MORPHOSES & Martha Wainwright in the Studio

UPDATE: I ended up going to Central Park after all. I just couldn't resist. 

Thursday August 13, 2009 - Today I had the great good fortune and the pure pleasure of watching some of my favorite dancers working in the studio with the one-and-only Martha Wainwright (above) in preparation for the SummerStage performances by MORPHOSES which take place in Central Park on Friday and Saturday, August 14th & 15th.

Being averse to outdoor venues, seeing a rehearsal was my one chance to get a look at the work that Christopher Wheeldon and Edwaard Liang have jointly created to Ms. Wainwright's music. It's a veritable feast of music and motion and it should rock Central Park to the stars. Also on the Park playbill is the celestial FOOLS PARADISE, one of Christopher's finest creations. 

I love being in the studio watching dancers, whether they are students or seasoned professionals. After realizing - far too late - that dance was the career I should have chosen (and would have, if I'd only known it COULD be a career!) I now get dazed and amazed watching other people dance, and especially at the close range of the studio.

This afternoon I felt very nervous as I took the elevator at City Center up to the third floor studio where Christopher was running final rehearsals for the Central Park performances. Lourdes Lopez welcomed me and set a chair for me in the room where some of the greatest dancers on the planet were about to dance. You'll have to forgive me for being totally star-struck, but just look at this line-up: Maria Kowroski, Teresa Reichlen, Tiler Peck, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Gabrielle Lamb, Edward Watson of the Royal Ballet, Marcelo Gomes (yes, that Marcelo Gomes), Rory Hohenstein, Jared Angle, Gonzalo Garcia, Jason Fowler, Adrian Danchig-Waring and Edwaard Liang. It seemed for a moment that I had died and gone to heaven.

But then they got down to business. Martha Wainwright and her band commenced on a 17-minute song cycle entitled TEARS OF ST. LAWRENCE which had the flavor of a folk-rock oratorio with its range of tempi, vocal display and rich instrumental textures. To this musical tapestry Christopher has conjured up flowing patterns of movement: solos, duets and ensembles meld one into the next giving each stellar member of the cast opportunities to display their most remarkable interpretive and technical gifts.

Above: Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Gonzalo Garcia and Rory Hohenstein rehearsing with Ms. Wainwright (seated, with guitar) and her band. Photo by Erin Baiano, with her kind permission.  Click on the image for an enhanced view.

TEARS OF ST. LAWRENCE opens with an almost ritualistic unison 'chorus' led with quiet grace by Rory Hohenstein and Edward Watson. As the tempo accelerates, two succeeding trios take the stage: Beatriz Stix-Brunell dancing with Gonzalo Garcia and Rory Hohenstein, and Teresa Reichlen with Jason Fowler and Adrian Danchig-Waring. (Adrian by the way looks more and more like a principal dancer every time I see him). Rory then has a solo which displays his clarity of style. In the first of two pas de deux, Edward Watson and Tiler Peck move thru the complexities of their partnered sequences with fluency; Edward's expertise in making his partners shine is amply displayed and Tiler, who early in her career seemed destined to be a razzle-dazzle type of ballerina, showed us yet again her breathtaking development into a full-scale world-class ballerina who has perfectly polished up a very attractive adagio style and who lets her emotions radiate thru the music.

Following this, something spectacular was needed to maintain the level of the performance, and leave it to the inimitable Maria Kowroski and her wonderfully supportive partner Jason Fowler to keep things at fever-pitch with a sensuous, passionate duet in which the Kowroski extension became an expressive device and her beauty and intensity were given full range. Midway thru this duet, Jared Angle suddenly steps in and Jason steps out; Jared's ever-classic technique pulsates under the edgier style of the duet.

In a sort of epilogue, Teresa Reichlen and Gabrielle Lamb have a sisterly duet and then Jason Fowler and Marcelo Gomes appear to partner the two women. Tess, who danced with her own special radiance all afternoon, did a slow 180-degree supported developpe and then Jason lowered her to the floor holding her extended leg. I am not quite sure how they managed it, but it made quite an impression. As TEARS OF ST. LAWRENCE draws to a close, Martha Wainwright wanders slowly among the still dancers, singing softly. 

Martha Wainwright epitomizes the expressive power of the human voice. Her timbre can be rich and tangy or hauntingly vulnerable as she tapers individual notes to shimmering softness. Unlike many vocalists who sing full-tilt much of the time, Martha hasn't let her vibrato get the better of her: she controls it, lending myriad colours to the musical line. Her band are top-notch and they know just how to show their singer off like a diamond in a fine setting.

Really, I hadn't intended to write such a long article. Let me try to be briefer now:

A set of four songs followed, starting with the flowing calm of Rory Hohenstein in FAR AWAY, his slender figure so supple in movement.         

I wonder how many times I danced in Provincetown - in the good old days - to the Annie Lennox version of LOVE IS A STRANGER IN AN OPEN CAR:

Love is a stranger
In an open car
To tempt you in
And drive you far away.

And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession.

Love is a danger
Of a different kind
To take you away
And leave you far behind
And love love love
Is a dangerous drug
You have to receive it
And you still can't
Get enough of the stuff.

It's savage and it's cruel
And it shines like destruction
Comes in like the flood
And it seems like religion
It's noble and its brutal
It distorts and deranges
And it wrenches you up
And you're left like a zombie.

And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession.

It's guilt-edged
Glamorous and sleek by design
You know it's jealous by nature
False and unkind
It's hard and restrained
And it's totally cool
It touches and it teases
As you stumble in the debris

And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession.

Martha Wainwright's take on the song holds up perfectly against the Lennox version and here Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia have a grand romp: non-stop, fast-paced and witty. Tiler's brilliant clarity in flourishes of multiple pirouettes is complimented by Gonzalo's ultra-handsome face and flashing technical prowess. They are just so exhilarating to watch. The closing song showcased the lissome legginess and loveliness of Tess Reichlen with a jazzy quartet of boys: Jason, Rory, Gonzalo and Adrian.

Dancing the ballad WHITHER MUST I WANDER as a solo in the absence of his partner Wendy Whelan, Edward Watson looked beautifully forlorn. Let's hope Wendy is able to appear in the Park performances. 

I was so fascinated by the run-thru of FOOL'S PARADISE; I have written far more than I'd planned already, but PARADISE is such a jewel, both musically and in what Chris has crafted in setting it. Tiler Peck has assumed the Wendy Whelan role and while there is no replacing Wendy Whelan, I feel we can also say: there's no one like Tiler Peck. Tiler does a superb job of making the ballet her own, and she has the support of one of the greatest danseurs alive: Marcelo Gomes. I cannot begin to tell you how stunning Marcelo looks up close. And he seems to be a genuinely nice guy. Completing the cast for PARADISE are Beatriz and Gonzalo (paired), Tess, Adrian, and Rory. 

And then, as if applying an especially rich frosting to the delicious cake Chris had served up all afternoon, the magnetic Edwaard Liang danced so sumptuously with Maria K. I've always admired Edwaard for the finish he puts on his every move. Maria was Maria = sublime. I was in seventh heaven watching them and didn't want the afternoon to end.

Now I think I might have to go to one of the Park performances after all!

Another fun aspect of the afternoon was watching Christopher demonstrate. We should not forget what a fine dancer he is, in addition to his choreographic skills. 

I was left pondering this quote:

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."

My thanks to Christopher, Edwaard, Lourdes and all the dancers for a memorable afternoon.

Comments

[Deborah]

Ha! I'm in London (just saw the Mariinsky "Homage to Balanchine" as you know) and Edward Watson (whom I adore!) is in NYC. Now that's pretty funny.

As I mentioned to you earlier -- it's just so cool that you did this today. Thanks for the great post!!

[Deborah]

One other quick comment -- I just LOVE Adrian! He is, for sure, a principal dancer (even though he's a soloist at the moment).

[Susan]

Why isn't Wendy Whelan performing?

[Philip]

I believe Wendy is expected back from Colorado for the performances of the Wainwright piece in Central Park.

[Andrea]

Your description of the afternoon makes me feel like I was there, too. Thanks!

[Selena Nichols]

Since I am unable to attend the performances I am grateful for this detailed description of the collaboration of Wheeldon and Wainwright.

[Lesley]

As always, thank you, thank you Philip!

I was in New York City yesterday thinking about Morphoses rehearsing, and there, I came home to this superbly written blog, which made me feel exactly like I was in your lucky seat. Philip, I would've melted if I were you because not only the dancers are some of the best in the world, but (in my opinion) most gorgeous.

Please let your fans know if you attend one of those Central Park shows, especially since Morphoses will debut "Tears of St. Lawrence." Would you know their costumes for that piece?

[Philip]

Thanks Lesley...yes, I have decided to go to the Central Park showing on Saturday evening and was able to get a press pass via the Parks Dept. So I will be able to report on how the ballets look all dressed & lit.

[Stitches212]

Just returned from the performance and absolutely loved the entire show... Enjoy!