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Throw The Book Out

“Crime and Punishment”
American Ballet Theater
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
November 1, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

As a novel, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” can be deeply intellectually rewarding or torturously challenging.  As a ballet, Helen Pickett’s adaptation, which premiered during ABT’s fall season, was solely the latter.  Set over twenty scenes to commissioned score from Isobel Waller-Bridge, the work felt like it was based on the CliffsNotes version of the book, not the actual classic literary text.  Thus, the viewing experience was reduced to a quest to find salvage in the quality of the company’s dancers.

Photo of Breanne Granlund as Raskolnikov. Photo © by Kyle Froman

Change, One Dance Step At A Time

“Ará,” “Network,” “Toujours,” “Monarcas,” “Moss Anthology: Variation #5,” “This Bitter Earth,” “The Golden Turtle,” “Divinity in Paradox”
vildwerk.: “Time To Protect Our Planet” Program
Theatre of Museo del Barrio
New York, NY
October 15, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

Can dance save the world?  The question feels rhetorical, but vildwerk., a new foundation that seeks to raise global environmental awareness through dance, is on a mission to have it at least help. Featuring commissions from noteworthy choreographers of our time, such as Joshua Beamish and Gianna Reisen, the program titled “Time to Protect Our Planet” delivered a powerful message through movement. Not all eight works were timeless pieces, but all deserve mention, and maybe, just hopefully, the emotional charge they brought with them can help ignite a deeper passion for the conservation cause.

Photo of Unity Phelan and Preston Chamblee in Christopher Wheeldon’s “This Bitter Earth.” Photo © by Hisae Aihara

Going Everywhere With Peck

“In Creases,” “Solo,” “Partita,” “Everywhere We Go”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 12, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

Ten years is a long time to be doing anything, and when it comes to serving as Resident Choreographer and creating ballets at a rate of up to four per year for one company, it’s an especially admirable feat.  It was thus fitting that New York City Ballet celebrated Justin Peck’s big anniversary as a resident creator with a program of all his works, ranging from the more classically Peck “In Creases” and “Everywhere We Go,” to his more experimental “Solo” and “Partita.” Whether these were the most representative ballets, or the best ones to show Peck’s range, is perhaps a matter of taste and certainly a matter of opinion, but the company danced them well, and it was clear that if there is a legacy heir to fit the shoes of Balanchine and Robbins as the company’s era-defining choreographer, Peck is starting to fit the bill.

Photo of Miriam Miller and Peter Walker in Justin Peck’s “Everywhere We Go.” Photo © Erin Baiano

Women, Center Stage

“Signs,” “Beneath the Tides,” “Concerto for Two Pianos”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 11, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

In the Contemporary Choreography program of recent ballets by all female creators, including this season's world premiere, New York City Ballet presented rich dancing and a level of comfort with the material that is seldom seen with newer works. It may not have been the best choreography the company has in its repertory, but all three works were excellent vehicles for the dancers to explore ways to make the roles their own, and in all three the cast capitalized on the opportunity.

Photo of Sara Mearns and Gilbert Bolden III in Caili Quan’s “Beneath the Tides.” Photo © by Erin Baiano.

Kneading Drama

“Like Water for Chocolate”
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
July 16, 2024 by Marianne Adams

copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

American Ballet Theatre ending its five-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House with Christopher Wheeldon’s “Like Water for Chocolate” seemed like an emblematic move committed to its determined new identity – a company of story ballets, new world-class choreographies and solid, home-grown dancing talent. It is an encouraging direction for the troupe, even if the ballet itself was not the most scrumptious dish ABT had on offer.

Photo of Skylar Brandt and Luciana Paris. Photo © by Rosalie O’Connor.

Start With a Blank Page

“Woolf Works”
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
June 26, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

For its second week of the 2024 New York summer season, American Ballet Theatre stuck to the literary works theme, but with an unexpectedly modern, multi award-winning twist.  Created in 2015, Wayne McGregor’s “Woolf Works” is everything one would expect from him – highly physical, seemingly stripped-down yet loaded with meaning and detail, and pushing the boundaries of traditional ballet.  But it was also more than that – a deconstructed exploration of key themes of the underlying writings, presented in a novel way by both the choreographer and the dancers new to his movement lexicon.

Photo of Devon Teuscher and James Whiteside in Act 3 of “Woolf Works.” Photo © Marty Sohl.

Flamenco Depths, in Equal Measure

“Equilibrio”
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
June 19, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

It can be too easy to forget just how many elements make up the tapestry of the flamenco genre, but Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana company’s performance of Emilio Ochando’s new “Equilibrio” expertly brought the various strands into focus.  Conceived originally as a solo performance in 2020, Ochando expanded the COVID-19 pandemic creation to the whole company.  Infused with a few modern twists and featuring many props, the evening, accompanied by vocals, and keyboard, guitar and even cello as musical instruments, showcased the many aspects of the art form, and its many ways of telling stories.

Photo of the dancers of Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana in “Equilibrio.” Photo © by Steven Pisano

“Onegin,” By the Book

“Onegin”
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
June 18 and June 19 (matinee), 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

American Ballet Theatre boldly opened its 2024 season at the Metropolitan Opera House with John Cranko’s “Onegin.” With somewhat last-minute casting changes, the opening night honors fell on Christine Shevchenko and Cory Stearns as Tatiana and Onegin respectively, who danced with dedication; though it was the next day’s matinee performers, also a substitute cast, Chloe Misseldine and Thomas Forster, who brought the depth of Alexander Pushkin’s iconic characters to life.

Photo of Christine Shevchenko and Cory Stearns in Act 3 of “Onegin.” Photo © by Rosalie O’Connor

All The Colors Fit For Stage

“Law of Mosaics,” “This Bitter Earth,” “Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux,” “Love Letter (on shuffle)”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 23, 2024

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2024 by Marianne Adams

In its second of two programs featuring works by contemporary choreographers, New York City Ballet dazzled and dazed, leaning heavily on the quality of its dancers to bring forward the more vibrant elements of the presented ballets’ expressive palettes, both physical and emotional. The best of the evening – the absolutely devastating “This Bitter Earth” and the energetic “Herman Schmerman” - were bookended by the less inspiring Pam Tanowitz’s ballet “Law of Mosaics” and Kyle Abraham’s “Love Letter (on shuffle),” both 2022 creations. Still, even those two works had their memorable moments thanks to the cast.

Photo of Adrian Danchig-Waring and Mira Nadon in Pam Tanowitz’s “Law of Mosaics.” Photo © Erin Baiano

What Was, What Could Have Been

“Fandango,” “Bloom,” “Where We Dwell”
Roman Mejia, Tiler Peck and Herman Cornejo, Ayodele Casel
Fall For Dance – Program 5
New York City Center
New York, NY
October 23, 2021

by Marianne Adams
copyright © 2021 by Marianne Adams

The last program of this year’s Fall For Dance Festival looked back in looking ahead. Alexei Ratmansky’s 2010 work “Fandango” was presented in a restaging on a male dancer form, Justin Peck’s new work “Bloom” drew heavily on George Balanchine’s iconic “Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux,” and the world premiere of Ayodele Casel’s tap extravaganza “Where We Dwell” looked to historically American themes in dance and music, adjusting them for the times.

Photo of Tiler Peck and Herman Cornejo in “Bloom.” Photo © Stephanie Berger.