Oberon's Grove: More from Martha Graham Dance Company's 90th

Above: PeiJu Chien-Pott of the Martha Graham Dance Company; Hibbard Nash Photography

Friday April 15th, 2016 - The second night of the 2016 Graham season at City Center brought repeats of Martha's NIGHT JOURNEY (with a different cast in the leading roles) and Mats Ek's dramatic/enigmatic duet AXE, plus a vibrant look at a timeless masterpiece (APPALACHIAN SPRING), and one of my favorite non-Graham works in the Company's repertoire: Andonis Foniadakis' ECHO.

Among the large crowd tonight were several alumni of the Graham Company; stepping before the curtain, Janet Eilber asked these dancers to stand. Of a sudden, anonymous people who were seated near us suddenly took on a dance-significance; moments later, some of them surely appeared on-screen as the short film 90 Years In 90 Seconds was shown.

With the Aaron Copland score played live by the Mannes Orchestra, the 1944 Graham/Noguchi setting of APPALACHIAN SPRING had a wonderful sense of vitality tonight.

Handsome and open-hearted, Lloyd Mayor has a perfect role as The Husbandman; his space-filling dance and expressive face truly brought the character to life, and the gentle strength of his protective tenderness towards his young Bride was moving to behold.

Charlotte Landreau (above, in a Jade Young portrait) is, I believe, the first blonde woman I have seen in the role of The Bride. Petite and lovely, Mlle. Landreau combined agile and finely-paced dancing with a natural charm and a most appealing streak of vulnerability: this role suits her to perfection. As a couple, the Landreau/Mayor duo made this ballet speak to us afresh...yet again.

Above: Ari Mayzick, photo by Brigid Pierce

As The Preacher, Ari Mayzick's articulation of the steps and gestures had a marvelous clarity. Possessed as he is of a subtle charisma, even Mr. Mayzick's stillness could captivate us. As the Pioneering Woman, Konstantina Xintara's presence, and the arcing poise of her dancing, were most welcome. Four lovely Graham girls - followers of The Preacher - made an excellent ensemble: Laurel Dalley Smith, Lauren Newman, Anne O'Donnell, and Anne Souder.

Above: Ben Schultz and PeiJu Chien-Pott in AXE; a Brigid Pierce photo

Mats Ek's AXE, witnessed now two nights in a row, proved even more compelling at second viewing. As the stoic woodsman, Ben Schultz was stunningly perfect - it would be hard to imagine anyone else in this role - whilst PeiJu Chein-Pott, as the anxious wife expressed both the patience and restlessness that are the hallmarks of a long-lasting marriage. The audience hailed these two dancing/actors with roars of praise.

Above: Lloyd Knight in NIGHT JOURNEY; Hibbard Nash Photography

That the Graham Company could boast two such impressive casts for NIGHT JOURNEY - on consecutive evenings - was something to marvel at. Comparisons - ever the enemy of true enjoyment - are pointless: both trios of leading dancers seemed utterly perfect. Tonight PeiJu Chien-Pott's Jocasta was a splendid counter-poise to her performance as Medea in CAVE OF THE HEART on the previous evening. Both in her movement and as a personification of Jocasta's passion and ultimate shame, Ms. Chien-Pott's performance was riveting.

Lloyd Knight's Oedipus enters Jocasta's dream of recollection with immense pride and assurance; in the end, in his fall from grace and his self-mutilation, he is reduced to a pathetic, broken creature who slithers away to meet his own fate. Mr. Knight's resplendent musculature looks lustrous under the lights, and his dancing is bold, dominant, and - in the end - filled with the despair of crushed pride.

Ben Schultz's Tiresias was all mysterious power as the blind harbinger of doom, and Xin Ying illuminated the passages of the Chorus Leader with spirited flashes of movement and poignant moments of repose.

Above: Lloyd Mayor and Lorenzo Pagano in ECHO

As clouds of mist roll across the stage - mythically lit by Clifton Taylor - a sense of timelessness draws us in to Andonis Foniadakis' lyrically dramatic ballet ECHO. Julien Tarride's lushly restive score sets the choreography on its non-stop trajectory: the dancers are swirling, rising, and falling, with swift entries, rushed partings, and elusive expressions of tenderness. All of this passes before us as in an unsettling, sexually fraught dream.

Narcissus (Lloyd Mayor) is captivated by the beauty of his own reflection (personified by Lorenzo Pagano). Although these two uniquely handsome young dancers look nothing alike, they capture the feeling of a mirror-image in their intensely intimate duets, where split-second timing is essential for the partnering to sustain its silken flow. Clad in long, diaphanous skirts, their bodies entwine, roll across the floor, break free, only to become enmeshed again second later. Gaining the upper hand is the elusive goal, and in the end it is the reflection that is Narcissus' undoing: he drowns, literally, in his own beauty.

The two captivating boys - Lloyd and Lorenzo - are simply remarkable in their seamless delivery of this long love duet of movement. Having lured Narcissus/Lloyd to his doom, Lorenzo withdraws mysteriously into the shadows as a gleam of light captures an almost satanic expression of satisfaction on his pallid features. Brilliant!

Above: Xin Ying as Echo, photo by Brigid Pierce

As the hapless Echo, besotted with Narcissus but ignored by him, Xin Ying danced with windswept urgency and boundless depths of lyricism: watching her is mesmerizing. An ensemble of distinctive dancers - Charlotte Landreau, Lauren Newman, Anne O'Donnell, Konstantina Xintara, Abdiel Jacobsen, Ari Mayzick, and Ben Schultz - join the ebb and flow of movement in this richly rewarding ballet.

To Janet Eilber, Denise Vale, and all Graham dancers - past, present, and future: thank you for making Martha's legacy live and breathe.

And here's the latest: photos from tonight's performance! Many thanks to publicist Janet Stapleton, both for arranging things and for providing photos to make my blog articles look better than ever.

Photos by Brigid Pierce: