The return of live ballet performances this fall has been a joyous time, but understandably it also yielded some sighs when the impact of the long pandemic layoff came into view on the stage. We're not going to dwell on the fact that not all of the dancers in NYCB and ABT came back conditioned like thoroughbreds or that the technical picture was sometimes sketchy. For the most part, the companies have performed remarkably considering the obstacles of the past couple of years. So for this first season back, we have been moderating our technique-related gripes.
At the October 23rd matinee, Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal danced Giselle and Albrecht for the first time. There was some confusion on their parts in Act I as to which ballet they were dancing. Giselle is not Juliet. Nor is Albrecht Romeo. But here we had a willful, sometimes irritable Juliet instead of the naive, overly-trusting, weak-hearted Giselle. And we had an affectionate Romeo whose gaze into Juliet's eyes was so sincere that we thought the scene might erupt into puppy kisses. This cuddly, winsome Romeo/Albrecht didn't have a deceitful bone in his body.
Some of Trenary's choices in Act I gave Giselle a backwoodsy twang from the waist up. Perhaps it was simply a matter of too many extra movements or trying too hard to stamp a personal style on the role. Overall, this Giselle was too wise in her ways. These days no woman wants to be known as a naive, overly-trusting village girl who falls for a two-timer, but that is exactly who Giselle is in Act I. Her German Renaissance upbringing meant that she was reared to be silent, obedient, chaste, and completely subservient to men. That's the character who we need to see regardless of the performer's own 21st century independence. And Act I Giselle must dance all the tough steps with a sunny day brilliance. Hmm.
Act II was unquestionably a success even though Giselle's rotating Awakening spin devolved into a Venn diagram. But we'd always rather see a courageous effort than a cowardly estimate of the spin. Happily, a number of Trenary's unique choices in Act II perfectly suited the dancer and character. The horizontal line of traveling arabesques with releves (after the entrechats quatre that traveled backward) were done with the arms straight to the side in second position for the first two releves wherein the third saw Giselle place her hands over her face and bring them downward to indicate her sorrow. Hard to describe but it was very lovely to watch and it revealed beautifully lengthened line in the upper body all the way through the back of the neck. Throughout, we sensed that both Giselle and Trenary were dancing as hard as their hearts would allow -- just what we wanted to see.
Royal's Albrecht was the very definition of average. There was nothing in his technical or theatrical portrayal that a dozen corpsmen couldn't have produced on stage. It was the type of performance that ABT used to take on tour to the likes of Podunk to give a dancer some experience, not put it on the New York stage. Haglund recalls one such performance back in the '80s or so when a touring ABT cast Julie Kent in the lead of Theme and Variations -- Balanchine's Theme and Variations. Maybe the experience made her stronger or maybe it merely toughened up the audience.
It wouldn't hurt ABT to have annual principal role qualifying exams. Say, for instance, Ballerina X or M decides she'd like to dance Swan Lake or Don Quixote. She would be required to demonstrate that she possesses the role's technical skills before the company invests time in her. It would make for a much more honest ABT, a company that needs strengthening in the areas of honesty and merit management.
Technique worries faded away in the evening performance led by Christine Shevchenko and Aran Bell. There was never a concern that we might not get all the hops on pointe or an awakening spin that blurred our vision or entrechats-six that devoured eight-counts like Joey Chestnut downing hotdogs. Yep, the Joey Chestnut of entrechats-six just kept putting them away one after another. We hadn't seen anything like that since Bolle's performance-saving 30-some entrechats-six back in 2012. But Bell produced far more than well-dressed hotdogging. His performance was as theatrically potent as it was technically strong. In recent seasons, the natural reserve of his corpsman years that could seem like military seriousness has given way to thoughtful, thought-out dramatic interpretation. He has our full attention -- as does Shevchenko.
Oh what a happy day it was to finally meet Shevchenko's Giselle in a breath-snatching beauty of a debut. When this dancer joined the corps de ballet more than a dozen years ago, she had short arms, short legs, and a long torso. Now her line is like one long note of beautiful song. Watching her transformation from when she was a last minute substitute for Gillian Murphy in Ratmansky's Piano Concerto No.1 back in 2013 to her tackling of Balanchine roles to her revelatory performances in the classics has been a most satisfying journey. Her Giselle this season was classical perfection -- an interpretation heavenly stylized with generous but immaculate port de bras, gently curved leg lines, and the lightness of an angel.
La Follia Variations, Pillar of Fire, and Zig-Zag comprised Thursday's mixed bill .
A clear look at Lauren Lovette's La Follia Variations revealed the need for a backdrop that could tie together the various bright, but clashing colors of the interesting costumes. The ballet itself looked unedited -- full of little choreographic ideas that were incongruous and failed to create a composition. But we look forward with interest to Lovette's next endeavor.
In Antony Tudor's Pillar of Fire, Gillian Murphy was riveting as the desperate, sexually repressed Hagar. The despair in her Graham-like contract-strike-poses on pointe with bended knees was felt in the viewer's own gut. Cory Stearns as the Young Man from the House Opposite nailed the unsubtle dangerous sexuality of his character in addition to nailing Hagar. In contrast, Thomas Forster as The Friend was sensitive and supporting and presumably forgiving before dancing off with her. Stephanie Petersen, as the spinster Elder Sister, flexed her stern authority over Hagar and delivered withering looks of disapproval that further tortured her. Zimmi Coker, as the Youngest Sister, flipped her curls with Na-nana-naa-nah and stole attention like pretty little sisters always do.
It was such a treat to see Pillar of Fire again. The performances of everyone in the cast were detailed, dramatic, and outstanding in every way. It was so fulfilling to watch that Haglund decided that it was a good way to end the day.
Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a diamond and pearl embellished leather stiletto, is bestowed upon Christine Shevchenko for her exquisitely classical portrayal of Giselle.
