"La Source", "Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux", "The Lady with the Little Dog", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center, New York
June 20, 2010
by Mary Cargill
copyright 2010 by Mary Cargill
The weekly Sunday afternoon farewell-fest celebrated Albert Evans, a quirky and interesting dancer. His farewell sent me back to my SAB programs, and even though it seems that just a few years have passed since he bounded through "Square Dance", he danced Phlegmatic, from "The Four Temperaments", in the 1987 program. This was his final role, danced with corps members who may very well not have been born when he first danced it, and seemed to tie up his career in a neat circle. The program opened with Balanchine's "La Source", a cheerful, pink-tinged party piece. The luscious Delibes music swirls and flows, and the work has the feel of being part of a larger, more complex story. It opens directly on a pas de deux, with dancers who seem to have a back story, though it remains mysterious. An homage to Paris of the 1860's, it is utterly charming. Megan Fairchild captured much of the French perfume (it was created for Violette Verdy) and floated like she was dancing on pink satin. Joaquin De Luz, her partner, too, danced stylishly, toning down his usually exuberant technique to show off the smooth, light footwork. In the "life just isn't fair" category, though, he is really too short to show off Fairchild in the pas de deux, and some of the partnering was a bit fraught. The final, dramatic leap, however, was perfectly timed, and so seemingly spontaneous that some of the audience gasped.