The most incredible thing is that even though it's the Year of the Rabbit again -- and again, and again, seemingly everywhere we go with choreographer Justin Peck's works -- it really should be the Year of the Firebird. What a fabulous flock we have in the making! Isabella LaFreniere and Ashley Hod are both simply divine in the principal role.
Ashley Hod's debut in the title role on Tuesday evening revealed all the anticipated perfect lines and generous jumps, but what stunned us was the bending beauty of her upper body and port de bras during the Firebird's bourree solo. This was, perhaps, Hod's most significant debut to date and secured her place as a major ballerina in the company -- one who is just now entering the sweet spot of her career. Her work respectfully reflects the traditional Balanchine style from the time he led the company while just beginning to incorporate an individual style. It's as though we are watching a flashback that has been updated.
Miriam Miller was captivating in the role of the Prince's Bride. All that length and bend combined with the ever increasing expansiveness in her dancing really demanded that we watch this character in every scene she appeared.
This production of Firebird is rich in so many ways that it almost leads to sensory overload. The stirring Stravinsky music, the overpowering scenery, the nightmarishly appealing Kastchei costumes, the ravishing Firebird, and the brilliant choreography create a theatrical experience that Haglund could sit through night after night. In fact, now that we have two new Firebirds who are burning brightly, we want to see the rest of the latest class of soloists illuminate the role. Kikta, Miller, Nadon, and even the little Von Enck would all be very individual stunners as Firebirds.
As for Justin Peck's new Copland Dance Episodes which premiered last evening, let's just blurt it out: No, not ever again. First, most of the Copland music we heard last evening (Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, and Billy the Kid) wasn't just used previously for dance, it was commissioned by choreographers who had specific artistic plans for its use. The music is stirring, just as stirring as the Stravinsky works that Balanchine commissioned. Why doesn't Peck "re-work" those into his own vision? Answer: Because he knows that doing so would be bad form and would neither enrich the art nor stand up to the art for which the music was originally made.
Copland Dance Episodes included only a few moments of inventiveness. It was an interminably long, intermissionless 72 minutes. Peck applied his formulaic choreography in the same way that he has applied it in his other works. It was the same swoopy, gosh-this-is-fun-to-do-but-tiring-to-watch choreography that tried way too hard to be hip and accessible. The formula applied to the costumes as well: women in leotards dyed to look like various colored underpants and tops; the men in various colored tights and shirts. All the colors were apparently derived from the front panel curtain designed by Jeffrey Gibson seen here:
The most interesting moment of the ballet came during the Appalachian Spring music when Haglund looked away from the stage and glanced up into the darkness at the people in the side tiers: a single line of still, serious faces slightly illuminated by the stage lighting who could have been Worshipers in Martha Graham's landmark Appalachian Spring. Miss Graham's masterpiece. Miss Graham's commissioned score. Miss Graham's 1944 story of a community of 19th century American pioneers in Pennsylvania. Miss Graham who built her own company from scratch and included Asian and Black dancers long before most any other company. Miss Graham who nurtured Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp.
Back in 1958 when Miss Graham's Appalachian Spring appeared on TV, Haglund was deep into ballet's circus side and didn't appreciate the brilliance of this composition. Years later, another visit to her Appalachian Spring brought an emotion-filled appreciation of Graham's brilliance, inventiveness, style, and her extraordinary dancers. In this 1958 video, Graham performs in her mid-60s along side Matt Turney (pictured right) and Yuriko. A character similar to the stiff and serious Preacher, danced by Bertram Ross, would later show up in Paul Taylor's Speaking in Tongues but with a less than wholesome side.
The one redeeming characteristic of Peck's ballet was that it conveyed how much the dancers like to dance together as a large group and how they support each other as a little democracy. Principals danced among the corps as much as they were featured alone. Corps dancers were spotlighted throughout the ballet. Everyone was having a wonderful time on the stage. Haglund was looking at his watch.
Without a doubt, the New York City Ballet Orchestra saved the night. What a joy it was to hear them dive into Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man at the opening of the piece. But no amount of fanfare would help what was about to take place on the stage. Take us back to Firebird, the most incredible thing -- pronto.
Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a fiery stiletto for hot feet, is bestowed upon Ashley Hod for debut as the Firebird.