Above: New Chamber Ballet's Elizabeth Brown in rehearsal with Miro Magloire
Monday April 13th, 2015 - The dancers of Miro Magloire's New Chamber Ballet are preparing for their upcoming performances, continuing the celebration of their tenth anniversary season. I stopped by the Ballet Hispanico studios today to have a preview of the programme to be presented on April 17th and 18th: two new works - from Miro and Constantine Baecher - and revivals of two Magloire ballets, set to music of Paganini and Sciarrino respectively, are on the bill.
When I arrived at the studio, Melody Fader was at the piano, playing the Tristan Murail score for Miro's as-yet-untitled new ballet. Creating for his all-female Company, there have always been partnered passages in Miro's works, but with this piece he is taking things to extremes. I admired both the physicality and the courage of the two dancers - Traci Finch and Amber Neff - as they plunged with good-natured enthusiasm into the kinds of lifts and mutual contortions that are not the daily bread of most ballerinas.
Traci and Amber took a few moments to catch their breath and hydrate before plunging into the next piece: ENTANGLED, set to music of Paganini played by violinist Doori Na. Elizabeth Brown and Sarah Atkins are also in the cast of this ballet, which has one couple in toe shoes and the other in soft slippers. Here are some images from this pas de quatre:
Sarah Atkins, Traci Finch
Amber Neff, Elizabeth Brown
The ensemble
Doori, Sarah, Traci
Elizabeth and Amber
Sarah's arabesque
The ensemble
Doori then tackled the itchy, twitching Salvatore Sciarrino score for Miro's MOMENTS; in this solo, Elizabeth Brown displayed her lithe physical grace and beautiful line in choreography that demands a poised, slow lyricism which seems somewhat at odds with the music. But Miro's vision here is ideally served by both Elizabeth and Doori:
Miro and Constantine Baecher observing Elizabeth Brown
I was entranced by Elizabeth's control and commitment and realized as she finished the solo that I had overstayed my planned visit by an hour. My camera battery beeped a warning, and so I will leave Constantine's new work to be discovered at the actual performance.
Performance Information:
Friday, April 17th, 2015, 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 18th, 2015, 8:00 PM
An Evening with New Chamber Ballet
City Center Studios, 130 West 56th St, 5th floor
Works by Constantine Baecher and Miro Magloire
Tickets: HERE or by phone at (212) 868-4444.