Amar Ramasar's Farewell When the entire season turns out to be a festival

Rebirth, renewal, healing, immortality, eternal fire. New York City Ballet’s Spring Season could have been called Festival of the Phoenix. Down the artists went due to injury and positive COVID tests — one at a time, sometimes four, five, six at a time — up rose artists who stepped in to propel the season forward; down more dancers went, up rose others. And so it went for six weeks. By the end of the season on Sunday, every dancer on that stage had raised his or her performance level beyond what even, I don’t know, beyond what even Mom could expect. 

 

These days astonishingly brilliant and sensitive artists are NYCB’s pocket change. Each day Artistic Director Stafford jingles the shiny coins in his pocket and muses “What shall I pull out today? Perhaps this silver dollar of the statuesque Lady Liberty with flowing hair? Or maybe I’ll flip the gold double eagle onto the stage tonight.” Deep, deep pockets of talent.

 

This was a season when Stravinsky and Robbins shared the spotlight with Balanchine. The two weeks of ballets to Stravinsky’s music served as a deep cleansing that released our primitive responses to his rhythms. In Symphony in Three Movements, Ashley Laracey was suddenly recruited to dance the lead in every performance in place of Sterling Hyltin and Tiler Peck and also had to dance her lead in Stravinsky Violin Concerto that same week. One would have expected that the taxing week would end with appearances of fatigue. Instead, Ashley’s stamina and authority visibly grew throughout the grueling week and culminated in — you guessed it — COVID. So we got gypped out of her debut as Polyhymnia in Apollo the following week. 

 

Stravinsky once said “What gives the artist real prestige is his imitators.” In the midst of the Stravinsky Festival came a new collaboration by former NYCB dancer Silas Farley and composer David K. Israel entitled Architects of Time. The musical genesis was a tune that Balanchine thought up for Stravinsky’s birthday and which Stravinsky later elaborated with harmonies. Israel used the tune as a basis for a composition that was Stravinsky-like but also tended to swerve into cinema-type music. It was very listenable. Farley’s choreography was far more sophisticated than anticipated - unlike his earlier work of classroom style combinations. The corps work showed real imagination, organization, and musicality. The solos, less so, and there was a need for more dancers on stage to augment the soloists; but we’re confident that this skill will develop and we look forward to seeing more of his classical-based work. The whole of the piece was a very pleasant experience helped in no small way by the handsome red, gold, and maroon costumes designed by Farley’s wife, Cassia. 

 

All of the corps dancers in Farley’s piece were wonderfully appealing. Our eyes were drawn to the crisp lines and emphatic dancing of tall Samuel Melnikov and petite Lauren Collett. Subsequently, we learned that the tall dancer in the back line of SAB students in Scherzo a la Russe who monopolized our attention was also a Collett — a taller one. Does it seem to anyone else that the second batch of siblings that comes out of SAB is usually taller than the first? Hopefully we’ll see both of these sisters dancing side by side in the corps very soon.

 

As a lead up to a short week of Robbins programing, Stravinsky/Robbins The Cage arrived with a brilliant arachnoid debut by Alexa Maxwell as The Novice. She shot right to the top with this one — an interpretation so developed and detailed that one could sense the sticky spider silk oozing from her glands as she prepared her victims, Chun Wai Chan and Jonathan Fahoury. Chilling was her expression after snapping Fahoury’s neck. Then a half hour later he was standing gallantly behind her in Rubies. We think we noticed a little extra snap of his own that he delivered on a few of the lifts — which was only fair.

 

The Robbins program of Piano Pieces and The Four Seasons was a pleasant combination (always love the one-intermission evenings) that along with The Cage and the Kastchei section of Firebird reminded us of Robbins’ versatility and imagination. Piano Pieces is not Dances at a Gathering at all, but a result of the evolutionary process. The pas de deux by Emilie Gerrity and Jovani Furlan was one of the most intimate, communicative performances of the season. Furlan’s hopeful search for his partner’s eyes was like something one might observe happening between a couple on a bench in Central Park. The sensitivity of that performance put Haglund squarely in the Furlan fan corner. 

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream enjoyed one of its most extraordinary seasons in recent memory. Unity Phelan was a stunning beauty as Titania — benevolent, light as air, strong as steel, as genuine a character as could be. We couldn’t stop marveling at the rotation of her legs in developpes and how her feet powered her limbs so easily from position to position. The battements to six o’clock penche supported arabesques looked like they were driven by gusts of wind. Emilie Gerrity also debuted as a very lovely Titania, slightly more reserved than Unity but nevertheless impressive.

 

Daniel Ulbricht’s Oberon combined comedic expression with skimming allegro to be the most theatrically Shakespearean of this year’s crew.  Anthony Huxley danced his Oberon with his coveted clarity and musicality. Roman Mejia’s excitement sometimes got the best of him in his unscheduled Oberon debut. His first beat combination inexplicably finished in a widely opened first position; his face held an expression of “OMG, where am I in this variation?” Roman has a charming theatrical manner and natural rapport with the audience, but he beats up every phrase and doesn’t pay attention to his lines, especially when he’s in the air. The lovely burning embers of Fall colors in The Four Seasons became his Flames of Paris with the entire city burning down. His Oberon couldn’t stop grabbing at the audience with grins and head whips. Youth is on his side. Hopefully, some of these issues will resolve themselves because NYCB doesn’t really need an Ivan Vasiliev trampling over Balanchine’s choreography. Harsh, perhaps, but we adore this dancer.

 

Harrison Ball’s Puck was a masterpiece. Oh my goodness. A little dose of Nijinsky released all the elfish mischief of this magical Puck. His dramatic extremes were perfectly calculated in every respect. Such wonderful theatrical delivery and beautiful dancing, especially the accelerating jetes. 

 

Alexa Maxwell’s Butterfly and Emily Kikta’s Hippolyta were mere hints of how important these two artists are going to be to the company’s future. Each dancer raised the bar on her role and re-set our expectations for all future performances by anyone. Within the corps, it was hard not to see the future Titania and Oberon in Christina Clark and Davide Riccardo. Both are such eye-catching dancers with scrupulous technique.

 

Andrew Veyette began the Divertissement with the luminous Sterling Hyltin gently guiding her through jumps and turns. At the conclusion of his variation, he threw off a rock solid four or five revolution pirouette in salute to the man of the hour. And so began the audience’s salute to Amar Ramasar.

 

Loved by the audience for more than two decades of which nearly 13 years were spent as a Principal Dancer, Amar was closing out his career with a bum calf which necessitated Veyette to sub for him during the first half of the Divertissement. Amar, you may recall, was in the spectacular promotion class of Tyler Angle, Tiler Peck, Teresa Reichlen, and Robert Fairchild - a class seemingly destined for drama but that’s all we’ll say about that.

 

Not always the prince but very close by, Amar was a prized partner who made each of his ballerinas look her most brilliant. Audiences especially loved him for his mastery of Balanchine’s black & white ballets. He put out so much effort and energy that he often looked spent by the end of the ballet but spent with a high wattage smile that reached every heart in the theater. His custom throughout his career has been to tap his heart as he leaves the front of the curtain after bows. Yesterday he tapped. We tapped back. He tapped. We tapped back. For about 20 minutes. He was consumed by gratitude and love for his colleagues and audience. We were consumed by gratitude and love for the artist.

 

The occasion of Amar’s retirement happily brought several people who we have missed back into the theater: Gonzalo Garcia, Joaquin De Luz, Maria Kowroski, Zachary Catazaro, and most notably Peter Martins who created the opportunities for Amar to study ballet, have a career, and to blossom into the unique and adored artist that he became. Spotting Martins standing in the side aisle, Amar made his way to the stage corner, dropped off the side of the stage and gave him a huge hug -- completing this artist's cycle from start to finish.

 

Our H.H. Pump Award, Daniela Auribe's Love Yourself stiletto, is bestowed upon Amar Ramasar for more than two decades of his beautiful artistry. What a pleasure it has been to watch.

 

 

 

Comments

[yukionna]

I had a prior commitment scheduled at the same time as Amar's farewell performance. But by some miracle it got cancelled the day before-- giving me a chance to grab a ticket way up in the fourth ring. What a great celebration of a wonderful dancer.

[Haglund]

Glad you were able to make it, Yukionna!

Yes, the house was packed and filled with love. Even Gia Kourlas showed up and was scribbling furiously during the ovation. Twenty years of unrequited attention is a lot for her to bear, I guess.

As people were parading onto the stage, several people in my area immediately recognized Zachary Catazaro. "Is that Zach?!" "It is!" "It's Zach!" People were very pleased to see him. I wish it could be worked out for him to return. And that would give Gia something new to fuss about.

[Eulalia Johnson]

Haglund, you always write meaningfully, beautifully and with gratitude. Long live your blog!

[Haglund]

Thanks much, Eulalia.

[Allie Kenney]

Perhaps the last person to go out on the stage with a big bouquet was a shortish guy in a dark suit with maybe a t shirt, black hair. He looked familiar, but couldn't come up with a name. At first I thought it was Mark Morris, but I looked at a photo of Morris & realized he was much bigger and more grey, plus he doesn't dress like that. Do you know who this guy was? I thought I also saw Alexei Ratmansky standing in the line of well wishers at the back of the stage.

Yes, I saw Catazaro walk out on stage and thought it was nice he came to honor his friend. But have to say I don't much miss him, felt that though he was good looking he was overrated as a dancer, though admittedly he hadn't much time as a principal before he left.

[Haglund]

Allie, I believe that the person who you spotted was Daniel Catanach, Amar's teacher/mentor.

I think Catazaro would be very useful at this point. The company needs another dancer who can lift the bigger ballerinas. I didn't care for the match up of Mearns with Chan and Tyler Angle is nearing the end of his career. Janzen's time is a question. That would leave a tall danseur like Walker to partner her. I think they would look ridiculous together just based on head size.

But we'll see how things go.

[Allie Kenney]

Thanks, yes, re Catazaro I can appreciate the need for a tall partner. Whatever happens, I hope Catazaro ends up someplace he's happy with.

I also liked Ramasar in the black and white ballets and can still remember the first time I saw him partner Sterling Hyltin in Symphony in Three Movements. Had been wanting to see that partnership in that work again but with all that happened over last 3 or 4 years it just never happened.

[Jeannette]

I am so happy to read that, after all that’s happened, Amar received a joyous and loving farewell! I will surely miss his artistry. Too bad that he won’t be in next week’s NYCB tour to the Kennedy Center/DC for one last hurrah.

I also find it hilarious that a certain Woke amateur blogger who screamed #MeToo for a long time did an about-face (Bachtracked?) to jump on the pro-Amar bandwagon at the last moment. Gotta love the fakes!

[Phyl]

Such a wonderfully worded tribute to Amar. You always nail it in recognizing an exceptional artist who has given so much pleasure. Thank you for NOT acknowledging the nonsense of the warriors Gia and others who would try to take away from Amar's well deserved accolades with their whining "so over" politically correct crusades. I will miss him. I am hoping to view Amar's farewell on YOUTUBE. Thank you again for all of your right on mark and teachable crtiques.
PhylFan

[Haglund]

My mistake. I read Catazaro performed with NYCB in Spoleto and didn't read that it was the little brother, not Zach.

https://www.postandcourier.com/spoleto/spoleto-review-ballet-encore-shines-with-top-new-york-city-ballet-dancers/article_d8d765c4-e1af-11ec-b36d-570d748c8ac0.html

[Marta]

Thanks for your wonderful review of the spring season, Haglund. I saw two of the Stravinsky programs and especially loved Apollo, Agon, and The Cage. I saw Furlan and Nadon for the first time, was impressed as always by Gordon, Hyltin, Huxley, Peck, and Phelan, and became a devotee of Woodward, to mention just a few favorites. I read somewhere that Zach Catazaro is now dancing in Cleveland Ballet, where dancers are not ranked but are called company Artists.