NYCB Reviews ABT reviews

If you did not already know, New York is in the middle of its annual ballet fest when New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre have competing schedules on two sides of the Lincoln Centre. Another city which manages to cram the year's allocation of decent ballet into a frenetic two months? Well, yes and no. Having spoken to the audiences at both houses you discover that they divided into two bigoted camps. They either love ABT and hate NYCB or visa versa. Like a child in the sweetie shop I gorged myself on both and came away with mixed impressions. NYCB is a curate's egg in the quality both of its repertoire and its dancers. ABT is on a roll at the moment with some top-notch dancers on show, but I have only sampled a limited section of the rep. So here are some highlights, lowlights and a personal view of the fare on the table on the other side of the pond.

New York City Ballet

The week started with the tail-end of the Stravinsky Festival. A week of ballets all set to the music of the composer. We then tilted headlong onto the Tschaikovsky Festival. The programme notes tell us: "There are 16 ballets composed by Tschaikovsky in the active repertoire of New York City Ballet". I doubt that the great man would have remembered writing them!

One thing I did learn last week was that on this side of the pond we see the best of Balanchine. He created some absolute crackers but had some off days as well, as do all choreographers to be fair. I also re-affirmed a previously formed opinion that Peter Martins could not choreograph his way out of a paper bag.

The company did wheel out its Principals on a regular basis. The only one we did not see was Darci Kistler and that was because we could not resist Julio Bocca appearing on the other side of the square! However, overall the quality of the dancing was mixed and that comment goes right down the ranks.

The Highlights...

Firstly, three ballets from the Stravinsky Festival. Scènes de Ballet, The Cage, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto.

Scènes de Ballet is a new ballet by Christopher Wheeldon, made on dancers from the School of American Ballet. It was easy on the eye, more on the lines of Souvenir de Florence than A Royal Ballet, with an elegant pas de deux well danced by Isabel Vondermuhll and Jan Burkhard.

English audiences will be familiar with BRB's recent production of the late Jerome Robbins' ballet The Cage. The difference here in New York lay in the leg strength of the female dancers. Pretty scary I can tell you. I would like to see Wendy Whelan in the role of the Novice.

Stravinsky Violin Concerto was a welcome end to a programme with two lemons. Strongly danced by a cast of able principals, Yvonne Borree, Monique Meunier, Jock Soto and Nikolaj Hübbe.

For the Sunday matinee, better sold because it had no competition from the Met, we were dished out a Balanchine three-course of Apollo, Orpheus and Agon. It was a bonus to see Peter Boal again in the title role of Apollo. He danced with Stars of NYCB last summer at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. He dances cleanly and with more character than you usually get out of the Balanchine manikins. Margaret Tracey, Jennie Somogi and Pascale van Kipnis were adequate, but not as convincing.

Orpheus has to be seen for what it is, a piece of its period and was Spam rather than meat in this particular sandwich. We were then treated to a socking performance of Agon. If you did not know that the title translates as "contest" you certainly did after this. The cast was led by Wendy Whelan, Jock Soto, Maria Kowroski and Damian Woetzel. The sheer strength of Whelan's body is awesome. You either love her style or you hate it. I fall into the former but I know many find her too masculine. I admit that I could not imagine her in a tutu, but in the last piece of the week she was performing Diamonds demonstrating all the elegance and style you expect form the "Balanchine" dancer. She is a little on the small side to be considered typical of his choice but she has the strength in her legs to give the choreography the clean execution it demands.

Diamonds was part of another all-Balanchine matinee. It kicked off with Theme and Variations led by Miranda Weese and Robert Tewsley, guesting with the company. It was the third time that we saw him in the week and he looked more comfortable than he had on the earlier occasions. The meat of this afternoon was Serenade which was adequately but not spectacularly danced.

So now for the rest...

Firebird - the only polite thing I have to say about the ballet is that the Chagall backdrops were stunning and were all that kept me from gnawing my knuckles from frustration and to prevent me from laughing. The programme credits the costumes to Chagall, executed by Karinska. Either Chagall had too much cheese before he went to bed one night or Karinska had more of an influence than given credit. They were hideous.

Suite from L'Histoire du Soldat - Peter Martins' work which I usefully used to catch up on my jet lag after five minutes of side-to-side and front-to-back choreography.

Scherzo a la Russe - This is a ballet that should have been taken out and left on a hill side at birth.

Aurora's Wedding - This is another Martins masterwork. It is just about recognisable as Act III of The Sleeping Beauty. The only part that Petipa might have recognised is the pas de deux which was painfully performed by Margaret Tracey and Nikolaj Hübbe who, I think that I am correct in saying, did not land one double tour correctly. The White Cat and Puss in Boots owed more to Mr Lloyd Webber than the maestro.

Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 - This is a case of Balanchine fiddling with an earlier work when he should have left well alone. It is an extended version of Theme and Variations making use of the whole orchestral suite. He was going through his "women in insipid floaty dresses and loose hair" phase and I used the first three movements to catch up on some more sleep. The only redeeming feature was Ms Whelan, with a tentative Mr Tewsley, in the final part which is virtually the same as the original.

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 - You may know, although not recognise, this ballet as Ballet Imperial and it is another example of Mr B twiddling. He abandoned the backcloth and the tutus, which are replaced with insipid, slightly-less-floaty dresses, and re-named it. All the company gave us was a demonstration of how not to dance in straight lines. The costumes and plain background left the dancers painfully exposed and they made the most of it.

Somewhere in the middle (but not very elevated) were four other ballets, Four Norwegian Moods, Allegro Brillante, Andantino, and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux.

On a general note I would say that the company did not look strong or well drilled. The corps de ballet looked under rehearsed, Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 was only the worst example. One wonders where Peter Martins' leadership will take them. On the evidence of last week it can only be down the list of the world's greatest companies.

American Ballet Theatre

So, off to the Met and ABT and only two ballets, but five performances, to talk about. Not too much to say about the productions, Giselle and Le Corsaire but plenty to say about the dancers. ABT is on a high with the clutch of male principals at its call at the moment. Julio Bocca, Jose Manuel Carreño, Angel Corella, Vladimir Malakov and Ethan Stiefel. With the exception of Corella, who was seriously injured during rehearsal the week before, we were treated to a dose of all of these men in Le Corsaire.

The ballet starts back to front with plain sailing and ends with a fatal storm which only Conrad and Medora survive "a testimony to the strength of their love" the programme notes tell us (yuck). Poor old Ali is what I say. Pity for him slaves are not allowed to pick up the birds. The Odalisques appear in Act I in the Bazaar but you still get the sugary sweet scene in the Pasha's garden, complete with fountain (yuck, again).

Julio Bocca gave us a grand performance as Conrad. Vladimir Malakov as Lankendem (the slave trader) showed a talent for comic timing I would not have credited him with and deep pliéd landings to die for on his double tours.

In the contest for the best Ali, honours were shared. Carreño certainly looked the part, but could have been tidier on landing, a minor criticism in what was a complete portrayal of a slave. Guiseppe Picone looked the part as well, except for the over-done eye liner, but he landed badly several times in his solo and virtually missed one jump altogether. For technique the prize has to go to Stiefel but he has to learn not to casually cross his arms at the side lines of the bazaar.

The women in the leading roles were adequate if not spectacular. Julie Kent smiled beautifully as Medora but Amanda McKerrow as Gulnare looked as if she had indigestion. Paloma Herrera fared better as Medora than Gulnare. The best was Nina Ananiashvili wearing her own costumes, which may have been a help. However, the discovery of the week was Gillian Murphy who danced Gulnare to Herrera's Medora. One to watch for the future.

Of the balance of the soloists there was no-one of note except the girl who, as an odalisque, gave us the benefit of her best Colgate smile throughout. It may have been nerves but it was entirely inappropriate.

Overall the production highlighted how lucky we are in London with the depth of quality in the productions of the Royal Ballet. Attention is given to detail whether it be the embroidery on the costumes, the props, the scenery or the characterisation of the corps in a street scene. Everyone has to have their own story for a crowd to work. You had the impression that the corps thought that Turkey was a country where you rolled out your towel on the beach rather than the gateway to the Orient and a place of mystique and intrigue.

We saw two casts in Giselle. Julie Kent and Vladimir Malakov and Ashley Tuttle with Julio Bocca, substituting for the injured Corella.

Malakov danced well but you had the feeling that he could have put in more technical content and he concentrated on what he was really good at which is quick footwork and anything which shows off the glorious line of his back. Julie Kent tried to be sweet and innocent but succeeded only in looking gormless. In the second act she was more successful until she forgot she was a sylph and rattled off a cracking set of grand jétes.

Now what can I say about Julio Bocca? A skilled and sympathetic partner and seasoned Albrecht. Detail, detail, detail and a walk to the curtain at the end that is without equal, in my (limited) experience.

A final reference to the delightful programme notes supplied with Giselle, and I quote. "Hilarion interrupts to denounce Loys as an impostor. When Loys denies the charges..." I quite expected him to take the Fifth Amendment.

A footnote. Some of these dancers are on show in London this summer and next season at the Royal Ballet. They are worth getting off your backside to go and look at.