Not unexpectedly, Benjamin Millepied has announced his retirement from dancing at New York City Ballet. The slender and elegant danseur has danced with increasing infrequency in recent seasons; I believe I may have seen what was his final performance with the Company in January 2011. Of late he has been tremendously busy both with choreographing and with his personal life but for those of us who follow NYC Ballet closely, it's as a dancer we will think of him first and foremost.
Of the many ballets in which he danced for us here, I have special memories of his brilliant performance in Pater Martins' HALLELUJAH JUNCTION, in RUBIES, SYMPHONY IN C, as Oberon in MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM; in Jerome Robbins' DANCES AT AS GATHERING and FOUR SEASONS, in Wheeldon's CAROUSEL, Angelin Preljcoj's LA STRAVAGANZA, and Mauro Bigonzetti's IN VENTO; as both Benno and Siegfried in the Peter Martins SWAN LAKE and in the haunting adagio of Ratmansky's CONCERTO DSCH with the divine Wendy Whelan.
When I was working at Tower I had the pleasure of meeting Benjamin a few times; he had a keen interest in music, fore-shadowing his choreographic success, and his French accent was charming. He once saved the day at New York City Ballet when Robert Tewsley became injured during a performance of VALSE-FANTAISIE and Benjamin, who was backstage, quickly scrambled into some tights, threw on a vest and rushed out to finish the performance, to the delight of his partner Yvonne Borree who had been improvising after Mr. Tewsley sudden departed.
In June 2010, Benjamin partnered Yvonne in her farewell performance of BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET; in the above Paul Kolnik photo, the two dancers holding the ballet's opening pose as a sustained ovation greeted the retiring ballerina. Benjamin was always the most gallant of cavaliers.
Benjamin's next choreographic work for New York City Ballet will premiere on May 10, 2012 set to a score by Nico Mulhy.