Director's Choice: March 16-17 and 22-25

[sandik]

6 hours ago, Jayne said:

I saw the final performance. I enjoyed the Poulanc music, and the choreography was structured with similarity to Opus 19: The Dreamer.  I didn’t love it, though I was prepared to.  Angelica Generosa was effective, but it’s not a great work.  It’s just not.  

I like Slingerland, and Laura Tisserand and Karel Cruz danced well.  But the audience deserves live musicians.  

Red Angels was a mixed.  The concert master performed the violin solo, and the opening couple danced a not-quite-fully-baked version.  Sarah Pasch and Dammiel Cruz.   Things were neither authoritative, snappy, or breathtaking enough. 

The second couple - Cecilia Iliesiu and Dylan Wald - were perfectly baked Red Angel cakes.  Everything was spot on.  

The less said about the table writhing “ballet” the better.  I will never sit through this ballet again. 

At this point I don't expect Ezra T to make "great" work -- I want him to make progress with every work he makes.  Performing artists, and the people who create what they perform, are often stuck between a rock and a hard place.  You learn to make things by making them, and unlike painters and novelists, it's hard for composers or choreographers to make a work and then put it away as a good learning experience.  I thought this was a big step forward for him, and was glad to see it. 

I did think there were some similarities with Opus 19, especially in the ambiguity of some relationships (basically, who is dead and who is alive).  I also saw some echos of Tudor's Dark Elegies, in the use of the ensemble upstage, but it could be a coincidence.

[Jayne]

I would very much like PNB to perform Dark Elegies (or invite NYDT to visit Seattle and perform it.)

Edited March 27, 2018 by Jayne

[sandik]

1 minute ago, Jayne said:

I would very much like PNB to perform Dark Elegies (or invite NYDT to visit Seattle and perform it.)

Oh, yes please!!