Wednesday evening’s New York City Ballet program featured three ballets from Balanchine’s Black & White anthology in reverse chronological order. For some reason, the Playbill didn't make note of or explain the concept of the B&W ballets which would have been helpful to those in the audience who didn't understand why there were no costumes or scenery.
Episodes, the 1959 ultra neoclassical ballet to the orchestral works of Anton von Webern, opened the evening of a week of performances dedicated to the memory of Violette Verdy. Balanchine choreographed the opening Symphony section of Episodes for Violette’s articulate feet and alluring perfume. Unfortunately, not much of that was included in last night’s performance. Abi Stafford and Zachary Catazaro were a mismatch in every way. Their performance was mostly efficient, except for a muffed descent from a lift, but it seemed under-rehearsed and as though there had been no time to plan out the quality of the steps. While watching this section, our eyes continually went to Gretchen Smith in the corps who might have been a much more interesting choice for the lead. This is just the type of role in which she would excel.
Savannah Lowery & Jared Angle, Ashly Isaacs & Taylor Stanley, and Sara Mearns & Adrian Danchig-Waring completed the principal cast of this overly-long balletic experiment that on this night tested little and proved nothing.
In the 1957 masterpiece Agon, Teresa Reichlen & Adrian Danchig-Waring were daring and exact in the Pas de Deux. Rebecca Krohn was riveting in the Bransle Gay and smoldering in the Bransle Double. Robert Fairchild, in his debut, delivered a Sarabande that conquered the difficult musicality while enriching it with personality. We’re going to cut him some slack for bunchy thigh muscles and occasionally sickled feet, because he hasn’t yet reported back to full-time duty at NYCB. His phenomenal Broadway stint in An American in Paris concludes in a couple of weeks which will give him plenty of time to regain his form for the NYCB spring season.
Lauren King, Ashley Laracey, Devin Alberda, and Daniel Applebaum added polish to this principal cast.
The last ballet on the program and the oldest was The Four Temperaments, the 1946 masterpiece to Hindemith’s commissioned score. Its highlight came in the bold reading of the Melancholic variation by Anthony Huxley. He was despondent, pensive, anxious – conveying all through deep backbends and weighted steps that suggested the heaviness of his mood.
The Sanguinic variation by Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle was marked by a high degree of chipper-ness and an even higher degree of technical blast and wizardry. Tyler seemed inspired by Tiler to raise his level of allegro to a brilliance that we haven’t seen yet this season.
Ask la Cour’s Phlegmatic was cool and calm, but one could sense optimism bubbling just below the surface - an undeniable trait among the company's dancers on what is a very happy stage these days. Savannah Lowery’s Choleric was less sharp in temperament and technique than we’ve seen in other recent Cholerics; her anger was more bold attitude than crossness.
The three variations of the opening Theme were danced by Megan Johnson & Andrew Scordato, Brittany Pollack & Aaron Sanz, and Emilie Gerrity & Cameron Dieck. Megan has one of the most pristine arabesque lines in the company, beautifully-placed extensions, and an uncommon serenity. It has taken a while for her to mature, but she is now an eye-catcher in the corps. Aaron Sanz, a third-year corpsman making his debut in the Theme, has also been featured in the corps during much of the season. He’s still very young but with solid technique and partnering skills to go with his Clark Kent-like jawline and Superman good looks. There seems to be no end to the line of beautiful, talented people who show up at SAB’s door and make their ways into this company.
The HH Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Anthony Huxley for his dynamic Melancholic variation in The Four Temperaments. Everything he dances these days seems to be gold leafed.
Thanks for this wonderful review, Haglund. Your descriptions are so vivid that I can almost picture the dancing in my mind's eye. I realize that's not the same as being there, but you make it all come alive!
Posted by: Angelica | February 25, 2016 at 06:34 PM
Thanks, Angelica. I'm seeing the same program tomorrow night with cast changes. It's been a very good winter season and I can't wait for spring.
Posted by: Haglund | February 25, 2016 at 07:35 PM
I hope you will compare and contrast the two programs with different casts. Isn't it exciting that every dancer is unique?
Posted by: Angelica | February 25, 2016 at 09:58 PM