Haglund's Heel

NYCB 9/22 NYCB takes Balanchine's RV out for a fast spin

911:    911 operator, what is your emergency?

Caller:    The ballerinas are out there drag racing again in the street by Damrosch Park. I can smell the rubber burning and the noise is not exactly music to my ears.

911:    Oh no! Are you sure?

Caller:    Yes, it sounds like they're running the RV at top speed from one end of the block to the other.  What is it with these women? They put on pink and all of a sudden they think they can go out and create a commotion.

911:    A patrol car is on its way. Stay inside. Thank you for calling 911.

[What the cops saw.]

Oh my goodness, what a night it was in the theater. Just to clarify, there was no civil disturbance and the crowd was well-behaved. New York City Ballet was simply dancing the dings out of Balanchine's Raymonda Variations on the third night of the season. This ballet has nothing to do with the story of Raymonda that Petipa created. It's a series of virtuoso solos bookended by the spirited dancing of eight corps women and a pair of principals dancing two pas de deux -- all of it set to the same glorious Glazounov music that Petipa used. It ends with one of those "how brave (or crazy) can they be?" moments when the ballerina -- in this case, Megan Fairchild -- says "Hold my beer" and races forward toward the edge of the stage to launch herself straight at the audience with the hope that her partner -- in this case, Anthony Huxley -- will be there to catch her before she goes tumbling head first into the wind section of the orchestra. He was.

The fine soloists included Sara Adams, Baily Jones, Mary Elizabeth Sell and these two -- Emily Kikta and Ashley Hod -- who as a pair pushed out the wings of the stage with their grand allegro in addition to performing their own remarkable variations. Raymonda Variations is not a dance for any ballerina who is afraid of hops on pointe - it's a hopping Hades if ever there was one. Sara Adams' diagonal of forward hops while in an unwavering arabesque were perfection. Anthony Huxley's batterie, so crisp and clear, included a ridiculous series of brisé volé.

The corps de ballet, but for a moment or two of confusion, was gorgeous although we could do without the Vogue-ing mouths that some were displaying. What's up with that?

Indiana Woodward and Taylor Stanley created new interest for us in Duo Concertant. Every time we see a new pairing in this ballet, we see a new story. It was the first time that Haglund observed violinist Sean Lee instead of Maestros Delmoni or Nikkanen on stage. The Stravinsky sounded less bold but more refined making it another new experience for us. Elaine Chelton was the wonderful pianist.

Our other wonderful pianist of the evening was Susan Walters who rocked the pink shoes as the soloist pianist in Piano Pieces -- Jerome Robbins' ballet to Tschaikovsky's melodies. Sebastian Villarini-Velez stepped in for Roman Mejia as Le Petit Cavalier and performed with intense energy and joy. Would like to see more variability and individual musicality in his dancing as opposed to straight line winds impact.

Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan were gorgeous in the Reverie but Sara's neck seemed stiff during the Natha Waltz. Her blond hair was stunning in a unique twist but that made the lack of movement of the head all the more apparent. Would a Ratmansky-preferred low bun (which Sara also wears beautifully) encourage her to use her head and neck, we mean really use it, not just a slight turn of the eyes or chin? But these two dancers as well as the other pairs made Haglund realize that he likes this ballet more than Robbins' Dances at a Gathering which Piano Pieces now and then resembles.

Tiler Peck and Joseph Gordon in the November Troika were playful -- each with a commanding presence in their solos, as well.

But the highlight of this ballet was the Chant d'Automme performed by Mira Nadon and Aaron Sanz. My goodness, are they ever attractive together. Both have luxurious length in their lines, classical carriage, and an ultra sensitive relationship with their music. Their pas de deux was so seamless and beautiful that we did not want it to end. So, we'll toss them the H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Chamandi stiletto available at Bergdorf Goodman for $840, with the hope that we will see them together a lot in the future.

 

 

NYCB 9/21 Divertimento No. 15, Scotch Symphony, La Sonnambula

After a day of chasing away recurring thoughts about redecorating the apartment in yellow and white with blue accents, Haglund plopped down in a seat in one of the theater rings so that he could gaze down upon the beauty of Barbara Karinska’s tutus in Divertimento No. 15. Madame Karinska was Ukrainian; so it comes as no surprise that she knew how to put together the national colors of yellow and blue in their most exquisite fashion. Tonight her tutus were worn by a taller cast of Ashley Hod, Emily Kikta, Isabella LaFreniere, Ashley Laracey, and Tiler Peck in performances that were just as stunning as the previous evening's but included individual detailing.

Ashley Hod’s intelligent musicality was pure pleasure to watch. She delivered it with such spontaneity in unexpected places that it made us think that we were seeing the variation for the first time. Meanwhile, Tiler Peck chaînéd the designs atop the pancake tutu like they were loose glass in a kaleidoscope. It is such a relief to see her dancing full force again. All the women danced with grandness but always with a sense of generosity as well.

 

Joseph Gordon repeated his brilliant performance from the prior evening. Davide Riccardo and Aaron Sanz dazzled in their allegro and allowed each of their partners to appear to dance effortlessly.

 

Scotch Symphony was led by Sterling Hyltin, Anthony Huxley, and Olivia MacKinnon debuting as the pink footed soloist in the red kilt. It was quite the celebratory debut, successful in every way, and with the added pleasure of her sister Mary dancing close by in the corps with nearly combustible pride and joy. 

 

As the Scotchman and the sylph-like lassie, Anthony Huxley and Sterling Hyltin were everything one could ask for in this ballet: beauty, partnering ease, joyous expression, perfection in form, complementary musicality. It was a tremendous joy to watch them.

 

In the opening night review, we forgot to compliment the fine dancing of Alec Knight and Victor Abreu as the demi-soloists in Scotch Symphony. So happy to see Alec dancing in top form and hope to see him featured in more prominent roles.

 

La Sonnambula’s all-debuting cast included Unity Phelan and Harrison Ball as the Sleepwalker and Poet, Jared Angle and Georgina Pazcoguin as the Baron and Coquette, and creating a striking impression as the Harlequin was Cainan Weber. Unity was lovely and had no issues with the choreography, but she motored it along slightly over-charged and too expansively rather than gently bourreeing along with tiny steps that made the sleepwalker appear to almost float. 

 

Harrison Ball was outstanding as the Poet, so expressive and believable. The wonderment on his face as the sleepwalker stepped over his arm was real. His own dancing impeccable and clear — here, another dancer who has set high standards for himself. For that we bestow the evening’s HH Pump Bump Award, a little black stiletto by a favored designer, upon Harrison Ball.

 

 

NYCB 9/20 Opening Night

It was as though the morning sun rose to shine upon the beginning of NYCB’s 2022-2023 season. A bevy of ballerinas wearing Karinska’s warm yellow and soft white tutus with blue trim stood motionless just long enough to make the audience gasp at their sight before taking flight in Balanchine’s wondrous choreography of Divertimento No. 15.  Oh it’s true that many of us consider the anthemic Serenade as the perfect start to any season. The emotional Tchaikovsky always triggers spine chills and weepiness. Mozart’s bright Divertimento, on the other hand, made us feel like we should be toasting the start of the season with a glass of bubbly. 

It’s been said that Mozart had a taste for luxurious clothing. Elegance to the point of extravagance was his daily fashion. Karinska, to her great credit, captured not only Mozart’s sense of elegance in her designs but captured his fondness for nankeen with a little added sunbeam. Don’t expect to ever see a more beautiful tutu on stage than her creation for this ballet.

 

Our cast arrived determined to please Mozart, Balanchine, Karinska, and the evening’s audience. Joseph Gordon astonished with the strength of the statements made with his dancing and the clear punctuation of his musical phrases. It is just thrilling whenever we encounter a dancer who is compelled to take his brilliant artistry to an even higher level. Gordon has set some very high standards for himself, and we can’t help but cheer him on with our appreciation. Megan Fairchild flew through the allegro as though she were a top whose string had just been pulled sharply. Emilie Gerrity’s warm serenity and sure-footedness, Sara Adams’ sparkling speed, Erica Pereira’s new elegance about the neck and shoulders, and Unity Phelan’s crystalline lines and opulently arched feet more than did justice to the music, choreography, and costumes. Harrison Coll and Sebastian Villarini-Velez managed both sizzling allegro and gallant partnering. The corps de ballet was gorgeous although we would rather have seen Alexa Maxwell and Christina Clark in yellow soloist tutus instead of white. 

 

Scotch Symphony received a performance of mixed qualities. Baily Jones as the Scottish soloist was delightful and danced with impressive articulation. She’s a lovely, lovely dancer but her tiny stature prevents much projection out to the audience. When she’s dancing far down stage, she commands our attention. Otherwise, not so. Jovani Furlan in the male lead held the performance together with his natural sense of drama and beautiful dancing. But the ballet could not withstand the stale dancing of Ashley Bouder who was far from the level of fitness that is normally required on NYCB’s stage. The steps were there, alright, but not much else in the way of performance or balletic beauty. The extra flesh in her arms and shoulders made her arms look even more short and stocky than usual. Her swollen size made her head look too small for her body. What is going on here? Why is this dancer who obviously lacks professional discipline equivalent to her colleagues permitted to throw her weight around and bulldoze her way onto the stage? Similarly, senior corps member Laine Habony has not been able to recover her pre-pandemic fitness and looks particularly bulky and pedestrian along side her colleagues. The ruffles around her waistline In La Sonnambula made the size of her girth even more apparent. 

 

It’s a common theme among dancers who cannot or will not commit to a fitness regime that can produce professional results to criticize the ballet culture as being unfair or out of date. It’s not. The standards are high but not as high as elsewhere. Imagine being in the NFL and being weighed and measured every single day, being told what to eat every day, having your execution speed and accuracy measured every single day, and then being cut from the team when your numbers are fed into a formula and come up below the median. If dancers want the public to perceive them as professional “athletes” as well as artists, they’d better live up to the standards. Stop whining about how unfair ballet is to the average person when the average audience member doesn’t ever want to see the average person on stage. Haglund doesn’t ever in a million years want to see himself “represented” on stage. Not kidding. We come to see the extraordinary, the better-than-we-could-ever-hope-to be physical instruments engaging in Balanchine’s masterpieces which have always required an aesthetic of length and line. Bouder should not be featured in any role until she can recover her professional fitness and eliminate her bulk, and she certainly should not be permitted to stand in the way of other dancers who are at the height of their powers and would thrill the audience in the same role. Her time is up. 

 

La Sonnambula closed the evening with outstanding performances from Taylor Stanley and Sterling Hyltin as the Poet and Sleepwalker, Sara Mearns as the Coquette, Andrew Veyette as the Baron, and the ever remarkable Daniel Ulbricht as the Harlequin. Ulbricht’s commitment to perfection has been our privilege to watch for an amazing two decades. 

 

In his role debut, Taylor Stanley captured his poet’s delight and disbelief at the Sleepwalker’s unusual parasomnia. His theatrical gifts are extraordinary and so wide-ranging that NYCB really needs to have a choreographer come in to make a piece which exploits his dramatic weight. (Would love to see him take on Robert Fairchild’s role in Spectral Evidence.) Sterling Hyltin's fleeting bourrees and eerie remoteness conveyed the perfect combination of delicacy and trance that seized our attention at her every step. 

 

We were ecstatic over the Pas de Deux performed by corps members Jacqueline Bologna and Maxwell Read. We’ve been paying new attention to Bologna in the past few seasons since she has achieved a streamlined silhouette that makes her classical lines stand out and emphasizes her very lovely legs and feet. She was sensational in the Theme section of The Four Temperaments in the recent past. Read is in steady development, too. Sometimes his level of energy soars beyond his stretched lines, but we’re watching him with great interest.

 

The season’s first H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Sophia Webster beauty available at Saks for $895, is bestowed upon Joseph Gordon who has become one of the company’s most prominent standard makers.

 

 

 

 

 

And we're off and running . . .

Yesterday the New York Giants announced that they were hiring their first "Intimacy Director on a pilot basis to care for the physical and emotional well-being of the players." Veteran Center Phil Bendover said that while he had always been comfortable with Eli Manning’s hands tucked into his crotch, he was less so with the young Daniel Jones who could get a little frisky during the excitement of the game. Daniel, in his own defense, said that the Center was just trying to be the center of attention by suggesting that he has been or could be the victim of a quarterback’s swift and hidden fingerings.

 

Oh wait. Haglund is confused again, or still. It wasn’t the New York Giants who hired the Intimacy Director; it was the New York City Ballet. Yep, it’s like a strip out of Doonesbury. Our donations are now going to pay Intimacy Director Zipper to give the dancers psychological tummy rubs.

 

Intimacy Director Zipper:    Miss Boopsie, are you feeling threatened by this Stravinsky Violin Concerto choreography that you are not even cast in?

Miss Boopsie:    Yes, I am, I always have, and I will continue to be thweatened by it until I get cast in it. 

Intimacy Director Zipper:    But you realize that black & white leotard ballets are not – ahem – your best look. 

Miss Boopsie:    What??!! You’re thweatening me with your microaggressions! I’ve been studying all about that in college.

Intimacy Director Zipper:    College, as in college? I’m speechless. Come here and let me pet your little head.

 

Miss Boopsie:    Okay, I feel so much better. I feel so present and validated and in control and important to everyone. Thank you, Zipper. Now, can you get me a gig teaching at SAB where I'm basically banned because of that time I snuck into the dorm for a hoochie-coochie with a student?

 

Intimacy Director Zipper:   I'm speechless.

Well, enough about that.

 

We're very excited about the start of NYCB's Fall Season. That curious artistic decision to slot the sleepy La Sonnambula as a closer is finally coming into focus now that we observe that Taylor Stanley and Harrison Ball will debut as The Poet during the run. Each of these artists can be expected to bring a powerful and uniquely dramatic reading to his free verse.

 

Our most favorite costumes return to the stage with Divertimento No. 15. If that wasn't exciting enough, the ballet will be loaded up with our extraordinary soloists and the supremely talented Davide Riccardo.

 

Raymonda Variations should be thrilling if the conductor accommodates the corps and soloists with their preferred blistering tempi. And Tchaikovsky PdD soars back onto the stage with Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia. Given how these two hauled ass in Allegro Brilliante on consecutive nights at the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center last month, we can say that both artists' spines are in fine, flexible shape, and Tiler may be enjoying her own renaissance. Holy moly, did anyone else see that?

 

We also bought some tickets to ABT's upcoming Fall Season. Mark Ryden's designs and costumes for Whipped Cream are going to look fantastical on the Koch Theater stage. No one should pass by the opportunity to witness his imagination in all its magical grandness in the theater. If that wasn't enough, audiences will be treated to Jonathan Klein's reprisal of The Boy. Herman Cornejo's Puck should not be missed. It's likely that this will be the last time that we see Herman, Gillian Murphy, and Cory Stearns in The Dream. Each has had a much too abbreviated run in this ballet over their careers. Stearns is so Dowell-like that at times one thinks one is watching the original. The casting of Ratmansky's The Seasons has been mostly refreshed and will provide a good opportunity to see what some of the newer corps dancers can really do.

 

Off we go . . .

 

Amar Ramasar's Farewell When the entire season turns out to be a festival

Rebirth, renewal, healing, immortality, eternal fire. New York City Ballet’s Spring Season could have been called Festival of the Phoenix. Down the artists went due to injury and positive COVID tests — one at a time, sometimes four, five, six at a time — up rose artists who stepped in to propel the season forward; down more dancers went, up rose others. And so it went for six weeks. By the end of the season on Sunday, every dancer on that stage had raised his or her performance level beyond what even, I don’t know, beyond what even Mom could expect. 

 

These days astonishingly brilliant and sensitive artists are NYCB’s pocket change. Each day Artistic Director Stafford jingles the shiny coins in his pocket and muses “What shall I pull out today? Perhaps this silver dollar of the statuesque Lady Liberty with flowing hair? Or maybe I’ll flip the gold double eagle onto the stage tonight.” Deep, deep pockets of talent.

 

This was a season when Stravinsky and Robbins shared the spotlight with Balanchine. The two weeks of ballets to Stravinsky’s music served as a deep cleansing that released our primitive responses to his rhythms. In Symphony in Three Movements, Ashley Laracey was suddenly recruited to dance the lead in every performance in place of Sterling Hyltin and Tiler Peck and also had to dance her lead in Stravinsky Violin Concerto that same week. One would have expected that the taxing week would end with appearances of fatigue. Instead, Ashley’s stamina and authority visibly grew throughout the grueling week and culminated in — you guessed it — COVID. So we got gypped out of her debut as Polyhymnia in Apollo the following week. 

 

Stravinsky once said “What gives the artist real prestige is his imitators.” In the midst of the Stravinsky Festival came a new collaboration by former NYCB dancer Silas Farley and composer David K. Israel entitled Architects of Time. The musical genesis was a tune that Balanchine thought up for Stravinsky’s birthday and which Stravinsky later elaborated with harmonies. Israel used the tune as a basis for a composition that was Stravinsky-like but also tended to swerve into cinema-type music. It was very listenable. Farley’s choreography was far more sophisticated than anticipated - unlike his earlier work of classroom style combinations. The corps work showed real imagination, organization, and musicality. The solos, less so, and there was a need for more dancers on stage to augment the soloists; but we’re confident that this skill will develop and we look forward to seeing more of his classical-based work. The whole of the piece was a very pleasant experience helped in no small way by the handsome red, gold, and maroon costumes designed by Farley’s wife, Cassia. 

 

All of the corps dancers in Farley’s piece were wonderfully appealing. Our eyes were drawn to the crisp lines and emphatic dancing of tall Samuel Melnikov and petite Lauren Collett. Subsequently, we learned that the tall dancer in the back line of SAB students in Scherzo a la Russe who monopolized our attention was also a Collett — a taller one. Does it seem to anyone else that the second batch of siblings that comes out of SAB is usually taller than the first? Hopefully we’ll see both of these sisters dancing side by side in the corps very soon.

 

As a lead up to a short week of Robbins programing, Stravinsky/Robbins The Cage arrived with a brilliant arachnoid debut by Alexa Maxwell as The Novice. She shot right to the top with this one — an interpretation so developed and detailed that one could sense the sticky spider silk oozing from her glands as she prepared her victims, Chun Wai Chan and Jonathan Fahoury. Chilling was her expression after snapping Fahoury’s neck. Then a half hour later he was standing gallantly behind her in Rubies. We think we noticed a little extra snap of his own that he delivered on a few of the lifts — which was only fair.

 

The Robbins program of Piano Pieces and The Four Seasons was a pleasant combination (always love the one-intermission evenings) that along with The Cage and the Kastchei section of Firebird reminded us of Robbins’ versatility and imagination. Piano Pieces is not Dances at a Gathering at all, but a result of the evolutionary process. The pas de deux by Emilie Gerrity and Jovani Furlan was one of the most intimate, communicative performances of the season. Furlan’s hopeful search for his partner’s eyes was like something one might observe happening between a couple on a bench in Central Park. The sensitivity of that performance put Haglund squarely in the Furlan fan corner. 

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream enjoyed one of its most extraordinary seasons in recent memory. Unity Phelan was a stunning beauty as Titania — benevolent, light as air, strong as steel, as genuine a character as could be. We couldn’t stop marveling at the rotation of her legs in developpes and how her feet powered her limbs so easily from position to position. The battements to six o’clock penche supported arabesques looked like they were driven by gusts of wind. Emilie Gerrity also debuted as a very lovely Titania, slightly more reserved than Unity but nevertheless impressive.

 

Daniel Ulbricht’s Oberon combined comedic expression with skimming allegro to be the most theatrically Shakespearean of this year’s crew.  Anthony Huxley danced his Oberon with his coveted clarity and musicality. Roman Mejia’s excitement sometimes got the best of him in his unscheduled Oberon debut. His first beat combination inexplicably finished in a widely opened first position; his face held an expression of “OMG, where am I in this variation?” Roman has a charming theatrical manner and natural rapport with the audience, but he beats up every phrase and doesn’t pay attention to his lines, especially when he’s in the air. The lovely burning embers of Fall colors in The Four Seasons became his Flames of Paris with the entire city burning down. His Oberon couldn’t stop grabbing at the audience with grins and head whips. Youth is on his side. Hopefully, some of these issues will resolve themselves because NYCB doesn’t really need an Ivan Vasiliev trampling over Balanchine’s choreography. Harsh, perhaps, but we adore this dancer.

 

Harrison Ball’s Puck was a masterpiece. Oh my goodness. A little dose of Nijinsky released all the elfish mischief of this magical Puck. His dramatic extremes were perfectly calculated in every respect. Such wonderful theatrical delivery and beautiful dancing, especially the accelerating jetes. 

 

Alexa Maxwell’s Butterfly and Emily Kikta’s Hippolyta were mere hints of how important these two artists are going to be to the company’s future. Each dancer raised the bar on her role and re-set our expectations for all future performances by anyone. Within the corps, it was hard not to see the future Titania and Oberon in Christina Clark and Davide Riccardo. Both are such eye-catching dancers with scrupulous technique.

 

Andrew Veyette began the Divertissement with the luminous Sterling Hyltin gently guiding her through jumps and turns. At the conclusion of his variation, he threw off a rock solid four or five revolution pirouette in salute to the man of the hour. And so began the audience’s salute to Amar Ramasar.

 

Loved by the audience for more than two decades of which nearly 13 years were spent as a Principal Dancer, Amar was closing out his career with a bum calf which necessitated Veyette to sub for him during the first half of the Divertissement. Amar, you may recall, was in the spectacular promotion class of Tyler Angle, Tiler Peck, Teresa Reichlen, and Robert Fairchild - a class seemingly destined for drama but that’s all we’ll say about that.

 

Not always the prince but very close by, Amar was a prized partner who made each of his ballerinas look her most brilliant. Audiences especially loved him for his mastery of Balanchine’s black & white ballets. He put out so much effort and energy that he often looked spent by the end of the ballet but spent with a high wattage smile that reached every heart in the theater. His custom throughout his career has been to tap his heart as he leaves the front of the curtain after bows. Yesterday he tapped. We tapped back. He tapped. We tapped back. For about 20 minutes. He was consumed by gratitude and love for his colleagues and audience. We were consumed by gratitude and love for the artist.

 

The occasion of Amar’s retirement happily brought several people who we have missed back into the theater: Gonzalo Garcia, Joaquin De Luz, Maria Kowroski, Zachary Catazaro, and most notably Peter Martins who created the opportunities for Amar to study ballet, have a career, and to blossom into the unique and adored artist that he became. Spotting Martins standing in the side aisle, Amar made his way to the stage corner, dropped off the side of the stage and gave him a huge hug -- completing this artist's cycle from start to finish.

 

Our H.H. Pump Award, Daniela Auribe's Love Yourself stiletto, is bestowed upon Amar Ramasar for more than two decades of his beautiful artistry. What a pleasure it has been to watch.

 

 

 

Bad form in ballet

Maybe it’s their therapists’ fault. The oh-so-sensitive artists run off to therapy to make the case how they feel victimized by the employer, society, or the world. 

The artist cries, "They’ve done this to me. I didn’t fall out of shape, lose technique, get injured, grow older, become distracted, or start coasting because of my own doing. It was their fault.” 

 

The therapist says, “Life certainly should not be this unfair to you. Stand up for yourself. You’re strong enough to do that. That will be $200. Let’s continue our sessions three times per week.” 

 

The artist exclaims, “I feel so much better after our sessions. I’m empowered!” 

 

The therapist baits, “Of course you are empowered - that will be another $50 - assert yourself. Blow your horn. Go after what you want.” 

 

The artist asks, “Blow my horn? You mean, create a kerfuffle?” 

 

The therapist says, “If that’s what you need to do. Actually, I hate to say this, but - your time’s up for today.”

 

The surprised artist whines, “My time’s up?”

 

The therapist says, “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

 

Oh, good lord, what is there to say about these few obnoxious, over-entitled dancers who think that life owes them fairness and that they have every right to cat-scratch anyone who gets in their way. In the past few weeks, we have seen such ugliness from artists who we once admired for their dancing. They can’t currently dance, so they have to find some other way to grab the spotlight. It is and always has been a matter of grabbing the spotlight - any way they can get it.

 

In a week when a new brightly talented soloist stepped in to carry all of the performances of Firebird because other artists were injured, did the injured artists offer support and encouragement? Hell, no. Instead, they resorted to microaggressions by posting pictures of themselves as the Firebird on Instagram to remind everyone that they are the true owners of role and to try to dim enthusiasm for the debuting dancer. One injured artist, in particular, posted a mugshot of herself in Firebird headgear with a menacing expression, purportedly to convey unhappiness about the political climate, when in fact she wanted everyone to know how pissed off she was at not being the center of attention on stage as the Firebird.

 

In a week when the brilliance of the Balanchine/Stravinsky collaboration is being celebrated at NYCB, an injured dancer reaches out to the New York Times to convey how he is uncomfortable with the choreography and with playing the role it requires. Imagine this scenario. The veteran line worker at the Pringles factory in Podunk walks into the supervisor’s office and says, “You know, I’m not comfortable making Pringles any more. They are full of fat, sodium, and artificial ingredients. They can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer if people eat them. And, they can be addictive. I’m just not comfortable making these Pringles any more. What should we do, Boss?” We imagine that certain NYCB dancers would answer that Pringles manufacturing should be halted or the recipe should be changed. In their world, their sanctimony is just as important as their saut de chat.

 

In a week when New York City Ballet’s artistry has soared under its new leadership and new generation of dancers, a retired artist whose dancing should have required her to retire years earlier decided to air her gossipy, Page Six type family drama in The New York Times where the catchline All the news that’s fit to print has become All the views that are fit to skip. At her final performance, the complaining dancer's conditioning and technical level were mediocre. Regardless of the number of years that she may have chalked up as a dancer, she did not at that moment possess the qualifying skills to stand on New York City Ballet’s stage. But she was determined to celebrate herself, and New York City Ballet generously allowed her to do so even if it made the audience cringe.

 

What dancers do best is dance. We admire them so much when they present their best feet forward. Microaggressions, self-pity, ugly anger that can’t mask the underlying selfishness, and striking out at those who made their careers possible is damaging way beyond their chosen words. The end of a career should not come as a brutal fight to the finish line or an “I’ll die on this hill before giving it up” battle. Class counts for a lot. Every dancer should remember that.

 

Class counts.

 

NYCB Firebird Red is her color

Haglund's phone was ringing off the hook at the beginning of the week with calls from Weidman, Michigan. The Incredible Dr. Pol was being a nuisance.

"Haglund, can you please get me tickets to Isabella LaFreniere's Firebird? I need to see this!"
"Like I told you yesterday, Dr. Pol, a lot of people have been asking and I'm tapped out. Can I suggest that you contact Ms. LaFreniere directly?"
"The first time I saw her I knew that Michigan had produced another avian miracle who could eventually fly as high as our Maria Kowroski from Grand Rapids. These Firebirds are a rare sight up here - almost as rare as the Sirens who can charm the winds off the Lakes."
"Both are Pure Michigan, Dr. Pol, but I'm still tapped out."
"Okay, I'll call Maria. She owes me from when I consulted on a wing repair back in the day."

We can't confirm whether Dr. Pol has yet made it to Isabella's Firebird, but we can confirm that her first two performances were indeed miraculous. Red is her color. Rare is her quality. Her entrance, a simple arrival and pose on pointe, was breathtakingly beautiful. There she stood under the spotlight, still as could be yet storing up the energy she would need to take flight if a predator suddenly appeared. And then came Ivan -- Jared Angle on the first night and Amar Ramasar on the second night, each debuting as was Isabella in the role of the Firebird.

Unlike the Firebird who can't resist dramatizing the character as Odette or the other Firebird who fashions herself as the bold huntress from Sylvia, this Firebird possessed a palette of colors in her interpretation that emphasized avian beauty and ease of flight. Her slightly exaggerated nervous stress at encountering Ivan and the almost immediate comfort in his caring arms was light with a touch of humor - this Firebird could have come from a fairy tale in the Little Golden Books Collection. Wondrous, brave, resplendent in line and carriage, she jumped effortlessly as though lifted by the winds, not pushed by power. Isabella's brightly painted Firebird elevated this fantastical production to new heights.

Both Jared and Amar projected the benevolence of Ivan while providing Isabella with their superb partnering skills. Emilie Gerrity and Miriam Miller shared the role of Ivan's Bride. Each increased the prominence of this role through the breadth and musicality of their dancing. And oh, oh, oh that Kastchei and his subjects -- one of whom nearly flattened Amar with the force of a horizontal body slam against his gut. It's hard not to admit that what brings the crowds out for the Firebird are its production values and Stravinsky's storytelling ability. The Chagall scenery and costume designs from 1945 are after nearly 80 years still spectacularly imaginative. That level of art is a treasure.

Preceding the Firebird was Balanchine's Symphony in Three Movements. The first performance didn't have the energy that we expected, likely due to the stress of so many late substitutions, but things certainly did pick up on the second night. Emma Von Enck, in a debut as the first pink leotard out on stage chasing after Troy Schumacher, pumped the je ne sais quois into this role that has been mostly missing. Even when this dancer is standing perfectly still, she is crackling with energy. Emilie Gerrity and Ashley Laracey completed the triptych each displaying sharply articulated lines and expansiveness. The Pas de Deux by Ashley and Taylor Stanley was beautiful for its warmth of rapport and the artists' sinewy interweaving arms. The corps de ballet was not as interesting as when there was a definitive slope in heights among the ladies in white. There are now just two tall dancers anchoring the downstage end with a muddling of heights moving upstage. Among the ladies in black leotards, Olivia MacKinnon caught our eye for her new confidence and very stretched lines. However, another of that crew continually had such a pained look on her face that we thought she might be going through intense labor without anesthesia.

The program also included a musical introduction of Stravinsky's Fireworks played powerfully by the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Why hasn't this orchestra had a date at Carnegie Hall? The Met Opera Orchestra plays there. The New York Phil plays there. Other local orchestras play there. Haglund was thinking about this a lot during last week's honey fest of Mozart, Debussy, Tschaikovsky and Hindemith.

Following the brief Fireworks, Justin Peck's Scherzo Fantastique received an energized performance by Brittany Pollack, Harrison Coll, Miriam Miller, and KJ Takahashi.

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Isabella LaFreniere for her magnificent and radiant performances of the Firebird. We can't wait for the next two this week.

 

 

NYC Ballet Spring Season Week 2The Soloists Have Taken Over the Franchise

. . . or so it seems.

 

Last week’s second installation of the Masters at Work program was masterful to the fourth power. Brilliant choreography, magnificent selection of music, dazzling dancing, and dynamic conducting made the four performances of Divertimento No. 15, Afternoon of a Faun, Allegro Brillante, and The Four Temperaments the life-affirming experiences that we can only count on New York City Ballet to deliver.

 

First the music. Of course we’re looking forward to the Stravinsky Festival this week and next. And we always love the Tschaikovsky programs when they are scheduled. But last week’s musical honey fest of Mozart, Debussy, Tschaikovsky, and Hindemith was the bees’ knees. All those light, sunny violins in Divertimento, the poetic flutes in Faun, the piano that raced to a Derby finish in Allegro Brillante, and the forceful pondering of the strings in 4Ts with the answering piano were an uplifting musical offering that produced much joy in the soul. Conductor Clotilde Otranto fed the dancers everything they needed in order to perform brilliantly in each piece. She just seems to know how to take the performance to its highest level.

 

Both principal casts of women in Divertimento No. 15 were sublime, elegant beauties who favored the heirloom rose by the same name. The costumes are probably Haglund’s most favorite costumes in all of ballet: pale yellow bodices atop cream tutus with little blue bows. The mere sight of them brings on happiness and optimism.

 

The always polished Sara Adams danced the first variation in both casts with a sophisticated stylishness. Her low port de bras presentation of small développés to the floor possessed a modesty that one doesn’t often find in other Balanchine choreography. Ashley Hod and Erica Periera alternated in the Second Variation; both were lovely and in complete control of the challenging turn combinations. Ashley Laracey and Unity Phelan made poetry out of the Third Variation’s tendues to the front-point back with sweeping port de bras in opposition. Emilie Gerrity and Emily Kikta each boldly danced the Fourth Variation that required grander developpes and a series of pirouettes where the passe preparation was turned-in instead of turned-out. At all four performances, Indiana Woodward beamed brilliantly in the Sixth Variation with her racing piques, prickly point walking, a beautiful diagonal of en dedans/en dehors pirouettes.

 

Except for some musical confusion at the very first performance, all of the men were sensational as well. Principals Joseph Gordon and Peter Walker were equally commanding in their lead variations. It has been so satisfying to watch each of these dancers, who began as wet-behind-the-ears rather skinny corps men not so many years ago, develop into confident, gallant, powerful partners as principal dancers. Their variations included phrases familiar to us from what the ladies had danced, but they were of course done in a more weighted, powered manner.

 

Daniel Applebaum & Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Harrison Coll & Aaron Sanz danced the very challenging Theme at alternate performances. The corps de ballet, except for the first performance, were picture perfect and beautiful in their white and blue tutus.

 

Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun was performed at alternating performances by Sterling Hyltin & Adrian Danchig-Waring and Unity Phelan & Christopher Grant. The pairs had different interpretations of the ballet but each of their performances captivated the viewer. In his role debut, Adrian communicated the narcissism that compelled the dancer to continually gaze at himself in the mirror. While we don’t know for sure, we guess that this was a challenge for the seemingly humble being who focuses on his art without inviting the self to interfere unduly. In a highly individual interpretation, Christopher Grant fixated his eyes on Unity in astonishment and wonder at the beauty of the being who entered his life for this brief interlude. It was as though he was in the middle of a wild dream and he just let it carry him wherever it wanted to go. At bows, he expressed relief and flashed a smile — this guy has a million dollar grill that he all but hides from us.

 

Sterling and Unity chose different interpretations for their roles. Unity’s was more typical of what we see: a beautiful woman, somewhat aloof and distant, intermittently communicative — more of a dreamy vision than a real person. Sterling, on the other hand, was a woman who was very real and present as compared to Adrian’s dream-like quality. Both interpretations were enjoyable.

 

We’re grateful for having had the opportunity to see Tiler Peck in four performances of Allegro Brillante in one week: two opposite Roman Mejia and two opposite Tyler Angle. She seemed in much better, less fragile condition than over the winter season, which is good to see. Sometimes the arabesque drooped a bit but plenty of times it was strong and clear. She delivered great speed and lovely turns although she chose to opt out of triple pirouettes on a couple of occasions.

 

What Roman lacks in line, he makes up for with energy and excitement. Allegro Brillante is the closest he will get to Don Q at NYCB. So why not throw the head and hair in the downstage corner when the opportunity presents itself? We’re not really complaining. He did a fine job and performed with his signature fire and fury. His partnering is much improved, but he still has a ways to go to match Tyler Angle’s skills which are still supreme.

 

The Four Temperaments was absolutely thrilling at each performance. Both casts of Sanguinic — Ashley Hod with Peter Walker and Emilie Gerrity with Gilbert Bolden — tussled magnificently. The Sanguinista Guerrillas (Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini) wore take-no-prisoners expressions as they marched ferociously behind Ms. Sanguinic.

 

Amar Ramasar signed off on Phlegmatic with a huge performance. One sensed how he savored every moment like he was trying to store away treasure for safekeeping. A well deserved solo curtain bow sent the loving audience into a tizzy. 

 

Emily Kikta’s Choleric shot out of a cannon to land mid-stage and then she used her powerful limbs to gun down everything in her way. This lady was angry, no two ways about it. We were glad that she got it out of her system in time to deliver such beauty at the next performance in Divertimento No. 15. It has been such a pleasure to see this artist finally unleashed. Haglund still remembers when Peter Martins introduced her to us almost ten years ago in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. She had joined the corps the prior summer and made such an entrance and impression in the ballet that we simply could not stop thinking about her and looking forward to her every performance. She has shone spectacularly in every role she has danced. 

 

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, Alexander McQueen’s pale yellow crystal embellished sandal, is bestowed upon Emily Kikta for her bold, beautiful dancing in Divertimento No. 15 and in Choleric.

 

 

 

Jacques' Place -- Be there on May 5 @ 5:00 p.m.

May 5th is the day.

That controversial "corner" of West 64th and Broadway -- controversial because some claim the "corner" doesn't exist -- will be formally co-named in honor of Jacques d'Amboise. The festivities start at 5:00 p.m. on the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center. There will be a performance by Jacques' National Dance Institute kids.

Everyone be there or be square. Dancers should put a half-second pause on self-gratifying Instagram posts to post about this ceremony and encourage everyone to come. And then post a reminder. And then another reminder. And then show up.

Gale Brewer wants you to come. Nobody turns down Gale Brewer in this town:

On Thursday, 5/5 at 5 pm, join me and the National Dance Institute (NDI) at a ceremony co-naming the corner of West 64th and Broadway in honor of Jacques d'Amboise—ballet star, choreographer, arts educator and NDI’s beloved founder. The ceremony will be on Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza and include a brief performance by NDI students.

Martha Swope captured all the great ones, didn't she? However, she definitely would have wanted to click-away on the brand new Faun who debuted tonight. More about that later, but wow...

Borrowed from the New York Public Library's Digital Collections

 

NYCB 4/21 Breakout performances

Several thrilling debuts hit the stage on Thursday night at New York City Ballet. Although this was the same program as opening night, it felt more celebratory, if not victorious. Even the audience was up to the challenge more than on Tuesday. Overheard from two elderly men who were monopolizing the water fountain during intermission: "We have to hydrate for The Goldberg Variations.” Yes, indeed, and isn’t that automatic water fountain at the orchestra level the cat’s whiskers! You just stand in front of it and it squirts into your mouth.

Ashley Hod and Miriam Miller as the Russian Girl and Dark Angel in Serenade, respectively, gave huge “We’ve arrived as new trustees” debuts in Balanchine’s seminal work, arguably, his ballet most recognized and most revered the world over. What a nice change it was to see the Russian Girl performed by a taller dancer who possesses beautiful length and an airy, effortless jump. Both will serve Ashley well when she someday rules the Waltz role. Miriam’s expansive stretch of the legs and lyrical port de bras seemed like her simple but natural response to the music. It was driving her to dance bigger than we’ve ever seen her dance before. Each dancer displayed a perfectly measured emotional response to the music with no artifice or exaggeration.

 

Taylor Stanley’s scrupulous lines and attentiveness were much appreciated in his debut as the cavalier to Sara Mearns’ Waltz Girl. But that aside, there is just something about this performer that draws the eyes to him whenever he is on stage. 

 

A word about the Corps de Ballet — they were lovely as always but need an infusion of taller dancers to replace those who have been promoted. We worry a bit about how the tall end of the line of ladies in white is going to look in Symphony in Three Movements without Miller, LaFreniere, Kikta, Nadon, and Hod. Hopefully there are some new trees growing in SAB who we’ll see soon.

 

It’s easy to understand and appreciate how certain featured corps roles are handed out based on seniority. However, when dancers lose the requisite level of fitness, for whatever reason, they shouldn’t be spotlighted until they recover. There is no such thing as “pleasingly" plump in the NYCB corps de ballet. No amount of hyperextending the elbows or sly side grins can mask when a dancer needs to take steps to regain fitness. Similarly, when principal dancers can no longer meet the allegro requirements of any role or can’t locate their fifth positions, it’s time to find another role to dance. NYCB should not ask the audience to pay money to see Balanchine’s great works danced in a submarginal manner. 

 

A partial cast change helped sustain The Goldberg Variations on Thursday night. Indiana Woodward with Chun Wai Chan, Isabella LaFreniere with Adrian Danchig-Waring, and Sterling Hyltin with Amar Ramasar anchored Part II with a fresh, individual approach. Amar is dancing as well as ever. It’s going to be tough to say farewell next month.

 

One of the biggest differences in the company since the change in directorship has been how superbly prepared debuting dancers have been. Those signs of learning a principal role over lunch to perform it that night seem to have disappeared. New soloists and principals are being developed with great care and attention to detail. They are technically ready for their new roles and possess the self-confidence to imprint them with their individuality. 

 

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, Tom Ford’s locked-up & holding the key blue stiletto, is bestowed upon Ashley Hod and Miriam Miller for their stunningly successful debuts in Serenade.