danceviewtimes

Patched-Together Petipa

"Le Corsaire" (Le Jardin Animé, Pas des Odalisques, Pas de Deux); "Diana and Acteon" Pas de Deux; "Don Quixote" Pas de Deux; "La Bayadère" (The Kingdom of the Shades)
Kirov Ballet
City Center
New York, NY
April 8, 2008

by Susan Reiter
copyright © 2008 Susan Reiter

Following a second program that ventured into the very early twentieth century with the works of Michel Fokine, the Kirov returned to the sharply-etched classical purity of Marius Petipa's works, necessarily presented in excerpted form for this engagement on a stage whose dimensions would not accommodate their expansive full productions. Next week will offer the more contemporary side of the company -- programs of works by George Balanchine and William Forsythe -- but on this occasion we again were able to witness the latest evolution of the company's noble heritage and longstanding traditions. Except for the expansive glories of "La Bayadère," the one work repeated from the opening program, this was an evening of abrupt transitions between bits and pieces, and while the company has had a week now to acclimate itself to the cozy confines of the City Center stage, there was still a stiffness and reserve to much of the dancing -- or, at the other extreme, a tendency towards over-emphatic punctuation.

A Wreck that Soars

“StringWreck”
Janice Garrett & Dancers
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
April 10, 2008

by Rita Felciano
copyright © 2008 Rita Felciano

Gimmicks are all the rage these days. The idea of pulling the members of a string quartet out of their chairs to have them interact with dancers sounded like a clever marketing device but not something one necessarily wanted to see. In fact “StringWreck,” the collaboration between Janice Garrett & Dancers and the Del Sol String Quartet turned out to be a deliciously entertaining, slightly wacky evening of music and dance that could charm a turnip. Collaborating choreographers Garrett and her partner Charles Moulton set the tone but its blithe spirit floated on Del Sol’s exceptionally rich musical choices.

Happy Birthday

"Suite from Mazurkas", "Jardin aux Lilas", "Little Improvisations", Pas de Deux from Romeo & Juliet", "Judgment of Paris"
New York Theatre Ballet
Florence Gould Hall
New York, NY
April 4, 2008

by Mary Cargill
copyright 2008 by Mary Cargill

The enterprising New York Theatre Ballet celebrated two 100-year anniversaries in their recent performance of works by Jose Limon and Antony Tudor.  The company has long been known for its dignified revivals of Tudor works (Sallie Wilson, the famous Tudor dancer, has worked extensively with the company), but any excuse to see anything by this great choreographer is welcome. 

Making the Scene with Tharp and Costello

"Square Dance," "Sonatine," "Tarantella," "Nightspot"
Miami City Ballet
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
West Palm Beach, Florida
April 4 & 5, 2008

by Susan Reiter
copyright © 2008 Susan Reiter

Eight years after Twyla Tharp last created a work for a ballet company, she has found her way back to that milieu with style and verve, if not the penetrating focus that one has come to expect of her. In 2000, she produced a most impressive one-two punch: "The Beethoven Seventh" for New York City Ballet, followed two months later by "Variations on a Theme by Haydn" for American Ballet Theatre. She next made a series of works for her reconstituted company before turning her attention to her two Broadway projects, the exceptional (and wildly popular) "Movin' Out" (2002) and the more phantasmagorical (and short-lived) "The Times They Are A-Changin" (2006). This year, she is choreographing for several major ballet troupes, starting with this splashy premiere for Miami City Ballet -- a heady, provocative collaboration with Elvis Costello, whose pungent score covers a lot of stylistic territory, and costume designer Isaac Mizrahi.

Popular Hero

Carlos Acosta with guest artists from the Royal Ballet
Coliseum
London, England
31 March – 3 April, 2008

by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2008 by Judith Cruickshank

It took Carlos Acosta to fill the London Coliseum. The third presentation in the Spring Dance season, “Carlos Acosta with guest artists from the Royal Ballet” was greeted with hardly an empty seat in sight. And to judge by overheard comments from the people around me, many of the audience were not regular ballet-goers but knew of Acosta through his appearances on television or had heard the radio serialisation of his autobiography.

Visitors Bearing Gifts

“A Delicate Battle” “Duo Concertant” “Altro Canto”
San Francisco Ballet, Program VI
War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
April 1, 2008
by Rita Felciano
Copyright © by Rita Felciano, 2008

Rarely have simplicity and clarity triumphed over elaborate concepts the way they did in SFB’s “An International Salute to San Francisco Ballet.” The greetings were delivered by the National Ballet of Canada’s “A Delicate Battle,” New York City Ballet’s “Duo Concertant” and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s “Altro Canto.” It was left to the quartet of New Yorkers to show us why Balanchine remains a beacon of hope for everything that is noble and joyous in human expressivity.

Half a Loaf

"Raymonda, Act 3", "Paquita, Grand Pas", La Bayadere, Act 3"
Kirov Ballet
New York City Center
New York, NY
April 1, 2008

by Mary Cargill
copyright 2008 by Mary Cargill

A reduced contingent of the Kirov danced on the inconvenient and unfamiliar City Center stage offering  outtakes of three of Petipa's wonderful ballets; not the ideal way to judge a company's artistic strength.
But the opening scence of "Raymonda", with the magnificent Vladimir Ponomarev summoning the dancers with a majectic sweep of his arm, promised much.  And how wonderful it was to see the Kirov walk, as only they can, in their heeled boots, and dance their mazurka and their czardas with a melodic flair and confident grace.  Alisa Sokolova, with Andrey Yakovlev, leading the czardas, especially, were a reminder of how a great choreographer can develop and embellish simple steps into an increacingly exciting climax.  The conviction, and unfamiliar, to Western eyes, epaulment of the corps guaranteed after the first 10 minutes that whatever happened, the visit would be an artistic joy.