What's the oddest ballet project you've seen?

[bart]

Violet posted a photo of Diana Adams from an almost forgotten 1952 NYCB production of Ashton's "Picnic at Tintagel," costumes by Cecil Beaton.

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/adams01.jpg

This interesting photo of a truly beautiful dancer apparently comes from a ballet that, according to the discussion that followed, was not a successful and whose most memorable feature was that it involved a lot of "walking around."

This got me thinking of other ballet projects that were either too strange, too forgetable, too trendy, or too/too SOMETHING to survive in anyone's repertory.

I wonder: what are some of the other odd/strange,wierd,or ill-conceived ballet projects that Ballet Talk people have seen? And what happened to them?

With all the viewing experience in this group, there must be an awful lot of examples we can think of.

[Farrell Fan]

Balanchine's PAMTGG* from 1971. This was certainly the lowest point of Mr. B's career at NYCB. The title, and music, came from a television commercial of the time -- PanAm Makes the Going Great. But it was not the trifle such a genesis might suggest. It was an opulent production with decor and lighting by Jo Mielziner and costumes by Irene Sharaff. Repertory in Review called it "an expensive disaster." What I remember about it were the plastic costumes and lucite luggage. My theory is that Mr. B was still in despair over the departure of Suzanne Farrell the year before, and had temporarily lost his bearings.

* pronounced "pam-teh-guh-guh."

[Natalia]

My vote goes to an arrogant oddity from ABT's Baryshnikov Era titled "Murder," staged (certainly not 'choreographed') by David Gordon, with designs by Gorey. More murder-mystery pantomime than ballet - and boring pantomime at that. It was an utter waste of dancers' talents, not to mention the time of the audience.

It was also highway robbery. I wonder how many tickets were sold to unsuspecting people who wanted to see Baryshnikov dance classical ballet? HA HA -- were they in for a real shocker of a disappointment!

I wouldn't be surprised if 'Murder' was the catalyst for the end of Baryshnikov's free-spending directorship at ABT.

[Marga]

My theory is that Mr. B was still in despair over the departure of Suzanne Farrell the year before, and had temporarily lost his bearings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That has been the general concensus! Farrell left in 1969, though, not 1970. I know you know that!

Thanks so much for the pronunciation. I'd always said "PamTag", not having any other clue.

[Alexandra]

I've always wondered why "Picnic at Tintagel" did not have a longer life. Quotes from the three critics included in Nancy Reynolds' "Repertory in Review" (pp. 138-140) are all completely favorable. Here are some excerpts:

Anatole Chujoy: "Exactly the kind of woork the company needed, telling a story succinctly without depending on program notes to eke out choreographic vagueness, and giving he dancers one of their rare opportunities to characterize.. . .Ashton's craftsmanship was everywhere in evidence, and in the passage foor Iseult and Tristram he also showed us Ashton the fine and sensitive artist."

John Martin: "It iis extremely simple and unpretentous, it is expertly planned, beautifully realized in stage terms, smart and stylish.. . .Ashton has made the middle section wonderfully romantic, wiith all the magic of Round Table days, and he has designed a lovely pas de deux as well as some crisp and lively formall dramatic action. But he has managed to frame it all in a delicately sopisticated sense of humor, which keeps it ffrom being lush or whimsical."

Walter Terry: "Ashton's drama is concerned with an ominous moment preliminary to crisis. At the picnic, desire of the lovers for each other and the swelling anger of the husband draw close to catastrophe.. . .The love duet itself is a work of great beauty. Even its prelude is remarkable, for he has given the waiting Iseult movements which proclaim her yearning for Tristram, her impatience in awaiting his arrival."

I don't know how many performances the ballet received, but Reynolds lists alternate casts so it was not a flash in the pan. No reason is given for why it was dropped from repertory, but there's no indication that this was because it was unpopular or a bad ballet.

[bart]

Thanks, Alexandra, for that correction regarding this particular ballet. The photo's strange juxtapositon of medieval headgear and long bare legs and pointe shoes may have misled me.

It certainly seems preferable to Farrell Fan's account of the Pan Am ballet. Though "Murder", with its Gorey designs, must have at least looked pretty good.

Any others?

[Hans]

Does McKenzie's Nutcracker for ABT count?

[drb]

Does McKenzie's Nutcracker for ABT count?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. Nor does his Duck Pond. Neither of them count.

[ViolinConcerto]

There were two really ludicrous ballets (which SHOULD be an oxymoron!) in the first American Music Festival for NYCB back in 1988 I believe. I am not totally positive of the titles, composers or choreographers, but have pretty distinct mental images.

One had lots of Clown-themed images (like Emmet Kelley), red noses and all. I think some carried briefcases. Big, big backdrop, several scenes, and a large-ish corps. Heather Watts may have been a principal.

The second one featured Judy Fugate, coming in from stage left (I believe), doing a sideways bouree (I obviously don't know step names, because there must be one for that), arms outstretched to the side, and things looking generally as if they were underwater.

It was soon after those two huge flops that Peter Martins deemed that future Diamond Project ballets basically be leotard ballets, with limited if any sets.

[Mashinka]

Bejart's "Mother Teresa" must be included here. The scene where the dancers stood at the front of the stage and poured water over themselves was memorable for all the wrong reasons and the audible obscenity uttered at the end by one of the UK's most dignified critics on opening night said it all really.

[Helene]

There were two really ludicrous ballets (which SHOULD be an oxymoron!) in the first American Music Festival for NYCB back in 1988 I believe.  I am not totally positive of the titles, composers or choreographers, but have pretty distinct mental images. 

I wonder if one was Bart Cook's ballet, which had an elaborate set, and, although I may be misremebering this, video. I was so looking forward to this, because he is one of my two favorite male dancers, but I was appalled, and it looked like such an expensive waste.

[cargill]

I could be wrong, but I think the costumes for Picnic got destroyed--by fire maybe? I friend of mine saw it, and just loved it. I had forgotten some of those American Music Festival pieces! The Heather Watts one (by Jacque Damboise or Ricky Weiss, maybe) also featured a floating brassiere as I recall. I think my vote for the truly odd and misconceived piece is Nureyev's Washington Square, for the POB. An unbelievable mishmash.

[ViolinConcerto]

Think it was Ricky Weiss.

The Nureyev seemed as if he was channeling Martha Graham.

[ViolinConcerto]

I wonder if one was Bart Cook's ballet, which had an elaborate set

You may be referring to Bart's "Into the Hopper" which emerged from a set like Hopper's "Nighthawks." That is not one of the ballets I mentioned. (I think Bart only did two ballets. I thought they showed great promise but he didn't have an editor.)

The clown one with the bra (which I don't remember) MAY have been Ricky Weiss -- someone please, please redeem him and correct me if I am wrong -- and I think the "underwater" one was by Meija.

[Helene]

I think my vote for the truly odd and misconceived piece is Nureyev's Washington Square, for the POB.  An unbelievable mishmash.

That was so awful, that when it was paired with Palais de Cristal, I left right after the Balanchine the second time around. Once was more than enough.

(I think Bart only did two ballets.  I thought they showed great promise but he didn't have an editor.)

I remember thinking the same when I saw it: not every idea needs to be put onstage.

[bart]

[N]ot every idea needs to be put onstage.

Perhaps this should be engraved on the portals of theater/dance/musical theater schools everywhere.