"The 4 Temperaments", "Pacific", "Push Comes to Shove", & "Cor Perdut" or "Romeo and Juliet Duo"
The Washington Ballet
Harman Hall
Washington, DC
May 20 &23 matinee, 2010
by George Jackson
copyright 2010 by George Jackson
Putting works by name choreographers on the same bill is how Septime Webre, Washington Ballet's director, has closed his company's season three years running. He called this program "Genius 3". That Balanchine's "The Four Temperaments" is as ingenious and satisfying a ballet as can be found in the modern repertory is something with which few would disagree. Its counsel concerns our predetermination and choice. The music is Hindemith - not only hummable Hindemith, as someone sitting nearby proved by joining in, but also tapable notwithstanding the dissonances. The dancers' rendition of the choreography, staged by Sandra Jennings, had bite on May 20. It was a strong cast throughout with Elizabeth Gaither and Zachary Hackstock, Morgann Frederick and Corey Landolt, and Laura Urgelles and Tamas Krizsa as the three Themes. The four Variations or Temperaments were Jonathan Jordan as Melancholic, Maki Onuki with Brooklyn Mack as Sanguinic, Jared Nelson as Phlegmatic, and Sona Kharatian as Choleric. That the Temperaments differ means distinct timings and diverse movement textures. Melancholic's light longings suited Jordan particularly well. His dancing was big and full bodied. Kharatian's Choleric was commanding, even though her gargouillading could have been sharper. Amanda Cobb gave this stir jump a bit of flash at the May 23 matinee, but she didn't let herself relax an instant in the Choleric role. This made the ballet's closing the opposite of its opening which Dustin Shane, as First Theme with Diana Albrecht, had turned mellow - perhaps because it was early on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Bite gradually returned to the proceedings with, on this occasion, Kharatian and Dylan Ward as the Second Theme, Landolt partnering Frederick as Sanguinic, and Brooklyn Mack as Phlegmatic. Balanchine's choreography for "4 Ts" is innovative classicism, whereas Mark Morris for "Pacific" and Nacho Duato for "Cor Perdut" step outside the main tradition.
"Pacific" is odd, even for Morris. He uses the dancers like puppets. They seem suspended by strings, with not only the limbs appearing to be pulled from above but the core body, too, looking as if it dangled from an invisible attachment atop the scalp. When not suspended, the dancers slump. A second layer of imagery comes from the costumes (Martin Pakledinaz's design) and the action: the cast's 5 women and 4 men are dressed in archaic skirts and what they do - whether it is courtship or bearing witness - is informed by ritual. Could "Pacific" be Morris's modern version of a venerable Balinese puppet play? Actually, the skirts seem more ancient Mediterranean than traditional Pacific.
There is less invention than consistency in "Pacific". The stylization, despite its marionette and ceremonial aspects and the use of pointe shoes by the women, isn't arbitrary. Possibly there are references to such other archaeological ballets as Paul Taylor's "Images", Jerome Robbins' "Antique Epigraphs" and Vaclav Nijinsky's "The Afternoon of a Faun". Not least important is that Morris makes his historic dolls touchingly human. Live music (parts of a Lou Harrison trio performed by violinist Patty Hurd, cellist Gita Ladd and pianist Glenn Sales) added immensely to making "Pacific" vivid. Jordan and Jade Payette danced the lovers.
The duet "Cor Perdut" (music: Maria del Mar Bonet after M.J. Berberian) was fast, sleek and filled with Latin passion on May 20. Nacho Duato's lighting scheme, costume designs and theatricality made the good looking cast - Kharatian and Nelson - look glamorous. As choreography, though, Duato's compromises restrict rather than enhance his sources - modern dance, ballet and Spanish dance. (The staging was by Eva Lopez Crevillen.)
Temperament and technique were as crucial for the closing work, Twyla Tharp's comic "Push Comes to Shove", as for the opening Balanchine. Especially tricky is the leading male role, which had been made on Mikhail Baryshnikov - a singular virtuoso and stylist. Jonathan Jordan dances the Baryshnikov part with his own, related bravura. As bodies in motion go, the two might be cousins. Both are of compact stature with a musculature that concentrates energy and releases it large scale but under masterly control. Baryshnikov was, foremost, sharp and clear whereas Jordan is, first of all, harmonious and melodious but those traits aren't mutually exclusive. It is temperamentally that they really differ, which shows especially in quiet passages. Baryshnikov was and reportedly still is mercurial; he has Charlie Chaplin timing and a Chaplin sense of fun. Jordan is more stoic. At the Sunday matinee he came closer to making the still moments click in the Baryshnikov/Chaplin way. Ideally, though, since Jordan's dancing is scrumptious, Tharp should refashion the role's acting aspect to employ his moods.
"Push", staged by Elaine Kudo, is fun for a while even though its attituding to Joseph Lamb and Franz Josef Haydn music wears thin. Kharatian as the tall gal (the Martine van Hamel role), Onuki as the short gal (the Marianna Tcherkassky role) and Brooklyn Mack as the other guy (Clark Tippet's part) enjoyed themselves and entertained us.
Sunday afternoon, replacing the Duato duo, was the Balcony pas de deux from "Romeo and Juliet". It was Septime Webre's version to the Prokofiev music, requested by Laura Urgelles as her farewell. Trained in Cuba, from which she defected, Urgelles has been with Washington Ballet for a decade in all sorts of roles. Lately, her strong dancing has acquired a lovely caress, so I'm surprised she's retiring. On this last occasion in the spotlight she made Juliet's sense of wonder palpable, and Nelson as her Romeo helped her to soar through the duet's varied lifts (even more of them, I think, than in the Macmillan version). Afterwards, the entire company gathered on stage to wish Urgelles and Brianne Bland good luck. Bland, too, is retiring from performing but hasn't been on stage in a while due to injury. She joined in 1997 and I remember calling her the company's bouncy Bournonville dancer. Recently, Bland has been photographing the company. Not retiring but also departing (for San Francisco Ballet) is young Dustin Shane, easy to spot not just for emphatic dancing but because of his red hair.
Next season there will be no "Genius 4" bill as such, but I'm hoping for signposts at least as significant as "The Four Temperaments" and "Pacific".
