Friday, January 21, 2011

American Ballet Theatre at the Kennedy Center: Mixed Rep Program 1/19 & 1/20

1/19 Program & Cast:

Theme & Variations (Balanchine) - Sarah Lane, Herman Cornejo

Jardin Aux Lilas (Tudor) - Melanie Hamrick, Cory Stearns, Veronika Part, Vitali Krauchenka

Duo Concertant (Balanchine) - Maria Riccetto, David Hallberg

Fancy Free (Robbins) - Craig Salstein, Carlos Lopez, Marcelo Gomes, Julie Kent, Kristi Boone

I was not sure what to expect from Sarah Lane, as I had only seen her dance once before. She was lovely--petite and quick, with sparkling footwork and clean, secure turns. I thought she could have brought a little more grandeur to the adagio--she certainly has very graceful port de bras. I could see her as a bright Act 1 Aurora, and no doubt with time and experience she will gain a more mature presence as well.

Cornejo's dancing was as spectacular as expected, with soaring jumps, brilliant beats, and clean, controlled pirouettes. He, too, is very fleet, and therefore a perfect match for Lane. They led the ballet together very well.

I was surprised and excited to see Melanie Hamrick, still a corps member, cast as the lead in Jardin Aux Lilas. She has the large, expressive eyes, dark hair, long lines, and sense of fragility and vulnerability that are so right for Caroline. While hers is not yet a fully realised interpretation of the role, she gave a lovely, poetic performance, and all the right elements are there. I hope we will see her in this ballet often.

Veronika Part brought her trademark plush port de bras and long, sweeping line to An Episode in His Past, bringing vividly to life the worldly former mistress of The Man She Must Marry.

Cory Stearns was the picture of romantic desperation as The Man She Loves, using his calm stage presence to quietly illustrate his yearning for Caroline.

In Duo Concertant, Maria Riccetto and David Hallberg reminded me why I enjoy watching non-Balanchine companies dance Balanchine ballets. Free of mannerisms, the choreography seems fresh and new, and dancers used to performing expressively bring the more Romantic aspects of the piece to life with immediacy rather than merely relying on the choreographed poses and steps. Hallberg especially used his fluid upper body to beautiful effect. Although he is normally praised for his feet and legs, a dancer is born with those. The art is in arms, head, and torso.

I'd forgotten how un-PC Fancy Free is, but even so, it's a cheerful, amusing romp through 1940's New York City as three sailors meet and compete for the attentions of two women. All three men acted and danced their roles well, but Marcelo Gomes was particularly in character in his pas de deux with a lyrical Julie Kent, who acted her part with delicacy and subtlety.

1/20 Program & Cast:

Theme & Variations - Michele Wiles, Cory Stearns

Jardin Aux Lilas - Julie Kent, Kristi Boone, Thomas Forster, Roman Zhurbin

Duo Concertant - Maria Riccetto, David Hallberg

Fancy Free - Craig Salstein, Sascha Radetsky, Jose Manuel Carreno, Isabella Boylston, Maria Riccetto

Michele Wiles danced Theme & Variations with great technical skill--she makes every challenge look easy. However, her upper body is not very graceful or refined. She would benefit from studying Lesley Collier and Antoinette Sibley, who had very dignified, yet polished port de bras and épaulement.

Cory Stearns calmly and musically sailed through his tricky variation. He has a grand stage presence because of his height, and he inhabits it comfortably. Based on this performance, he seems like a fine cavalier and a secure technician.

Julie Kent gave an extraordinary performance as Caroline in Jardin. Tudor's very stylised choreography can look stiff and mannered if the dancers don't fully inhabit their roles and make every gesture a natural expression of the character's emotions. Kent imbued every movement with exactly the right tone. She is a skilled actress, and her technique appears undiminished from ten years ago. Due to her age (which one would not at all guess from looking at her) it is possible that she is coming toward the final years of her career, but her dancing does not show this, and I hope she continues to perform and then coaches younger dancers. She is a valuable asset to ABT.

Riccetto and Hallberg gave a similarly excellent performance as the previous evening in Duo Concertant.

In Fancy Free, this time it was Radetsky who stole the show with his fully committed acting. He danced the pas de deux with Isabella Boylston and the second solo (a change from the night before, when Gomes danced the pas de deux and the third solo). Carreno did not quite match Gomes' flair in the third solo, but it was nonetheless a skilled rendition. Salstein, though not quite as engaged in his role as Radetsky, also gave a solid performance.

Frequently on mixed repertory programs, there is at least one ballet that I just do not like, but that was not the case here--these were all winners. I congratulate ABT on its excellent dancers and tasteful, sophisticated program. I hope they realise how well received Jardin was and that they will bring it back frequently, as well as other Tudor works. I also wonder what an extra week or two of rehearsal might do for some of the ballets--a slightly more cohesive core, acting that is a little more nuanced, perhaps. The performances were very good, and I think with just a bit more time they could be excellent. I am looking forward to The Bright Stream, and in fact I am even looking forward to whatever mixed bill ABT brings on its next visit!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Real Black Swans, Part 4

This will be my final post in the Real Black Swans series, and who better to end with than Margot Fonteyn? I've heard her portrayal of Odile (who is, I feel compelled to state once again, not a swan) described as a glamorous woman in a little black cocktail dress, and I think that fits perfectly. Odile is a rather one-dimensional character, and often she is played as merely sexual, but she can be so much more, as Fonteyn shows us. Enjoy!