ABT's Spring SeasonThe 2.15 Triple Bill

Classic Spectacular Rip-off:

Theme and Variations   21 minutes

Duo Concertant             17 minutes

Gaite Parisienne            36 minutes

Since when does Duo Concertant represent a third of a triple bill?  Maybe this rep program is the rich man’s econo-triple bill for people who want a short night out at the ballet but don’t mind paying through the nose for it.

Wouldn’t happen at NYCB.  Just sayin’.

 

Comments

[Fan Zhang]

who has danced Duo Concertant at ABT? The pairs at city ballet have been so amazing in that over the years, I'd hate to see it half-baked...

[Fan Zhang]

I wouldn't mind even buying a ticket just to see Duo Concertant if Sterling and Rob Fairchild are in it; who has danced it at ABT? I'd hate to see the work half-baked...

[Haglund]

Hi Fan. I totally agree with you about how fantastic NYCB's Duo Concertant pairs have been over the past few years. It has become a reason to buy a ticket as opposed to mid-evening filler. Sterling and Megan Fairchild take the allegro into another universe.

Unfortunately, ABT has already tried to dance this piece without much success due to the questionable casting. They put Herrera with Stearns, Copeland with Hammoudi, and Riccetto with Hallberg. I saw the third pairing. While I was most impressed with Maria whose allegro was fleet and vibrant, I found David to be woefully miscast. He looked awkward and gangly and the partnering was clumsy. And the costume was most unbecoming on him.

With very few exceptions (Murphy, Abrera, Lane, Cornejo, Matthews, Hamrick, Lavine, Tamm), ABT now dances Balanchine with a very heavy, plodding, ponderous manner. It hasn't always been that way, but the artistic direction is causing Balanchine's ballets to look more and more constipated all the time. It's so embarrassing to see what has happened and to see it happening right next door to NYCB's brilliant artistry.