"Divertimento No. 15," "Polyphonia," "For the Love of Duke: Blossom Got Kissed, Frankie and Johnny … and Rose"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
February 3, 2011
By Carol Pardo
Copyright ©2011 by Carol Pardo
In "Divertimento No. 15" (to Mozart), Balanchine, ever the craftsman, is a watchmaker assembling the finest of modern movements in a rococo case. Five women and three men, gracious, elegant, mannerly, gather together for the fête champêtre of our dreams. But what happens when one of the women, and all of the men are new to their roles? What happens when half of the gears in this finely calibrated pocket watch are replaced?
Mozart survived; the orchestra was in particularly good form. But the serenity of this Enlightenment picnic was upended. That Chase Finlay was called in to replace Jonathan Stafford is surprising because Finlay is so young. But he is elegant, with beautiful line and a courtier’s contrapposto, all of which suit "Divertimento No. 15." However, he does not yet have the speed to toss off his solo and his partnering during the adagio resulted in too many white knuckle moments. Daniel Applebaum and Allen Peiffer came at the ‘Theme,’ which they must dance like a relay team, from opposite points. Applebaum was solid, weighty, frontal in his orientation. Peiffer was lighter, playing with the angles of his upper body, with the idea of rococo. The twain never met. In the third variation, Janie Taylor played with the contrast between open and closed positions, like the opposing curves of 18th century boiserie. But her hands and fingers were sharp, angular, stiff, and twiggy. Gently unfurled legato didn't have a chance. All the principals danced with unusual caution, perhaps in reaction to all those debuts. The eight corps women treated their minuet as a duty, almost a burden, rather than a gem and a privilege. Mozart and Balanchine deserve better.
Tyler Angle, Tiler Peck and Teresa Reichlen were dancing Christopher Wheeldon’s octet "Polyphonia" for only the second time, yet they looked completely at home in it, focused and at ease. Is this benefit of a second performance? Possibly. Perhaps the requirements of "Polyphonia" are easier to grasp than those of "Divertimento No. 15." In the former, eight people splinter into smaller groups. In the latter, they must move as one, seamlessly. Uninterrupted flow is hard to pull off.
After the accomplishments of "Divertimento No. 15" and "Polyphonia," the evening’s finale was the two parter "For the Love of Duke." Both halves were thin and stale. "Blossom Got Kissed" premiered in 1999. Its pendant, "Frankie and Johnny … and Rose" entered the repertory on January 28. Stroman’s vocabulary is meagre. But in her earlier "Double Feature" she made real roles for Tom Gold and Megan Fairchild. Here, she’s unable to do anything with, or for, some of the most interesting dancers in the company: Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, Robert Fairchild. The star of this show is a bench.
Photograph: "Divertimento No. 15" (Front) Sterling Hyltin, Ana Sophia Scheller, Ashley Bouder,
Janie Taylor and Abbi Stafford; (Back) Allen Peiffer, Chase Finlay and
Daniel Appelbaum. Photograph by Paul Kolnik.