Haglund's Heel

NYCB 5/30 Puck in the net for the Stanley Cup win

        Notwithstanding Taylor Stanley’s impetuous, scene-stealing Puck, New York City Ballet’s Friday evening performance of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream caused more wince than wonderment. Sure, the kids were cute enough. But how long can one sit there and witness the women heaving unsightly ill-positioned attitude derrière after ill-positioned attitude derrière thrown out from the side like gymnasts pandering to judges for a 10? Honestly, it seemed to be a main & monotonous foul in both acts of the ballet and came to a painful head in Act II when the six Divertissement ladies faced the audience and bent over in penche attitude. Oy, no two extended legs were even similar, let alone the same. What a mess to see. We noticed this issue in Ballo as well when a soloist grossly threw open the left hip in order to make the grand jete en attitude appear more grand. No, it’s not Balanchine technique, People; it’s bad form.

 

        [We’ll pause this thrashing to say how beautifully the New York City Ballet Orchestra played Mendelssohn’s starry score. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, this orchestra deserves to have a stint at Carnegie Hall just the way the Met Orchestra does. A program of Divertimento No 15, Ballo della Regina, the Bach from Concerto Barocco, and Firebird would have the Carnegie Hall regulars begging for more — which they could only get by coming to the ballet.]

 

        An ongoing problem that stems from a lack of experience in classical theatrical productions was the forced mime that looked like parody. None of the men in this production or in Sleeping Beauty know how to wave their arms to summon others on the stage to action without making it look like they are flipping-off someone. Since NYCB has Craig Salstein and Alexei Ratmansky on the premises often, why not ask one of them to fix this?

 

        Then there is the issue of dropping character when the steps get tough. Joaquin de Luz never dropped character in the face of challenging steps or perilous partnering. If anything, he added more character, because it helped him get through it. That said, we were otherwise thrilled with David Gabriel’s debut as Oberon in so far as the steps go. Aaron Sanz’s Cavalier and Emilie Gerrity’s lovely Titania were an attractive pair. We thought that since Aaron has become such a skilled partner, Emilie could have trusted him more by being less guarded. There were enough glimpses of what a freer Titania would look like to make us want to see much more. 

 

        Naomi Corti was the Hippolyta of Shakespeare’s own dreams. She came out of nowhere with a fierceness and huge dancing that made the stage look small. Her fouettes were a show of strength that we haven’t seen in a long time — her working leg shot out furiously and carried past second position before whipping around. In the Act II Pas de Deux with Owen Flacke, she showed great composure and elegance and held on those few times when Flacke blinked before anticipating what was needed. Oh my, what a presence Flacke is on stage and what an impact he makes when those scrupulous lines are in motion. Praying to the dance gods that he possesses beautiful double tours, too.

 

        Mira Nadon and Peter Walker were a stunning pair in the Divertissement. Mira seemingly was thinking well beyond the steps to project something much bigger. She exploited the steps to create a magical world of her own. Peter’s partnering flattered Mira in several ways. His own arms were long enough to allow her to extend her own extraordinary length as far as possible. Between the two of them there were complementary and supplementary angles everywhere we looked. It was nice to see that big smile when he landed the double tour to the knee.

 

        Whether Balanchine intended it or not, the star of this production is now Puck. Taylor Stanley’s range of Puck’s facial expressions and physical detail just keeps growing. On Friday his mischievousness surged all the way down into his toes. No matter how many times one has watched this ballet, one could not know what he would do next. How hard it must have been for the other dancers on stage to look him in the face and not lose composure. His sprint-stop-sprint scampering around the stage was like the classic Roadrunner “meep meep" whoosh before something went terribly wrong for Wiley Coyote. Whenever we have seen Stanley’s beautiful dancing in white tights roles such as Apollo, Emeralds, or Nutcracker, we want to see him in nothing else. Then comes Puck. How lucky we are to watch this versatile artist night after night.

 

        Our HH Pump Bump Award, a studded stiletto from Louboutin, is bestowed upon Taylor Stanley -- absolute gold in Puck and everything else.

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Veyette's Farewell Performance 5/25 He went a little too crazy.

        For the past decade of his 25 year career with New York City Ballet, Andrew Veyette has kept us on the edge of our seat. “What is he doing?! OMG, doesn’t he know how old he is?! He got away with it!” He would then laugh his way into the wing. He launched pirouettes like a kid launching rocks from a slingshot — where they landed wasn't the aim; just hit something. Few people could hang on for dear life to a pirouette or turns a la seconde like Andy Veyette.

 

        Today we celebrated Veyette’s career and final performance. The program was magnificent in design. It didn't so much show what a charming versatile performer he was as it showed what was important to him -- the community of artists with whom he worked and lived.

 

        In the excerpted final movement from Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, Veyette burst onto the empty stage and ran counterclockwise as the thundering drums of Akhnaten called to the rest of the tribe to join him. Out they came. Has NYCB ever had such a handsome male corps —  doubtful. These guys could give the firemen a run for their money if they did a calendar. Veyette danced with them shoulder to shoulder and then skedaddled off before the women’s corps entered for the finale. He had to quick-change into his costume for the next ballet that followed a short pause. 

 

        Next up in Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Chiaroscuro, Veyette entered the empty stage again but this time circling it clockwise. What was the significance of beginning the program running counterclockwise and evolving into going clockwise? Haglund knew if he thunk on this too long that he’d come up with some plausible but unlikely theory; so he’ll let the readers speculate.

 

        Chiaroscuro plays on the contrast of light and shadow. The skillful and inventive choreography, now 30+ years old, still outshines much of the new stuff that NYCB hard-sells to its audience as the next most incredible thing. Ashley Laracey, Olivia MacKinnon, Brittany Pollack, Preston Chamblee, and Daniel Ulbricht (Ulbricht & Veyette each got their apprenticeships in 2000) joined Veyette in the ensemble piece dancing under spotlights and in the shadows. The piece ended with a dramatic knee slide by Veyette to the foot of the stage with his arms outstretched and head thrown back. It seems that knee slide might have been more dramatic than we could see — as we shall later see.

 

        After intermission Veyette danced “Cool” from Robbins’ West Side Story Suite with a little help from friends Unity Phelan, Indiana Woodward, and Alexa Maxwell — and of course a tribe of men from the corps and soloist ranks. But something was off with his gait and balance. The whole thing wasn't as cool (as in hot) as Veyette’s previous Cools. But it was good enough and served its purpose.

 

        Next, Emma Von Enck and David Gabriel sizzled in Ballo della Regina. As at their performance last Sunday at 11 a.m., the tempi were scorching which made the performance all the more exciting. We’d still like to see Ashley Hod and Peter Walker dance this. The ballet was made on taller dancers who possessed the speed of their smaller colleagues, and it’s why taller dancers always look better in it. We weren’t sold on the four soloists, however.

 

        Then the pause before the excerpt from Stars and Stripes turned into a delay. After about 15 minutes, Conductor Andrews Sill suddenly left the podium and pit. He returned a short time later with quiet instructions to the orchestra members who started quickly flipping past pages in their scores and making notations. Not a good sign, ever.

 

        Veyette and Ashley Hod entered the stage for the PdD but it was obvious that something was wrong because Veyette was having stability issues with his leg. At one point he stepped back as if in a rehearsal and dropped his hands to say that he just couldn’t do it. A bit later it appeared as though his leg collapsed on him. They got through the PdD, which was not the spectacular Liberty Bell debut that we know Ashley would have had under other circumstances. They both covered their concern well. No variations were danced. The three regiments led by Erica Pereira, Megan LeCrone, and Daniel Ulbricht marched on and the finale proceeded. At the point where Capitan stands downstage at the wing and watches the corps, Veyette shook his head as if he could not believe his fate of the finale being cut out from under him. But yes, cruelly, that’s just what happened.

 

        What followed was an outpouring of love onto the stage by Veyette’s colleagues. So much love — and a stool from Tyler Angle for Veyette to sit on. Marika Molnar, longtime physical therapist and the company’s health and wellness coordinator walked out holding a yard of what looked like kinesiology tape for Veyette. Principals, soloists, corps, artistic staff, and a cadre of orchestra members and conductors all paid tribute to Veyette with flowers.

 

        It doesn’t matter if one’s life goes clockwise or sometimes counterclockwise, one’s time marches on in the same direction — just like the regiments coming forward at the end of Stars and Stripes. Andrew Veyette has had a good, long career and has brought much joy to the people who have watched him dance. We hope he will choose to pass on what he has learned to others for the next 25 years. We bestow upon him our magnificent red, white & blue Gucci H.H. Pump Bump Award.

 

 

 

Rumors of Haglund's demise have been greatly exaggerated NYCB's Starship lands for the Spring Season

        Sometimes life gets in the way of ballet and blogging. Here it is the end of the fourth week of NYCB’s spring season, and Haglund is just firing up. He saw some performances and has a few things to say. First off, the company looks sensational — in some of the best shape of its life which is amazing considering the talent that has been sidelined due to injuries, most notably Huxley, Danchig-Waring, Riccardo, and now sadly, Bolden. All of these artists are sorely missed. 

 

        But the Starship holds a mega-load of high-octane fuel as demonstrated by the bold, crisp, confident dancing of the soloist and corps men who night after night heralded nothing’s gonna stop us now. Y’all may have thought we built this city on rock ’n roll. Oh no no no. We built this city on grace and slick. And we got plenty of power, grace, and slick during the first four weeks of the season. 

 

        Soloists David Gabriel, Jules Mabie, and Aaron Sanz —  each so different, each developing his own unique conversation with the audience — carved out their repertory with commanding performances. Gabriel in Ballo Della Regina, Paquita, Brandenburg, and Sonatine revealed that he’s far more than a technical showman. Mabie finally conquered Scotch Symphony, showed exceptional partnering in Brandenburg, and delivered clean, beautiful allegro in Divertimento No 15. Sanz continued to infuse his strength of line with dramatic power in Brandenburg opposite the impossibly talented Mira Nadon, in After the Rain with the quietly beautiful Miriam Miller, and personified male elegance opposite the luxurious dancing of Isabella LaFreniere in Vienna Waltzes.

 

        Threatening to overshadow these male soloists was a contingent of talented corpsmen who will grab the controls of the Starship in coming seasons and steer it to unforeseen heights. Owen Flacke and Charlie Klesa, besides possessing Disneyesque handsomeness, are each Captain Scrupulous in their lines and feet and in their comportment. McKenzie Bernardino Soares was so quietly commanding that when one finally focused on him it was like finding gold. We’re hoping that these three have been working hard on their double tours which have been a little uncertain in past seasons. 

 

        The women are nothing to turn up our noses at. Soloist Ashley Hod made striking debuts as a muse in Apollo and in Paquita. She is a leading dancer, if ever there was one, and we need to see her leading more in high profile Balanchine principal roles. She was stunning in her soloist role in Ballo Della Regina, but really, but honestly, she should have been dancing the lead role which was made for a taller ballerina with distinctive geometric lines. The principal’s allegro comes naturally for the smaller allegro specialists and it can sometimes look rather un-special. But when a taller dancer takes on the challenges of Ballo, it becomes something else altogether different. Ashley Laracey employed her unique lyricism and hypnotizing limbs to mine the full beauty of Scotch Symphony, Paquita, and Divertimento No. 15. We’ve always thought that she might set a new standard in After the Rain, but Wheeldon seems to have veered from dancers like Wendy Whelan in his initial casting to the tallest, leggiest women whose sight in a somewhat flesh colored leotard makes a bigger impression than the choreography itself. It’s all about the hair and bare leg effect in what has now become a gala piece. It needs a good long rest unless it is offered to Ms. Laracey to dance.

 

        The corps women collectively are a little hodge-podge in size these days and care needs to be given not to plant a tall corps behind short principals. We saw very lovely, spirited work from Meaghan Dutton O’Hare and Malorie Lundgren in Paquita dancing like tomorrow doesn’t matter tonight. Mia Williams caught our eye whenever she was on stage. Her debut in the Minkus Pas de Trois in Paquita revealed respectful attention to classical style right down to the turn and presentation of the face and port de bra when executing a grand jete in attitude. (She was the only one who managed to move the head correctly on the jump.) Her rock solid technique came with a tranquil expression of confidence and generosity. She’s a lovely, lovely dancer who we can’t wait to see more of her in classical works—e.g., Fairy of Tranquility or Generosity in Sleeping Beauty.

 

        (Parenthetically, we just want to mention how dreadful the supposedly skincolor-matched tights are becoming. Until around 1970 most women’s ballet tights were thick bubblegum pink. Then Freeds arrived with their so-called European pink tights and shoes that were more peachy than pink and much more sheer. The bubblegum pink tights reflected stage lighting so well that the audience could see every tendon up the leg. The tights matched the shoe ribbons which made the ribbons nearly invisible and elongated the line. These days all of the tights are darker and more sheer and do not reflect the stage lighting. Instead, they absorb the light which makes it difficult to see the legs and makes the legs less attractive. The ribbons are more visible and truncate the leg lines. Additionally, all of the costumes do not look color-coordinated over tights that suggest a Kardashian spray tan. (We’re not going to get into how dark spray tan with shiny bleached blond hair could possibly enhance the cohesiveness of the women’s corps — it doesn’t and it’s annoying.) The dark tights absorb the light instead of reflecting it. While watching In G Major, it seemed so pitifully stupid to have all the men prancing around in glistening white tights while the women wore a mishmash of tights and shoes, none of which were coordinated with the costumes. NYCB should stop wasting donors' money and the company’s precious time with this shallow testimony of its dedication to inclusivity. They’re making the women’s legs look bad. It’s time to go back to bubblegum pink tights and be done with it or else start also dressing the men’s legs in flesh colors and re-do all the costumes and the lighting to go with the new tights.)

 

        One of the strongest performances we have seen thus far this season was Chaconne led by Isabella LaFreniere and Peter Walker. It was masterful in every respect and brought out the beauty of the ballet through adherence to the ballet principle of unfussiness. Nothing got in the way of the choreography and musicality. It was perhaps the most architecturally elegant and musically potent performance of this ballet that Haglund has ever seen. Isabella visualized power and grace as equals. The majestic line from the ear down the neck to the shoulder, the breathing wrists, the connection of the steps with such flow that the viewer could not imagine ever seeing them any other way, the softness of gaze without excessive drama — it was a dreamy performance. Peter was outstanding as well. He danced with an urgency that came right to the maximum line without going over. Every step was crisp and complete and purposeful. 

 

        Another memorable performance was Taylor Stanley’s titan Apollo which Haglund thought was the best of the three; the other two being Chun Wai Chan and Roman Mejia. Taylor’s interpretation was rich with understanding. The viewer felt the weight of Apollo’s time as well as his impatience and questioning. Taylor seems to be blessed with soulful eyes and a gaze that can see far beyond what others have managed. There was a depth of feeling in those eyes, a sense of fate and responsibility. 

 

        The Muses in NYCB’s Apollo need reconfiguring. Terpsichore and Apollo are on the verge of something that will get her 5 to 25 years locked up. Theirs is not supposed to be a love story. In the first part, the Muses are supposed to be authoritative sources of knowledge — Montessori-type guides who influence young Apollo with the arts, not flirt with him. We’ve never seen Muses hit their marks more perfectly than when Kowroski, Mearns, and Reichien ushered Chase Finlay’s Apollo to maturity. What an upbringing that was!

 

        Moving along with the Starship. Sara, Sara, storm brewing in your eyes. We found Pavane with Sara Mearns to be exceptionally beautiful. Balanchine set the work to Ravel’s famous Pavane pour une Infante Defunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess). We were easily able to connect with what Sara was putting out on stage in a such a simple, heartfelt fashion. The sweeping use of a long white scarf as a prop restrained the overuse of her arms which is often distracting and was so in her performance of Chaconne earlier this spring. But this Pavane was gorgeous, and we think Sara should keep it in her pocket all the way to the finish line. 

 

        One of the sayings around the Starship is It’s not over ’til it’s over. We got a big celebration coming up on the 25th. Until then, we want to bestow the H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Jimmy Choo diamond slingback, on Isabella LaFreniere for her diamond-worthy performance in Chaconne.