It has happened.
Global warming has made a greater impact than we ever anticipated. Last night at NYCB, Winter was tepid, Spring was hot and sultry, Summer was cool, and Fall was a scorcher. However, Haglund isn’t complaining. For the most part, Jerome Robbins’ The Four Seasons was given an overall fine performance from everyone.
Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle along with a corps of four men ushered in the Spring with joyous energy and steamy heat. This was not your Kyra Nichols version of Spring. Rather, these were the impatient sprouts who couldn’t wait to introduce themselves through the earth and get busy with the season. Likewise, Tiler Peck, Joaquin DeLuz, and Antonio Carmena burned and smoldered through the Fall season — all three of them on fire with blistering technique. The Summer season (Teresa Reichlen and Robert Fairchild) and the Winter season (Erica Pereira, Devin Alberda, Christian Tworzyanski) didn’t compare favorably with the other two seasons in regard to energy and rapport although there was nothing to complain about with respect to the actual dancing.
Peter Martins’ Mirage was the middle ballet of the evening. Jennie Somogyi was in exquisite form although she seemed to have more success relating to the fabulous Santiago Calatrava set sculpture than to her partner, Jared Angle. Haglund likes this ballet for the way in which the dancers find forms that relate to the form of the sculpture and to the shadows that the sculpture creates on the stage floor. Haglund wishes that more of the ballet had been devoted to Somogyi’s solos because of her strong contemporary technique which enhances this particular choreography.
Ashley Bouder had a super debut in Square Dance — particularly the final section — and corpsman Taylor Stanley had a promising debut in the principal male role, as well. The entire corps was an exceptionally cohesive unit with all the women striving to access their inner-Bouders. Haglund continues to be amazed at the size of Bouder’s jumps and their soft, silent landings. She seemed to be having an especially “on” night which really energized the audience. Stanley’s feet and legs made a clear, strong statement, but the upper body needs additional refinement. He utilizes the clutch-the-chest-with-the-arms position when performing pirouettes which makes his turns unstable and prevents multiple revolutions. He also employs the hitchhiker thumb on unballetic hands.
Haglund bestows this burning Pump Bump Award on Tiler Peck, Joaquin DeLuz and Antonio Carmena for their fiery Fall season last night:
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