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A Sparking Send Off

"The Merry Widow"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 19, 2019

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2019 by Denise Sum

The National Ballet of Canada bid farewell to one of its most beloved principal dancers, Xiao Nan Yu, with Ronald Hynd's splashy ballet "The Merry Widow" set in fin de siècle Paris. It is a love story with humour, elegance and lively classical and character dancing -- a perfect showcase for Yu's artistic gifts. The whole company came together to celebrate in style. Yu spent the entire 22 years of her career at the NBoC and she is certainly dear to Toronto audience members who have watched her grow and flourish as a dancer.  

Xiao Nan Yu and Guillaume Côté in "The Merry Widow". Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. 

Thanks for the Memories

"Brandenburgs", "Rewilding", "Cascade"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Neidorff-Karpati Hall
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York
June 23, 2019, matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2019 by Mary Cargill

The final performance of the Paul Taylor Company's part of the Orchestra of St. Luke's Bach Festival was a heartfelt farewell for many in the packed audience, as it was their last chance to see so many members of the company Taylor molded by the choreographer -- six members are retiring soon and it will inevitably be a different company.  The audience especially cheered Michael Trusnovec's 22-year career with flowers and tears, as a long-time partner Annamaria Mazzini, a dancer who matched his passionate generosity, presented him with a bouquet and a hug.

Michael Trusnovec in "Brandenburgs" photo © Whitney Browne.

Craft

“Journey”, “Rondo Ma Non Troppo”,

“Prufrock”, “Extremely Close”, “Songs by Cole”

and music by Chris Rogerson and Zoltan Kodaly

Chamber Dance Project

Harman Hall

Washington, DC

June 22, 2019 evening

 

by George Jackson

copyright 2019 by George Jackson

 

The format chosen by artistic director Diane Coburn Bruning for Chamber Project’s summer program was an alternation of dance and music-only selections. All the pieces but one were short and for the one long number, the last, there was both dancing and just-concertizing. This format functioned well and, likely, will be used again in the future. Coburn as choreographer was represented by two older works and the new “Prufrock”. Her competence is apparent in all three pieces. The opening  “Journey” is a display of female/male partnering in acrobatic neoclassical style. The mechanics of holding, embracing, lifting and levering are explored. Its flow of movement, the phrasing, gains continuity as the piece progresses. Concurrent emotions are implied. Music for Coburn’s  “Journey” was the Adagio from Samuel Barber’s String Quartet, Opus 11 with stately yet also challenging dancing being done by Luz San Miguel and Davit Hovhannisyan. Seeing a well known choreographer credited for this duet wouldn’t have surprised me. I preferred Bruning’s “Journey” to Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s  “Rondo”, a double duet around, under and on a round café table.

Fresh Choreography--Always Welcome

"Room for Error" "The Bedroom" "It's Uncle" "Cloudless" "Silent Scream"
SFDanceworks
Cowell Theater
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA
June 20, 2019

by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano 2019

In its fourth season, Founder James Sofranko's SFDanceworks offered three world premieres by Laura O’Malley, Brett Conway, and Andrea Schermoly. Local premieres of Hubbart Street Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s “Cloudless” and Olivier Wevers’ 2018 “Silent Scream” for his Whim W’Him company made for a well danced, well curated evening of contemporary choreography. This was an intriguing program of dance that, though rooted in ballet, has grown beyond its confines. It was a win-win situation all the way round.

Nicholas Korkos and David Calhoun in "Room for Error"
Photo: Valentina Reneff-Olson.

Looking, Thinking, Listening

"The Exceptionally Elderly Overweight Black Man Phoenix"
Robert Moses' Kin
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Forum
San Francisco, CA
June 14, 2019

by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano 2019

While it’s true that most works of art on one level are about their creators, it’s also true that few artists manage to weave personal experience, artistic challenges, as well as social and philosophical issue into a seamless whole without overburdening the final product. But that’s exactly what Robert Moses attempted in his brave “The Exceptionally Elderly Overweight Black Man Phoenix.” The show opened with a recording of Moses in his street poetry mode. While the force and speed of his language threatened to drown us much like the storm waters from a dam that broke its confines, its patterns and rhythms showed Moses as a formidable spoken word poet. Here are some of the fragments that I managed to hang on to: “the imperfect beauty of the body”, “the legacy you embrace,” “every move changes space” and “we are citizens of these territories.” References to growing up in his family suggest that Moses threw his net far and wide.

Robert Moses' Kin dancers Cora Cliburn and Liv Schaffer. Photo: Steve Diesenhof

In a Community of Artists

“Moss Anthology: Variation #5,” “The Theory of Color,” “You Took a Part of Me,” “Snap Crackle Pop”
“Women/Create” – A Festival of Dance
New York Live Arts
New York, NY
June 11, 2019

by Martha Sherman
copyright © 2019 by Martha Sherman

Seeing four mature, successful female choreo- graphers take the stage together in a program that celebrates women’s creative pursuits is still a powerful draw. By now, we shouldn’t need this reassurance, and the “Women/Create” festival (their fourth) still misses a broad swathe of the riskier inventions of women choreographers. This year’s line-up offered creations both intriguing and pedestrian, and gave voice to a powerful quartet on the opening night: Jennifer Muller, Karole Armitage, Jacqulyn Buglisi, and Carolyn Dorfman.

Cristian Laverde Koenig and Megumi Eda in "You Took a Part of Me." Photo ©Stephen Pisano.

The Pirate King

"Le Corsaire"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 12, 2019 matinee

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2019 by Mary Cargill

ABT's version of "Le Corsaire" is loosely based on Petipa's revisions to the 1856 French ballet by Joseph Mazilier, which was even more loosely based on the 1814 poem by Byron.  This season, ABT has included a somewhat apologetic note in the program explaining that in 1814 "pirates, pashas, and damsels in distress" were commonplace.  In fact, Byron's poem has Medora, already married to Conrad, stay home because she disagreed with his decision to go out pirating, and Gulnare, the pasha's slave, stabs the pasha herself after Conrad chivalrously refused to kill someone in cold blood; these women were not shrinking violets.  Nor can it really be said that "slavery and polygamy were driving forces of the economic and social landscape" since Great Britain had abolished the slave trade in its territories in 1807.  Sociology and ballet are uneasy companions and "Le Corsaire", though it is one of the few nineteenth century ballets where the hero has any visible means of support, is really about the dancing.

Devon Teuscher and Brooklyn Mack in "Le Corsaire" photo © Gene Schiavone.

Physical Thinking

"The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude", "Approximate Sonata", "The Second Detail"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 1, 2019

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2019 by Denise Sum

The National Ballet of Canada's latest triple bill was a whirlwind tour through William Forsythe's choreographic world. The program was short, clocking in at just over one hour of dance (excluding the intermission), yet dense with a variety of terpsichorean riches. The dancers really sunk their teeth into the three works, using them as opportunities to push the boundaries of movement and speed. The results were stirring and beautiful.  

Heather Ogden and Jack Bertinshaw with Artists of the Ballet in "The Second Detail". Photo by Michael Slobodian. 

Bach to Bach

"Junction", "all at once", "Promethean Fire"
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Neidorff-Karpati Hall
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York
June 7, 2019

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2019 by Mary Cargill

The Orchestra of St. Luke's is presenting a three-week festival of Bach's music in various New York City venues, including the elegantly restored theater at the Manhattan School of Music where the Paul Taylor Dance Company is performing all six of Taylor's works set to the composer.  The company's first night included the first ("Junction" from 1961) and the last ("Promethean Fire" from 2002) as well as the premiere of Pam Tanowitz's "all at once".

Paul Taylor Dance Company in "Promethean Fire" photo © Paul B. Goode.

Community Values

"Clearing", "Trio Sonatas", "Nights and Dreams", "Undercurrent"
Lydia Johnson Dance
The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater
New York, New York
June 6, 2019

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2019 by Mary Cargill

The small company (thirteen dancers plus a guest appearance by former New York City Ballet dancer Craig Hall) presented four works by Lydia Johnson, one premiere ("Clearing") and three older pieces.  Johnson has a wide-ranging taste in music and the evening had works set to Handel ("Trio Sonatas", Schubert ("Nights and Dreams"), Henryk Górecki ("Undercurrents"), and Philip Glass ("Clearing").  The budget, of course, does not allow for live musicians but the choreographer's respect for the music is clear and, unlike most programs, the company lists the titles of the individual pieces, the names of the musicians, and the details of the recordings.  

Lydia Johnson Dance in "Undercurrents" photo © Dmitry Beryozkin.