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It’s All Wheeldon

January 31, 2012 by 1 Comment
Wendy Whelan and Robert Fairchild in Christopher Wheeldon's Les Carillons. Photo: Paul Kolnik

Trying to trace Christopher Wheeldon’s career, you might decide he has a vagabond streak that tugs against a now-and-then yen for stability. As a young dancer and choreographer-in-waiting, he left Britain’s Royal Ballet for the New York City Ballet, became NYCB’s resident choreographer from 2000 to 2008, started Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company while still affiliated with NYCB, pulled out of that in 2010, and has been making ballets for other companies all along. Therefore, it would be risky to imagine that, just because on Saturday, … [Read more...]

01/31/12 6:14 PM | filed under: ballet |

November Potpourri

November 14, 2011 by 3 Comments
Kristi Boone and Gray Davis in Paul Taylor's Black Tuesday. Photo: Gene Schiavone

Seeing American Ballet Theatre during its too-brief season at City Center (nine works and eight performances in five days) could give spectators who devour the company’s spring shows at the Metropolitan Opera a new slant on the dancers. No tutus or tiaras on view, no see-me-ace-this displays of virtuosity, no hordes of elaborately costumed courtiers standing around watching some princess do what it takes to live happily ever after. And we get to see the splendid dancers in a more intimate setting. In fact, since most of the music was on … [Read more...]

11/14/11 11:28 AM | filed under: ballet |

Two Companies: East from Houston, North from D.C.

October 25, 2011 by 2 Comments
Houston Ballet (Melissa Hough, front) in Jorma Elo's One/end/One. Photo: Amitava Sarkar

In successive October weeks, two ballet companies with very dissimilar identities and agendas appeared at the Joyce Theater. The Houston Ballet is composed of over 50 dancers. It also boasts a handsome, beyond-spacious new building in its hometown (price: a surprisingly modest $46,600,00) that’s connected by a bridge to the Wortham Theater Center, where the company and the Houston Grand Opera perform. Artistic director Stanton Welch balances the repertory (and, no doubt, the budget) by presenting both full-length ballets (such as his 2009 … [Read more...]

10/25/11 1:52 PM | filed under: ballet |

At Sea

September 25, 2011 by 5 Comments
Princess Honorata (Sara Mearns) and Prince Stone (Robert Fairchild) Photo: Paul Kolnik

Here’s a fairy tale for 2011. Once upon a time, a very important knight—one of the great musicians of the late 20thcentury—joined forces with an adept ruler-choreographer (also a knight) who had inherited a powerful kingdom of dance. They set out together on a quest to find the true grail—a beautiful ballet that would further ennoble them both and maybe even bring in money. As far as we know, they underwent no terrible ordeals, battled no giants, slew no dragons. Eventually they fell together into a nicely decorated pit and rode home … [Read more...]

09/25/11 6:16 PM | filed under: ballet |

Sharing the Wealth

July 26, 2011 by 2 Comments
Ivan the Fool and the Humpbacked Horse Meet the Princess of the Sea Photo: Stephanie Berger

  Of late, I’ve been having a recurring daydream—probably prompted by the Mariinsky Ballet’s recent season at the Metropolitan Opera House (July 11 through 16), as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. Ballet companies square off like kids on the playground. “Nyah, nyah! I’ve got more Ratmanskys than you do!” “You do not!” “Do so!” “Well I’ve got the best Ratmanskys.” “Take that back or I won’t share my candy bar with you.” Ballets by Alexei Ratmansky have become hot commodities. Not only does he … [Read more...]

07/26/11 2:55 PM | filed under: ballet |
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