From an audience’s perspective, it’s hard to imagine there could be any upside to Tiler Peck having to cancel a bunch of performances due to injury. Like, come on, the Koch Theater may as well be called the Tiler Peck Teepee when she’s got the stage — superfast double-puffs of black smoke belch through its upper smoke flaps signaling to all of Mannahatta Oh yeah, we’re hot in here, you know it. (By the way, does everyone know that Navajo is now available on Duolingo in beta form? Free. Yáʼátʼééh abiní.)
Alas, our Tiler must rest her tootsies for a while. Merde happens. But oh my goodness, did some of the soloists rise to rescue this first week of the spring season in which the repertory was as a whole wanting in content and wasteful of the talent on stage.
Most notably, Erica Periera debuted in the role created for Tiler in Matthew Neenan’s The Exchange. The ballet is an imitation of Jiří Kylián’s greatest hits. Nevertheless, it was one more vehicle that affirmed Erica’s immense talent. Snapping the skirt of her red dress, whipping her head, and bending her torso with new found freedom, she charged through the choreography much like the predecessor. Her light frame meant that Joseph Gordon could fling her with ease — a pleasant assignment — and Erica didn’t hesitate to launch herself with complete abandon and full confidence.
Megan LeCrone and Aaron Sanz replaced Peck and Tyler Angle in Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman PdD. The whole ballet was performed this time with the other cast members being Sara Mearns, Unity Phelan, Brittany Pollack, Devin Alberda, and Harrison Ball. H.S. is the choreographer’s earliest harbinger that pointed to the deterioration of neoclassical ballet. Touted as an example of his deconstructionism, it is a little like watching a cat twist and rip a chicken's wings and legs off. Nevertheless, Megan’s geometric limbs and acute musicality — and her ability to always snap back from the hyper-extended movements — made it all curiously enjoyable to watch. Her partner is still in the process of developing his own statement in this choreography but can’t be faulted for concentrating 110% on meeting Megan’s needs.
Indiana Woodward replaced Tiler in Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition on opening night before dancing her own scheduled performance on Thursday with the liveliness and commitment that one expects to see in this ballet. She was the exception. Haglund was at the Thursday performance and was so depressed by what he saw that he trudged home at intermission. Overall, it didn’t even look like a good rehearsal. Everyone was nervously looking at everyone else like they weren’t sure what the next steps were or what the timing should be. Lauren Lovette danced the major PdD with Adrian Danchig-Waring for the first time in New York. We assume that she felt safe, respected, grateful, secure, and whatever out there, but she was also deadly boring. Deadly boring. So many emoting faces, so little energy.
Andrew Veyette, back after a long absence, danced the role created on Amar Ramasar, who is not yet back and sorely missed at times like these. Veyette's double tours were in good form, and he had a good amount of stamina — but not a hint of an arabesque. Nor was there any sense of the wildness that Ramasar stamped on the role. Basically, the performance was an nth of what we know this role should be.
Gonzalo Garcia, Roman Mejia, Andrew Scordato, Lauren King, Claire Kretzschmar, and Sara Mearns made up the rest of the cast. The whole lot simply wasn’t gelled as a cast yet.
The highlight of the week for Haglund was the Sunday performance of Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH. Holy smokes, now here was a gelled cast that brought freshness and crisp energy to the ballet. Sterling Hyltin was so perfectly in tune with the music and choreography that it was hard to believe that the steps weren’t originally made for her. Adrian Danchig-Waring seemed to relish his light assignment of partnering her, and offered what looked to be his full-out allegro, which was good to see considering the length of time that he was out with injuries.
But what knocked our socks off was the threesome of Harrison Ball, Brittany Pollack, and Joseph Gordon. Whereas the more seasoned trio on Wednesday night (Garcia, Bouder, Huxley) emphasized all the exercise involved in the steps, this Sunday cast turned it all into a romp — a high velocity game of chase & tag from one end of the stage to the other. Ratmansky's choreography looked even brighter when its star points were connected with the long lines of Brittany Pollack. But the megastar among this galaxy of hot burners was Harrison Ball who detonated his dancing like some supernova. Explosive wouldn’t begin to describe it. Ball’s live fast and die young approach to performing has always been thrilling. We hope he has luck on his side this season and avoids injury.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, Prada’s feet in flames stiletto, is bestowed upon Harrison Ball.