Friday June 24, 2011 - Miro Magloire and his New Chamber Ballet hold a unique place on the New York City dance scene. Performing works deeply rooted in classical ballet technique, NCB use an intimate studio setting to bring the viewer as close to dance as one can get. As a composer and musician, Miro puts an equal value on the music we experience at his performances: performed live by excellent musicians, we frequently hear works by contemporary composers that we might not otherwise get to know.
Miro's troupe of ballerinas allow us not only to enjoy their individual dance-personalities up close but also to observe the technique of dancing on pointe in a way that can't be grasped in the large venues where ABT and New York City Ballet perform.
Miro Magloire frequently re-visits his earlier works and brings them back with fresh details. Tonight's opening THE GAME was originally developed under the title TABLE. Much of the piece looks as it did in the earlier version, but a deck of cards has been added giving a focus to the subtle combat between the two seated women. Madeline Deavenport and Katie Gibson (top photo by Kokyat) each periodically skitters away from the table to dance in jaggedly expressive phrases. Violinist Erik Carlson's mastery of the Brian Ferneyhough score underlines the tension between the two players; Katie wins the game as the cards go flying across the studio space.
Miro's working on a new piece to Lucio Berio which will be shown in the Fall, In the meantime, pianist Melody Fader gave us a musical preview tonight, playing Leaf from Six Encores as a solo interlude.
Lieder by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Wagner inspired LOVE SONG SOLOS, which premiered tonight. However, there is no singing involved. Instead Miro used the songs as a map, transcribing them for maracas (!) which he skilfully played himself. Who but Miro would imagine such a musical departure? But it works. Three dancers - Katie Gibson, Alexandra Blacker and Elizabeth Brown - each have a solo. They wear mossy green tunics by costumier Candice Thompson. Devoid of a literal story line, the dances nonetheless echo the emotional aspects of the original songs: passion, serenity, agitation and longing are conjured in movement. This unusual work gives each dancer ample expressive opportunity.
Choreographer Emery LeCrone calls for sustained energy levels from three dancers - Lauren Toole, Victoria North and Maddie Deavenport - in CHAMBER DANCES. This three-movement work set to John Adams' Road Movies propels the dancers thru in-sync trio passages with relesntless pacing. A calmer central movement gives way to more bursts of movement in the finale. Each girl has a solo in which Emery builds on individual attributes to give us a personal look at each dancer while never stinting on technical demands.
A real workout for the threesome, CHAMBER DANCES signals Emery LeCrone's ongoing ascent in the choreographic sphere. Earlier in the day, I got to watch another work that Emery is developing for the Guggenheim's Work & Process series. More about that - with Matt Murphy photos - coming soon.
Alexandra Blacker is a dancer Kokyat and I have really admired in her performances with New Chamber Ballet. This past January we just happened upon Alexandra working in the studio with Emery LeCrone and Deborah Wingert on the solo VIRTUOSA for New Chamber Ballet; that's where Kokyat took the above photo. Alexandra will now be moving back to California; it's been lovely getting to watch her in several works with NCB during this past season.