COPPELIA Debuts: Tiler and Andrew

Sunday January 11, 2009 matinee -  The ice and snow prevented my friend Debbie from coming down from Connecticut to attend this matinee of COPPELIA with me, but seemlingly nothing prevented what appeared to be a packed house from enjoying the afternoon: a light-hearted performance which featured debuts by Tiler Peck and Andrew Veyette (seen above in Paul Kolnik's photo) in the principal roles as well as a roster of favorite dancers in the soloist roles.

COPPELIA is the only ballet I ever actually danced in (if you could call that dancing!) and it was not long after our summer performances that TJ and I attended the New York premiere of the Balanchine/Danilova production - which we really disliked, at least until Act III. Way too much mime and way too cutesy. I haven't really changed my mind about it to this day, but the music is truly wonderful and it does give an opportunity to see lots of dancers in various guises.

There's plenty of detail about the ballet at Wikipedia, if you are interested in background; and even the instrumentation is provided.

My real problem with COPPELIA (I realized today) is that I don't really like comedies. As Dmitry knows, I religiously avoid BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, DON PASQUALE and MERRY WIDOW at the opera. Some people consider NOZZE DI FIGARO and COSI FAN TUTTE to be comedies, but they are too emotionally charged and deal with deeper issues under the surface. Plus, they are Mozart. Likewise in ballet, NUTCRACKER and SLEEPING BEAUTY are 'happy ending" ballets. But, they are Tchaikovsky. Give me tragedies, darkness and despair any day.

This afternoon I had a fantastic seat very close to the stage (though surrounded by less-than-attentive neighbors) and I found that the dancers kept me occupied throughout the afternoon but that the ballet itself just doesn't sustain me.

Tiler Peck is truly a delightful Swanilda. Technically the role is a piece of cake for her; she breezed thru the combinations with dazzling ease, spinning off turns in either direction and reveling in the fancy footwork. Her characterization is likewise ideal, with just enough sauciness. And she was excellent in the doll-imitation scene where she and Adam Hendrickson (a first-rate Coppelius) had the comic timing down to perfection.

Andrew Veyette (Paul Kolnik headshot) was also making a debut as Franz, one of ballet's most endearingly naive characters. Andrew played him an a devil-may-care young man, showing a trace of cruelty as he emphatically pierced the butterfly in Act I. He danced with assurance - his swift beats and flurries of pirouettes and jumps were all part and parcel of his characterization (one interpolated step made me think of a similar feat Daniil Simkin does). Andrew moves with expansive lightness in his combinations along the diagonals, covering space with flair.

So with youth, technical prowess and spirited acting on their side, Tiler and Andrew scored a fine success. With Adam Hendrickson, they made the second act (which is 90% mime) charming and palatable.

Among Swanildas eight friends were some future Swanildas to be sure. Doesn't Mary Elizabeth Sell have a nice high-flying extension?  I enjoyed watching this group in their Act I set piece with Swanilda: Katie Bergstrom, Erica Pereira, Stephanie Zungre, Brittany Pollack, Likolani Brown and Kathryn Morgan. And newcomer Sara Adams fit right in with this experienced sisterhood.

The four soloist roles in the third act divertissement were plucked from my NYCB "A" list: Ana Sophia Scheller, Teresa Reichlen, Dena Abergel and Faye Arthurs. They were all dancing beautifully and each created her own atmosphere: brilliance from Ana Sophia, radiance from Tess, serenity from Dena and lyrical clarity from Faye (with a nice long balance thrown in for good measure). As the finale builds to a conclusion, Ana Sophia comes spinning down the diagonal - a dazzling moment.

Gwyneth Muller and Tyler Angle were nicely tongue-in-cheek in the hilariously over-the-top-Ride-of-the-Valkyries setting of Discord and War. Tyler made me think he might one day (soon) be a very interesting Oberon in MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. And yes, we have had tall Oberons before: Edwaard Liang comes to mind.

Balanchine used the music that I danced to some thirty-five years ago as a quartet for four Jesterettes who wear jingling bells sewn to their pastel pantaloon outfits. I used to find this part of the NYCB COPPELIA rather annoying but I watched it more closely today because Lydia Wellington was one of the four (along with Megan Johnson, Kristen Segin and Callie Bachman) and I realized it's actually a pretty good piece. And Lydia, on top of everything else, can turn a neat cartwheel.

It's always good to see Sarah, Deborah and Taylor at the ballet...and Peter Martins, Joaquin de Luz, Amar Ramasar, Megan Fairchild, Melissa Barak, Damian Woetzel and Heather Watts, too. 

I should add that the Act I folk dances, the Mazurka and Czardas, are small Balanchine masterpieces in their own right. Lydia stepped in here as well. And Kaitlyn Gilliland always stands out - no matter how many people are onstage.

Comments

[Laura]

Funny that you mention the future Swanildas in your mention of her 8 friends. In one of the promotional brochures this year is a photo of Jennifer Ringer as Swanilda in the final scene, and if you look just to her right, standing behind her is Sterling Hyltin as of of Swanilda's 8 friends. How far Sterling has come in the 4 years since that photo was taken! A future Swanilda in the making.

[Deborah]

This is the perfect review, Philip!
Although I'm not a real fan of this ballet, the third act is always a lot of fun; today it was especially delightful. And kudos to Tiler and Andrew for making such superb debuts!

[Sarah]

It was SO good to see you and to get back in to the NYCB swing of things.

I just finished my first NYCB blog of the year (and NOT my last!).

http://allwillknow.blogspot.com

[Philip]

Wow, I did not notice that the bells had fallen off the costumes! I guess I was too busy watching Lydia!