Author: Philip Gardner

These photographs from Darci Kistler’s farewell gala at New York City Ballet are by Paul Kolnik. Above: Darci with Jared Angle in SWAN LAKE (Act IV of the Peter Martins production).

From Balanchine’s MONUMENTUM PRO GESUALDO: Darci with her partner Charles Askegard are the central couple. Click on the image to enlarge.

Darci and Charles Askegard in MONUMENTUM.

Darci and Sebastien Marcovici in MOVEMENTS.

Ovation: Darci’s family and members of the Company applaud the ballerina at her final curtain calls. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Acknowledging the applause of the packed house.

Scroll down to the next blog entry for more about this performance.

A series of Kokyat’s images from Lydia Johnson’s as-yet-untitled Bach work which premiered at Ailey Citigroup on June 24th, performed by Lydia Johnson Dance.  Above: Jesse Marks.

Click on the images to enhance.

Kerry Shea and Eric Vlach; Laura DiOrio and James Hernandez.

James Hernandez and Laura DiOrio.

Ensemble

Robert Robinson and Jesse Marks

Jesse and Robert

Robert and Jesse. Rehearsal photos of their duet here.

Lydia’s dancers bowing after the premiere: Robert Robinson, Jesse Marks, Kerry Shea, Eric Vlach, Jessica Sand, Lisa Iannacito, James Hernandez and Laura DiOrio. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Finale of Lydia Johnson Dance’s programme at Ailey Citigroup: DREAM SEQUENCE set to songs sung by Dean Martin. Photos by Kokyat. Above: Jessica Sand, Erica Schweer and Lisa Iannacito with John-Mark Owen in the background. Click on images to enhance.

Erica Schweer

Eric Vlach and Jessica Sand

Lisa Iannacito and Josh Kurtzberg.

Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen

Jesse Marks (center)

Jesse Marks (center) with Jessica, Kerry, Erica, Laura, Lisa and Laura Barbee.

Eric Vlach, Jessica Sand, James Hernandez, Laura Barbee

Jesse Marks and Erica Schweer.

Lydia’s dancers take a bow; click on the image to enlarge.

Photography by Kokyat. Check out this Facebook group!

Last night at Ailey Citigroup, Lydia Johnson Dance  opened their evening with IN CONVERSATION, a work Lydia created in 2004-2005 to music of Philip Glass and set for four dancers. In March 2009 on the evening I first met Lydia, IN CONVERSATION was the first of her works that I saw at a studio presentation of excerpts. Both the piece and the dancers spoke so clearly to me that night, and they spoke yet again last night – with such poignancy of expression that I found myself weeping quietly throughout the whole piece. Above: Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen.

Here is a series of Kokyat’s photographs from IN CONVERSATION:

Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen

 Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen

Robert Robinson and John-Mark Owen

Jessica Sand and Robert Robinson

Jessica Sand and Robert Robinson

Jessica & Robert

Kerry Shea

Kerry & John-Mark

Jessica Sand

It is both odd and wonderful that certain pieces of music or the choreographed movements of certain dancers can move us so deeply and summon our emotions with such intense clarity. During IN CONVERSATION last night the world seemed to disappear and it was just Jessica, Kerry, Robert, John-Mark, Philip Glass and me alone together in that darkened space. I felt so grateful to be experiencing such beauty: compensation for the darkness and despair which seem to be ever-encroaching on our world.

My deepest gratitude to Kokyat for his images that will keep this experience alive in my memory.

NOTE: Watch the video of Avi Scher & Dancers performing at the Kennedy Center here.

The Cambodian dancer Sokvannara Sar in rehearsal with choreographer Avi Scher for a performance at the Kennedy Center. Avi has created a solo entitled Garden Dance for Sy with references to traditional Cambodian dance forms and Kokyat was on hand to photograph a rehearsal on May 29, 2010. I’d love to see Avi expand on this allegro solo with one or two additional movements to show the breadth of Sy’s artistry. As it stands now it is a beautiful snapshot of this charismatic dancer.

Here are Kokyat’s images from the rehearsal (click to enlarge):

Sokvannara Sar is the subject of the film DANCING ACROSS BORDERS.

Additional images by Kokyat from this rehearsal here.

Here are more of Kokyat’s photographs from Avi Scher’s rehearsal on May 29, 2010 in preparation for an appearance by Avi Scher & Dancers at the Kennedy Center. Above: Jonathan Mendez and Derrick Agnoletti in TOUCH. Click image for an enhanced view.

You can watch the Kennedy Center performance here.

Victoria North.

Lauren Stewart. Lauren performs with Suzanne Farrell Ballet.

Elizabeth Claire Walker

Shane Ohmer and Jennifer Goodman

Kelsey Coventry

Click on the images below to enlarge.

Derrick Agnoletti and Allison Walsh of the Joffrey Ballet.

Jennifer Goodman & Robert Colby Damon

Victoria &  Colby

Derrick Agnoletti, Allison Walsh and Jonathan Mendez.

All photos by Kokyat. More from this rehearsal here and here.

Saturday May 29, 2010 evening – Continuing their Architecture of Dance festival, New York City Ballet tonight presented the world premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s ESTANCIA.  Above, Tyler Angle and Tiler Peck rehearsing the Wheeldon in an Andrea Mohin photo…

…and the same two dancers in performance, photo by Paul Kolnik.

 

Set to a score by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (above), Christopher’s story ballet about a city boy who comes to a country ranch and wins a senorita’s heart after he tames a wild horse was a genuine hit with the audience tonight : there were roars of approval for the dancers, singer, musicians, costume designer and the choreographer when the bows were taken.

Baritone Philip Cutlip (above) speaks and later sings (handsomely) about life on the ranch as a large corps of dancers in simple cowboy/country dress create the community of farm workers with their daily chores and villagers from nearby. The young city slicker (Tyler Angle) comes to the ranch looking for fresh air and a new beginning; he is smitten with the vivacious Tiler Peck (understandably) but she’s not having any of it. When a herd of wild horses pass by, Tiler grabs her lariat and tames one of them. The boy tries to ride the frisky horse and is thrown, losing ground with Tiler and the locals. He takes it as his task to tame a horse of his own and he succeeds, winning the girl’s heart and acceptance into the family of rancheros.

Turning this simple narrative into dance was the challenge that Christopher set for himself and, buoyed by the colorful orchestration and rhythmic variety of the Ginastera score, he creates a ballet quite unique in the Company’s repertoire. Central to the piece is a magnificent duet for Tiler and Tyler in which their love is expressed in partnering that is both risky and romantic, reflecting their youthful impetuosity and their increasingly tender feelings for each other. It ends as they lay down to sleep. Tiler and Tyler shared a much-deserved joint triumph as they were recalled to the stage several times by the wildly enthusiastic audience.

The two scenes of horse-taming are brilliantly depicted as five dancers in wonderfully inventive costumes leap and cavort wildly, led by Andrew Veyette who is given some extraordinary combinations which he carries off with bravado. Adding another exciting portrayal to her gallery, Georgina Pazcoguin deserves a special Playbill listing and a solo bow: as the mare that Tyler tames, she’s fantastic.

Santiago Calatrava’s design for the front drop: a herd of cattle fancifully depicted.

The Calatrava backdrop evokes the wide open spaces.

Rehearsal photo of Christopher working with the corps by Paul Kolnik. I’m hoping for some production photos soon.  Among the girls at the ranch, Maya Collins continually caught my eye with her sparkling performance – she was in all three ballets tonight and was delightful in each.  

A revival of Balanchine’s DANSES CONCERTANTES opened the evening.The Eugene Berman setting with its fantasy drop curtain and the colorful costumes give the piece a music-hall feel and the Stravinsky score is a delight, all the more so as it’s so rarely heard. I’m reminded visually of FANFARE and also JEU DE CARTES,

Four colour-coordinated trios are introduced in succession and then the principal couple of Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia appear. This is a great role for Sterling where her natural charm and stage savvy are in full play, her tricky pointe work and a series of slowing pirouettes particularly impressive. Gonzalo is handsome, technically polished and subtly droll. In their perky yellow costumes, Sterling and Gonzalo brought this Balanchine rarity vividly to life.

Corps-watcher’s delight: twelve of our top corps dancers get to shine in DANSES CONCERTANTES in a series of pas de trois in which each boy has two ballerinas to manage. Graced with deftly etched-in touches of humour, this series of dances were tonight performed by Alina Dronova, Stephanie Zungre and Giovanni Villalobos (in green); Maya Collins, Lauren King and Troy Schumacher (in blue); Kaitlyn Gilliland, Gwyneth Muller and Christian Tworzyanski (in purple) and Faye Arthurs, Ashley Laracey and Daniel Applebaum in red. Since these are some of my favorite dancers on the planet, you can imagine my pleasure in watching them.

DANSES CONCERTANTES ends with everyone onstage and it’s one of the shortest finales on record, seemingly over before it begins. I look forward to seeing this ballet again soon.

 

In BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET Jennie Somogyi (above) recalled her recent beautiful performances in LIEBESLIEDER with the romantic appeal and technical security of her dancing; Sebastien Marcovici mastered the motif of swirling Jennie around in mid-air and Savannah Lowery’s authoritative pirouettes were given with a classic polish. In the Intermezzo, Jenifer Ringer’s complete perfection in a signature role was most welcome as she swooned gorgeously into the arms of the ardent Jared Angle.The trio of tall women – Dara Johnson, Kaitlyn Gilliland and Gwyneth Muller – looked aristocratic and swirled silkily around the principal couple to lovely effect. Kaitlyn, by the way, almost stole the show in DANSES CONCERTANTES.

The waves of nostalgia that will sweep thru the theatre in the coming weeks seemed to begin flowing today as Yvonne Borree (photographed above on the Mariinsky stage) appeared in the Andante with her lovely air of modesty and gentleness ideally supported by Benjamin Millepied. Ashley Laracey in a demi-soliste role was totally gorgeous.

In the concluding Rondo, Maria Kowroski was a fabulously fiery gypsy lass as she and Charles Askegard threw caution to the wind and danced up a storm. As they swirled and flashed madly around the stage the audience’s temperature rose resulting in a gale of applause and three calls before the curtain.

Headshot and production photos by Paul Kolnik.

Friday May 28, 2010 – Kokyat and I went down to the Baryshnikov Arts Center where the tall and ultra-handsome choreographer Brian Carey Chung of Collective Body Dance Lab was working with young dancers from The Joffrey School on a piece to be presented Tuesday June 1st at the Skirball Center. Click on the pictures to enhance.

The work is entitled Message to Al and is set to the brink-of-madness music of Gorecki’s harpsichord concerto. When we arrived the girls were in practice clothes and Brian was pulling his choreography apart and working without the music on individual moves and combinations. He uses a lot of imagery when describing to the young dancers exactly what he wants to see. 

The girls then donned white tutus and Brian began running the piece with music. A feeling of nearly demented restlessness pervades the work while the tutus give it an ironically classic feel. This seeming dichotomy actually works well thanks to Brian’s sense of structure and subtle references to balletic vocabulary woven into a contemporary fabric.

The dancers – beauties all, with gorgeous hair as an added attraction – threw themselves into Brian’s combinations with zest, sometimes seeming like a clan of young Wilis or swans. It’s a great piece and I’d love to see it embellished-upon and developed into something larger.

The choreographer Brian Carey Chung.

The setting sun outside the huge BAC studio windows gave Kokyat some gorgeous light to shoot by.

Sunday May 30, 2010 matinee – Martha Swope’s photograph of George Balanchine and his cat Mourka. This afternoon’s performance at New York City Ballet was one of the most satisfying of the hundreds I have attended. Two principals who are nearing their retirement were dancing signature roles and there was also an important and highly auspicious role debut from Rebecca Krohn.

Last night I had really enjoyed DANSES CONCERTANTES and thought it could not be improved upon in any regard, yet at today’s matinee Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia were as technically adept as they were last night but also seemed to be finding subtler nuances of wit and whimsy which gave their interpretation more facets and more charm. Again the corps of twelve were outstanding. 

As Wendy Whelan and Philip Neal walked slowly amid the nymphs of the Elysian Fields I felt something divine was in the offing and – to be sure – this was perhaps the most poignant of the many performances of CHACONNE that I have seen danced by these two sublime artists. Wendy was translucent, the music seeming to emanate from her hands, her supple back, even her hair, and with her green eyes questing the heavens. When the ballet turns more classic in look and feeling, Wendy’s dancing was like a poetry reading for the eye: so many gorgeous images that she creates with effortless grace. Philip Neal’s performance was a perfect match for Wendy’s in terms of musicality and refinement, his turns so calmly resplendent and his landings like a butterfly lighting on a leaf. I don’t know why he would even think of retiring with his artistry at such a peak. The audience showered them with applause and called them out three times; each time Wendy graciously bowed to Philip before curtsying to the House.

In the divertissement, Stephanie Zungre seemed ready for bigger assignments as she led the pas de cinq very prettily indeed, and Erica Pereira and Adam Hendrickson took advantage of a perfect tempo today for their tricky duet: bravi! Andrew Scordato was impressive dancing the pas de trois for the first time – his height and carriage would suggest he be cultivated for cavalier roles down the line – and Gwyneth Muller and Ellen Bar were his tall graces. Add Faye Arthurs, Amanda Hankes, Daniel Applebaum and Allen Peiffer plus a strong corps contingent to the mix and voila! Perfection.

Rebecca Krohn’s (above) debut in STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO was a real eye-opener. She put me in mind of some of my earliest memories of watching the Balanchine black-and-white ballets and of the grand ballerinas who danced these iconic roles with such dedication and expressivity back in the day. Rebecca has the look and more importantly the cool, unflappable attitude to make powerful statements in this repertory. And, she’s a beauty into the bargain. I’ve had my eye on Rebecca right from her first appearances on this stage and my instincts were right: she’s got it. If I said that she reminded me of Suzanne Farrell this afternoon that would tell you a lot.

Rebecca was fortunate to be paired with Amar Ramasar today; they look simply great together and their pas de deux was full of those little touches – gestures and expressions – that tell us the traditions are being well safe-guarded as these works are passed from generation to generation. Amar’s solo dancing was a stage-filling delight: his technique has notched up ten-fold in the past year or two and he’s quite a force to be reckoned with onstage. I want to see the Krohn/Ramasar duo in more and more rep.

Yvonne Borree was seemingly dancing her familiar role here for the last time and her performance conjured up many memories – I could feel that she was savouring this music and these steps for one last time and it was touching. Ask LaCour was her tower-of-strength cavalier and he took beautiful care of her. Ask’s solo dancing was big-scale and intriguing. The corps were super and the playing of Kurt Nikkanen with Clothilde Otranto on the podium was perfect. 

Ballet just doesn’t get any better than this.

Thursday April 29, 2010 – The 2010 Spring season at New York City Ballet has opened with the premieres of new ballets by Benjamin Millepied and Alexei Ratmansky, inaugurating a festival of new choreography and music entitled Architecture of Dance and featuring the debut of architect Santiago Calatrava as scenic designer for the Millepied work. Mr. Calatrava’s creations will be seen frequently throughout the Festival as he has designed the settings for five of the new works we shall be seeing. Above: a pencil-and-wine sketch by the architect from the season brochure.

One of Kristin Sloan’s great short films introduced us to Santiago Calatrava. Peter Martins recalled the Balanchine/Philip Johnson ‘season’ when Mr. Johnson’s glass-like set pieces provided the decor for several ballets; but the notion of great contemporary artists and designers creating dance settings goes back to Diaghilev. Perry Silvey spoke of the excitement of watching the Calatrava designs become realities. Peter then stepped before the curtain and offered a vodka toast to the architect and his wife. Then Faycal Karoui took the podium and the dancing began: we have two new ballets – as different as night and day in every respect – both of which call for additional viewings as they are visually (and musically) rich and complex.

Benjamin (above) has set his new work to music by Thierry Escaich (brief sample here); the ballet arrived on stage with a late-in-the-day cast change when Kathryn Morgan took over for an injured Janie Taylor.

Entitled WHY AM I NOT WHERE YOU ARE, Benjamin’s ballet provides the first look at Mr. Calatrava’s work (model above): a fan-like arch which is beautifully lit throughout…

…in colours echoed from Marc Happel’s costume designs (above). The work is mysterious and rather sinister, and there is never a wasted moment musically or choreographically.

The curtain rises on Sean Suozzi alone onstage clad all in white in what seems to be a futuristic ballroom. The corps of sixteen dancers sweep on, the girls in dark tulle skirts a la LA VALSE and the boys in colorful, fitted tuxedos. Kathryn Morgan appears and it soon becomes evident that Sean is a ghost or spirit who cannot be seen by the others. A second couple, Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar, act as catalysts and leaders of the various groups of dancers who swirl on and off to the turbulent, hallucinatory Escaich score. As the ballet evolves, Sean slowly adds pieces of costuming over his whites; he now becomes visible to Kathryn and they dance together – passionate yet fleeting. Then suddenly the dancers begin to tear Katie’s costume off leaving her all in white – and invisible. Sean seeks her madly as the ballet careens to its dramatic close.

Benjamin’s choreography visualizes the dark density of the music, which is both other-worldly and relentless. The dancing is grand: Sara Mearns gives a striking performance of lyrical abandon and Amar Ramasar looks fantastic and tosses off a couple of fanciful, fluttering aerial combinations that defy analysis. Kathryn Morgan looks beautifully lost and mystified as she seeks her ghostly lover – her dancing plush and velvety but with a steely, nightmarish edge. Her vulnerability after being attacked and de-frocked was lovely. How wonderful to see Sean Suozzi deliver such a spectacular performance – technically vivid and emotionally intense – in a big role crafted just for him. Sean, the man who created MOPEY, was rightly cheered in his solo bow.

The corps play a large part in this ballet and Benjamin chose some of the Company’s best and most committed dancers who created an ominous atmosphere while in the meantime dancing superbly. I’ll want to see WHY AM I NOT WHERE YOU ARE again (and again) as its drama, choreography and visual setting invite further delving. Bravo Benjamin!        

 

Alexei Ratmansky (above) looked to the past for his music: Edouard Lalo’s nearly forgotten exotic ballet score entitled NAMOUNA. I wondered if he would follow the original libretto (detailed somewhat in the linked article) and in fact he has in a way, but it is more a provocative allusion to the story than a literal telling of a tale.

Danced against a bare back-panel illuminated in muted shades from copper to slate-blue, the ballet opens with a striking entree for sixteen corps girls, each clad in a creamy diaphanous pleated skirt and a black bobbed-wig (or helmet-like cap – I couldn’t tell, having left my opera glasses at home). Their opening set piece was reminiscent of the BAYADERE Shades though totally different in mood. Later in the same costuming they played small hand-cymbals during Robert Fairchild’s solo, one of the work’s highlights.

Robert was in fact the central character; clad in a sailor suit he danced handsomely and with technical aplomb. Here is a man with a harem, or at least a liberal list of girlfriends, of which three in particular claim our interest: Sara Mearns, Jenifer Ringer and Wendy Whelan. They arrive in pretty ‘petal’ tutus and beach turbans and each stakes a claim on Robbie’s attentions.

Jenifer Ringer, in the languid Valse de la cigarette, was spellbinding: a peerless dance-actress, she created a complete character and looked superb doing so. When her choreography turned more technical, she responded with wit and finesse. A perfect and delightful performance.

Sara Mearns was splendid in her solo which was danced with grand amplitude and Hollywood glamour, with the excellent NYCB corps men giving her strong support. Both here and in the Millepied Sara seemed to be having a fabulous time and her dancing was on peak form, which is saying a lot.

Meanwhile a trio of the Company’s top technicians (Megan Fairchild, Abi Stafford and Daniel Ulbricht) interjected sprightly combinations and mischievous personalities into the proceedings: each of them had moments in which to shine as individuals, and Daniel was a willing sidekick to Robbie as their beach adventure went on.    

Costumes (by Marc Happel and Ruslam Khamdamov, sketch above) enhance the Ratmansky ballet while also making the corps dancers anonymous. Visually, NAMOUNA is a constant pleasure. And the music is enchanting. Despite feeling that Wendy had been seriously under-utilized, I thought when the ballet ended with Rob, Daniel and the boys rushing off (to find more women?) that we had a masterpiece on our hands, something to savour repeatedly. Except: it wasn’t over.

Now Wendy’s role became clear as she and Robert embarked on a beautifully atmospheric and romantic pas de deux marked by stunning partnering sequences and Wendy’s perfection – all in white – as Muse and Siren. The other dancers and the ensemble had still more to do but the ballet does end with just Rob and Wendy alone onstage in a passionate, prolonged kiss.

And so, like DANCES AT A GATHERING, Ratmansky’s NAMOUNA is simply too long. But – as with the Robbins – it begs the question: what should be cut? And the answer is: none of it! Monica told me that at a seminar Ratmansky said he felt compelled by the beauty of the music to use all of it and he was right. The ballet runs nearly an hour and though here and there one could see passages that might be compressed I would not want to see any of the individual movements cut.

One thing that could be deleted is the prelude which is lovely in itself but which – being played with the curtain down – seemed to merely provide the audience with background music for continuing their intermission conversations. It’s atmospheric but with the undercurrent of chatter it really did not draw us into the work; our attention is only seized when the dancing starts.

So, it’s a long piece but beautiful and unusual and – like the Millepied – it invites repeated viewings. 

Poster for the Festival…

…and here is the Promenade being decked out for the Gala party. So nice to see all the off-duty and after-performance dancers in party attire; I wish I was more confident in asking to photograph them – several stunning ballerinas (Savannah, Ashley Bouder, Jenifer Ringer and Elysia Dawn) should have been immortalized. Perhaps some party pictures will turn up on Facebook.

Set and costumes design images from the Company’s Architecture of Dance website. The Festival is off to a fine start and we’ve much to anticipate.