attending the opera and getting out of Pacific Place parking made me miss the first half of "A Garden". (Note to self: park in one of the surface lots to get out quickly.) Two things struck me most about "A Garden": the amount of pointe work and the amount of petite allegro, the most I've seen in any new work in an age. The odd thing was how static the work was for the upper body during it, with the arms in first much of the time. Oh, but the emphasis on those feet, and what beautiful feet these dancers had. I can't quite put my finger on what the music for the first movement of Kiyon Gaines' "M-Pulse" reminds me of -- something rock-like contemporary -- but it was firmly rhythmic. Composer Christina Spinei's second movement was like light, jazzy soundtrack music, and the third sounded to me like a cross between Michael Torke and Leonard Bernstein. I'm not sure I heard an original voice, but I did hear fine orchestration, particularly in the second movement's strings and woodwinds, and I think she could write a mean soundtrack. The Torke-ishness in the music wasn't the only association I made with many of Peter Martins' works. I realized by the third movement that the phrasing reminded me also of Martins' choreography to Torke (and Adams): a regular length of phrasing and an immediate response to the music, without much overall structure that I could see. Maybe I'll see that in the choreography when I see the program again next weekend. Where Gaines' choreography is nothing like Martins' is in its directness and energy and its lack of faux sophistication, and the dancers -- all of them, not just the central principals -- look fantastic. Ice Dance choreographers should beg PNB for a copy of this work: the costumes by Mark Zappone for the women and many of the lifts would be great for skating. Lindsi Dec was a standout in the pas de deux, partnered by Karel Cruz: her legs sing and her energy is infectious. There was an extended solo for Kaori Nakamura, with which I had trouble, because while accomplished, she was so out of this world in Tharp's "Afternoon Ball", a role and a work I found much richer. I couldn't make the transition to seeing her in something less "big picture". I'm not sure I saw structure, per se, to Benjamin Millepied's "3 Movements", set to music by Steve Reich's "Three Movements for Orchestra", but I saw a lot of patterns and a great use of the stage space in all dimensions. It also had a superb central pas de deux for Carla Korbes and Batkhurel Bold, in which Korbes looked like a star and Bold took another step forward. Both the choreography and Korbes brought out the best in him. My only complaint is about the lighting: for me it was a little shadowy (from the Gallery Upper) for the grey palette of the costumes and sets. (The decor reminded me of a Max Cole print.) I hadn't seen "One Flat Thing, Reproduced" before, and while I zoned at about the three-quarter mark, I liked it very much. The first time I saw "Dr. Atomic" in the Sellers production (San Francisco), I felt that the Lucinda Childs choreography was a stylized dud in its attempt to portray the industry and energy focused on the atomic arms race. Ironically, the interaction of the dancers around white metal tables -- up, over, around, down, under, through -- invoked the both the equations and patterns and the scientific collaboration more vividly (in a non-literal way) than the Childs. "Dr. Atomic" was even more on my mind during this program, since three of the scores -- by Spinei, Reich, and Willems -- had electronic and/or minimalist elements in common with the Adams score. However, these scores underlined the differences in the Adams score, one I thought had more in common with "Elektra", which played last month at Seattle Opera. The sonic painting of the Adams score and the way in which it shifted to indicate the psychology of the characters was mesmerizing and more evocative of the Strauss score than its more structural relatives that I heard in the "New Works" program. Two more dancers whose performances were noteworthy: Sokvannara Sar caught my eye repeatedly in "3 Movements" and "One Flat Thing Reproduced", and kudos to Andrew Bartee, who in "M-Pulse" and "One Flat Thing Reproduced" had some gnarly partnering and coordinating to do in both works, and he didn't miss a beat.

I don't see why. Balanchine's version of "Swan Lake" Act II is just as based in Ivanov's white act as any other production I've seen in which Benno doesn't partner Odette. You don't see SFB's production of "Swan Lake" titled "Helgi Tomasson's 'Swan Lake'" or the Bolshoi's listed as " 'Swan Lake' (Ingredients: Grigorovich [80%], Ivanov [10%], Petipa [5%], Gorsky [5%])" or the Royal Ballet's named "Petipa's and Ivanov's and Ashton's and Dowell's 'Sleeping Beauty'. What's critical is that the audience not expect a full length, and that's covered by the title "Swan Lake Act II".

Please, please report on it! If I had known, I would have scheduled a flight for Friday (the day after), but it would cost half the ticket to change it now. I hope this is filmed!

This from the back of today's program: EMERALDS STUDIO REHEARSAL AND CONVERSATION with Violette Verdy and Mimi Paul Thursday, January 15, 2008 [sic] 5:30-7:00 p.m. Studio C, The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer St. Ticket $20 -- Space is limited Join Pacific Northewest Ballet for a studio rehearsal and conversation with ballet legends Violette Verdy and Mimi Paul, originators of the ballerina roles in George Balanchine's Emeralds, the first ballet in Balanchine's triptych, Jewels. Ms. Verdy and Ms. Paul will coach PNB dancers in their Emeralds roles and discuss their work with Balanchine and the creation of Jewels in 1967.

Week 2 casting is up: http://www.pnb.org/season/newworks-cast.html and with the nice surprise that three of the apprentices will make their debuts in featured roles: Andrew Bartee and Kyle Davis, in "A Garden" (Thurs-Fri, 13-14 Nov) Margaret Mullin, in "3 Movements" (Fri, Sun, 14, 16 Nov) along with Thomas, Foster, Lowenberg, and Postlewaite in "A Garden", Rausch in "M-Pulse", and Anspach in "One Flat Thing Reproduced".

I appreciate the review, Rock, and welcome to Ballet Talk. I was in Ottawa last weekend and couldn't fly to Phoenix for this production I'm hoping Richard Nilssen was right in his review that this is likely to become a regular part of BA's rep, because I'm looking forward to seeing it very much the next time it is performed. There was an interview with Ib Andersen, links on the Ballet Arizona website. Andersen said that he originally intended to produce the Balanchine verison, but found it took too many dancers.

It would be great if Suzanne Farrell Ballet were able to perform at one of the inaugural events.

Washington Ballet must be a very rare and lucky company if its "odd" audience consists of old people, first timers, and tourists -- well, maybe not the crying baby -- since almost every ballet company in the world is trying to attract a younger demographic, new audiences, and a higher profile

Thanks for noting the new (additional) video, bart. I think I'm going to like this, but crack me up over this quote: I thought one of the main principles of "Symphony in C" is classic symmetry.

Casting is up for the first week: http://www.pnb.org/season/newworks-cast.html A Garden (Morris): six women, six men. Same cast for all four performances, with the exception of Nadeau and Korbes sharing a role. M-Pulse (Gaines): five men, five women. Same cast for all four performances. 3 Movements (Millepied): eight men, eight women. Same cast for all four performances. One flat thing reproduced (Forsythe): six women, eight men. Two casts.

Great review, Paul!

Quiggin's original analogy was "Irma Nioradze, whose face, Georgian like Boris Pasternak’s, with high cheekbones and great sculptural modeling, keep changing and weighing its effects..." In many contexts in the arts and sports I've heard Russian- and Eastern European-born posters and commentators say that someone looked Jewish vs. ethnic Russian/Polish/Ukranian, etc., and I read anin's comment as a counterpoint to Quiggin's. I suspect that's why the man at the European Deli, a Russian deli, in Edmonds always tells me that he has kosher pickles and herring the moment I walk into the store

I hope you'll review the casts for us, Arizona Native I really wanted to see this production, but I'll be out of the country next weekend. I noticed on the website that the casting is up: http://www.balletaz.org/index.taf?mnid=tea...ecid=1222176472 and that there's a two-part radio interview with Ib Andersen in which he discusses the production among other topics: http://artsonthetownaz.com/wp/?cat=4 (scroll down close to bottom of the screen)

Many thanks for the news and the background, Jane!

PNB has published a video about its upcoming "New Works" program (6-16 Nov) on You Tube, and it appears on the PNB site: http://www.pnb.org/season/newworks.html The subject is Kiyon Gaines' newest work, "M-Pulse". In addition to rehearsal scenes and comments from the dancers, Gaines speaks about his choreographic process for the work and how he got its score.

Those are important observations from a long-time company watcher. It's great to hear about how a company looks over time and after regime change.

Here's the link to Rachel Howard's review: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...=002&sc=959

(That made my morning!)

The d'Amboise DVD also has "Afternoon of a Faun" with d'Amboise and Leclerq!!!! (Plus the cover photo shows him as one of the most beautiful young men I've ever seen.)

Thanks to the heads up from Apollinaire Scherr's Blog, Foot in Mouth:

I have a hard time picturing Magnicaballi in "Diamonds". She was a knockout in "Rubies" in Phoenix, and I could imagine her in the Mimi Paul role in "Emeralds".

The French had a long tradition of wanting exhibitionist "allegro" dancing, and it was the strength of the Italian School. Was this limited entirely to demi-charactere dancers? I wonder how the transition to communism, which produced ballet rife with the contradictions of the glorification of aristocratic heroes and the aristocracy, and the religious sacrifice of the peasant girl to the cad aristocrat, influenced what the hero/protagonist could and should be seen doing. As Doug Fullington pointed out in his great presentation on "Balanchine's Petipa", the biggest changes to "La Bayadere" happened in the 40's, and Western audiences assumed that the touring productions were original Petipa choreography, when, in fact, they were quite different, as the reconstructed versions he did showed. Certainly Nureyev was no aristocrat, and he extended the exhibitionist allegro dancing to the limit or beyond in his own choreography and stagings.

I don't know how I missed this until now, but PNB is performing at the Lensic in Santa Fe this weekend (October 10-11 at 7:30pm), and it's a great program: In the Night (Frederic Chopin/Jerome Robbins) Emeralds—solo and pas de trois (Gabriel Fauré/George Balanchine) Rubies—pas de deux (Igor Stravinsky/George Balanchine) Diamonds—pas de deux (Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky/George Balanchine) Agon (Igor Stravinsky/George Balanchine) That explains why Francia Russell was in the main studio with company members rehearsing "Agon" just before Doug Fullington's great presentation on "Balanchine's Petipa" (Part 2) last Wednesday.

The "Classical Symphony" is a wonderful piece, one of his less gnarly and more accessible works. Sadly, I neglected it for years: on the Leonard Bernstein recording, it was the flip side of Bizet's "Symphony in C", which I listened to at a ratio of about 1000:1 until I wore out the album.