Friday June 8, 2006 - The world premiere of the new Christopher Wheeldon ballet, THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE at the New York City Ballet, was the centerpiece of the evening. The Paul Kolnik photo of Chris rehearsing Wendy for the ballet is from the current NYCB Playbill.
The Peter Martins JEU DE CARTES which opened the programme was entertaining and colorful though it is not really a memorable ballet. Sterling Hyltin danced superbly, her long legs set off in the red tights & toe shoes of the Queen of Hearts - quirky, angled turns and long balances. Her three suitors, Jared Angle, Benjamin Millepied and Andrew Veyette, have their share of tricky combinations. Ben was dancing particularly well. The corps, portraying a deck of cards, looked lively.
NIGHTINGALE, based on a simple tale by Oscar Wilde, took on a tragic dimension thanks to the magnificent Wendy Whelan. She is the nightingale of the title. When a young student (Tyler Angle) cannot find a red rose to please his shallow girlfriend (Sara Mearns), the nightingale is moved by the desperation of the boy's romantic plight. Finding that the only red rose bush in the garden is dried out and unable to blossom, the nightingale rests her breast against the thorns and allows her lifeblood to rejuvenate the branches. As her song and her life drain away during the moonlit night, a single red rose blooms. But the girl finds the rose not to her liking; she tosses it away and leaves. The student shrugs: there will be other girls and other roses. He walks off, stepping over the crumpled body of the nightingale.
Bright Sheng's colorful, dense score matches the underlying darkness of the story. The ballet opens with a touching and expressive solo for Wendy, dancing to the taped sound of singing birds. She is not the bejeweled icon of other balletic birds (Odette, the Firebird) but a drab, brown little creature. The solo is perfect Wendy, her contrasting strength and delicacy illuminated by Wheeldon's steps (bits of flex-foot worked into her pointey walk) and gestures (wings and beak etched by the Whelan hands); as the solo ends she literally flies off, leaping towards the wings where she is caught in an upward trajectory by unseen boys. She reappears in the moonlit garden where the story unfolds.
Christopher uses a corps of 16 boys to depict the rose bush; in muddy costumes and smudged faces they are the dead branches which cannot support life. As Wendy is manipulated into signature Whelan poses of seemingly impossible stretch and flexibility, her blood seeps into the plant. Sleeves and pant legs are subtly rolled up: the boys wear crimson body tights underneath. The illusion of the creation of the rose is completed as long red scarves are drawn out like unfolding petals. But as the girl rejects the rose and the boy realizes his folly, the corps boys move away leaving the body of the gallant little nightingale centerstage. The sight of the broken and discarded Whelan filled me with sadness.
Wei and I both loved the ballet and the audience reacted with loud cheers; there were numerous bows but the one thing I think we all wanted - to see Wendy alone before the curtain - was not granted. The Sara Mearns role could be amplified; Tyler Angle was really fantastic - perfect - another step forward for this charismatic and popular dancer. The boys who made the rose, including several soloists, deserve an extra bravo for their work. The only debit was the clear audibility of the stage manager during the quiet birdsong of the opening solo; Tonya noted this as well from her side - a serious distraction which I have experienced at NYCB before.
DAVIDSBUNDLERTANZE did not seem like an ideal choice to end this programme: maybe something bigger and brighter as a contrast to the Wheeldon. Nevertheless, the Schumann score was played with characteristic beauty by Cameron Grant and danced to perfection by Kyra Nichols, Charles Askegard, Maria Kowroski, Philip Neal, Jenifer Ringer, Nikolaj Hubbe, Jennie Somogyi and Nilas Martins. Charles Askegard was very moving in his leave-taking at the end; Kyra radiant in her lyricism and final despair. Maria Kowroski was truly resplendent and reminded me uncannily of Suzanne Farrell. Jeni & Jennie were to die for - nicely contrasted and their dancing a dream - and the men were ardent and sincere.
In the course of the evening I had the pleasure of meeting some of my blog readers and of spotting two of my favorite beauties - Kristin Sloan and Pauline Golbin - in the audience. I look forward to seeing the Wheeldon again, immediately.
Gwyneth Muller provides a sweet backstage story after the Wheeldon premiere at The Winger.
Comments