Robbins/Tharp at NYCB

Wednesday June 25, 2008 - As the New York City Ballet's Robbins Celebration season draws to its conclusion Rob and I saw tonight's double-bill of GOLDBERG VARIATIONS and a revival of the Robbins/Tharp collaborative creation BRAHMS/HANDEL (Paul Kolnik photo of the alternate cast). I run hot and cold about GOLDBERG; sometimes it seems like a masterpiece and sometimes it merely seems long and drawn-out. The BRAHMS/HANDEL was one of the few ballets that prompted me to scribble a note on my Playbill during the dancing. I wrote: "...busy, busy, busy..." and as the curtain fell, Rob turned to me and said: "That was exhausting!" Yes, it was exhausting to watch and I can only imagine how exhausting it was to dance. And all to little or no avail.

GOLDBERG tonight was danced to near-perfection, opening with the stately theme set forth by Kaitlyn Gilliland and Jason Fowler. In the first half, Abi Stafford and Megan Fairchild were lovely; Adam Hendrickson stood out despite almost losing his balance at one point. Andrew Veyette, Amar Ramasar and Tyler Angle all looked great. The corps girls were particular favorites of mine and I so enjoyed watching them: Faye Arthurs, Glenn Keenan, Ashley Laracey, Likolani Brown, Lauren King and Katie Bergstrom. In the second part, Rachel Rutherford and Jared Angle were simply sumptuous in their duet; Wendy Whelan was light and brilliant, Sara Mearns lush and expansive. Stephen Hanna's solo was quietly humourous and Gonzalo Garcia is so good-looking it wouldn't matter whether he danced or just stood there. Fortunately he does dance, and very impressively. I took an opportunity to watch Meagan Mann tonight - a beautiful dancer -  and Rob was rightly impressed by Devin Alberda's poise and style.

I don't really have anything positive to say about BRAHMS/HANDEL except that the dancing was fantastic, tireless and committed. It reminded me very much of Tharp's recent RABBIT & ROGUE for ABT. Non-stop combinations, wave after wave of pirouettes, turns and leaps with the dancers wafting all over the stage in solos, duets, groups. Endless coming-and-goings, one climax topping another. A very fussy entrance is devised for Sara Mearns, borne aloft. She then has to stay aloft and be passed about - pointlessly. It all seems so gimmicky: let's throw in the quirkiest partnering stunts we can think of; let's toss the girls around or have them on the floor and yank them about. Most of all, keep everyone moving. For all the time and energy that must have been consumed learning it and then performing it, the ballet rings hollow. I'm sure if the piece was twice as long the choreographers would have gone on and on churning out  clever steps with great facility. Kudos to Abi Stafford for making her complex steps align so perfectly to the music. Everyone in fact danced their butts off but it simply didn't matter.

Comments

[Deborah]

I like Goldberg but found myself
not quite gettng Brahms/Handel (saw this on Sunday). Until it was over I didn't realize that Tharp had
choreographed part of it (I'm not a Tharp fan). In other NYCB news I ordered my tickets (seeing three program) in Paris. I know it's extravagant but we're going on frequent flyer miles so it's not quite that bad. Plus it's our 20 year wedding anniversary in Sept.
The tickets are actually no more than they are here (for good seats) and less than they were in London. One thing the NYCB press release doesn't say - the website is only in French (no translation available once you go past a certain point). Thank goodness I read
and understand French fluently (but no longer speak it as fluent as I once did).
Still, it was a challenge to navigate the site. But worth it for sure.
I know it's silly but going to Saratoga (a venue I don't like) for a couple of days (seeing three ballets) and then heading to Paris to see our company, makes me
less sad about the season ending. It's a long wait between June and the end of the Nutcracker!

[Philip]

That's great that you are going to Saratoga and Paris! I hope you'll send us back reports.

[Bob]

I first saw Goldberg Variations many years ago and at the time thought it to be much too long and boring. But with the passage of time and a second viewing, I now find myself leaning much more towards the "masterpiece" camp. This is a ballet in which Robbins truly makes you "see the music." In a word, exquisite! As for Brahms/Handel, I respect your critique of it -you make some good points - but in the end, I found it to be very entertaining. It was joyous and a great deal of fun to watch! I also find it quite amazing that Robbins and Tharp (and I normally do not like her pieces) were able to pull off that successful a collaboration.

Well, I will get to Saratoga but I'm afraid I'm going to miss out on Paris.

[Deborah]

Of course I'll send back reports. I'm just glad that you'd want to read them (haha!).
See you tomorrow night!