Haglund's Heel

Jacques' Place -- Be there on May 5 @ 5:00 p.m.

May 5th is the day.

That controversial "corner" of West 64th and Broadway -- controversial because some claim the "corner" doesn't exist -- will be formally co-named in honor of Jacques d'Amboise. The festivities start at 5:00 p.m. on the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center. There will be a performance by Jacques' National Dance Institute kids.

Everyone be there or be square. Dancers should put a half-second pause on self-gratifying Instagram posts to post about this ceremony and encourage everyone to come. And then post a reminder. And then another reminder. And then show up.

Gale Brewer wants you to come. Nobody turns down Gale Brewer in this town:

On Thursday, 5/5 at 5 pm, join me and the National Dance Institute (NDI) at a ceremony co-naming the corner of West 64th and Broadway in honor of Jacques d'Amboise—ballet star, choreographer, arts educator and NDI’s beloved founder. The ceremony will be on Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza and include a brief performance by NDI students.

Martha Swope captured all the great ones, didn't she? However, she definitely would have wanted to click-away on the brand new Faun who debuted tonight. More about that later, but wow...

Borrowed from the New York Public Library's Digital Collections

 

NYCB 4/21 Breakout performances

Several thrilling debuts hit the stage on Thursday night at New York City Ballet. Although this was the same program as opening night, it felt more celebratory, if not victorious. Even the audience was up to the challenge more than on Tuesday. Overheard from two elderly men who were monopolizing the water fountain during intermission: "We have to hydrate for The Goldberg Variations.” Yes, indeed, and isn’t that automatic water fountain at the orchestra level the cat’s whiskers! You just stand in front of it and it squirts into your mouth.

Ashley Hod and Miriam Miller as the Russian Girl and Dark Angel in Serenade, respectively, gave huge “We’ve arrived as new trustees” debuts in Balanchine’s seminal work, arguably, his ballet most recognized and most revered the world over. What a nice change it was to see the Russian Girl performed by a taller dancer who possesses beautiful length and an airy, effortless jump. Both will serve Ashley well when she someday rules the Waltz role. Miriam’s expansive stretch of the legs and lyrical port de bras seemed like her simple but natural response to the music. It was driving her to dance bigger than we’ve ever seen her dance before. Each dancer displayed a perfectly measured emotional response to the music with no artifice or exaggeration.

 

Taylor Stanley’s scrupulous lines and attentiveness were much appreciated in his debut as the cavalier to Sara Mearns’ Waltz Girl. But that aside, there is just something about this performer that draws the eyes to him whenever he is on stage. 

 

A word about the Corps de Ballet — they were lovely as always but need an infusion of taller dancers to replace those who have been promoted. We worry a bit about how the tall end of the line of ladies in white is going to look in Symphony in Three Movements without Miller, LaFreniere, Kikta, Nadon, and Hod. Hopefully there are some new trees growing in SAB who we’ll see soon.

 

It’s easy to understand and appreciate how certain featured corps roles are handed out based on seniority. However, when dancers lose the requisite level of fitness, for whatever reason, they shouldn’t be spotlighted until they recover. There is no such thing as “pleasingly" plump in the NYCB corps de ballet. No amount of hyperextending the elbows or sly side grins can mask when a dancer needs to take steps to regain fitness. Similarly, when principal dancers can no longer meet the allegro requirements of any role or can’t locate their fifth positions, it’s time to find another role to dance. NYCB should not ask the audience to pay money to see Balanchine’s great works danced in a submarginal manner. 

 

A partial cast change helped sustain The Goldberg Variations on Thursday night. Indiana Woodward with Chun Wai Chan, Isabella LaFreniere with Adrian Danchig-Waring, and Sterling Hyltin with Amar Ramasar anchored Part II with a fresh, individual approach. Amar is dancing as well as ever. It’s going to be tough to say farewell next month.

 

One of the biggest differences in the company since the change in directorship has been how superbly prepared debuting dancers have been. Those signs of learning a principal role over lunch to perform it that night seem to have disappeared. New soloists and principals are being developed with great care and attention to detail. They are technically ready for their new roles and possess the self-confidence to imprint them with their individuality. 

 

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, Tom Ford’s locked-up & holding the key blue stiletto, is bestowed upon Ashley Hod and Miriam Miller for their stunningly successful debuts in Serenade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NYC Ballet Spring Season blooms

New York City Ballet’s spring season couldn’t come soon enough. The ruby jewels of Damrosch Park are in pre-burst — a few seem more ready than others to get their show going. We just have to be patient; the whole place will be in glorious bloom in a few days - outside and in.

 

On this first night Artistic Director Jon Stafford delivered a pre-curtain tribute to Dr. William Hamilton, the company’s longtime orthopedist who passed away recently. His innovative care for dancers saved and prolonged many careers the world over and blazed the trail for all of dance medicine. Dr. Hamilton’s wife Linda, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet, attended the performance.

 

Stafford noted that also attending the evening's performance were Alexei Ratmansky, Max Beloserkovsky, and Irina Dvorovenko, all formerly of Ukraine. The New York City Ballet Orchestra dedicated to the people of Ukraine a performance of Myroslav Skoryk’s Melody for String Orchestra, a beautiful three and a half minute string composition that is folk-inspired and cinematic.

 

The program of Balanchine’s Serenade and Robbins’ The Goldberg Variations didn’t build to the high-energy finish that we would have preferred but it was lovely nevertheless. 

 

As the Waltz Girl in Serenade, Sterling Hyltin combined serenity with soaring joy. We enjoyed how she pulled the phrases nearly past the point of no return only to snap the momentum to always catch up to the music. We enjoyed it the first and perhaps the second time, but when it re-appeared over and over again, it began to seem planned rather than spontaneous. Adrian Danchig-Waring’s partnering was gallant and gracious.

 

Megan LeCrone’s Dark Angel danced with enormous sweep and bravely held on for dear life to her arabesque as Preston Chamblee tried to rotate her around twice. Preston easily managed the other taxing partnering, rapid catches, and lifts.

 

Erica Pereira flew through the Russian Girl variations effortlessly. The only thing she needs is a little bit of extra stage light thrown on her to help the audience appreciate her beautiful dancing.  

 

The Serenade Corps de Ballet, as always, carried this ballet although we missed seeing the majesty of some of our favorite sequoias on the stage: Kikta, LaFreniere, Hod, Durham. Mira Nadon and Christina Clark were the beautiful pillars at this performance. We imagine that Ratmansky caught glimpse of Christina Clark standing downstage and thought to himself how he might use all of that Zakharova stuff she has going for her — maybe in the Kowroski/Zakharova role in Russian Seasons or perhaps in the adagio section of Concerto DSCH. Attach her to Samuel Melnikov and just let them dance for us like we know they can. When Serenade comes to the stage, we always look for Mimi Staker and Alexa Maxwell as well. Their eloquence and grace always look so effortless.

 

Robbins' The Goldberg Variations, set to Bach's theme and variations from 1742, is long. Nearly an hour and a half. It has thematic structure. It has musicality. It has invention. And re-invention - the two men seated on the floor stretching their limbs and feet as a reminder of the upcoming Afternoon of a Faun. It uses a lot of dancers. It challenges the dancers. But to what end? That was hard to answer at the end of the night. The pure pleasure of the piece was Susan Walters' piano virtuosity.

 

Emilie Gerrity and Ashley Laracey with their endless lines and flawless form held this ballet afloat from start to finish. One might have thought that the choreographer made this whole ballet to highlight their musicality and seamless execution of ballet phraseology. Emilie needed almost no preparation to launch herself into jetes like a deer. Ashley’s sweeping movements with lingering phrasing caught the moment like willow branches catching the breeze. 

 

Daniel Applebaum, Jovani Furlan, Aaron Sanz, and Sebastian Villarini-Velez were high-spirited in the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink choreography. 

 

Tiler Peck and Joseph Gordon came out hungry in Part II of the ballet. Both were season-ready with striking allegro and pinpoint perfect pirouettes. Unity Phelan and Taylor Stanley were mesmerizing in their pas de deux. Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle completed the principal cast: she - dancing with a lovely sense of restraint; he - struggling with the batterie and finding fifth position but enjoying the challenge nonetheless.

 

Of course it didn’t go unnoticed that there was something going on in this ballet having to do with the relationship between the structure and formalities of classical ballet and those of the contemporary ballet movement as it was in the early 1970s. But it took a long time to make its point. 

 

Our first H.H. Pump Bump Award of the Spring Season, a metallic and jeweled phoenix-winged stiletto, is bestowed upon Emilie Gerrity and Ashley Laracey for their engaging performances in The Goldberg Variations.