Tuesday February 1, 2011 - Two very different Balanchine masterworks bookending a programme of excellent dancing at New York City Ballet.
LA SOURCE: M. Fairchild, *Veyette, Scheller
OUTLIER: Bouder, Kowroski, T. Peck, Hyltin, Whelan, Ramasar, R. Fairchild, Alberda, De Luz, Tworzyanski, Hall (Solo violin: Nikkanen)
POLYPHONIA: Kowroski, Somogyi, Mearns, Pollack, J. Angle, Tworzyanski, Finlay, Stanley [Solo pianos: Grant, Moverman]
SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS: Taylor, Pereira, LeCrone, Marcovici, Huxley, Scordato
The charm of the Leo Delibes music sets the tone for LA SOURCE. Megan Fairchild and Andrew Veyette (above in ALLEGRO BRILLANTE, a Paul Kolnik photo) took on the principal roles (a debut for Andrew). Watch them rehearsing the SLEEPING BEAUTY pas de deux in this fascinating Kristen Sloan film.
Megan and Andrew swirled thru the classsical combinations with flair, savoring the many tempo de waltz passages in the ballet. Of particular note were Megan's lively solo to the sound of birdsong from the flutes and Andrew's cleanly defined beats and his agile covering of the space in his variations. Together they sailed thru Balanchine's many demands, propelled by the Delibes melodies.
Adding even more lustre to the performance was the superb dancing of Ana Sophia Scheller in the soloist role. Excellent throughout, Ana's beautiful manege laced with elegant jetes was a particular joy.
The corps for LA SOURCE consisted of some of the newer members of the Company and they all danced smoothly as I sought to put names to the faces; it will take me a season or two to have it sorted out.
Contemporary choreographers Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon were represented in the central portion of the programme.
McGregor's OUTLIER provides an opportunity to see several top NYCB dancers in this rather severe work, as well as the possibility of hearing the Thomas Ades score. Photo: Craig Hall & Wendy Whelan, by Paul Kolnik. An announced 'preview' of the score by conductor Andrews Sill at first seemed like something to nap thru, but instead it proved really informative and steered clear of cuteness and chattiness. Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen and the orchestra played phrases from the Ades score and the conductor spoke interestingly of the vertical as opposed to the horizontal in music: a concept I'd never really considered. It seemed to me that this mini-lecture enhanced the audience's appreciation of the ballet which was strikingly danced. Although I sometimes wished that each individual dancer had more to do here, the notion of a sort of all-star contemporary ensemble certainly gives OUTLIER an edge.
Joaquin de Luz, Ashley Bouder & Robert Fairchild in OUTLIER, photo by Paul Kolnik. Tonight's performance was the best I have experienced of this ballet, possibly because I have seen it enough times now to know what to look for. The level of dance-intensity was high, and the score is one which fascinates more and more with repeated hearings. Potent lighting gives the work an added visual jolt. Tiler Peck and Craig Hall open the work in a mysterious duet, and later there are sustained duets for Maria Kowroski and Robert Fairchild (a duet interrupted then renewed) and for Wendy Whelan and Craig Hall. Devin Alberda, dancing with Sterling Hyltin, again made a special impression and Ashley Bouder's dynamic performance is another enhancement. Amar Ramasar, Joaquin de Luz and Christian Tworzyanski all impressed. There were many moments, especially in the partnering sequences, where echoes of the Balanchine black-and-white ballets seemed to resonate, rather like a well-known language being spoken with an elusive accent.
Jennie Somogyi (Henry Leutwyler headshot), who danced in the original cast of Wheeldon's POLYPHONIA, looked great in the current revival of this ballet, dancing with Christian Tworzyanski. I've always loved Somogyi's personal energy and am glad to see her dancing more often again...and so well.
Christian and Taylor Stanley, yet another fine dancer emerging from the corps, made their duet a highlight of the piece. Taylor was paired with Brittany Pollack (speaking of rising stars) and they developed a keen sense of energy flowing back and forth in the course of their duet. Sara Mearns and Chase Finlay made a very impressive duo, and midway thru their duet Chase quietly slipped away leaving Sara to dance her solo in a state of radiant calm, subtly underlined by an eerily hushed restlessness from the keyboard.
Up to today, I'd never seen anyone but Wendy Whelan in the two key adagios of Wheeldon's POLYPHONIA. Maria Kowroski took on the role tonight and of course gave it a different look from Wendy's interpretation; both ballerinas have been having extraordinary seasons at NYCB so far this winter and I felt privileged to experience them both in this ballet. Jared Angle was Maria's steadfast partner. Both in the two duets and throughout the ensemble passages, Maria and Jared proved a compelling lure to my opera glasses.
In the concluding SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS newcomers to the cast {they debuted just last week} included Anthony Huxley and Erica Pereira, above in a Paul Kolnik photo. Anthony's performance was really exciting in its clarity, commitment and suppleness of movement, and Erica is always like a breath of fresh air when she comes onstage. Megan LeCrone and Andrew Scordato also paired up to fine effect, with Megan's dramatic edginess and Andrew's expansive dancing giving me plenty to watch. Janie Taylor and Sebastien Marcovici in the central pas de deux recalled for me some of my earliest visits to NYCB when Balanchine was still a creative force. Janie and Sebastien danced with cool allure, catching the subtle irony of the piece very well indeed. The demi-solistes and corps were on fine form.
Comments