Tuesday February 24, 2009 - This was my one look at the recently-revived Balanchine SWAN LAKE for the Winter season. In the Spring I will see it more often when it's on programmes more to my liking.
Read about the Balanchine setting of SWAN LAKE here, and of his plan (shortly before his death) to have black swans in the traditionally 'all-white' lakeside scene. If I'm not mistaken, there were a few black swans among the corps the last time the Balanchine SWAN setting was performed, but now they are all black (except Odette, of course) and the effect is rather funereal, accenting the darker passages of the music. The costumes are beautifully executed, by the way.
Maria Kowroski was an elegant, cool Odette with passion simmering just below the surface. Her extension and line of course are fascinating and the subtle inflections of the neck and wrists suggest the swan motif without overdoing it. In a wonderful performance, Philip Neal was a noble partner and danced his solo with clean, precise technique and a gorgeously poetic climax. Above: Maria and Philip in DIAMONDS, a Paul Kolnik photo. It was gratifying to hear the enthusiastic audience response that these two dancers evoked.
Leading the Valse Bluette, Savannah Lowery danced with a nice amplitude while her sister swan Rebecca Krohn in the Pas de Neuf gave a performance that made some of the regulars think we have a very fine future Odette here. She has really stood out this season, notably in the Waltz in TCHAIKOVSKY SUITE #3.
THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER is a pretty trifle, danced tonight with great charm by Erica Pereira and Daniel Ulbricht. In Sean Lavery's touchingly poetic setting of the ROMEO & JULIET balcony scene, Yvonne Borree and Tyler Angle were nothing short of superb both in their dancing and in creating an atmosphere of romantic wonderment underlined with a very subtle touch of foreboding.
I decided to give SLAUGHTER ON TENTH AVENUE a try; I saw it once years ago at the Pillow danced by Merrill Ashley. In the Prologue before the rise of the curtain, Adam Hendrickson and Vincent Paradiso gave such appealing portrayals of the great danseur and his hired mobster that I thought I might actually enjoy the ballet. As Adam danced vibrantly back and forth in front of the footlights in a tongue-in-cheek variation, Vincent took his box seat and removed his fedora with which he covered the gun. Nice set-up for the little drama to be played out.
But then the curtain rose on the garish set and corny costumes, the orchestra struck up the dated score, the dancers began pouring their energies into the lacklustre choreography. I decided it was time to leave.
My evening was seriously compromised by an especially unfortunate series of distractions from audience members: a horrible cougher right behind me, a candy wrapper from hell, and a sustained cell-phone obbligato during the sublime Kowroski/Neal adagio. I could have made good use of Vincent's revolver.
This is my favorite line of the week, "I could have made good use of Vincent's revolver." I know that feeling! Some audience members are beyond rude.
As you know, I'm a huge "Slaughter" fan.
I can't wait to see it again tonight.
I think it's one of those ballets that you either love, or you don't. I especially love the tap-dancing sections. I recall when both Kurt and Kyle Froman danced that section years ago. They were such good tap dancers! (the bartenders no longer
have taps on their shoes in that little interlude).
Posted by: Deborah | February 25, 2009 at 08:48 AM
I am formulating an idea for a short film to be made by our imaginative video maven Kristin Sloan to be shown before each performance at NYCB in which examples of bad audience behavior are depicted. Possibly, just possibly, it will hit home with some of the the annoying, self-absorbed patrons who continually ruin performances for those of us who actually care about the ballet.
The polite announcement to turn off cellphones doesn't seem to be working any more, nor does it address other distractions which can seriously damage your evening.
Posted by: Philip | February 25, 2009 at 09:57 AM
Ooooh so you didn't see Robbie Fairchild's debut in Slaughter? I would have loved to have seen that - I bet he was great!
Posted by: Laura | February 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM
I thought that last night's program was terrific from beginning to end. Is there a better Swan Queen anywhere than Maria Kowroski? Her performance last night was divine and Philip Neal matched her degree of excellence. As for "Slaughter," I'm on Deborah's side. I have loved that ballet since I first saw it in a revival of "On Your Toes" on Broadway and I continue to love it whenever NYCB revives it. Aside from Adam Hendrickson, I have seen the supporting roles played better at NYCB in the past but I thought that Sara Mearns and Rob Fairchild made outstanding debuts last night. Sara was deliciously sexy and Rob showed that he is equally adept at tap dancing as at ballet. I wish I could also see Maria in the role of the Striptease Girl. And yes, I do remember the Froman brothers doing the tap dancing sequence in years past and I genuinely missed them last night.
Posted by: Bob | February 25, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Philip, you know that as much as I love Wendy & Maria I had "issues" with both of them in Balanchine's Swan Lake. Not so with Sara Mearns tonight - she was magnificent. Absolutely gorgeous, musical & heartbreaking. Askegard was a pefect partner. Janie Taylor was also incredible in R&J and Chase Finlay made an impressive debut. And I can't understand how anyone can resist Maria Kowroski in Slaughter, especially you!
Posted by: Susan | February 25, 2009 at 11:16 PM
I think more than anything it's the music of SLAUGHTER that turns me off.
My friend James called me right after Sara's Swan last night to tell me how wonderful she was. Hopefully she will do it in the Spring season.
Posted by: Philip | February 26, 2009 at 01:14 AM