Ashley Bouder Project

[cobweb]

I attended last night's performance of the Ashley Bouder Project at the Joyce. This is my first time seeing this group. I had mixed feelings. First, it was great to see the dancers in such an intimate setting. I always love Taylor Stanley, but I got to pay more attention to the flexible, fluid India Bradley, who danced with authority. Also Roman Mejia, who really seems to have it all. As for the pieces, I found Alas fascinating, and would welcome seeing this piece again. There were some elements I didn't care for (such as dancers abruptly running offstage as a form of exit), but it was an enticing, engaging hybrid (of what, exactly, I can't quite say). I am glad to learn the name of this choreographer, Abdul Latif. I thought Lauren Lovette's new piece for Bouder was unremarkable and banal, and I was baffled by what Bouder's own new piece was trying to say. (Don't have the program handy, and can't quite remember the titles of these pieces.) Then there was the piece for two men (originally for two women, I think?), which left me cold. I didn't see how it made any difference to have two men versus two women dance it, since as far as I could tell this piece was not about the relationship between the two dancers, and I could not tell what it was about. 

Would enjoy hearing other comments from those who were there. 

[Royal Blue]

This was the fourth program of the 2018 Ballet Festival at the Joyce Theater.

An unassuming new work (a solo) by Lauren Lovette, Red Spotted Purple served its purpose as an introduction to the evening pleasingly. The audience is made aware that the setup includes having musicians—members of the New York Jazzharmonic—situated in the background, and is acquainted with the efficacious way lighting and vibrant color will be utilized in the upcoming pieces. Wearing a brightly-colored dress, Ashley Bouder enters confidently from stage left and proceeds to dance with customary poise. However, a change of tone effectively mirrored in the music shortly occurs in the work, which results in her expressing through dance—also symbolized finally through letting her hair down—powerful feelings of unease and uncertainty. In a way, Red Spotted Purple functions suitably as a metaphor for the emotional trajectory the artistic director may have experienced from initial assurance about her "project" to any misgivings she possibly harbors about its prospects and how it will be received by the public. 

Additionally, I personally consider the opportunity to view in such an intimate setting as that provided by this theater one of the finest ballerinas of our day in virtually any work anything but trite and commonplace. 

There is, indeed, nothing to indicate that the next piece, Duet by Liz Gerring, was not originally choreographed for a couple of men. This work, in which the two dancers mostly looked like they were exercising, lacked the sparkle and brightness, as well as the musical interest found in the rest of the program. However, Taylor Stanley is one of the most beautifully proportioned and poetic of all male dancers in ballet, and a pleasure to watch in everything. Since Damien Johnson looks fantastic and is an intense performer also, there was a wonderful parallelism in the motions of the two. Having admitted as much, I would prefer of course to have seen Bouder together with Sara Mearns perform this.

What marvelous surprises the two premieres which followed (one before, one after the intermission) turned out to be! Not only was the choreography by Abdul Latif for Alas~ attractive and exciting, and presented all six dancers in a glowing light, but the music—which included a part for a violin soloist and enchanting “vocalizations” (by the choreographer!), and is credited to Henry Purcell, Vivaldi, Max Richter, Ron Wasserman (Director of the New York Jazzharmonic) and Latif himself—was superb throughout. For someone barely out of ballet school, Roman Mejia possesses incredible aplomb and giving notice that he is aiming to make his mark in the ballet world. Although she too is young and hardly dances flawlessly, India Bradley is lovely and has style and wonderful lines. In contrast, Olivia MacKinnon's dancing was impeccable, and in the pas de deux utterly thrilling! Without a doubt, MacKinnon is somebody who by virtue of her own loveliness, her talent and her diligence henceforth deserves serious consideration for soloist opportunities at NYCB.

Watching in this theater Symbiotic Twin, a new pas de deux with haunting choreography by Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa and music by Kate Moore, magnificently performed by the strikingly attired Bouder and Stanley, was a deeply moving experience. Therefore, it hardly mattered that after the two preceding works Bouder's In Pursuit of... was, notwithstanding its colorfulness and briskness, less appealing to me. (As explained in an article cited in one of the NYCB threads the movements of the work "referenced styles of international dance.") At least with the splendid MacKinnon in the cast I had no trouble watching it.

[cobweb]

Thanks for mentioning the Jazzharmonic. I agree - they were terrific. That was a major part of the evening.

And I couldn't agree more about Roman Mejia. He is incredibly self-possessed at such a young age. I look forward to his career!