Sunday September 18, 2010 - Miro Magloire's New Chamber Ballet is one of the gems of the New York City dance scene. In an intimate studio setting, Miro and his small ensemble of lovely dancers provide the up-close immediacy of watching classically-rooted dance with the additional attraction of live music. Above, Kokyat's photo of Alexandra Blacker and Elizabeth Brown at the dress rehearsal.
Alexandra Blacker in Miro's newest ballet, 104 FARENHEIT, which is set to his own score, quite a demanding workout for the pianist which Melody Fader took well in stride. One dense, sustained buzzy cluster of notes in the highest range was spine-tingling; earlier the music had a dream-like quality. The three dancers - Alexandra Blacker, Elizabeth Brown and Madeline Deavenport - wear Candice Thompson's elegant burgundy and black costumes.
Each dancer has a solo passage, starting with an agitato variation for Madelline Deavenport (above).
Alexandra Blacker (above), the Company's newest dancer, has a traquillo solo...
...and then Elizabeth Brown (above) dances with intense lyricism to frenzied music, finally swooning at the end. Throughout this piece Kokyat and I were quietly nodding to each other over the individual beauty and poetry of the three dancers. Miro described his new piece as being "short" and indeed one wanted to see more.
Miro has re-worked his Haydn ballet, set to the sonata #39 in D-Major, and it is now titled COMPOSITION IN DARK COLORS. Again we have a trio of women - Elizabeth Brown, Victoria North and Lauren Toole - now wearing pretty black frocks. Above: Victoria North, Lauren Toole and - at the piano - Melody Fader.
Above, Melody at the piano with dancer Elizabeth Brown in a dream-state. Originally rather light-hearted in feeling, this ballet has now become altogether darker (hence the title). It seems to be a tale of three sisters one of whom - Lauren Toole - might be drugging her siblings.
Above: Victoria North as one of the slumbering sisters. Lauren periodically awakens Victoria and Elizabeth, willing them to dance but...
...by the end, Lauren calmly walks away having conjured the demise of her sisters. The Haydn music at first seems to suggest that all is well and that the girls are just having a romp, but Lauren has complete control over the situation; she leads her sisters around and they follow meekly. Any resistance they might offer is quietly de-fused.
A revival of Miro Magloire's ADUE set Melody Fader another demanding musical task in tackling the Salvatore Sciarrino score. Exploring the highest and lowest notes on the keyboard, often struck in unison, the music sets up a duet for two dancers - Lauren Toole and Maddie Deavenport, above - now in Candice's white tunics. They enter together, moving up the diagonal with mirror-image port de bras.
Maddie's solo (above) is danced to a surprisingly melodic passage from the composer who more often tends to keep things spare.
The music reverts to Sciarrino's his more elemental style for Lauren's solo. In the final movement, the girls dance together as the music becomes misterioso...
...and the work ends with this poetic image of Lauren and Maddie. Candice Thompson's costumes were so light and airy, adding to the visual effect.
Emery LeCrone's FIVE SONGS FOR PIANO, which premiered at the Columbia Ballet Collaborative's performances earlier this year, was re-worked for New Chamber Ballet's dancers.
Victoria North (above), who also danced in the original version, is wonderfully expressive and the other dancers - Elizabeth Brown, Maddie Deavenport, Lauren Toole and Alexandra Blacker - each bring their own attractive personalities to bear on the Mendelssohn music which Emery has depicted in movement with vivid success.
Melody Fader (at the rehearsal, above) plays a flowing, wonderfully 'sung' prelude and just as it's ending the five dancers enter.
This sisterhood are observing their own private rituals, and while there is no narrative per se the underlying connections between the five dancers are woven into the music.
Each of the dancers have individual passages in which to express themselves ad the others observe; above: Alexandra Blacker's solo. There's a lively duet for Maddie Deavenport and Elizabeth Brown and another solo for Lauren Toole.
Victoria North's dramatic urgency as the group's high priestess gives this lyrical work a touch of edginess. Kokyat's photo of Victoiria at the end of the ballet, from an earlier rehearsal.
FIVE SONGS FOR PIANO is one of Emery LeCrone's most striking works to date and Kokyat and I have followed it from its early stages at Columbia to its current powerful incarnation at New Chamber Ballet.
Above: Emery LeCrone in rehearsal. Emery is now Choreographer-in-Residence for New Chamber Ballet.
A few of my favorites among Kokyat's shots from the dress rehearsal:
Maddie Deavenport makes up.
Costumier Candice Thompson with Maddie & Miro.
Melody, Maddie and Alexandra Blacker. Alexandra. the newest member of New Chamber Ballet, formerly danced with Los Angeles Ballet.
Miro surpervising the revival of ADUE, with Maddie Deavenport.
Miro, Melody, Emery with the dancers.
New Chamber Ballet's next performances are set for November 19th and 20th.
All photos in this article by Kokyat.
Beautiful photos, as always, thanks. I actually get to come to NYC in just over a week and so I FINALLY get to see NYCB live (as a lifelong balletomane it seems ridiculous to be able to say that, but I'm a Left Coaster). Where would you recommend for seating in the house? I cannot afford the more expensive seats, but I know price isn't always the key to excellent seating. Ask an expert, I always think. Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted (and it's all about Serenade for me). Thanks SO much.
Posted by: Sibyl | September 20, 2010 at 11:58 AM
Sibyl, so glad to read that you are coming to NYCB. For a full view of the stage I suggest 4th Ring Rows A or B. I like to sit on the 4th Ring Side since I like to watch the orchestra from time to time, but you do miss the view of one back corner of the stage from those Side seats.
I would suggest bringing opera glasses or binoculars.
Posted by: P | September 20, 2010 at 04:24 PM