Haglund's Heel

6/7 Evening School of American Ballet Workshop Performance

        So this happened.

        Saturday about 1pm Haglund was on a crowded northbound M11 bus on 10th Ave coming home from the gym. As the bus approached the 34th St stop, he was endorphin-laden relaxed and casually strumming his pickleball paddle. The bus door opened and on climbed a very tall elderly gentleman with a cane. He was dressed to the nines— so elegant that he could have been starring with George Clooney in Good Night, Good Luck in the live broadcast that night. He was accompanied by a younger middle-aged woman.

 

        A passenger seated at the front got up and offered the elderly gentleman his seat. He sat down and immediately struck up a conversation with the young man directly across from him who, thankfully, was not the typical New Yorker who rides the M11. After exchanging their “very well, thank yous” the elderly gentleman sat up straight and announced, "We’re in town just for today. My granddaughter is graduating from the School of American Ballet.” He beamed. Could not hide his smile. “It’s the most prestigious ballet school in the country. My granddaughter is going to be in THREE ballets today!” The atypical M11 passenger opposite said how wonderful that was. The gentleman beamed like the warm sun which on this day was nowhere in sight — it was raining. He began explaining to the passenger opposite just what made ballet so beautiful and how hard all the dancers work. He professed his admiration for Tiler Peck who he said had recommended his granddaughter for something or other. He urged the passenger opposite to go to the ballet to see Tiler Peck in anything. The passenger thanked him with genuine kindness and exited through the back door at 42nd St.

 

        On climbed a spry NYC-wise senior citizen, an attractive woman probably in her mid seventies, who sat down opposite the elderly gentleman. He immediately started flirting  — acknowledging her energy and telling her to keep it up. She smiled back at him with a side wink and asked, “Are you visiting from out of town?”  The elderly gentleman sat up straight, "We’re in town just for today. My granddaughter is graduating from the School of American Ballet.” He beamed. Could not hide his smile. The lady beamed back. The gentleman said that he was 79. The lady asked, “1945?” He replied, “1946.”

 

        A couple of stops later, Haglund exited the bus. He had wanted so badly to join the conversation because he would be attending the evening SAB performance but it was just too wonderful sitting there observing this grandfather in his pride and joy. Whoever his granddaughter is, we hope she knows how lucky she is and what a joyful impact she has had on this man’s life.

 

        Saturday evening’s SAB Workshop performance was outstanding. The kids from the Nutcracker party have grown up. The bugs from Midsummer Night’s Dream are navigating in pointe shoes. The young boys are now rumbling in Robbins’ Glass Pieces. 

 

        Raymonda Variations, staged by Suki Schorer, Lauren King and Gonzalo Garcia, was exquisitely led by Jaiya Chandra and Simeon Neeld. Soloists Charlotte Hall, Leah Carter, Lennon Sullivan, Simone Gibson, Renee Augustyn and Yeva-Mariia Skorenka dispatched the challenging choreography with poise and professionalism. 

 

        The upper divisions danced an excerpt from Cortege Hongrois staged by Aesha Ash. The dancers were impeccably drilled and unafraid of the obvious challenges before them. NYCB corps dancer Laine Habony choreographed a truly charming piece to Franz Schubert entitled Schubert Symphony for the lower division students. It was a perfect vehicle for these young students — a bit on the order of the Garland Dance — who were so ready to take over the audience. And did.

 

        Robbins’ Akhnaten excerpted from his Glass Pieces for the upper division students closed the program. It was everything we saw from the main company this past spring on the main stage. Incredible energy, joy, all of it concentrated on living within an ensemble, for the ensemble, by the ensemble. The Capstone Class kids are about to go forward into the rest of their lives guided by the unique discipline, persistence, and citizenship values instilled in them at SAB. One doesn’t have to be a proud grandfather to be gratified by that.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

observations 4/11

        In a stunning but artistically important move, Cassandra Trenary will leave ABT to join the Vienna State Ballet as a principal dancer working under the guidance of Alessandra Ferri who is about to become the company's director. Vienna dances traditional ballets but also more wide-ranging, artistically adventurous works, which it can afford to do with generous governmental support. It does not live or die by the commercial successes of its Swan Lake and Nutcracker.

        This is how it should be at ABT & NYCB. A principal dancer should give the best that they have while it is still the best that can be had in their company's signature works and then go feed their artistic souls elsewhere. Don't hang out so we can watch the technique start to decline, steps drop like ATT cellphone calls, and artistry stagnate while upcoming talents wither away waiting for opportunities.

        Haglund had kinda hoped to see Trenary lead Lady of the Camellias, but it doesn't seem that production will land on ABT's stages any time soon. Best of luck to her, and we hope that other local talents are watching her move closely.

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        We're pretty excited about some of the upcoming casting for the first week of NYCB's Spring Season. Big, big opportunities for Owen Flacke, Ashley Hod, Domenika Afanasenklov, and Charlie Klesa. We're relieved to see Isabella LaFreniere return after being on the IL for too long. And we are looking forward to the cast of tall Muses in Apollo - Nadon, Miller, Kikta! Soooo, how's that broken foot coming along on Davide Riccardo -- anybody know? We're fairly anxious to get him back but we certainly don't want a repeat of Harrison Ball's foot history that ended his career.

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        At this point in time, we have to recommend saving your money by giving Roundabout Theatre's Pirates, the Penzance Musical with David Hyde Pierce a pass. Pierce is in way over his head as Major General Stanley. At 66 years old, he's a very old 66 and tends not to move his body in this dance-heavy musical. His voice is weak and the patter songs are colorless and less than entertaining as he struggles with the speed and lyrics while standing still. Ramin Karimloo as Pirate King carries the show -- even with leaving his shirt on but, of course, unbuttoned. Warren Carlyle's choreography holds up well and basically holds up the show when it really shouldn't have to. Haglund may go again when the understudy for Major General Stanley steps in.

 

NYCB 2/27New swan, new hope

        Not many people know that the Iowa River which runs through the middle of the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City has long been home to a population of trumpeter swans. Most of them nest upstream along the shores near the Coralville Dam just north of the city. But back some 50 years ago, it wasn’t unusual to see them in pairs puttering along close to the campus riverbank when Haglund would walk across the river footbridge to his Iowa Writers’ Workshop sessions. Finding elegant swans in Iowa City where everything was designated as Hawkeye-this or Hawkeye-that somehow always seemed improbable — as improbable as finding an elegant Iowa swan at New York City Ballet where the ecosystem doesn’t include a natural habitat that would suggest one could flourish. 

        Last evening Iowa City native Miriam Miller landed her Odette Swan Queen on the stage in Peter Martins' production for the first time with a massive wingspan, soaring jete, and towering authority. This was a major entrance if ever there was one. Miller, one of the company’s tallest dancers, also had an innate delicacy in her long arms, a gracefulness in her neckline, and a softness to her artistic voice that compelled us to listen to her. We thought for a moment that she might actually wrestle the bow & arrow out of the kneeling Prince Siegfried’s hands as she tried to balance her arabesque against it, but she regained her composure quickly as she did again on a fluke misstep with a pique turn. The jitters evaporated like fog on a lake, and she went on to build an impressively eloquent and articulate story of Odette. The stretch of her arabesque was song-like, and one could visualize the line that ran from the tips of her elegant fingers to the tips of her toes. Her wrists, elbows, and bending torso spoke her sorrow; her legs and feet spoke her determination to find a release from the sorcerer’s spell. Hopefully, there will be opportunities to work on supported pirouettes to make them rotate more freely and also make those brushes from 4th or 5th position into the high ronde de jambe en l’air as stunning as we know they can be. Whether the designated abhorrent tempi will ever permit any Odette to fully point her feet in the rapid entrechat quatre/passe section is doubtful; but maybe it can one day be negotiated for the sake of the art. Not likely, but maybe.

 

        Miller’s Odile was nearly complete from start to finish. This production’s version isn't one of the more challenging versions, but even the basic version done well is highly effective. What we appreciated most was that Miller did not drop Odile’s character when approaching a technical moment where the odds might be less in her favor to pull it off. She maintained Odile’s dark, seemingly impenetrable force throughout and built her performance to a climactic series of centered fouettes that got close enough to the finish line to get the checkered flag. At that point, all the stress was gone and she closed with a 4th act that was filled with soul and easy beauty. 

 

        Chun Wai Chan was everything one wants in a Prince Siegfried. His ballon and batterie were in great form. His partnering was remarkable given that Odette/Odile were a head taller when on pointe. His lifts were spectacular. His character’s searching for Odette, his regret at betraying her, and his determination to save her were all deeply felt by the viewer.

 

        Chan’s Siegfried debut opposite our beloved Yuriko Kayija came in Minneapolis in 2018 with Houston Ballet followed by their local debut that June. Some may recall that Haglund was able to retrofit the Gisellemobile and truck down to Houston at the onset of hurricane season to see that miraculous event. Partnering Miller, though, presented a different set of challenges for Chan. First, there was the issue of her height which he dealt with proficiently and was even able to minimize. He was also now the steadying force for this debuting Odette/Odile with the responsibility to give her everything she needed to succeed. Her performance was in his hands. She couldn’t have been luckier.

 

        One of the unsettled questions that remains with this production after more than 25 years is why Odette turns into a Giselle and returns to the Wilis at the end while Siegfried turns into Albrecht who expresses profound grief at his loss. Von Rotbart's spell was clearly broken with his demise but for some reason, our Odette and Siegfried did not end up together, either dead or alive. Did she refuse to forgive him? What were the choreographer’s intentions? Did it have something to do with a big house fire in Connecticut? We don’t want to speculate, but the finish leaves this ballet unfinished, in our view. Seeing that the choreographer has time on his hands, it would be nice if he would tinker with this Swan Lake ending to make it less ambiguous and also clean up the succotash-inspired costume designs for the rest of the cast.

 

        At this performance, Sebastian Villarini-Velez was wondrous as the Jester. We’ve seen this artist so infrequently due to his injuries that we were happily startled  into remembering just how good a dancer and actor he is. Emily Kikta and Gilbert Bolden III were ravishing in the Hungarian Dance as were Alexa Maxwell and Alec Knight in the Russian Dance.

 

        The H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Jimmy Choo toast to the future, is bestowed upon Miriam Miller for her glorious debut as Odette/Odile.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

NYCB 2/5 NYCB celebrates Maria Tallchief

        Besides all the blissfully clear dancing in the performances of Scotch Symphony, Sylvia: Pas de Deux, and Firebird, all of which Balanchine created for Maria Tallchief, one other thing was crystal clear: he deeply loved this woman’s artistry. He loved her technical brilliance, her imperial stateliness, and her fire. That love shone in every step of the choreography — most of which was created after the annulment of their marriage in 1952. Annulment rather than divorce. Tallchief wrote that the marriage with Balanchine, who was twice her age, did not enjoy the love and passion that infused their professional relationship. Their marriage occurred at a time when widespread anti-miscegenation sentiments included Indigenous people among those who whites should never marry. Even if there were not laws in a particular state, there was scorn. 

 

        This season New York City Ballet is celebrating the centenary of Tallchief’s birth and her spirited dancing with its own spirited dancing. This particular program, viewed on its first date, included a gloriously danced Scotch Symphony by Indiana Woodward that reflected the spirit of Violette Verdy a bit more than Tallchief. But we could still see where the originator would have illustrated her strength in grace and her understanding of the Romantic style. Woodward’s lush Romanticism left us feeling as though we were watching a dream. None of this would have occurred without Jovani Furlan’s ardent partnering. The soloist in red kilt, Baily Jones, danced efficiently. Among the corps, both Samuel Melnikov and Owen Flacke were standouts for their crisp, elongated lines. Melnikov has undergone a physical transformation much like Russell Janzen did. We no longer wonder whether he has the partnering strength to move into bigger opportunities. Flacke, oh my, barely out of SAB diapers but oh such a watchable, beautifully trained, and compelling dancer already. Stand him up behind Miriam Miller and watch the Disney magic bloom.

 

        In Sylvia: Pas de Deux danced by Megan Fairchild and Joseph Gordon, we had a little trouble connecting the performance to Maria Tallchief who we’re pretty sure didn’t dance it with a cutesy, pixie vibe. Fairchild's technical skills were tops but the dancing was lightweight. The tiny tutu didn’t exactly convey grandeur. It seems ABT has more closely followed Balanchine’s original concept of Sylvia by casting its statuesque ballerinas in the role. Gordon dazzled every moment he was on stage. It is so gratifying to watch him try to squeeze as much as he possibly can out of every moment he is on stage. 

 

        The evening ended with a glorious performance of Firebird. Ashley Hod in the title role embodied the mythical Firebird with glamour and electricity. Obsidian-sharp cool lines, the ability to instantly warm those lines into deep mesmerizing curves, a face that invites attention, beautifully lifted saute de chats, and a well-earned authority all served to make this a commanding performance. Andrew Veyette as Ivan, Miriam Miller as his Bride, and Alec Knight as Kastchei completed the strong cast.

 

        The scenery and costumes by Chagall and Karinska are some of the most overwhelmingly beautiful on NYCB’s stage. Given their continued emotional effect on the modern day audience, it is difficult to imagine how the audience of 1949 might have felt. And what might they have thought about Balanchine’s one-eyed wink by putting a big red feather on the head of his Native American ballerina? Boy, did she ever wear it.

 

        The H.H. Pump Bump Award, flame throwing feathers by Stuart Weitzman, is bestowed upon Ashley Hod for her beautiful performance in Firebird

 

 

 

 

 

 

NYCB 2/6 Paquita 2.0

        New York City Ballet is known for stripping down classics to their essential elements and compressing them for their always-on-the-go audience who only has so much time it can devote to going to the ballet. “Just the steps, ma’am, just the steps” as Sgt. Joe Friday might have said. It was Thursday, February 6th. Me and my partner were working the night watch at New York City Ballet under cover in the shadows of the 2nd ring. We spotted a few misdemeanors in progress but mostly good things were happening in the ‘hood. The usual suspects were staying in line. Nobody was stepping on anyone else's toes.

 

        At times, the new Alexei Ratmansky-driven Paquita had us trying to unravel the scene like Friday and Gannon going over the evidence. Where did this or that part come from? The corps had its assignment down impressively but what were the principals trying to convey? Are these questions even relevant? Turns out not, which became more clear on the second night.

 

        This Paquita, a composite of Balanchine’s Minkus Pas de Trois after Petipa and Alexei Ratmansky’s contemporized reconstruction of Petipa’s Paquita Grand Pas, is actually a throwback to when lines were lines, shape was shape, and the challenges of classical form were revered. Nothing could be better for New York City Ballet these days than this to help it shake off the sloppy sneaker look that has seeped into its daywear.

 

        Thursday evening opened with the Minkus Pas de Trois danced by Erica Pereira, David Gabriel and Emma Von Enck. For the most part, they met the challenges that Balanchine threw at Andre Eglevsky, Rosella Hightower, and Marjorie Tallchief, and made us appreciate what those original artists in 1948 were capable of in terms of technique. Gabriel’s controlled landings, beautiful leg lines in sissone assemble, clear batterie, and sequence of double tours were all accomplished with a burning determination — not just to get through the variation, but to give the absolute most to his audience. The women each excelled in their fleeting foot work and Emma brilliantly finished her phrases with held positions. Nobody likes to do the step-step-grand jete instead of glissade grand jete because it’s so hard to get up in the air without an awkward lurching forward as happened on this night. But Petipa, Vainonen, and others made both men and women do this combination not infrequently. 

 

        The Grand Pas - Ratmansky’s contribution - benefitted from stellar corps work where everyone was hell-bent on holding that arabesque in line for several counts with the arms purposefully placed. Indifference to port de bras isn’t tolerated in Ratmansky’s classically-based works. This might end up being one of his most significant contributions to the NYCB dancers’ growth as he continues as the company's Artist in Residence. While the arm and torso placement was challenging for some of Thursday night’s corps members, others (Meaghan Dutton-O’Hare, Ava Sautter, and Malorie Lundgren) embraced the beauty and demands of precision with enthusiasm that bordered on hunger. They wanted to dance like this.

 

        So did Unity Phelan in her principal variation where she was as Zen as could be and her port de bras looked beautifully intuitive. Every second was grace defined and rich with soft color like a Monet painting. Indiana Woodward flew through her “Amour” allegro like she was riding on a spring breeze. Emily Kikta’s turns were strong and steady as was her rapport with the audience in her variation. Olivia MacKinnon made it through her variation but she definitely had challenges within it.

 

        Perplexing in this opening night cast was the choice of Sara Mearns with Chun Wai Chan for the Pas de Deux. It was difficult to watch Sara because she simply wasn’t prepared to dance this role, didn’t have the required concentration, and may have thought that getting all emotional about her many slip-ups and glaring at her partner would somehow ameliorate them and make her less responsible for them. The relatively simple turns that were supposed to end in point tendu saw half of Sara’s foot on the floor. Arabesques were unsteady, pirouettes were unsteady, staring at the floor didn’t help matters, throwing the arms and shoulders around like she couldn't care less about the requisite style didn’t help. She seemed to be trying to be some kind of character alla zingareze even though Ratmansky had purged this staging of specific characters who are in traditional Paquita stagings. 

 

        Chan managed a more than respectable variation after a sometimes difficult PdD with Sara where neither of them seemed sure where the music was. He treated his variation as he might treat any non-narrative variation — with resolute placement and skillful execution of the grand allegro and his batterie. Loved seeing the eschappes with entrechats six multiple times with each time becoming a bit bolder. Turns a la seconde impressed with their stability without being flashy.

 

        The flash came the next night when Roman Mejia and Tiler Peck led the principals. Pleading guilty here: we loved the flash; we didn’t want to, but we did. We loved the one-upmanship between them. We loved Tiler's double saute de basque and Roman’s triple thingamabob in the air. We could have died happily while watching Tiler lovingly open and close her arm while moving upstage on the diagonal with piques. It was so unexpectedly beautiful and so much more than the perfunctory waving of the arm in and out that we got the night before. We simply loved every blessed moment that Tiler was on stage in this production and are grateful that she embraced the stylistic challenges that Ratmansky threw her way. We’ve also got to mention Emma Von Enck’s “Amour” variation in which her feet and legs bolted across the stage like lightning, only pausing to strike an unwavering pose on pointe before speeding off again. One never sees this dancer accelerate or slow down. She starts at full speed and stops on a dime without decelerating. 

 

        A word or two about other things: The tutus designed by Jerome Kaplan were stunning. The lush pink and red costumes for the Minkus PdT weren’t helped with black sheer tights, especially when worn with black pointe shoes and solid satin ribbons which truncated the women’s leg lines. If the NYCB women insist on wearing sheer tights (whether black or pink), they should switch to sheer ribbons on their pointe shoes. The solid ribbons simply make the leg lines look broken and thick. Dancers know this.

 

        The black tutus with white under-tulle for the Grand Pas principals were just as pretty. So much loving care, exceptional skill, and hours of labor went into these art pieces that it seemed a shame to put them on stage on dancers who looked like it was a rehearsal. Hair strands flying all over, buns that purposely looked like they were about to fall out. No head ornamentation. The whole look was unfinished. And the point of all that was what ? Did they spend all their money on the costumes and couldn’t afford to buy hairspray or put a ribbon or ornament in the bun? To repeat, it all looked unfinished. Please re-think.

 

        We truly enjoyed seeing this Paquita 2.0 at NYCB, but we’re not giving up Pierre Lacotte’s full staging with all that sparkly opulence, those fancy hair combs, and, oh yes, those dazzling fouettes — not in a million years. 

 

        Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Louboutin tulle and lace pump, is bestowed upon Unity Phelan for her exquisite performance of the 2nd Variation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NYCB 1/29 New Combinations program not very new at all

        While watching the strange little promo of Justin Peck’s new dance which was running on the screens in the theater lobby, we were reminded how his sloppy hunched-over shoulders, shuffling feet, and hanging-open mouth endeared him to us when he was dancing Balanchine works. The promo featured Peck dancing while wearing his “Think of me as the composite Steven Spielberg/Jerry Robbins” baseball cap instead of featuring the NYCB dancers dancing his choreography. The promo didn’t promote the dance or the dancers; it only promoted the already over-hyped Peck. So we sat down and opened the Playbill to see that being listed as the choreographer in the credits apparently was not enough for Peck; he needed to feature himself as part of the dance’s official title: Mystic Familiar, A BALLET BY JUSTIN PECK. In all caps. Why this? And why is Peck’s salary MORE than the artistic director’s and the associate artistic director's by large sums? Why does NYCB pay this guy $371,755 plus $54,223 in benefits? What benefit does the company get for nearly a half million dollars?

 

        The choreography of Mystic Familiar was Peck’s repetitive, desperate effort to look cool & hip and ended up looking as stale as the words cool & hip are. We’ve already seen Peck capitalizing on the work of Agnes de Mille. Now we have a piece where he borrows Twyla Tharp for his own use. Maybe the section of Dan Deacon’s score that imitated Philip Glass’s minimalist brilliance sent Peck in the direction of Tharp. We sense that Peck knew how empty his own effort was going to be which is why there was such a heavy reliance on scenery and costumes—to look cool & hip. Bopping around — which aptly describes Peck’s style — in billowing white sleeves, green boxer shorts & undershirt, cropped athletic wear, and white overalls, the dancers did their best to sell Peck’s shallow ideas. It makes us think about inviting DOGE into the house to help cut the waste —  make that DOBE Department of Ballet Efficiency. Peck would be out the door before a hinge squeak.

 

        Which leads us into our review of the highlight of the evening, Balanchine’s Variations Pour Une Porte et Un Soupir… This avant-garde piece from 1974 utilizes Pierre Henry’s sonority as its score. No music per se, just creaking hinges, spooky sighs, and other noir effects with lighting that make this a one-of-a-kind Balanchine work whose only possible resemblance to his body of work is the black & white theme. Miriam Miller, debuting as the Door, was more alluring than dangerous. The prior interpretations by Maria Kowroski and Sara Mearns were quite a bit more aggressive and always conveyed a “Be careful what you ask for, little Sigh” message within their outsized glamour. Our sense was that Miriam should strive to add exclamation points to her phrases. But it was a very successful debut if a bit careful.

 

        Daniel Ulbricht as the Sigh — oh lord — does he ever have this one down. The small Sigh was so hell-bent on getting through the Door that he failed to consider what might be on the other side. He was in a painful gymnastic panic from the first second to his last. A huge theatrical physical performance by Ulbricht who has come to specialize in them. Haglund would gladly sit through this performance again and again were it not sandwiched between such stale bread.

 

        Opening the program was Wheeldon’s From You Within Me which is set to Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht, the music Antony Tudor used for his masterpiece Pillar of Fire. Unfortunately, Wheeldon’s piece just made us wish we were watching a few of the dancers in Pillar of Fire: Mearns as Hagar, Furlan as the Man in the House Opposite, Chan as The Friend, Fairchild as the Youngest Sister. What a cast that would be! Just think about it!

 

        Schoenberg’s inspiration for his music was Richard Demel’s poem of the same title:

 

Two people walk through a bare, cold grove;
The moon races along with them, they look into it. 
The moon races over tall oaks, 
No cloud obscures the light from the sky, 
Into which the black points of the boughs reach. 
A woman’s voice speaks: 

I’m carrying a child, and not yours, 

 

        And so it goes… The poem ends with the man and the woman walking off together. Wheeldon’s ballet ended with a woman exiting alone. Unfortunately, the ballet didn’t rise to the dramatic level of the music, the poem, or the memory of Tudor’s masterpiece. It was very similar to choreography of Wheeldon's we’d seen before — like fillers in a sentence when the speaker didn't know what to say. “Like.” Tudor was proud to say that while he may not have made a lot ballets, he never repeated himself. Of course these days, choreographically repeating oneself over and over again seems to pay the bills.

 

        Indiana Woodward made the most of her opportunities with her innate ability to make any choreography look natural on herself. There was something about the way her face caught the light right at the perfect moment that made what she was doing interesting and watchable. Very much looking forward to seeing Indiana in Paquita next week. In fact, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone and everything about Paquita next week. Save us a Paquita Margarita at the bar!

        Unusually in Wheeldon’s works, the costumes were a complete miss. Red unitards of flimsy, transparent fabric that bagged in the knees and legs and unattractively emphasized the cracks in the dancers’ butts. They flattered no one. The skyscape scenery by Kylie Manning was pleasant and worked with the music and the poem but tended to overwhelm what was going on choreographically. 

 

        Our HH Pump Bump Award from Manolo Blahnik is bestowed upon Daniel Ulbricht for his diamond-encrusted performance as the Sigh in Variations Pour Une Porte et Un Soupir.