We’re talking, of course, about the Stravinsky/Balanchine program that opened Saturday afternoon and has four more performances next week. This is why we live in New York! These are the standards that make it so darn difficult for anyone else to dance here.
Man-o-man, did this company ever charge up Symphony in Three Movements with electricity and attitude! One of Balanchine’s late-in-life miracles that shows his style at its most mature and most inventive, Symphony in Three Movements is the dancing geometry of a genius.
Tiler Peck and Taylor Stanley were ferocious as the lead couple among three lead couples. While these leotard classics definitely benefit from ballerinas with more angular physiques, Tiler put her own stamp on the role with her signature combo Maserati effortless power and Valentino glam. Megan LeCrone and Erica Pereira dancing with illustrious partners Joseph Gordon and Daniel Ulbricht came across the footlights with new force and vibrancy. Both ladies have had the potential to tear up the stage for a long time but have lacked the confidence to project with more pizzazz. This season both are dancing with new vitality and are much more interesting artists.
But this ballet is as much about the corps as it is about the principals. We missed Emily Kikta on the “statuesque” end of the line of pony-tailed ladies in white, but we noticed Christina Clark, whose limbs look like they were Calatrava-designed, standing among goddesses Isabella LaFreniere and Miriam Miller. We’ve also been noticing how Laine Habony has caught the lights’ new attention and is suddenly making us wonder what else she might be able to do. A week or so ago, it was Sara Adams who showed tremendous growth. This Interim Team led by Jon Stafford is reaching four extra arms-lengths into this prize-winning vineyard’s crop to thoroughly harvest the grapes for some fabulous new wines. Stafford’s the one for the permanent job - no question about it – unless Martins wants his job back for a while longer.
Sterling Hyltin and a debuting Russell Janzen were captivating in Duo Concertant. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a pair of dancers with the height differential of the originators, Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins. It was pretty fascinating to watch the young Janzen – not yet a contemporary-jazz bunny like some of his colleagues – focus in on the details meticulously, if at times academically. This big guy has speed that we didn’t know about. As we may have said before - we’d watch him sit on stage reading a book and be fascinated. Sterling's whistling speed, wispy lightness, and sunny demeanor have made Duo one of her best roles. While watching this today, Haglund couldn’t help but wonder whether these two dancers had been rehearsing Afternoon of a Faun for the Robbins Celebration this spring. There was a hint of it there, just a hint or perhaps a wish.
Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la Fée” was lovely in places and is nice to see occasionally. But it’s not top drawer Balanchine. In 1972 he ran his original Le Baiser ballet through the mill to separate the story “chaff” from the academic wheat: saute arabesque, pas de chat, step back, arabesque, chug-chug-chug goes the corps; staple variations for the principals. Then suddenly when the music changes and begins singing a soulful adagio story for two, it looks odd not to follow along; so, the principal dancers try to resurrect some fragments of the Fairy’s Kiss story and incorporate the idea of loss into the ballet. It’s Fairy’s Kiss Lite. But the dancing display by Joaquin De Luz and Megan Fairchild on Saturday afternoon was remarkable in its technical heft and brilliance. How De Luz keeps up this high quality of dancing as he approaches his 42nd birthday is some kind of magic or miracle. He bends his back. He lands tours squarely in fifth. He throws off manèges without even taking a deep breath. His pirouettes finish with unwavering exclamation points. He picks up his ballerina like she’s a piece of paper. We’ve been watching him for a long, long time and we keep having to ask ourselves whether his dancing today comes up even a hair short of what he did with Bronze Idol or Birbanto or Fancy Free twenty years ago. On Saturday it didn’t seem to be any less than it ever was.
And then there is that other miracle, Maria Kowroski, whose legs sliced like balletic maguro bōchō blades as she filleted her way through Agon – 25 years old again – with the heroic Adrian Danchig-Waring as her partner. No fish is too big for her to cut through these days. What a year she has had. What a source of inspiration she and De Luz must be to these young ones coming up. They are the oldest dancers in the company working as hard or harder than ones half their age and performing brilliantly while continuing to take on new repertory heft, deal with injuries, and face age. Who would be shocked if 60 Minutes came knocking at NYCB’s door with an anonymous complaint letter that accused Kowroski and De Luz of rolling back their odometers. Stranger, faker things have happened recently.
"What is age but a number?” we ask ourselves each time we see Maria and Joaquin on stage. The HH Pump Bump Award, polished diamonds from Jimmy Choo, goes to them.
Hi Haglund,
I love your review! It's particularly special because I'm seeing this program next week and am thrilled that Kowroski is dancing in Agon. I've never seen "Baiser" and am really looking forward to it. Thanks as always.
Posted by: Marta | February 26, 2018 at 10:22 AM
It's a great program, Marta. The dancers seem to understand what a privilege it is to be out there dancing these wonderful ballets, and they're giving them everything they have to give.
Posted by: Haglund | February 26, 2018 at 10:32 AM
I was so enthralled by your review, Haglund, that I bought a ticket for Tuesday night!
Posted by: angelica | February 26, 2018 at 10:56 AM
Angelica, I was there again last night. Erica Pereira is really having a breaththrough season. She was absolutely gorgeous in Le Baiser and danced with a new expressiveness in her upper body, particularly in her head and neck, and expansiveness & range in her movement. The new Erica also appeared in Symphony in Three Movements, repeating her confident and very energetic performance of Monday night. It's as if Sleeping Beauty was suddenly awoken in the dead of winter.
Posted by: Haglund | February 28, 2018 at 06:47 AM
Hi Haglund. Here's an article from Vogue describing De Luz's recovery from injury and lead role in designing a fitness and injury prevention program for fellow dancers at NYCB. Sara Mearns is also shown in gifs impressively demonstrating some of their exercises. I won't be trying them at home!
https://www.vogue.com/article/dancer-fit-workout-gifs-new-york-city-ballet-joaquin-de-luz-sara-mearns
Posted by: Shawn | February 28, 2018 at 11:15 AM
I loved Pereira on Tuesday night. I thought I was attending the performance mainly to see Maria do what only Maria can do, but I loved Erica the moment she came onstage. It's such a joy to discover a new dancer to love. Since I'd never seen the "old" Erica, I can't speak for the transformation, but I'm glad I was there to see her breakout performances.
Posted by: angelica | February 28, 2018 at 08:07 PM
This program is truly a winner. My favorite so far. I cannot wait to see it again this weekend. I cannot wait to see Sterling in Symphony in Three Movements.
Two years ago, I was intimidated by anything Stravinsky, but because of NYCB, I now look forward to every ballet Mr. B choreographed to Stravinsky's music. I'm kicking myself for waiting until this week to see Agon. What a masterpiece. I'm absolutely loving Anthony Huxley in the 1st Pd3.
Baiser was the first time I was truly impressed with Erica Pereira.
Posted by: yukionna | February 28, 2018 at 11:23 PM
According to Megan Fairchild's instagram, Joaquin will be retiring in the Fall.
Posted by: yukionna | March 02, 2018 at 11:06 AM
He really stoked it last night with Megan in Baiser. So happy I was there.
Posted by: Haglund | March 02, 2018 at 11:21 AM