Above: Principal Dancer Seth Orza and PNB's Artistic Director Peter Boal working on Balanchine's APOLLO, photo by Lindsay Thomas
Wednesday February 13, 2013 - Pacific Northwest Ballet have brought a single all-Balanchine evening and three performances of their Maillot production of ROMEO ET JULIETTE to New York's City Center.
They opened tonight with the Balanchine to an enthusiastic reception. Bringing Balanchine to New York City is a bit of a "coals to Newcastle" situation since we are Balanchine's City: we have his House and his School, and we have the opportunity to see his Masterworks - superbly danced - year after year. But it's understandable that any Company with a good chunk of Balanchine in their repertory will want to show it off: it must be as marvelous to dance as it is to behold. Pacific Northwest did a handsome job of it.
Many visiting companies settle for recorded music when dancing in Gotham; it's a big expense to bring your orchestra with you. But PNB have gone all-out and their musicians offered a lovely rendering of the opening Bach which had a chamber-music intimacy to it. The conducting (Allan Dameron) felt somewhat on the fast side, notably in the adagio, but the overall effect of the piece was very satisfying.
The corps seemed well-steeped in the Balanchine style and their dancing, though a bit pressed here and there by the tempo, was unified and had the right spirit. It was in fact a nice experience to see a group of girls unknown to me and to actually watch the choreography instead of seeking out the faces of individual favorites, as I so often end up doing at NYCB.
Long-legged ballerinas Laura Gilbreath and Lindsi Dec would have pleased Mr. B, I think; they moved with impetuous energy in the opening section, trading big extensions and establishing a nice sisterly rapport. Ms. Gilbreath's performance in the adagio showed off her line and her lyricism, her dancing cool and spacious. It's a pity that PNB's handsome Cuban danseur Karel Cruz was unable to make the trip to New York due to an injury, but Bakthurel Bold - already slated to dance AGON - took over the partnering in BAROCCO. The strong, exotic-looking Mongolian danseur put me very much in mind of Jock Soto - no mean compliment - and made me want to see him in many other ballets.
APOLLO was given a grand performance in every respect: music director Emil de Cou fashioned the score with a sure hand and the dancing was glorious. Maria Chapman and Lesley Rausch, Calliope and Polyhymnia respectively, were excellent and again piqued my curiosity to see them in other repertory (luckily they were both in the concluding AGON).
It goes without saying that New York ballet buffs were dying to see Carla Korbes and Seth Orza again. Both were very popular soloists at New York City Ballet before moving out West; they come back to us as thrilling artists. Carla, always the loveliest of ballerinas, is now a mesmerizing beauty whose every move captivates. In face, form and movement she is simply a dream of a dancer. Seth is one of the finest Apollos I have witnessed and how wonderful that he developed his interpretation in working with Apollo de luxe Peter Boal. But Seth puts his own god-like stamp on the role. His solo dancing was vibrant, his rapport with Carla in the pas de deux deep and genuine. To be handsome is an undeniable asset for a danseur; to dance handsomely and with such compelling power and grace - that is the gift of a true artist.
The atmosphere in the theatre after this APOLLO was so pleasing to experience; all four dancers were warmly saluted by the crowd and Carla and Seth have now thoroughly whetted our appetite for their upcoming performances as Romeo and Juliet.
The score of AGON was a bit of a challenge for the orchestra, but the dancers took to the choreography with great success and gave the ballet a slightly different feel than we get at NYCB. Ms. Rausch and Mr. Bold were powerful and intense in the adagio, but they also found a sense of lyricism in the music that worked well. Bold's partnering is steady, the complexities handled with assurance. How I would love to see Ms. Rausch in more of her repertory.
Maria Chapman excelled here, her balances wonderfully steady and her dancing having a nice feel for the space. Handsome and compact, Jonathan Porretta danced with mercurial athleticism. Completing the quartet of men, Andrew Bartee and Jerome Tisserand were finely-contrasted and polished off the demands of their duet - and their tossings of Ms. Chapman - with flair.
It would have been nice to see Kaori Nakamura and Carrie Imler in this opening-night programme, but: you can't have everything. As it stood, the evening was a very enjoyable experience, and it assured me that I could move to Seattle knowing there'd be wonderful dancing waiting for me there.
Concerto Barocco
Choreography: George Balanchine © New York City Ballet
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
(Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043)
Staging: Francia Russell
Conductor: Allan Dameron
Laura Gilbreath, Lindsi Dec, Batkhurel Bold
Chelsea Adomaitis, Jessika Anspach, Amanda Clark, Emma Love,
Elle Macy, Margaret Mullin, Elizabeth Murphy, Leah O’Connor
Apollo
Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.
Music: Igor Stravinsky
(Apollon Musagète, 1927-1928)
Staging: Peter Boal
Conductor: Emil de Cou
Apollo: Seth Orza
Terpsichore: Carla Körbes
Calliope: Maria Chapman
Polyhymnia: Lesley Rausch
Agon
Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.
Music: Igor Stravinsky (1953-1956)
Staging: Francia Russell
Conductor: Emil de Cou
Lesley Rausch - Batkhurel Bold
Kylee Kitchens - Elizabeth Murphy - Jonathan Porretta
Andrew Bartee - Maria Chapman – Jerome Tisserand
Chelsea Adomaitis - Jessika Anspach – Emma Love – Leah O’Connor
