NYCB 2/19 Swan Lake -- the funnies version

        Blondie & Dagwood, Marmaduke, Little Orphan Annie, L’il Abner, Barney Google — just a few of the colorful Sunday funnies that came to mind during the opening Swan Lake performance. We don’t often traffic in controversy, but is there any possible quid pro quo that New York balletomanes could offer New York City Ballet to dismiss this production with prejudice? We have to think of something.

        Perfunctory choreography, putridly pigmented costumes, non-set sets, and a general sense to get this performance over as fast as possible — it all stung like a bacteria-filled cat bite on the finger. The only performer who could rise above all of this foolishness was Daniel Ulbricht as the Jester, whose character, ironically, delivered the most intelligent, dance-worthy, fault-free performance. Kudos to the Small Jesters, too, who were obviously thrilled to be on stage with Ulbricht. We’ve never seen the young boys from SAB dance better. 

 

        Prince Siegfried, Tyler Angle, danced Acts 1 & 3 with obvious tongue-in-cheek and a total lack of sincerity. Whenever he approached the Queen mother, goo-goo-goo-ga-ly eyed Marika Anderson, their mocking and satire were thick. There was very little that was special about the steps he danced, and Angle performed them like they were Routine with a capital R. His technique was marginally clear and also made it clear that he should have had the sense to give up this role. But he’s the only male principal with the gut/butt strength to heave Sara Mearns’ Odette/Odile around without risking injury.

 

        And what did we get in the way of Odette? We got Diamonds and Symphony in C and every other adagio where Sara has mastered the downstage walk with eyes on the floor, shoulders raised to her ears and thrown back, head pitched forward, and arms raised too high. Regardless of how wonderful and comfortable it all may feel to do, it did nothing to enhance her Odette and never has. Was there anything artistically distinctive about this Odette? Nothing. It was basic Sara from Instagram. Odile was without an ounce of seduction or evilness or spectacular technique. The best Odette/Odiles spend a lifetime building on their interpretations, not expecting an audience to conflate their personal sorrows on Instagram with mundane stage performances that need to be pumped up. The only thing that matters with Odette in Swan Lake is what goes on the stage. On this night, there wasn’t much swan at all.

 

        The satire continued with the Swan corps that flew on stage like a flock of fussy roadrunners —  beep beep — flailing their legs and arms at high speed. The Four Small Swans arrived excessively jerking their heads around and to the ceiling (Look Ma, just like real birds!). The national dances were transportable to any Nutcracker. 

 

        We’re happy that NYCB marketing could fill the seats. The Russian couple in front of Haglund laughed through the whole cartoonish thing although they seemed impressed with the NYCB Orchestra’s output. The orchestra was good but could not save this night for us.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Catherine Carney]

I have not seen NYC ballet since I was a wee tot in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I wanted to join ABT, but I was not good enough. Based on photos of Sara Mearns as Odette/Odile, I agree that her arms are all wrong. Of course, I look at pictures of many corps members in various ballet companies and wonder where the precision and exactness have gone.
I find your commentary interesting, if on the blunt, no-holds-barred side. Thank you.
As someone who was forced into retirement from teaching high school, I can understand why some principal dancers don't want to give up roles or retire. I counted the number of roles with a debut dancer during this run of Swan Lake, and IIRC, there were 53 roles.

[Haglund]

Catherine, thanks. That is a significant number of debuts. I think it's been 4 or so years since the Martins production has been on stage. There's been a lot of turnover.

[Lori G.]

Haglund, I have now see all casts but Miriam. There is something off about Mearns and there has been for a while. It’s almost like she doesn’t realize the audience expects her to get better or at least maintain. After Bouder, I am sensitive to dancers relying on their past glory and expecting current audience members to be okay with it.

[Martha]

I like the Martins production. If you want to see a traditional Swan Lake with the Rococo/Baroque backdrops and heavy ornate costumes you can go see any number of productions around the world. This one is different and abstract and quick. It’s refreshing.

[Haglund]

Lori, I agree. Totally. An artist doesn't serve his art by doing just enough to get by.

Thanks, Martha. If you enjoy this Swan Lake you may also enjoy Martins' Romeo+Juliet which offers similar artistic ideas and nuclear controversy. Martins' stylings have fans, too, obviously.

[Laura]

I just want to do a shout out to the Corps. I've seen 3 Swan Lakes so far this season, and each time I pull out my opera glasses and zoom in on the Corps, and each time I see veteran and newbies alike dancing their heart out, doing the same steps 15 other swans are doing, and yet each member an integral part of what the audience experiences. We see you, Corps de Ballet! I wish I could applaud for each of you as much as we applaud the stars.

[Haglund]

👏

Yes, they worked hard and met their challenges!

[Hobbit Ballerina]

It appears from Instagram that Megan Fairchild is planning her retirement for Spring 2026.

[Solor]

There are so many things wrong with this production that it's hard to list them all. But Martins's lack of understanding dramatic musicality is most apparent at the end of Act II, which uses the typically cut swan theme from the end of Act I, which ends with an optimistic melody, instead of the music specified in the score, which reflects the tragic nature of the scene. Even the eternal Martins acolyte Anna Kisselgoff criticized the production in her review of its premiere, although she quickly drank the Koolaid and backtracked in her following Sunday piece in the Arts & Leisure section.

[Haglund]

Solor, Martins' musical organization is jarring throughout this Swan Lake. At the end of the White Swan pdd I think he may have been trying to avoid the 2-minute applause break that always comes and the extra bowing that is required if the dancers were convincing. Just cut all that fussy beauty and get on with more steps.

Yes, Anna Kisselgoff wrote "press" for NYCB, not reviews, but often Robert Gottlieb more than made up for her blind devotion with his own sharply crafted language:

"The pale-vomit backdrop is ghastly enough, but as a setting for the costumes it’s even worse-they’re rancid green for the girls, rancid orange for the boys, with a splash of royal blue (Siegfried) and scarlet (Benno). When they’re all whirling around center stage, they look like a bunch of drunken M&M’s. "

https://observer.com/1999/05/city-ballets-new-swan-lake-heartless-but-not-hopeless/

[BKBalletomane]

Miriam and Chun had a gorgeous debut last night! Sebastian also a wonderful jester.

[Haglund]

Couldn't agree more!!