Edwaard Liang's WUNDERLAND has premiered at Washington Ballet, the latest in a succession of successes for one of my all-time favorite dancers, choreographers and dance personalities. Above: Edwaard (before the haircut) with Wendy Whelan, photo by Arthur Elgort.
At danceviewtimes, George Jackson wrote:
"Edward Liang's new Wunderland is very well made. To match the pulsating perpetuum of string quartet music by Philip Glass, Liang has coined movement that has both a high quotient of articulation (at the limb joints) and seamless molding (in the torso and shoulders). He uses the movement for striking poses and geometric formations but also to engender emotional tension and harmony. The curtain rises on the distaff half of his 10 member cast. The 5 women are on pointe but in deep, wide plie. They look like poised insects, especially when their upper bodies are lowered forward. Initially there's a spread formation, then a cross formation. Basically, though, the cast is used as couples, but not without variations - such as a male solo that is also a trio (Jordan with Corey Landolt and Tamas Krizsa) and a pair of contrasting duos (particularly striking is the dreamy second one for Elizabeth Gaither and Jared Nelson).
In his choreography, Liang may be borrowing from and acknowledging the New York City Ballet culture in which he was trained. Are there nods to Balanchine (the pronounced articulation; the emphatic deep plie; the red of the women's sculpted bathing suits if not ruby is at least garnet), Jerome Robbins (the insect imagery of The Cage) and Christopher Wheeldon (formations such as the cross)? However, in his dramaturgy (the personal way feelings arise within the formal brackets of a dance) Liang seems closer to Canadian choreographer Peter Quanz.
Suddenly, in the second duo of Wunderland, snow begins to fall onto the stage. The ballet also ends with a snowfall. Was this necessary? I think the dancing itself suffices to change the stagescape into a land of wonder. If anything, the plastic snow was reminiscent of commercial Christmas cards. Liang's cast, though, did not detract. Onuki and Luis R. Torres, Jade Payette and Jordan, Morgann (Rose) Frederick and Landolt, Rui Huang and Krizsa, and Gaither and Nelson looked splendid."
This brief video will explain the snowfall! And watch rehearsal clips of the ballet here. Standing ovations have marked the premiere performances of WUNDERLAND.
IMMORTAL BELOVED for Novosibirsk, AGE OF INNOCENCE for the Joffrey, WHISPERS IN THE DARK for Aspen Santa Fe, FEAST OF THE GODS for Colorado Ballet, VICISSITUDE for MORPHOSES...Edwaard's list goes ever onward.
Above, San Francisco Ballet's Yuan Yuan Tan and Damian Smith in Edwaard's DISTANT CRIES, a Chris Hardy photo. Set to music of Albinoni, this was the first of Edwaard's works that I ever saw when Wendy Whelan and Peter Boal (below) danced it at the Joyce; it was later performed by the same two dancers at New York City Ballet.
What's' next? Hmmm...maybe I can persuade Edwaard to set the Prokofiev Piano Concerto #1...
UPDATE: Read Part II of this story (with photos from WUNDERLAND) here.
I'm still not over Edwaard leaving us as a dancer! He was a favorite. Hopefully he'll be dancing with "Morphoses" again this year. This new ballet looks terrific. I love the music, and the dancers themselves (I'm not familiar with any of them) look excellent!
Posted by: Deborah | May 20, 2009 at 08:07 AM
I'm hoping for some stills from the new Liang ballet.
I love the way Wendy is looking at him in that top picture.
He is such a beautiful dancer, his technique is so polished and he moves with such poetic grace.
Posted by: Philip | May 20, 2009 at 09:22 AM
I am still mourning Ed's departure from NYCB.
It has been a joy to watch him grow and develop as an artist, and a truly gracious human being.
Posted by: Genevieve | May 21, 2009 at 12:15 PM
I was actually depressed when he left NYCB the first time and devastated when he left the second time. Watching the FOUR SEASONS last night I was recalling Edwaard's incredible performance in Spring...no, not the lead (though I do think he danced that eventually) but as one of the four boys. That was when I realized he had a very special gift and began watching him intently.
Thank goodness he still performs with MORPHOSES. I'm so glad he's doing well as a choreographer but someone should also grab him as a teacher. He has a lot to impart about placement and style, in addition to his classy technique.
Posted by: Philip | May 21, 2009 at 05:55 PM