Love worked out well for the young couple on the first night of New York City Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty, the 28-year-old beauty of a production created by Peter Martins after Petipa and which incorporates Balanchine’s Garland Dance. In a sense, this version is streamlined the way that Balanchine streamlined his Swan Lake. It is packed with high energy dancing, and it moves forward turning Perrault’s pages like an Evelyn Wood speed reader.
But is it too fast? Not really. The music never accelerates to the point where Valery Gergiev takes his score with the Mariinsky Orchestra. You want to hear fast? Take a listen to his Sleeping Beauty. And then who would care to argue with Maestro Gergiev that he’s not conducting Tschaikovsky at the right speed? The NYCB production feels rushed, in part, due to the abbreviated bows after the variations, the rushing off stage, and then – wham bam – we’re into the next dance. Pauses customary in other productions are not there. Nor are the dancers permitted to schmooze with the audience at the end of their variations the way other companies’ dancers do, including Gergiev’s. Further, the entire score which usually runs about 160 minutes is not used. Whatever non-dancey music that went unused would have slowed down the pace a little. But honestly, Haglund did not mind being able to exit the theater at 10:05 pm.
The evening’s Aurora, Sterling Hyltin, fit the role perfectly: quick, light, sharp, and warm as a stream of morning sunshine. Those pas de chat in her first variation were tucked under her as neatly and effortlessly as a marionette’s feet pulled up by strings. The series of double pirouettes with various port de bra endings that travelled upstage were nailed confidently. There were lovely musical moments such as when she rotated a low arabesque upstage achieving the most harmonious line with her limbs and a lovely tilt of the head upward. Overall, her dancing was wonderfully elegant with softly bent wrists, relaxed hands, and an overall softness in the shoulders.
In more than a half century of watching Sleeping Beauty, Haglund has seen the Rose Adagio performed perfectly perhaps twice, but not more than that. And yet, he’s seen probably 100 Rose Adagios that he enjoyed of which half he also admired. If an audience member needs to express disappointment in any performance of the Rose Adagio that does not meet his idea of perfection, then he’s really saying more about himself than the ballerina’s performance. Perfection in the Rose Adagio is a fairly uncommon occurrence. Struggling with one or more of the eight balances is what we see most frequently from everyone. Success is a range, not an all or none event.
On Wednesday evening, Sterling Hyltin was never in danger of losing her balance in the Rose Adagio and managed to find a fleeting fifth position with arms overhead each time. Her form was darned good. Overall the entire section was very pretty with no hint of boastfulness or arrogance. She was a 16-year-old trying to make a tough choice among suitors who were vying for her. Jared Angle, Ask la Cour, Andrew Scordato, and Taylor Stanley as the suitors of Europe, America, Asia and Africa played their very brief roles like they wanted us to remember them. Some of the dagger looks that Scordato threw at the other competing princes were priceless.
Russell Janzen’s debut as Prince Désiré got off to a very good start in the Hunt Scene and Vision Scene where his search for love and distress were conveyed convincingly at the foot of the stage. But his stamina fizzled out noticeably later on. His double tours were not always secure and his manège of coupé jeté en tournant began to fade halfway through.That said, Janzen was loaded with princely quality and partnered Aurora elegantly. Even the quick save of the third fish dive in the grand pas de deux looked calmly gallant. By the way, all of those fish dives were done with one arm and with beautiful form.
Teresa Reichlen, gracious and confident as the Lilac Fairy, danced with a spaciousness and grandness that conveyed her ability to protect the entire kingdom. She should be commended for keeping her straight face when Maria Kowroski’s Carabosse engaged her in the Death vs. 100 Year Sleep Debate. Aaron Sanz’s richly dramatic and acutely musical Catalabutte walked the fine line between character and caricature.
Emilie Gerrity as The Fairy of Tenderness and all of the Jewels: Anthony Huxley (Gold), Megan LeCrone (Diamond), Brittany Pollack (Emerald), and Ashley Laracey (Ruby) gave outstanding performances. Erica Pereira and Daniel Ulbricht danced the Princess Florine and Bluebird segment as well as or better than we’ve ever seen in any production anywhere.
The Corps de Ballet in the Vision Scene made Haglund’s heart sing. Those ballonnes flying across the stage were a sight to behold and were made all the more beautiful by their speed.
As Sleeping Beauties go, this is a beautiful one. Wednesday night’s dancers delivered performances with tremendous commitment and pride. And why shouldn’t they? This is one of the biggest financial and artistic successes that Peter Martins made for NYCB. The company needs to dance it. We’re glad that they do.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Sterling Hyltin for her glistening Aurora on Wednesday evening.
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