Author: Oberon
Photo by Jean-Claude Carbonne
Sunday October 26th, 2022 matinee – GRAVITY is the fourth work choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj that I’ve had the pleasure to see. His LA STAVAGANZA and SPECTRAL EVIDENCE for New York City Ballet were unusual and engrossing, and ANNOCIATION – a duet for two women drawing on the bible story and danced by the late, lamented Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet – remains vividly in my mind to this day.
This afternoon, I was able to secure tickets for what has been essentially a sold out run of the choreographer’s GRAVITY at The Joyce. Thank you, Mr. Z!
Described as “a poetic meditation on the force that binds us all…”, GRAVITY is a treasure trove of dance and music. The last time a ballet kept me awake all night was after the 2006 premiere of Jorma Elo’s SLICE TO SHARP for the Diamond Project at New York City Ballet. The music Elo chose, by Biber and Vivaldi, gave a stellar group of dancers – Maria Kowroski, Ana Sophia Scheller, Sofiane Sylve, Wendy Whelan, Joaquin de Luz, Craig Hall, Edwaard Liang, and Amar Ramasar – wings on which to fly. Brilliance everywhere! The opening night drew a six-minute ovation.
M. Preljocaj’s GRAVITY was danced by twelve dancers, and though their names are not familiar to me, their physical prowess and compelling artistry gave me the same thrill as that lineup of NYCB gods and goddesses in the Elo.
The afternoon commenced with an announcement that, due to Visa red-tape, the lighting crew of Ballet Preljocaj had been denied entry to the USA. Racing against time, tech people from The Joyce were able to devise – via phone calls with their French counterparts – a lighting scheme that saved the show.
GRAVITY opens in near darkness; to ominous sounds, the slumbering dancers slowly awaken. A feeling of wonderment develops as they rise and commence a dance in slow motion. As the individuals draw closer to one another, a sense of community flourishes. They form a circle in a pool of light. One woman (whose name I wish I knew) has a remarkable solo: staying on her mark, she poses in arabesque, arms gently caressing the air, turning ever so slowly as she hypnotically alters her pose with amazing steadiness and poise.
The men, clad in skirts, perform a ritual dance in unison; to the sound of the harpsichord, the women join. Suddenly, explosive drumming bursts forth, and an octet is danced slowly to shifting percussion rhythms. The stage clears; two couples approach from opposing wings, the men prone on the floor, dragging themselves along. A pas de quatre is danced to a gorgeous violin theme; the partnering is sublime, laced with touches of wit as the piano joins in the music. A feeling of intimacy evolves, the partnering becoming quirky; the music turns poignant, the dancing increasingly poetic. This segment was an outstanding part of an outstanding ballet: endless fascination.
A sudden burst of animantion to pulsing music feels urgent, and a bit threatening. Some floor work from the dancers as the lighting responds to the marvelous, cinematic music. Three couples appear, the men abandoning the women, who lie on the backs like corpses. Soft eerie sounds accompany the women in a unison passage…incredible.
The music then goes for Baroque, with a stylized sextette by be-skirted couples. In silence, two men carry what appear to be corpses of two women wearing helmets. Piano music sounds, the helmets are removed and the men leave the women to dance a duet to metallic sounds.
An insistent beat brings all twelve dancers onstage for a ritualistic passage; a male duo beomes a trio. A machine-gun rhythm leads to a sonic swoosh. Two women in white have an amazing duet in which their hands develop a propeller motif of mind-boggling speed.
All the dancers, clad in white, now form a circle as the familiar music of Ravel’s Bolero commences. They dance about, creating shapes with their arms, the group expanding and contracting as the music expands its relentless beat. If filmed from above, these patterns would have a kaleidoscopic effect.
An ending seems to have been reached, but there is a coda. As the dancers are gently lain down to rest, the lone mystery woman from the ballet’s opening resumes her slow, expressive solo: her steadiness and control are fascinating to behold; her dance becomes a benediction.
The moment darkness fell, the entire packed house stood up as one and gave the dancers a tumultuous ovation. They had to come forward to bow repeatedly as waves of applause surged and shouts of acclamation filled the hall. At last, M. Preljocaj dashed onto the stage, greeted by whoops of delight.
~ It was a special day for me as my guest was Elaine Aronson; in 1974, Elaine and I danced together in a production of COPPELIA given on Cape Cod. Over the ensuing years, I often wondered where she was and what she was doing. By chance, I recenty found her on Facebook, e-messaged her, and we met up. Miraculously, she now lives in Manhattan after having spent 40 years in Los Angeles. This afternoon’s Preljocaj masterpiece was a perfect way to celebrate our reunion.
Curtain call photo by Elaine.
~ Oberon
Oberon's Glade 