Tuesday October 14, 2008 - Three very different ballets, all new to the New York City audience, made for an exciting night at City Center where the San Francisco Ballet continued their 75th Anniversary visit to our town. Music, choreography, lighting, costumes and most impressively the dancers themselves made this a really satisfying evening both visually and emotionally. (Above: an Erik Tomasson photo from ON A THEME OF PAGANINI, the opening work tonight). For star-gazing: Marcelo Gomes, Damian Woetzel, Daniil Simkin and - if I am not mistaken - Ana Sophia Scheller were all among the crowd.
Helgi Tomasson (above), former NYC Ballet principal dancer and now Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet, choreographed the opening ON A THEME OF PAGANINI. Wei and I still talk about the last Tomasson ballet we saw, his PRISM for the New York City Ballet's Diamond Project in 2000. I have heard that choreographers find Rachmaninov's music difficult to 'visualize' but Mr. Tomasson's vision for his new work is clear. Steeped in pure classicism, he simply had the dancers doing beautiful combinations right out of the textbook but doing them with a genuine sense of joy and assured musicality.
The curtain rises on the silhouetted dancers; Maria Kochetkova and Vanessa Zahorin then step into the light. They have quite a long duet in which their contrasted appeal - Kochetkova's airy lightness and touch of vulnerability and Zahorian's more stately brand of lyricism - meshes with beautifully flowing steps and traces of humor.
Meanwhile the corps (six boys and six girls) cross the stage in sequences which show off their technical prowess. One who caught my eye in particular was Isaac Hernandez, a newcomer to SFB; he's at the extreme left in the above Erik Tomasson photo. The people behind us also singled him out during the bows. Three demi-couples - including the leggy blonde Lily Rogers who could be a cousin to our Tess Reichlen - constantly lure the eye with spacious partnered passages.
Ms. Zahorian has a very attractive pas de trois with Pascal Molat and Joan Boada. The two men continued to show the technical command and polished style which the SFB male dancers demonstrated so clearly on their opening night. Vanessa Zahorian, both here and in the closing Elo piece, is a strong yet ultra-feminine dancer and quite a beauty to behold.
Central to PAGANINI is a floated adagio for Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan (in the Erik Tomasson photo above). Here Ms. Kochetkova's poised technique and sense of surrender are serenely diaplayed by Mr. Karapetyan's ardent, protective partnering. As the famous big theme of Rachmaninov's score sails up from the pit, Davit wafts Ms. Kochetkova in a series of effortless lifts. Later, Davit dances a solo passage of great virtuosity with generous grace. All five principals in this ballet left me craving more.
Val Caniparoli's IBSEN'S HOUSE is set to Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A-Major. Nicole Grand and Anthony Spaulding are seen above in a Chris Hardy photo. This was my second opportunity to see Caniparoli's work; the first was over a decade ago when I saw his (literally unforgettable) LAMBARENA. [If you have never heard this piece - a remarkably joyous fusing of Bach and traditional African music - go here right now and get a copy]. Nothing could have provided a more definitive contrast to the colourful Equatorial LAMBARENA than IBSEN'S HOUSE which carries us to the remote, cool beauty of the Northern latitudes.
Well, IBSEN'S HOUSE soared immediately into my top echelon of favorite ballets. It was just plain gorgeous from the moment the curtain rose. And former NYCB principal Sofiane Sylve was electrifying - so wonderful to see her again and on such glorious form. Lorena Feijoo (above/Erik Tomasson photo) was no less thrilling and the other three ballerinas and all five of the men were simply stunning. Setting, costumes, lighting, the music...all combined ideally to make this an experience to remember. It is non-stop, sensational dancing with just enough narrative references to keep it vivid without bogging it down.
I feel like I could write endlessly about this ballet, so now comes a test of self-editing. The set, first of all, manages to create both a great sense of space and an odd feeling of claustrophobia - a paradox, but there it is. A huge black velvet curtain fills the rear of the stage, drawn back at the left to revel a multi-paned window covered by a sheer drape. Through this bright sunlight enters the room, and sometimes the dancers pass by the exterior. The heaviness of the curtain seems threatening somehow, as if it could close at any moment and suffocate the women who are dancing there.
The ballet opens with a series of solos in which five ballerinas, each representing one of Ibsen's female characters, are introduced one by one. Each is gowned in a constraining high-buttoned, fitted bodice with a full skirt fluffed out by petticoats but falling only to the knee so that the line (and the pointe shoes) are liberated. Ms. Feijoo, in maroon, is a riveting dramatic presence: anxious and searching. Her dancing fascinates: so clear and with a great feeling of urgency. One is thoroughly entranced watching her - she could have danced on and on to my endless awe - but then Sofiane Sylve appears in deep blue. It's sad that she no longer dances here with our Company for, as she so clearly displayed tonight, she is a phenomenally powerful and inspired dancer, inhabiting in her own world and drawing us right into it. Simply incredible. (No photo of her yet in this role - it was her debut. I'll see if I can obtain one!). Then Dana Genshaft appears, severe in black and vivid in her detailed dancing. Showing the depths of talent at SFB's fingertips, two beauties from the corps, Courtney Elizabeth and Nicole Grand, step with complete command into leading roles in this ballet. Like their sisters before, each shows striking individuality as well as consummate technical poise in their solos. (In Erik Tomasson's photos, Ms. Elizabeth above, and Ms. Grand with Anthony Spaulding below).
There are men in the ballet as well, by turns entranced, angered and shunned by the women. Pierre-Francois Vilanoba (Erika Tomasson photo, above) was Ms. Elizabeth's partner here and he again proved an invaluable asset as a handsome dancer who dances handsomely. Tonight he was equally perfect in the diverse demands that Caniparoli - and later Jorma Elo - placed on the male dancers. This was my first encounter with Tiit Helimets, the very tall Estonian danseur who partnered Sylve tonight. He dances like a god; both poetic and fearless (he must crash to the floor more than once) he and Sofiane look ideal together - could we have them in BAYADERE, please? Anthony Spaulding - have I used the word magnificent yet? well, he is - with his expansive jump and strong presence looked superb with Ms. Grand; and both Garen Scribner (excellent, with Ms. Genshaft) and corpsman David Acre (a fine foil for Ms. Feijoo) kept the level of dancing and partnering at the boiling point.
The ballet moves from solo to duet to ensemble as the dancers enter and flee the room in pursuit or evasion. One needn't refer to the specifics of the Ibsen characters to delve into this piece. It is so visually striking and so gorgeously danced. Mr. Caniparoli's choreography keeps his ten dancers in a state of perpetual motion but unlike Twyla Tharp's over-burdened and overly long RABBIT & ROGUE, IBSEN is all of a piece and always drawing the viewer in. The Dvorak score, very well-played, enhances the dancing at every moment.
I feel like apologizing for being so long-winded; actually I could go on and on about this ballet. It's interesting how certain things just hit us so powerfully while for someone else it might be just another pretty dance. In my mind I keep seeing images of these women and their men swirling in a magically deranged state in front of that shrouding curtain with the sunlight seeping in. IBSEN'S HOUSE is a ballet I will never forget.
Jorma Elo's SLICE TO SHARP created a sensation at its 2006 New York City Ballet premiere. I'd been wanting since then to see more of Elo's work, and his DOUBLE EVIL knocked me for a loop. (Above: Erik Tomasson's photo of Elana Altman and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba). In this ballet, which is set to the music of Philip Glass and Vladimir Martinov, Elo maintains the daring and brilliance of movement that gave SLICE a five-minute ovation at its New York premiere. But where SLICE is a darkly modern dance to Baroque music, DOUBLE EVIL decks its contemporary score in jeweled tutus.
In this ballet, Jorma Elo shifts subtly between two worlds: romatically tinged passages to the music of Vladimir Martinov and edgier, off-kilter segments set against Philip Glass's trademark rhythmic vitality. The unusual effect of the tutu-clad ballerinas moving in an often jagged response to the Glass is quite intriguing.
Elo's style, demanding extraordinary technical prowess, extensive arm and hand gestures, and sheer fearlessness, speaks again - as it did in SLICE - of expanding the possibilities of the human body in motion. It is dance, dance, dance....and full of the unexpected. Much of the time the eight dancers are in ensemble but each has his or her opportunity to shine - and shine they do, seizing on the possibilities that Mr. Elo gives them and taking risks both on their own and in partnered passages. Elana Altman, Pauli Magierek, Sarah van Patten (whose face 'reads' so clearly even from afar), Vanessa Zahorian, Pascal Molat, Pierre-Francois Vilanoba, Garen Scribner and James Sofranko were thrilling and they garnered an enthusiastic reception at the end.
From DOUBLE EVIL, two more Erik Tomasson photos:
James Sofranko, above.
Garen Scribner and Sarah van Patten, above.
[All images copyright: San Francisco Ballet]
UPDATE: The images of IBSEN'S HOUSE have kept me awake all night; I'm wondering if I can arrange to see it again - though time is limited. Secretly I am wishing that NYC Ballet could import it!
James Joyce writing in 1912 of Ibsen's work:
"A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view."
It sounds like it was fun! sigh I wish they were back here in SF, I have to wait until January to see them!! Maybe earlier for the Nutcracker if I my checking account can handle it.
Posted by: jolene | October 15, 2008 at 01:37 AM
I can see why you're so attached to these dancers. You will have to break into your piggy bank and see them in NUTCRACKER because I don't see how you can wait til January.
What is SFB NUTCRACKER like, anyway?
Posted by: Philip | October 15, 2008 at 06:25 AM
This sounds wonderful! Thank you for another wonderful, thoughtful review. I can't wait to see this on Saturday -- especially "Ibsen's House" (Ibsen is one of my favorite playwrights.
Posted by: Deborah | October 15, 2008 at 07:05 AM
Deborah, I have not read any Ibsen since high-school (!) so I will value your views of this ballet in a literary context. Visually, it is extraordinary.
Posted by: Philip | October 15, 2008 at 09:17 AM
I did feel like I was at a disadvantage because I wasn't familiar with Ibsen plays - I believe one of the couples onstage actually represents a mother and son, although I horrifyingly assumed that they were a couple. But the overall mood and the subject matter is extraordinary.
The SFB Nutcracker is delightful - it underwent a renovation a few years to ago, and the result was perfection. They set it in SF, which is a lovely local touch. The only minor quibble I have is that Clara actually turns into the Sugar Plum Fairy in the second act, and in the instance that I saw it, actually switched ethnicities (from a blonde little girl to Frances Chung). It's a stretch, but lots of lovely dancing. And the best part is, SFB's Nutcracker is going to be aired on PBS this year! So be sure to check it out.
Posted by: jolene | October 15, 2008 at 11:16 AM
I wish they'd make a DVD of the IBSEN!
Posted by: Philip | October 15, 2008 at 11:50 AM
I can't wait to see this -- specifically Ibsen's House and the Elo. I'm happy to see the pointe shoes -- I don't remember that he used them in Brake The Eyes, my favorite of all of his ballets, if only they'd have been on pointe :) That one picture looks like a break-dancing flare! And Ibsen's House sounds excellent!
Posted by: tonya | October 15, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Though I rarely read or agree with reviews on ballet—despite being a 25+ year attendee to the ballet in NYC—I must say that I really enjoy reading yours because unlike most others, you never try to sound superior by over-analyzing what you saw... You seem to just enjoy the experience and let it grab hold of you... I so completely agreed with your review on the Divertimento/Golden Hour/Fusion program (saw it last night) that I just bought a ticket to the Paganini/Ibsen/Elo performance for Saturday convinced that it will blow me away... Thanks in advance!!!
Posted by: Stitches212 | October 16, 2008 at 01:48 PM
Stitches, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my blog. Thank you!
Sometimes people say I should cast a more critical eye on performances but I just love watching the dancers doing these impossible things. I know every ballet cannot be a masterpiece, and that dancers are only human despite doing super-human things most of the time.
It's best to always go looking for positive things in a performance.
Thank you again, and let me know how you like the Saturday programme.
Posted by: Philip | October 16, 2008 at 04:27 PM
What a wonderful treat to
see this Company - I was so
taken with Kochetkova - check out her website
http://www.mariakochetkova.com/ Lots of videos.
Posted by: Naomi | October 16, 2008 at 09:52 PM
Kochetkova is really such a beautiful dancer; she has a very special presence...unlike any other ballerina, really. Thank you for the link to her site, Naomi.
Posted by: Philip | October 16, 2008 at 11:17 PM
I loved all three pieces tonight but I was thrown by the extremely classical tutus in Double Evil- I was really distracted by the choreography clashing with the costumes. I would have enjoyed it more if the women were wearing something more streamlined. I'm sure this was on purpose- I just couldn't figure out what the purpose was!
Posted by: Sandi | October 18, 2008 at 01:41 AM
My impression of the tutus in DOUBLE EVIL was that this was a classical ballet that had been 'broken'. When the Martinov music is used the ballet feels vaguely romantic and quite stable and the tutus look appropriate. But when the Glass music starts things go askew, and the formality starts breaking up. I'm going to watch for these aspects when I see it again this afternoon.
Posted by: Philip | October 18, 2008 at 08:09 AM
You are quite welcome!
WOW… As predicted, I was totally blown away by the IBSEN … I am in total agreement with you that it is one ballet I will never forget… I don't think I took a breath from the moment the curtain went up… I really would love to see more from Val Caniparoli… Do I hear, "Diamond Project" anybody?!?!
I did enjoy the PAGANINI as well but wished that I had been sitting further back because there seemed to be so much going on with both the choreography and Rachmaninov's music that it was a bit overwhelming up close.
I am a huge fan of Jorma Elo and I am still reviewing DOUBLE EVIL in my head… I really loved all the elements, but like everyone else I am still trying to piece them all together… Though I love your statement above about "a classical ballet being broken"... His style is so edgy and intriguing and always makes me think, which only adds to the experience… An added, though amusing emotion for me personally (coming from the costume world) was terror!… I kept thinking, "How often do they have to replace those tutus?"
Anyway, thanks again for the positive review or I probably would have missed it… This was probably the 6th or 7th time I've seen SFB and between IBSEN'S HOUSE and WITHIN THE GOLDEN HOUR it was by far the most enjoyable.
Posted by: Stitches212 | October 19, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Stitches: It's great to read that you enjoyed it...I wonder if you were sitting near me: we were in Row K, on the aisle.
Posted by: Philip | October 20, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Not far, I was in row D in the center... Normally I love "watching them sweat" but this time I think it worked a bit against me since I wasn't familiar with those particular ballets and probably needed to see the big picture the first time.
Also, I am definitely going to check out THREE MOVEMENTS this week... I had not heard about this an being so familiar with the whole Balanchine/Farrell history it sounds really intriguing… Thanks again for the "Heads Up!"
Posted by: Stitches212 | October 20, 2008 at 12:46 PM
The play is performed in a very intimate venue...get there early for a good seat! It is simply full of insider references to the Balanchine/Farrell/LeClerc situation and on that basis is very enjoyable.
Posted by: Philip | October 20, 2008 at 06:35 PM