Oberon's Grove

Images

When it comes to dance, I sometimes feel like my mind is a giant scrapbook. The very first page has a picture of Rebecca Wright dancing dreamily in THE DREAM with the Joffrey. That was the first professional dance performance I ever attended. On page two is my first City Ballet memento, Patty McBride and Helgi Tomasson backing away in opposite directions at the end of BAISER DE LA FEE. The book then becomes crowded: Sara Leland & Bart Cook (god-parents of Wendy & Jock?), Karin, Colleen Neary, Kay Mazzo, Marnee Morris, an indelible image of Suzanne Farrell's hand extending the closing gesture of DIAMONDS, Peter Martins in so many roles. Pages & pages of Merrill Ashley. ABT folks are there as well: D'Antuono, Gregory, van Hamel, Tcherkassky, Markarova, Leslie Browne, Ted Kivitt, Ivan Nagy, Bujones, Gelsey, Charles Ward. Fracci & Nureyev in a GISELLE for the ages with La Scala at the Met. "Other dancers" like David Parsons or Peggy Lyman. The Paul Taylor Company...Hubbard Street doing Tharp at the Pillow.

Then the move to NYC in 1998 and the NYCB album becomes an overflowing treasure-trove as the memories pile up year after year. I won't start naming names because it will take forever but they are all here in my mind, some who are great stars there now and many who skittered away, possibly forgotten by everyone but me.

The season that's just ended has bulked up the archives by about a thousand more snapshots, from Kyra in VIENNA to Kaitlyn in ETOILE and on to such newbies as Mary Elizabeth Sell and Max van der Steere. I'm sure no one would resent the mention of Edwaard Liang's singular triumph in IN VENTO where the mental camera almost went berserk trying to freeze every frame.

So many images, and more to follow.

Last Time This Season

This afternoon was my last performance for the season; I went 21 times in nine weeks which I think is a record for me. Now comes the 5 month gap til we see the Company again. There was a sad photo at The Winger of Kristin Sloan packing up her dressing room; even sadder is the news that she won't be performing at Saratoga due to her continuing injury problems.

The matinee was beautifully danced and there were some outstanding individual performances. It's going to be different there without Andrea Quinn; today she led WESTERN SYMPHONY and did a bang-up job. The players seem to really like her.

It was odd that 18 hours previous to the matinee they were unable to mount KLAVIER but this afternoon they did it with no cast changes and everyone looked great. It's a mysterious ballet, one of Wheeldon's best.

IN MEMORY OF... turned out to be the ballet I saw most frequently this season (2 Wendy + 2 Miranda = 4 times) This afternoon was Miranda's second and she was very moving; the audience seemed quite entranced by the piece and the ballerina, along with Charles Askegard & Jason Fowler, was strongly applauded. Askegard's performance in this ballet would be difficult to match; I can't think of another dancer in the Company who I'd want to see try it. Wendy & Miranda were so different in their interpretation; I would not be able to choose between them.

Somogyi & Martins were more lively this afternoon than in their earlier WESTERN SYMPHONY. Albert & Sterling again had a big success and the grisette today was luscious Sara Mearns who treated us to some triple fouettes. It was good to see Nikolaj Hubbe dancing his old role again; he seemed to be having fun. And what was he doing to Mearns behind that cowboy hat?  The corps dancers look like they really enjoy dancing this ballet.

The one slightly depressing thing this season has been a seeming increase in empty seats at many performances. This is true of all the performing arts. Reaching a new audience and keeping the old are the constant labor of our cultural organizations. I sometimes think more advertising away from the immediate Lincoln Center area might have some impact. I'm sure there are lots of New Yorkers who would enjoy the ballet but they just don't think of it.

As a season-end gift, our usher gave us homemade cookies. I bet you don't get that at ABT!

Wendy! Kyra! Tonio!

It's always fun to bring someone to the ballet who hasn't been before (well, except NUTCRACKER). A few weeks ago when we attended PARSIFAL together at the Met, I was telling my friend Rob about NYCB and he expressed an interest in going.  I thought he was just being polite but last week he e-mailed me to ask when we were going to the ballet. I picked tonight because I had really liked KLAVIER earlier this season and thought he would like it too.

So, KLAVIER was cancelled. Instead we had Wendy in IN MEMORY OF... as the second ballet preceeded by BAISER DE LA FEE and followed by VIENNA WALTZES. Over Chinese food beforehand, Rob told me he went to the Bocca farewell on a whim, waiting in the standing room line. And the night before he had rented THE TURNING POINT. He asked me a lot of questions about Balanchine, his wives, Farrell, Robbins, Baryshnikov;  he wanted to know how ABT differed from NYCB. He asked me about the ballets we were going to see and what to look for.

He was most taken with IN MEMORY OF... which he thought was very powerful; BAISER DE LA FEE he thought had a wonderful score and he liked de Luz a lot. He felt Megan danced very well but lacked a bit in the personality department. He was bowled over by Wendy & Charles Askegard in the Robbins; amazed to hear that Kyra (VIENNA) had been dancing there since 1974, thinking that she looked so lovely & danced so beautifully; and, like the rest of the audience, he was captivated by Antonio Carmena in his debut in Voices of Spring.

That pretty much coincided with my impressions of the evening, though I would add that Beskow and Keenan were very pretty demis in BAISER and that Wendy has already delved more deeply into the Robbins since her debut. Considering she was not planning to dance this piece tonight she certainly got herself in the mood pretty well. Askegard was thrilling in his portrayal of the Death figure, one of the great performances of the current season. Together Wendy & Charles gave a pas de deux of stark dramatic clarity oddly tinged with a lyrical quality which is sustained by the music. Orza was a very fine partner for Wendy in the opening segment.

Rachel Rutherford & Nikolaj Hubbe made a wonderfully noble & romantic young couple in Tales of the Vienna Woods. A slight gaffe when Nik stepped on Rachel's gown but it was hastily mended while they were momentarily offstage. They looked great together. Megan replaced Yvonne Borree in Voices of Spring. So this was a dual debut for Fairchild & Camena. They match up very well and the partnering went quite smoothly considering they probably had very little rehearsal. Megan has the part well in hand, one or two transitions didn't quite flow but she'll have that worked out by tomorrow, I would think. Antonio was spectacular, not only with his sailing jump and flawless footwork but also his gallant charm and his smile which comes straight from the heart. The audience sent a wave of cheers through the house after his solo passage and at the end of the piece there was a prolonged applause as the crowd demanded the dancers reappear - which they finally did. Riggins & Higgins were sprightly polka dancers; Carrie Lee has had a shining season. Jenifer Ringer is blindingly beautiful as the Black Widow and Nilas her pale, cool suitor; I wish the choreography for this segment was a little more animated. When Kyra stepped onstage to a burst of applause, time stood still. Gently bending & swaying in her private world, her extension ever-impressive, she then melted into Askegard's arms. Kyra's leaves an indelible image in this ballet, one of the greatest dancers ever to hold the stage there. As the ballroom filled with the gowned and tuxedoed dancers, we were transported to Balanchine heaven.

And yes, Will & Kaitlyn were dancing together. Let's hope that twenty years from now they will still be there, dancing the leads, and that we will live long enough to see it.

Welcome back, Andrea Quinn!

After all the flowers last night in what appeared to be her farewell performance, Andrea Quinn was back on the podium tonight conducting half of the programme.

While the buzz at Lincoln Center was all about Julio Bocca and his farewell in that old powder-puff, MANON, a large crowd gathered at the State Theatre for the final outing of Elo's SLICE TO SHARP. The ballet again caused a sensation; there is nothing to add to earlier reviews. Eight great dancers are shown at their greatest. Who could ask for anything more?

This was followed by THE CAGE in which Somogyi & Marcovici made the central pas de deux tingle with an erotic shiver. They danced superbly. Ellen Bar started out so powerfully as the Queen but she fell early on and never quite recovered her momentum. Adam Hendrickson managed to convey the terror of the hapless first victim in his brief moments onstage.

ANDANTINO is an innocuous piece of fluff; Fairchild & de Luz danced it beautifully but I would rather they'd done Tchaikovsky PDD or VALSE-FANTAISIE.

It seemed like an awful lot of people left during the second intermission; they missed one of the best WESTERN SYMPHONIES ever. Jenifer Ringer, in addition to her other million dollar assets, knows the lost art of flirtation. This sparked Nilas to give one of his best performances: sassy turns, and an easy gallantry. In the central adagio, Albert Evans gathered the audience to his big old cowboy heart and gave an endearing, magnificent performance. Sterling Hyltin was ideal in this, her best performance to date. She had the technical aspects down pat and her bemused expression gave way to a charmingly piquant reaction to Albert's powerful courting. They drew murmurs of laughter for their many subtle expressions and a joyous round of cheers at their curtain call. Reichlen was an incredible dance hall gal in the final movement, her extension off the charts & her fouettes so vibrant. After Damian's rather lackadaisical performance last night, Chuck Askegard delivered the steps & turns with panache and an easy, breezy style. I loved the by-play among the corps, as when William Lin-Yee drew his six-shooters and good-naturedly shot one of the other guys, while Kaitlyn shared a secret with Allen Peiffer. Everyone seemed to be having fun.

My one question at the end of the night was, why is Craig Hall in the corps? His performances are always outstanding, but after the Elo there can be no turning back. Soloist? I would say he has all the qualities of a principal. We can say the same of Ana Sophia Scheller, too.

As an aside, there was some discussion last season as to whether it was appropriate for dancers to have tattoos. This came about after Craig Hall danced AFTER THE RAIN shirtless and revealed a rather nice chest tattoo. Tonight I noticed Joaquin has two tattoos also, one on his left shoulder and one on his right bicep. They look fine to me.   

Farewell to Andrea Quinn

Although the lobby casting sheet lists Andrea Quinn as conducting over the coming weekend, it seemed that tonight may actually have been her farewell.

The opening Ratmansky was pleasing to watch and expertly danced; Rebecca Krohn stepped into the Sylve role and did a beautiful job. She fit right in with the polished, established cast; Rebecca  looked superb in the red dress, and danced the demanding combinations with ease and dramatic conviction. Jenifer Ringer was at her finest tonight, so clearly defining the steps and accentuating the gestures and facial expressions with her customary instinct for what will make the ballet look its best. One more reason to love Ringer! Albert & Wendy were great, and a special bravo to Sean Suozzi. Oddly, someone booed loudly twice as the curtain fell.

Miranda Weese has a great success in IN MEMORY OF...  Her portrayal is very different from Wendy's, and they both differ strongly from earlier interpreters: Kyra and Darci. Miranda's silky technique made the most of the first movement, gently flowing with a slightly reticent quality. Confronted by death, Weese seemed more resigned to her fate than the other women had before her. Her vulnerability made Death seem so cruel. In the final movement, she moved among the angels with quiet dignity. The audience seemed drawn into the story and mesmerized by the beauty of Weese's performance. She was enthusiastically cheered. Jason Fowler was a fine partner. Charles Askegard's portrayal of Death was remarkable: no trace of melodrama but a cold, calculating destroyer who uses every gesture to emphasize his callous disdain for the heroine's plight.

Megan Fairchild and Adam Hendrickson provided a thoroughly enjoyable 2nd movement in WESTERN SYMPHONY. Adam is as gifted an actor as one might find on the ballet stage these days, and his secure technique gives him the freedom to explore the dramatic situation without stinting on the steps. This is a great role for Megan, so dead-pan facially and danced with skill. Her two flying fish dives were coolly handled by Adam. Genevieve Labean looks so pretty onstage, and newcomer Mary Elizabeth Sell has a great smile. In the first movement, Somogyi and Nilas had plenty of charm but their dancing was a little subdued. Kaitlyn G, William Lin-Yee and Allen Peiffer stood out in the corps. Kowroski revelled in the demands of the final movement and Damian turned on the show-biz persona though his dancing - fun as it was - was a little casual technically.

A standing ovation greeted Quinn as she stepped onto the podium to conduct WESTERN. At the end, she was greeted with a roar of applause as large bouquets were presented and Peter gave her a big batch of red roses. The corps boys wheeled out an enormous floral arrangement.

I have thought very highly of Quinn's tenure here. The orchestra seems to be playing with more pride in itself.  She's led them through all manner of tricky scores. Though sometimes accused of going too fast, it seems to me that Quinn actually has a fine pulse for the music (she gave Sara Mearns that dreamy adagio for her first Odette) and that the Company, which had perhaps been somewhat lulled by Hugo over the years, has been returned to its original reputation as a swift Company. It really is too bad that she's leaving.

John Rockwell on The Diamond Project

John Rockwell's summary of the Diamond Project in today's New York Times does not quite jive with my own perspective. I get the feeling Mr. Rockwell probably saw each ballet once, which I suppose is all a critic is required to do. His glaring omission of Edwaard Liang's spectacular triumph in the Bigonzetti (following Millepied, who danced the premiere) makes me think Mr. Rockwell's overview of the season might be suspect to begin with. He also singles out Tom Gold who, as far as I can tell, has danced very little this year, and I do not believe Tom participated in any of the Diamond Project ballets.

Mr. Rockwell begins with dismissing Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's poignant & unusual TWO BIRDS WITH THE WINGS OF ONE. The ballet and its Bright Sheng score demand a bit of work from the viewer; it is not something that one can sit back and allow to wash over you. A couple minor changes towards the end of the piece, mainly to do with lighting and sustaining the final image, could make it more impressive. But the piece has stayed in my mind since my single viewing of it. I sincerely hope it will have another chance and that people will make a bit of an effort to find the beauty there. The costumes and lighting are quite magical.

Rockwell also seems to have totally missed the emotional content of EVENFALL. Of all the new ballets this season, this one resonated most deeply in its depiction of a relationship that will not endure. It's much more than a pretty tutu ballet. Miranda Weese's performance here was unforgettable.

Peter's problemantic RED VIOLIN will probably fade from view but I think there is potential there if only Peter would take the time to extend the design of the ballet to incorporate a corps. More likely he will just move on to something else.

The Ratmansky is fine but it left no real lasting impression beyond the colorful costumes and the expert work of the dancers. The Feld is a wonderful vehicle for Ms. Gilliland and I surely won't mind watching her dance it again if it is revived.

Along with EVENFALL, the Elo and Bigonzetti ballets were unalloyed successes and deserve a lasting place in the repertoire.

There is no doubt that this was the most artistically & emotionally satisfying Diamond Project season in the Company's history.

Round About the Ballet

As a belated birthday gift for Wei, I brought home the book ROUND ABOUT THE BALLET. You will spot this book easily by it's fantastic cover photo of Vladimir Malakhov sailing in the air in a flying backbend of inhuman fluidity. At a point when I am having trouble bending over forward, it is mind-boggling to think anyone could actually achieve this pose.

The book, featuring striking photos by Roy Round, is conceived and written by William Cubberley and Joseph Carman. Fifteen of our top dancers from NYCB and ABT are photographed in and out of costume, and a series of questions are posed to each dancer. Some of the replies are unexpected: we read that Wendy Whelan relishes her "silly" side and that Jenifer Ringer thinks of her upper body as a greater gift than her lower (coulda fooled me, Jeni!). I won't give away any further tidbits because I want everyone to get this book.

The photos really capture the dancers, both as we see them onstage and as we might imagine them in unscripted moments. The book includes quirky shots of Gillian Murphy in full make-up & bun and enormous headphones, while Kowroski is hilarious in a tutu, knee boots, nerdy glasses and talking on her cell phone.

These delicious moments aside, the bulk of the pictures show us the poetry, strength & magnetism of some of the most beautiful people on the planet. Everyone knows I am one of the biggest NYCB fans in the Big Apple, and it is the sections on those dancers which attracted me to the book: divine Albert, Nik Hubbe, Ben Millepied, and four goddesses: Maria K, Jeni & Jennie (Ringer and Somogyi) and Wendy. But the ABT people are every bit as fascinating & alluring - it isn't their fault that they dance in a house too big for me to feel connected to them. But I've admired all of them in my few ABT encounters: Max & Irina, Angel (Mr. Photogenic), Marcelo Gomes, imperial Julie Kent, Malakhov, Gillian & Ethan. Reading about them and looking at the photos made me feel like I wanted to see them in action, so I am hoping to get to a performance or two at the big old Met once NYCB heads to Saratoga.   

Sometimes I wish we had "dance without boundaries" here in NYC, and that Julie Kent could stop by at NYCB and do IN THE NIGHT or SCOTCH SYMPHONY while Wendy and Marcelo danced GISELLE next door. There have been a few such moments: Angel & Miranda Weese in THEME at NYCB's Balanchine celebration, or Gillian & Benjamin down at the Joyce. But all too rare.

Of course, it would be nice if the book was twice as thick and covered many more dancers but we should be grateful for what we have. 

Anyone who loves dance, or who simply loves beautiful photos of beautiful people, will appreciate this volume. Five stars, and kudos to Limelight Editions for producing the book.

No, I have no connection with the photographer, authors, publishers, etc. but I wish I did.

SLICE/FRIANDISES/VIENNA

Seeing SLICE TO SHARP for the second time within 24 hours. This afternoon there was a different feeling in the house; very little applause during the piece and a solid reception at the end but nothing like the near-hysteria at the premiere. I said to Wei that the ballet was not getting to the audience like it had the night before; he said "All these old ladies probably think it's too modern."  And, being a typical matinee audience, he was probably right. The dancers were perhaps just a shade more restrained than at the premiere, though restraint in this case is relative. Maria K was particularly vibrant this afternoon, and the Wendy/Craig Hall adagio was spectacular.

The audience seemed more animated during FRIANDISES so sgain I said to Wei, why would that be? "There are more people dancing." That, and it is a brighter & more extroverted piece. Tiler Peck cannot be human; humans cannot turn 4 or 5 times on a dime like that without preparation. And she keeps doing it. Her big smile assures us there's a heart beating there. Very impressive dancer. Ulbricht soared into multiple air-turns without a care in the world. Their breezy performance was enthusiastically applauded. The eighteen "soloists" (too starry a group to be thought of as a corps) made the most of their opportunities. Ashley Laracey is a particularly appealing dancer, and Savannah Lowery at one point took a luxuriant balance before exiting.

The opening section of VIENNA WALTZES has become my favorite over the years. Today Pascale van Kipnis and Jason Fowler beautifully portrayed the ardent young couple. Jason looked great as the gallant military man and Pascale seemed so joyful at being onstage again; the brief moment when the girl fears her beau may have lost track of her was as moving as ever. Then Miranda Weese came swirling onstage in a heavenly set of turns as the Voices of Spring began. She has been having a great season and this performance would be high on the list of successes. She looks sublime, and dances with impeccable grace. What a gift, having this woman in the Company. She was to have danced with Damian but ended up with Joaquin de Luz who had earlier tossed off the complexities of SLICE TO SHARP with great panache. He & Miranda looked lovely together and were clearly enjoying their traversal of Balanchine's steps. Carrie Lee Riggins & Tom Gold were saucy & fun in the polka, and Jenifer Ringer was a blindingly beautiful Merry Widow with Nilas the storybook suitor. Darci was moving & gracious in the final waltz, with Askegard the perfect cavalier. Earlier in the week I met one of the apprentices who told me about rehearsing in "the gown"; I told her I would find her onstage. She seemed to think that would be impossible, but I spotted her quickly:  waltzing away in in the famous creamy silk. Everyone looked glorious.

But the performance ended with a wistful note as it seems that we may be seeing Pascale van Kipnis in her final NYCB appearances. She's been out with a serious injury for quite some time, and the joy of seeing her dance again was tempered by the thought that it might be the last time. She is a radiant dancer.   

O, Brave New Ballet...

...that has such dancers in it! Jorma Elo's SLICE TO SHARP, the final offering of the Diamond Project season, drove the audience at NYCB to the brink of pandemonium. A pure dance experience, an extraordinary test of technique, a showcase for eight of our premiere dancers, a chiaroscuro adventure to the dazzling music of Vivaldi & Biber. The curtain rises on the four couples, twirling in place. Then Scheller & de Luz literally explode into an opening tornado of turns, jumps, catches and amazing Ana-extensions all at the speed of light. Impossible! People cannot move this fast. The audience responded with a mammouth burst of applause. But we were just getting started. The dancers fly in and out in various pairings, trios, solo passages. Kowroski & Eddie Liang, Sylve & Amar, Wendy & Craig Hall and Ana & Joaquin just go at it full-tilt. Adjectives are pointless. You never saw anything like this. My heart was pounding, I thought I was going to need a transfusion or something. I gave up with my opera glasses and just sat there in a state of beatific awe. Wendy & Craig have the central adagio and they explored their private, angular universe decorated with sylized hand gestures. Craig's strength as a partner, the power of his dancing, and the sheer magnetism of his face & body were all put at the service of the enigmatic Wendy in a pas de deux that almost defines the Whelan style. Kowroski not only danced to perfection but showed her powers of expression - she is back to pre-illness form, and how! - while that charismatic paragon Amar Ramasar forces you to watch him no matter who else is onstage. I don't think I have ever seen a ballerina deploy her extension or full-strectched arabesques in quite such an earth-shattering manner as Sylve did tonight. It was beyond reality. Ed Liang swept through his complex steps with such clarity and purity of design, and he adapted the gestural language with such flowing style that I felt hypnotized. Everyone knows de Luz is a master virtuoso but even so he sent shock waves thru the house with his feats. And Scheller. She just blazed thru the steps, leaving a trail of diamonds in her wake. Throughout the piece, waves of applause showered down on the dancers and at the end, a tidal wave. Most of the people in the orchestra section stood up & screamed their heads off as the dancers took call after call. The violinists were generously hailed, and a roar greeted the choreographer. Flowers for the ladies; the dancers seemed happy, exhausted and elated.

The premiere was book-ended by EPISODES and FEARFUL SYMMETRIES and both were very well danced. EPISODES found that last glint of icy perfection that was missing earlier in the week; Somogyi & Marcovici gave a super adagio in EPISODES; Abi's musicality and pristine delineation of the steps in both ballets was a constant joy, and she & Arch Higgins make a fine pairing in EPISODES; and Askegard & Abi were flawless and so musically attuned in FEARFUL. Reichlen & Fowler bring frigid glamour to their quirky duet, and Mearns & Askegard were excellent in the big-scale dancing of the Ricercata. The corps looked elegant. Albert & Somogyi seemed better connected in FEARFUL tonight and they took risks; they are such incredible dancers to watch. Carrie Lee Riggins again bedazzled the place with her dancing and her allure. There is a passage in FEARFUL where Riggins and Carmena, holding hands, pull away from one another slowly. Then Tonio suddenly pulls her into a quick flash of pirouettes; and then the sequence is repeated. Carrie Lee just nailed it...super! Ulbricht & Carmena alternated impressively in bravura passages. The demis and corps were giving it a lot of juice tonight, and it was lovely to see Scheller - after her triumph and mammouth ovation in Elo - dancing her role here instead of begging off. Ms. Quinn and the orchestra again gave the Adams score the right combination of relentless drive with moments of tingling mystery.

On the promenade after the Elo, there was a real sense that we had seen something special. Many people greeted the choreographer, who seemed modest and sincere. Total strangers smiled at me as I wandered about in a daze, feeling like I might pass out. The champagne bar was mobbed.

After the performance, I lingered for a bit outside the stage door and a woman who works there was telling her friends that she timed the Elo ovation at 5 minutes, 20 seconds.

THE MORNING AFTER: I couldn't sleep, Mr. Elo, because of you and your bloody amazing ballet. Visions of Eddie Liang and Maria K kept dancing in my head, and my hands ached from clapping so hard for so long. Why should a bunch of dancers so interfere with the simple routines of life? I don't know, and I don't want to know. But in about 5 hours time, I will be seeing SLICE again.

   

KLAVIER!

Tonight's performance of Wheeldon's KLAVIER was a highlight of the season. I saw this ballet at its premiere but it made a much stronger impression on me tonight. I would rate it very high on Wheeldon's list of successes to date.

The evening opened with a very fine DIVERTIMENTO #15; of the attractive collection of ballerinas, Ana Sophia Scheller stood out for her clarity of technique and jewel-like appearance. Tiler Peck's complete security and sense of timing made her a joy to behold. Rachel Rutherford's broadly lyrical dancing is always a pleasure in this ballet. Sterling Hyltin and Megan Fairchild both danced very well, though I still think Hyltin will find her true place in more romantic repertoire and Megan does not yet quite have the prima ballerina "hauteur" to reign over this piece; but these are personal observations and don't detract from the excellent work both girls did tonight. Jon Stafford and Jason Fowler did well partnering the girls in turn, and Andrew Veyette added another feather to his cap this season with a very polished variation which was clean in technique and sweeping in style. Among the delicious corps were Ashley Laracey and Amanda Hankes.

KLAVIER was beautifully played by Susan Walters. The ballet, set seemingly in a ruined ballroom, is dark and mysterious in tone. An aura of faded romance hangs over the ghostly dancers who have assembled there. The incredibly beautiful Miranda Weese is dreamy in a way, but the dream has subtle undertones of a nightmare. She and Albert danced as one; I've always loved watching them together. In an edgier pas de deux, Wendy Whelan and Sebastien Marcovici  mesmerized the audience; Wendy's ability to make certain moves and poses resonate profoundly is uncanny. Sebastien, who has been out for a while, looked the pale romantic to perfection and his partnering has become very impressive. Of the six soloists (they are too prominent to be called a corps), Melissa Barak stood out for her striking presence and Abi Stafford took over Pauline Golbin's role and is one of the few dancers who could sub for Pauline and be forgiven, in my book. These two girls and the charismatic male quartet of Jon Stafford, Sean Suozzi, Andrew Veyette & Craig Hall combined in sustained passages which feature pairs of boys lifting each girl and turning her slowly; even in this abstract ballet the personalities of the individual dancers shone thru vibrantly. As the dancers return to the opening pose with backs to the audience, the curtain falls on this spell-binding piece. The audience demanded an extra call before the curtain, quite rare this season.

Peter's non-stop FEARFUL SYMMETRIES, with the dynamic John Adams score, was a lively closing piece. Maria Kowroski 's extension was showcased, and she looked great dancing with her long-time partner Charles Askegard. Jennie Somogyi skidded briefly on her first entry but Albert quickly set her right and they danced with boundless energy. In the few moments of tranquility in this score, the four lead dancers deployed sustained, sensual energy. Jon Stafford concluded his marathon night among the 8 demis, who have tricky partnering and flashing combinations to keep them busy. Seth Orza and Adrian Danchig-Waring were substitutes but seemed totally assured, and Sean Suozzi is dancing so well this season. Krohn, Lowery, Arthurs & Barak were the impressive ladies here, and Scheller stood out in the corps. Adam Hendrickson flung himself into the madly whlrling turns and leaps with dare-devil aplomb, and Allen Peiffer & Troy Schumacher kept up their part of the bargain. Antonio Carmena clearly relished all his opportunities in a dificult role. On a stage filled with amazing dancers, Carrie Lee Riggins came close to stealing the show. She swept through one volley of turns after another, interspersed with big but feather-light jumps. In a passage of calm, Riggins falls back repeatedly against Carmena who gently pushes her away. Carrie Lee's feeling of weightlessness here, and her sense of wonder as she expressed the unearthly quality of the music at that point left an indelible impression. She looked like a woman who knows a delicious secret and plans to keep it as her own. Brilliant performance by Ms. Riggins.

Andrea Quinn drew animated playing from the musicians in the Adams. She will be sorely missed  once she returns to England at the end of the season.

Post-Script about Oberon's Grove: today this blog passed its 5000th hit! That's in two months time. This is way, way beyond what I ever expected in terms of readership. Thank you all for visiting here, and feel free to let others know about this space.

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