By definition, a gala is a fancy social occasion with entertainment. At ABT’s Fall Gala on Tuesday evening, the gala attendees schmoozed and boozed in their trendy, ostentatious outfits and jewelry. The dancers, currently fighting for a contract that will provide a living wage and benefits, glided about in borrowed designer gowns. But the hit of the evening was the sustainable fashion from the 1960s and '70s smartly styled on stage during the entertainment section of the evening.
Excerpts presented from Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading (1975) and Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto (1966) were timeless classics, not vintage 20th Century thrift wear. Both revealed the caring musicality and efficiency of movement that their choreographers were known for — perhaps lack of excess would be a better term than efficiency.
Skylar Brandt and Joo Won Ahn made the case that The Leaves Are Fading has not lost its appeal or color — but it does require careful casting. During the McKenzie decades, the ballet became deathly subdued compared to when Gelsey Kirkland danced it. Skylar brought back the Kirkland level of energy in this debut, and Joo Won Ahn was charismatic in his own spacious solos. A couple of awkward partnering moments did not spoil the magic or the freshness of the dancers’ interpretation. Hopefully, we will see this again soon.
Hee Seo and Cory Stearns were mesmerizing in the central pdd from Concerto danced to the Shostakovich Concerto for Piano, No. 2, Op. 102, Mvt 2 which was beautifully played by Jacek Mysinski. Seo’s sensuous lines and languid style enhanced the beauty of both the choreography and the music. Stearns’ seemingly effortless but attentive partnering was exactly what was called for. He functioned as a barre for Seo’s warm-up port de bras. The simplicity and clarity inherent in MacMillan’s treatment of the adagio are alluring but also evoke a spiritual reaction to the simple beauty of the exercises when laid within the strains of Shostakovich’s less complicated than usual music. The same concerto was used by Alexei Ratmansky in Concerto DSCH for New York City Ballet, but MacMillan - by utilizing restraint - revealed more of the humanity and emotion in the adagio music. Again the casting was key here; the choreography would not withstand hillbilly flash or a ballerina who does not own exquisitely shaped legs and feet and maximum, perfectly placed extensions along with extreme sensitivity to music.
The ballerina casting for the rest of the evening was darned near perfect. The company’s two primas, Devon Teuscher and Christine Shevchenko, got the big Petipa PdD assignments from Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. The Juliet in the Romeo and Juliet PdD went to the feral Cassandra Trenary. The up and coming Catherine Hurlin who seems to be working in earnest on acquiring more virtuoso qualities was given the Don Quixote PdD and Coda. The tasteless excess and random phrases in Danzon No. 2 by James Whiteside were danced by Isabella Boylston. Gillian Murphy danced the final couple of minutes of Etudes.
Devon and Thomas Forster wore the Aurora and Désiré costumes from the never-will-be-missed production by Kirkland and McKenzie, BUT they looked nice — really, they looked nice. Unfortunately, the PdD at times looked like a first run-through. Neither of these dancers normally has trouble with fish dives at a danceable speed, but the tempo was so slow that the preceding pirouettes and the dives were DOA. There is nothing pretty about lethargic, sloth-like, constipated fish dives preceded by slow, tentative pirouettes. In this PdD, each dive must be more spectacular than the previous one. Other than that, the pair was quite handsome and capable throughout the dance. Forster is supremely suited for Désiré regardless of the production. Just his manége of coupé jeté en tournant should vault him to first cast when the ballet returns either in full form or as a suite of dances. Devon has everything needed to be a spectacular Aurora. Can’t wait to see it.
Christine was not deterred by her woodenly capable Siegfried James Whiteside from delivering a heart-filled, beautifully formed Odette in the White Swan PdD. All the basic mechanics were in place; she just needed to bring out her own interpretation more than she did. If we could mix generations, she would be wonderful opposite Max Beloserkovsky. More realistically, Andrii Ishchuk would be Haglund’s choice for her Siegfried.
Cassandra with Calvin Royal III in the Romeo and Juliet balcony PdD were not the best match — but maybe that’s the whole point. Romeo and Juliet were never meant to be together despite their mutual attraction. If we could mix generations, Cassandra would be wonderful opposite Robert LaFosse. More realistically, Cameron McCune or Jake Roxander would be Haglund’s choices for her Romeo. They definitely would have no trouble lifting Juliet overhead as was the case on this evening. The PdD was enjoyable mostly in the individual variations. Cassandra has lovely flexibility and an appetite for abandon. Calvin’s lines and turns were impressive, and he was able to meet the challenges presented by the tempi.
Catherine Hurlin and Daniel Camargo trotted out the gala piece from Don Quixote and delivered all the basics. It’s less exciting on an empty stage, but both dancers were in fine form. Catherine is basically certified in every trick, but has not yet developed her individual virtuoso moments. Why aren’t we seeing her rip more pirouettes or take more risks in her variations? That said, the en dedans turns with the leg in second position which fouette’d into penche arabesques were about the strongest most authoritative we’ve ever seen. Camargo also seemed to be playing it a little safe at the gala.
The corps de ballet in the Etudes finale did a super job — like they’d been storing up energy all day for those diagonal runs. Super barrel turns from the men! Gillian, Joo Won Ahn, and Herman Cornejo ran the last few minutes of the finale smoothly. The company is just bringing this ballet up to speed. What a waste it would be not to capitalize on their energy and determination by mothballing Etudes again. It would be great to see it on a regular basis with new casts that included ambitious talented corps dancers—although there would be a revolt if we weren’t promised Devon Teuscher and Jake Roxander during each run.
The evening’s Pièce d’Occasion included all levels from the JKO school plus the studio company and apprentices. There were lots of kids on stage doing lots of random stuff in an effort to either: 1) be cute if they were little, or 2) be admired for their academic tricks if they were older. At one point, the apprentice and studio company dancers were costumed in the Mizrahi flat tutus and Crayola colored unitards from Mark Morris’ GONG (don’t we really miss that one - huh?).
As a gala, it was certainly an improvement over recent years past. What a joy it was to see the Tudor and MacMillan masterpieces brought back to life. Haglund’s not sure that he ever envisioned this day coming, but the H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Louboutin burning sunset orange stiletto, is bestowed upon Hee Seo and Cory Stearns for their gorgeous PdD from Concerto. Here’s hoping that the full ballet is waiting around the corner.
It would be great if I don't have to fly to UK or Sarasota to see more Ashton.
Regarding Etude, we probably have another yr until the license expires. I selfishly wish Elisabeth Beyer as the female lead but doubt the management will take such a risk. Messeldine sounds like a more reasonable 2nd cast along with Teuscher. It's good to see Seo being casted in the roles that she can shine in. Many people have noted her & Foster's performance as the highlight of the evening.
Posted by: Tulle | October 27, 2023 at 05:51 PM
Tulle, I'm waiting anxiously for Elisabeth Beyer to get something meaningful -- and I'm not talking about Flower Girl or Moyna. We'll have to wait and see if Jaffe is willing to spring any women forward in the way that she pushed Jake Roxander. Beyer and Roxander are basically in the same cohort, and I would say she has the goods as much as he does, if not more so.
Posted by: Haglund | October 27, 2023 at 10:34 PM
I look forward to seeing Beyer more, now that you point her out. As a Brandt admirer and now fan of Roxander's talent, and with Herman in the twilight of his remarkable career, I hope that Brandt and Roxander are paired up more (PC 1 was really good). They match in height. She will help him develop as a partner (he needs work with that) and Skylar Brandt is for me the most technically proficient and athletic ballerina, with the quickest feet, of all the ABT principals. The contrast between Skylar and the other principals in Ballet Imperial last Wed. (when I attended) was night and day. Pairings like Camargo with Christine Shev., Skylar with Herman or Roxander, Hurlin with Bell... these are really solid for the future... do you agree Haglund? I really liked the Dream, with Cassandra, Camargo and Roxander. Perhaps since Cassie matched ok with Carmargo, do you think Camargo can be partnered with with Skylar and Cassie more regularly, though being different heights.. what do you think about height differences in ABT generally in casting?
Posted by: Jon Michael | October 28, 2023 at 03:28 PM
Jon Michael, I think the match-ups that ABT has produced this season have been fine in terms of height. I really enjoyed seeing the Teuscher/Forster pairing. Camargo is versatile enough that he could probably be paired with any ballerina and make it work for both of them.
Posted by: Haglund | October 28, 2023 at 05:32 PM
In total agreement concerning E Beyer. I think she’s the most talented of the upcoming ladies of the corps. Just hoping she won’t get stuck in the corps and gets fed up and leave.
Posted by: Jose | October 28, 2023 at 08:06 PM
Jose, I have the same fear. I've been watching her at YAGP since she was 9 years old; she's been dancing at a principal level since she was 14. Why she was stuck in the Studio Company until she was past 20 is a complete mystery. She should be on the same trajectory as Aran Bell was.
Posted by: Haglund | October 28, 2023 at 08:37 PM
This is a revelation to me! I assumed that Elizabeth Beyer was still a teenager. I'm like, this girl is 18, tops.
Posted by: Bee | October 30, 2023 at 11:05 AM
I always learn from Haglund and the people who comment here. Beyer’s name was new to me so I spent some time watching her on YouTube. I stopped counting the number of times I exclaimed, “Mama mia!” Then I started to wonder why casting at ABT is so often confounding…
Posted by: Eulalia Johnson | October 30, 2023 at 02:51 PM
Eulalia: what was confounding about casting this fall? I thought overall casting this fall was excellent. A number of exciting young non-principal dancers were given key roles that otherwise would have gone to principal dancers. Are you saying that some of these dancers (including principals) should not have been cast in key roles so Ms. Beyer could have gotten a spot? With only four performances of each program, there was only room for two casts for each ballet; even so, some ballets had three partial casts. Which performances had casting that confounded you?
Posted by: Solor | October 30, 2023 at 10:45 PM
IMO, it was a mistake to cast Murphy and Cornejo in Etudes. And while Murphy's Titania wasn't all that bad, it was not at the level of prior years. Even the time before last when she danced the role, there was a noticeable decline. If the artists can add something new to a role to replace declining technique, that's fine for a while; but that was not the case this fall.
Elisabeth Beyer, IMO, has been held back because ABT doesn't think it needs to use her at the moment, whether she could out-perform other principals and soloists or not. In other words, the company is not putting its best feet forward all the time.
Posted by: Haglund | October 31, 2023 at 06:42 AM
Hi, Solar. I wasn’t necessarily referring to the casting of the fall season just ended though I agree with Haglund that not every star was at his or her best despite maintaining wonderful attributes. I was thinking more of Stella Abrera who I wish had been given more prima ballerina opportunities sooner than they were offered her, as I found her to be a very special, radiant presence. It also seems that Jonathan Klein is underused but I suppose with such short seasons nowadays underuse is the name of the game. In this regard, Sarah Lane also comes to mind. With the Metropolitan Opera struggling to fill houses, I wonder why an arrangement similar to Covent Garden’s can’t be used in that both the opera and ballet alternate performances throughout the year. With more opportunities to dance, more dancers would get a crack at showing us what they’re about and developing from the ordeal of performance.
Posted by: Eulalia Johnson | October 31, 2023 at 08:14 AM
Solor, the casting has been a mess for years now.
Posted by: pennsylvania | October 31, 2023 at 01:18 PM
The Metropolitan Opera controls the house and has no interest in giving away anything to ABT; in fact, despite ABT's long committed history to renting the venue in the late spring (45+ years), the Met chose to alter its own schedule, swapping some low-attended February weeks for better weeks in late spring, which obviously disadvantaged ABT by forcing it to cut its number of weeks. ABT has no claim on the venue, unfortunately. And the Met will not spend one cent to help ABT unless it helps the opera. Regarding casting: I won't get into subjective opinions about specific dancers who may not have gotten sufficient stage time over the years - everyone is free to disagree about their talents, including those who make the artistic decisions. However, it would be unrealistic to expect ABT to deny Murphy and Cornejo, their senior principals, opportunities to dance. I don't disagree that their performances reflect their ... seniority, but it's a grey area. There is a line between their stage performance and the company's obligation to them, and it's not a solid line. Audiences still want to see them. If that's the worst of this fall's casting decisions, I can live with that.
Posted by: Solor | October 31, 2023 at 04:01 PM
I don't see any problem whatsoever in not casting a principal dancer in a role when there are other lower ranked dancers who would be better able to perform it. If the season doesn't have any roles in which the principal would excel, they shouldn't be included on the roster for that season. Some dancers through luck, hard work, and careful rep choices can extend brilliant careers. Both Murphy and Cornejo have been cherished for their technical abilities, not their theatrical abilities. Once those technical abilities start to go, there's very little to fall back on.
Posted by: Haglund | October 31, 2023 at 04:33 PM
Solor, thank you for the sobering information about the Met’s relationship (or lack of) with ABT. I see that my idea of the Met and ABT sharing the house during the year is a pipe dream for a pipe I must refrain from smoking! I am old and remember the days when the Met and the New York City Opera (RIP) had their own ballet troupes and foreign companies regularly visited New York. I suppose I am nostalgic for a cultural landscape whose time is past.
Posted by: Eulalia Johnson | October 31, 2023 at 04:54 PM
I do wonder about the future of ABT. If it will even exist in a few years time.
Posted by: Kathie | November 02, 2023 at 01:23 PM
Wow:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzJcvMcAdK2/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Posted by: Emily | November 02, 2023 at 08:08 PM
Yep.
Posted by: Haglund | November 02, 2023 at 10:57 PM
I indulged in World Ballet Day and was disappointed in the image ABT must portray to other companies who are down to business during company class. Some ABT dancers started class with long hair down or in a ponytail. There was talking going on during the class by a number of people. The European companies I watched looked great in their dancing and both men and women were neatly prepared for class. So was the San Francisco Ballet. Loved the Bavarian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Royal Ballet, Australian Ballet. Will watch more as I can. But many ABT dancers could have presented a better image of discipline and respect---and many did.
Posted by: Georgiann | November 03, 2023 at 12:29 PM
Thanks for the link, Emily. Elisabeth Beyer was extraordinary, and I heard Susan Jaffe acknowledge her several times in the World Ballet Day class! She definitely deserves a promotion soon before another major ballet company recruits her.
Posted by: Georgiann | November 03, 2023 at 12:36 PM
ITA with your observations of ABT's class, Georgiann. There are a few who believe that morning class is simply a warm up social activity rather than a place to sharpen the skills needed for the day. I was disappointed that many of the women didn't put their pointe shoes on during center. It made it look like a 4:30pm class at Steps.
Posted by: Haglund | November 03, 2023 at 12:43 PM
I didnt watch the whole thing but ABT company class with Susan Jaffe seemed like a relatively joyless affair. As a big fan of many of the dancers from a social media perspective, I was surprised and almost disappointed to see so few smiles.
Posted by: Bee | November 03, 2023 at 05:02 PM
I agree, Bee. My sense was that perhaps Jaffe doesn't teach ABT's company class at any regular interval. It was a fairly simple class that some had surprising difficulties even when not wearing pointe shoes. I noted how the class thinned out after barre and even more so when the jumping started. During center, there seemed to be a lot of individual general corrections made off to the side that all the other dancers couldn't hear and take advantage of.
Posted by: Haglund | November 04, 2023 at 10:01 AM
I don't know how long this will be available for, but Great Performances on PBS presented NYCB in Madrid. Serenade, Square Dance + a Justin Peck sneaker ballet.
Posted by: yukionna | November 06, 2023 at 11:24 PM
Thank you so much, yukionna. Here's a current link to the program which is likely temporary.
https://www.thirteen.org/programs/great-performances/new-york-city-ballet-in-madrid-c6wkt1/
Posted by: Haglund | November 07, 2023 at 05:49 AM
ABT 2024 Summer Met Season with casting out today. Bringing Onegin back :)
Posted by: Rachel Perez | November 15, 2023 at 12:19 PM