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Discoveries in the Familiar

Program VI
"Raymonda Act III," "Ibsen's House," "Symphonic Dances,"
San Francisco Ballet
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
April 9, 2013
by Rita Felciano

Copyright Rita Felciano © 2013

Taking a second or third look at previously seen work may not offer the excitement of figuring out what this or that choreographer had in mind in his or her latest creation. But rarely, if ever, are there no new discoveries to be made. During the reprise of Rudolf Nureyev's 1966 "Raymonda Act III," I kept wondering whether a company can do justice to this refined, so highly specific style without it being part of the dancers' daily bread. Dramaturgically Val Caniparoli's "Ibsen's House", commissioned by SFB for the 2008 New Work's Festival, remains problematic but his choreography movingly delves into the soul of Ibsen's anguished characters. I had high hopes for Edward Liang's 2012 commission, "Symphonic Dances", his first one for SFB. Unfortunately, they were not fulfilled.

Ups and Downs

New York City Ballet & Orchestra
"Carousel (A Dance)," "Glass Pieces," "Vienna Waltzes"
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC
March 30, 2013
 
by Alexandra Tomalonis
copyright 2013 by Alexandra Tomalonis

There aren’t many ballets that keep their opening night freshness for 20 years, but Robbins’ “Glass Pieces” (1983), which was the centerpiece of the New York City Ballet’s second program here, had first season clarity. If anything, it’s a stronger work today, as the dancers are now comfortable with both choreography and score.

"Laurencia" in London

"Laurencia"
Choreography Vakhtang Chabukiani revised by Mikhail Messerer
Natalia Osipova, Ivan Vasiliev, soloists and dancers of the Mihailovsky Ballet
London Coliseum
2 and 3 April 2013

By Judith Cruikshank
copyright 2013 by Judith Cruikshank

The Mihailovsky Ballet is becoming a regular visitor to London, the current season being its third appearance in five years. The company has the advantage of a repertory which includes some interesting rarities. I remember a charming production of Petipa’s ‘Cavalry Halt’, extracts from ‘The fisherman and the Naiad’ on an earlier when the company was still known as the Maly, and a revival of Vakhtang Chabukiani’s ‘Laurencia’ staged by Mikhail Messerer was a highlight of the 2010 season and drew enthusiastic applause on this latest visit.

Deliberate Lightning

"SANBASO, Divine Dance"
Mansai Nomura + Hiroshi Sugimoto
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York, NY
March 29, 2103

By Martha Sherman
Copyright © 2013 by Martha Sherman

Traditional Japanese theater, set in space and silence, hints at hidden treasures. For “Sanbaso,” the classic noh and kyogen work offered by collaborators Mansai Nomura and Hiroshi Sugimoto, the Guggenheim Museum’s spiral atrium offered an evocative modern twist. The work, based on ancient Shinto rituals and performed in a tradition over 600 years old, filled the dramatic setting with haunting dance and music that seemed both ancient and contemporary.