"The Garden of Villandry", "Sinatra Suite", "Private Light", "In the Upper Room"
American Ballet Theatre
New York City Center
New York, NY
November 8, 2011
by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2011 by Mary Cargill
ABT opened its weeklong City Center program with a gala completely bereft of fouettes, and a minimum of point shoes. The brief welcoming speech by Kevin McKenzie seemed to imply that the dancers were relieved not to be romping through the Spring blockbusters, and that he was glad he could feature some of the younger dancers in fresher roles. The dancers did look energized, and the smaller stage of the brightly renovated City Center gave the performances a dynamic energy. The evening opened with Martha Clarke's "The Garden of Villandry", a pas de trois to the Franz Schubert Trio No. 1 (played live by on stage musicians). This is a visit to Tudor territory, with its evocation of Edwardian nostalgia and subtle undercurrents of emotion. Julie Kent, looking stunning in her black and white gown, was gently flirtatious as she turned between Roman Zhurban and Julio Bragado-Young. Kent gave a luminous clarity to her dancing, and the small gestures, reaching out her hand or brushing away tears, had a resonant nuance. Her air of resigned experience brought to mind Ashton's Lady Elgar from his "Enigma Variations", a much richer work than Clarke's, though this piece had it own joys.