New York City Ballet at the Kennedy Center (Program A)

New York City Ballet
Opera House, Kennedy Center
December 9, 2009

It is such a nice feeling when the first piece of a mixed bill program is good, the second is better, and the third best. This is especially true since the programs New York City Ballet presented at the Kennedy Center last year were underwhelming. This year, however, I left the theatre with a greater appreciation and understanding for all three ballets on the bill, even though none were new to me.

Wendy Whelan in Mozartiana
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik; Source: Oberon's Grove

Balanchine's Mozartiana is usually programmed first, as it was here, and what a way to open. Wendy Whelan, the most versatile dancer of the company's senior ballerinas, makes the most of her extraordinary range. The opening movement, Preghiera (Prayer) is a somber, mournful prologue, and showed Whelan at her most beautiful and evocative. She and Jared Angle then bounded with ease through the petit allego technical minefields of the Theme & Variations; Whelan's technique in particular is so clean, like cut glass, and secure that it's startling. But at her core Whelan is still quite a cold dancer. She doesn't have the warmth or charm of Darci Kistler or Kyra Nichols, and the wonderful aura they had in this same role.

Daniel Ulbricht is always fun to watch, but I must say I miss the days when the Gigue was cast with a tall dancer like Alexander Ritter. A tall, regal dancer contrasted with the bouncy music makes for a far more interesting variation, and less reminiscent of the jester in Swan Lake. (The originator of the role, Christopher d'Amboise, was tall).

Jenifer Ringer and Sebastian Marcovici in Dances at a Gathering
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik; Source: Dance View Times

For me, the two most memorable things about Jerome Robbins's Dancers at a Gathering are the toss where the girl in yellow is caught upside down, and how long the ballet is. I know that's heretical for a balletomane to say, but I can still appreciate its beauty while noting that it really is very long.

Dances at a Gathering has held up very well over the years, possibly because the company still has many dancers who worked with Robbins. In last night's cast, Benjamin Millepied was in the original cast of Part 2 & 3 Inventions while still at SAB and Jenifer Ringer auditioned for Robbins for West Side Story Suite by singing "I'm A Little Teapot."

Amongst the ladies, the standouts were Ringer (in purple) and Megan Fairchild (in yellow). Although I will always remember Ringer as the cheerful girl in yellow, her girl in purple is a vision. Now a more senior, seasoned dancer, dark glamour and lyrical dancing are perfect for this more contemplative role. She and Adrian Danchig-Waring (in green) have a special chemistry.

Fairchild, in Ringer's old role, can sometimes be a bit cutsey -- too much of a soubrette -- but in this role she is finding new depths. She and Antonio Carmena (in brick) had good rapport, and gave a wonderfully crisp performance.

Sterling Hyltin in Stravinsky Violin Concerto
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Photo copyright © Jeff Gurwin; Source: Oberon's Grove

The final piece was Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto. After the emotionally draining Dances at a Gathering, it is something of a relief to see the curtain go up on five dancers dressed cleanly black and white, and to hear the jazzy sounds of Stravinsky. The first pas de deux was performed by Rebecca Krohn and new principal Amar Ramasar.

I'm glad to see Krohn getting more featured roles after several years in the back row of the corps. She's in the vein of Maria Kowroski (she shares several roles with Kowroski, in fact) -- tall, athletic and with very long legs. But despite her commanding stage presence, her dancing is actually quite delicate. All of that, combined with her crisp attack and Ramasar's bounding energy made for a very exciting pas de deux.

Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild, also newly promoted to principal, were the other couple -- so nice to finally see them together in something other than Romeo + Juliet!

It's great to see City Ballet in top form. Hopefully Program B (with Concerto Barocco and Liebeslieder Walzer will be as good!

Program A repeats tonight (Friday, December 11). Program B opens on Friday and runs through the weekend. The cast is scheduled to be the same for all performances.

La Danse coming to DC in November

I am super excited to watch Fredrick Wiseman's new documentary about Paris Opera Ballet, La Danse, the French language trailer for which is below. (Watch it with English subtitles here.)





The filming will be playing in the Washington, DC(ish) area on:

1. Friday, November 27 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring (right near Maryland Youth Ballet, FYI)

2. Friday, December 4 at the Charles Theatre in Baltimore
(for other locations, click here)

Hopefully, more dates will be added soon. And the film will be released on DVD in case you miss it.

Initial Thoughts on Viengsay Valdés & Washington Ballet's Don Quixote

Viengsay Valdés and Jonathan Jordan in
Washington Ballet's Don Quixote
Photo copyright © Juana Arias for The Washington Post.

I will probably post a more collected report tomorrow, but here are some initial thoughts.

1. The production as a whole is fantastic. Everything -- the choreography and staging, the costumes, the overall technique of the company, the energy level -- was great. It's great to watch Washington Ballet -- NYCB and Mariinsky-watchers may complain about the decline of their respective companies since their heydays -- but here in the District the Ballet really does improve with each passing season. Septime Webre is doing a great job.

2. The addition of the flamenco scene at the beginning of Act 3. I've never seen this before (I've seen ABT and Mariinsky's productions live, and the POB DVD), and it is fantastic. It was beautifully performed and added something special to the staging. And when the curtain went up -- it looked like a Valasquez painting!! The duel (or should I say tango?) between Don Quixote and Gamache was priceless; it wouldn't be a WSB production without a little bit of extra humor!

3. The costumes -- I don't know what the costume budget was, but the costumes looked beautiful. The velvet Valasquez-style ones in Act 3 with the high ruffs were particularly beautiful. And I so appreciate the fact that every single townsperson had a different costumes -- slightly different color, different detailing on the front. Those little details are appreciated! And putting Gamanche is silver jazz shoes to show off his beautiful feet -- very clever.

4. The gypsy pantomime with the children as puppets was an adorable idea. The kids were all great, but the one who with the big hat and the feather who managed to be a combination of Gamache and Captain Hook at the same time -- that boy's going to go far! Using the little girls as cupids in the Dryads scene was also clever (and they looked so sweet).

5. Maki Onuki as Amour -- perfect casting! She is a bright, sparkly dancer, with a wonderful lightness to her (very solid) technique. She'll be dancing 2 performances as Kitri -- those should be good too.

6. Jonathan Jordan as Basilio -- he's always been a great dancer with brilliant technique, but he really outdid himself tonight. I am so glad he's finally dancing with someone who is his equal as a turner. In terms of personality on stage, he didn't shine quite as brightly as Viengsay Valdés -- though I'm not sure anyone could. And he matched her virtuoso step for virtuoso step every step of the way.

They did all of the one-handed lifts, which, to be honest, I wasn't expecting. And it's even more impressive when you consider that she's a little bit too tall for him. (The fish dives looked cramped; she really needs a partner who's an inch taller than Jordan is.) He gave 300% in tonight's performance and looked very tired during the bows. I hope he makes it through to the next two performances because he really was fantastic.

Viengsay Valdés and Jonathan Jordan in
Washington Ballet's Don Quixote
Photo copyright © Juana Arias for The Washington Post.

6. Viengsay Valdés as Kitri -- I don't know where to begin. I have run out of superlatives to describe her performance. The balances! The turns! The personality! The energy! I can see why some people don't like her, and I don't know if I'd want to see her in a classical role like Sleeping Beauty. But she just oozes charisma, and fits my own idea of Kitri perfectly.

Her technique is indeed all it's cracked up to be. I stupidly didn't start counting the rotations in the first pirouette in her Act 1 variation until the end, but I would swear it was at least five. She turned the balance in attitude at the end of the grand pas de deux into a balance in attitude (four seconds) into passé into développé front (two seconds) -- truly amazing. Everything about her dancing is so easy and creamy. She is a joy to watch.

I have to say, I've never been a fan of Le Corsaire, but now I hope that Washington Ballet will stage it and invite Valdés to dance Medora. She would be perfect. Come back to DC soon, Viengsay! We love you!!

In short -- I think the Company was inspired by having Valdés as a guest, and they rose to meet her. It was a truly inspired performance, and the standing ovation was much deserved.

Edit 10/18/09: Here's Sarah Kaufman's review in The Washington Post. Definitely the most positive Kaufman-written review I've ever read.

Viengsay Valdés in DC!!

Viengsay Valdés in
Don Quixote (Cuban National Ballet)
Photo copyright © Michel Lidvac. Source: Gaynor Minden.

Washington Ballet has announced that Cuban ballerina Viengsay Valdés will dance Kitri on the opening night of Anna-Marie Holmes's Don Quixote on October 14, 2009.

This is tremendously exciting! Valdés dances Kitri on the DVD of the Cuban National Ballet's Don Q and there are a lot of clips of her on Youtube -- her turns and balances are extraordinary.

I can't wait to see her!

Some Choice Viengsay Valdés YouTube Clips:

Selections from the Don Quixote DVD (2007)

Phenomenal fouetté combination from Le Corsaire coda (seriously, you have to watch this)

1st act variation from Giselle

The Press Release
CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET PRIMA BALLERINA
JOINS TWB FOR SEASON OPENING PRODUCTION

Viengsay Valdés featured in Don Quixote on First Solo Visit to United States
Production runs October 14-18 at the Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Ballet is pleased to announce that Cuban ballerina Viengsay Valdés will appear as a guest artist in the company’s 09.10 Season opening performance, Don Quixote, running October 14-18 in the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater. Ms. Valdes will be dancing the lead role of Kitri in a new staging of the the classic ballet by internationally recognized choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes.

“I am delighted to welcome Ms. Valdés to Washington,” said TWB Artistic Director Septime Webre. “She will add a great spark to TWB’s fantastic ensemble.”

Mr. Webre, who is of Cuban descent, also said that it brings him personal satisfaction to showcase such an important cultural treasure from his native country. “My own Cuban heritage has played a significant role in repertoire I’ve selected at The Washington Ballet,” he said. “To be able to welcome Viengsay is personally very meaningful to me. I am proud that TWB will be her first solo visit in this country.”

Born in Havana, Ms. Valdés began her ballet studies at age nine at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School. At age 15, she continued her course of study at the Escuela Nacional de Arte with Ramona de Sáa and Mirtha Hermida. When she was 17, legendary director Alicia Alonso invited Ms. Valdés to join the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In 2001, Ms. Valdés became a principal dancer and primera bailarina. She has won numerous dance awards and prizes, and has performed the role of Kitri in various productions of Don Quixote and at dance competitions. Most recently, in April 2008, Ms. Valdés performed as Kitri at the Theatre of Light and Sound amid the Giza Pyramids, in Egypt.

The last time Ms. Valdés was in the United States was in 2003 with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. This will be her first solo visit to the nation. TWB is thrilled that an O-1 visa for Ms. Valdés was secured, and that DC audiences will have the chance to experience this internationally-renowned dancer. She arrives on September 22, and will begin rehearsing with the company on September 23, 2009.

City Ballet's 2010 Winter Season Announced

New York City Ballet has released the schedule for the Winter 2010 season -- see it here (PDF). The season runs January 5, 2010 - February 28, 2010.

Andrew Veyette and Ashley Bouder in
Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik for New York City Ballet

The ballets are:
1. Tradition & Innovation: New Peter Martins Ballet, Who Cares?
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream
3. Romeo + Juliet
4. Short Stories: Fancy Free, Prodigal Son, Firebird
5. All Russian: Agon, New Alexey Miroshnichenko Ballet, Cortège Hongrois
6. Balanchine's Birthday (1-time only): Walpurgisnacht Ballet, New Martins, New Miroshnichenko
7. The Sleeping Beauty
8. Swan Lake
9. All Balanchine: Liebeslieder Walzer, Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2
10. All Robbins: Dances at a Gathering, West Side Story Suite
11. Jewels

I'm of two minds of this programming. For starters, I am sympathetic to Martins's plight: it is impossible to program a season that will "please" everyone. The balletomanes who want lots or only Balanchine/Robbins. The balletomanes who want lots of new works. Crowd-pleasing programs vs. programs with more artistic merit (sometimes one and the same, but not always).

I also acknowledge that full-length ballets (the "big names") tend to sell more tickets that repertory works. This is an economic recession. City Ballet needs to fill the theatre.

However ... I personally find this season so disappointing. I adore the full-lengths, but I'm not particularly fond of City Ballet's versions. For starters, the dancers don't have the tradition of story-telling that makes the ballet convincing. (Watch the NYCB corps in the background of the Rose Adagio or the court scenes of Swan Lake, for example, and compare them to the Paris Opera Ballet corps, or the Kirov.)

Miranda Weese in
Swan Lake (Choreography by Peter Martins)
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik for New York City Ballet

Secondly, the technique for the Petipa repertory isn't there. This is not to say the dancers are incapable of it -- far from it. But it has to be maintained, used every season. It's not something that can be picked up on the fly, or resurrected every five or six years. The same can be said for the Tudor rep at American Ballet Theatre, or Ashton at the Royal Ballet.

I won't get started on the scenery and costumes for Swan Lake -- ugly and depressing -- or Romeo + Juliet -- even uglier, which I hadn't thought possible, and often inappropriate. (Sleeping Beauty, on the other hand, is traditional, pretty and pleasantly inoffensive.)

And because we're getting 5 full-length ballets, that leaves room for only 11 Balanchine/Robbins ballets (plus the 2 creations). Which is sad. People will have to come to Washington in December if they want to see Balanchine rep this winter.

And I pity the poor unsuspecting soul who buys a ticket for the New Martins/Who Cares? bill. Who Cares?, delightful as it is, cannot makeup for another Martins ballet choreographed to John Adams music. And it will be long too, since they're only two works on the bill, and Who Cares? isn't that long.

Kathryn Morgan and Tyler Angle in
The Sleeping Beauty (Choreography by Peter Martins)
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik for New York City Ballet

But let's look on the bright side. In terms of casting, the winter season should be pretty exciting. Some names jump immediately to mind: Kathryn Morgan will probably be cast as Aurora. I didn't see her dance the grand pas at the Dancer's Choice evening last season, but she got rapturous reviews, so seeing her in the full ballet should be a treat. Jenifer Ringer is a marvelous Odette/Odile. Teresa Reichlen shone in Rubies, Prodigal Son and A Midsummer Night's Dream last season, and Firebird the year before that. Ashley Bouder should be back at full strength after her injury last season and in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Firebird, Dances at a Gathering, Jewels, TPC2 and Who Care?.

So, while I'm not too taken by the programming for City Ballet this coming winter, there's still plenty to look forward to!

Wendy Whelan Mini-Retrospective

Swan Lake
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Photo copyright © Paul Kolnik for New York City Ballet; Source: The New York Times

I've never met Wendy Whelan, but I still feel like I've grown up with her. She wasn't the very first NYCB ballerina I saw dance (that was her former dressing roommate, Margaret Tracey, as Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty), but I remember her very distinctly from my early ballet watching days.

Not only did she have an unusual physique and unique way of moving, but in the early '90s Whelan was still mostly being cast in leotard roles -- Red Angels, Agon, etc. and those ballets were light years away from my conception of "ballet" -- i.e. the full-length classics.

Plus, unlike Tracey, Nichol Hlinka, Darci Kistler, Helene Alexopoulos, Lourdes Lopez and many of the other principals, Wendy Whelan never smiled, which for some reason firmly etched her image in my six-year-old mind. (I'm sure the alliterative name and fact she joined the company the same year I was born and was promoted to principal the same year I first went to NYCB helped too.)

So it has been a treat to watch Whelan's marvelous journey as an artist, developing from dancing nearly only leotard roles to being City Ballet's most versatile principal. Not to mention her partnerships with Peter Boal and Jock Soto.

Photo copyright © David Michalek.
Source: New York City Ballet.

While there are lots of reasons I wish I were attending the Vail International Dance Festival, seeing "UpClose: Celebrating Wendy Whelan, Dancer and Muse" is definitely near the top. At least Gia Kourlas's new (if all too short!) interview ("Grace Fit for a Tribute, Not Retirement", The New York Times, July 31, 2009) is some small consolation.

Suzanne Farrell on Sesame Street

When I watch videos of Suzanne Farrell performing, I tend to get so caught up in the moment -- the expansive quality of her dance, the choreography -- that I tend to overlook how good her technique was.

These clips of her on Sesame Street (from the 1970s?) are totally adorable, but they also show how clean her technique was. Sometimes people talk about dancers who had technical shortcoming that were compensated for by great artistry; Suzanne Farrell is definitely not in that category.

My favorite clip is the last one, with the grands battements en pointe. I love Kermit's squished face when he says "grand battement" and how Grover ducks for the first battement.






But I have to add, it's a sad state of affairs when the only clips on Youtube (save one) of the most famous American ballerina of 20th century are 90-second clips of her demonstrating steps on Sesame Street.