American Ballet Theatre dancers in James Whiteside’s New American Romance. Photo: Erin Baiano, courtesy Vail Dance Festival Do you ever wonder how choreographers choose their titles? After seeing James Whiteside’s New American Romance on the last day of American Ballet Theatre’s fall season at the former New York State Theater, I spent some time pondering that. The five women in its cast … [Read more...]
Fashion and Dance Get Married
The New York City Ballet's Fall Gala Lauren Lovette's The Shaded Line. New York City Ballet's Georgina Pazcoguin flanked by from left, Davide Riccardo, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Gilbert Bolden, Unity Phelan and Jonathan Fahoury. Credit Photo: Erin Baiano You can discover online a photo of Sarah Jessica Parker, swirling the yards of fuschia material in which designer Zac Posen had garbed her for … [Read more...]
A Ballerina Adventures in Postmodern Worlds
Sarah Mearns in Martha Graham's Ekstasis. Photo: Grace Kathryn Landefeld It wouldn’t be entirely fair to call Sara Mearns a force of nature, given her discipline, her skills as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and her interest in exploring new possibilities. However having seen her perform August 14-18 in Jacob’s Pillow’s Doris Duke Theater, I’m strenuously tempted. The … [Read more...]
Dancing in the Green
Attendees enjoying the Jacob's Pillow "campus." Photo: Grace Kathryn Landefield It rained the day before the Jacob’s Pillow Gala. It rained the day after the Jacob’s Pillow Gala. Fortunately, the rain gods were too busy elsewhere to cause trouble in Becket, Massachusetts on Saturday the 15th of June at 5:00 P.M. Pink umbrellas hung on the chairs for the banquet in the gigantic tent, just … [Read more...]
Tharp Times Three
American Ballet Theatre's Tharp Trio at Lincoln Center, May 30-June 3 Twyla Tharp's Deuce Coupe. American Ballet Theatre dancers (L to R): Luis Ribagorda, Catherine Hurlin, Claire Davison, Isabella Boylston, and James Whiteside. Photo: Gene Schiavone Does anyone dare to call Giselle dated? I doubt it. It’s a centuries-old classic that’s had numerous facelifts. I don’t often wish myself … [Read more...]
The New York City Ballet Enters a New Era
The New York City Ballet presents its annual Fall Gala The crowd attending the New York City Ballet’s Gala on September 27th was certainly elegantly dressed (sometime daringly so: two men eschewed tuxes and appeared in floral-print suits). During the pre-performance performance of sipping drinks and snagging hors d’oeuvres, you had to be alert to the possibility of stepping on filmy trains. … [Read more...]
A Gala and Denmark in the Berkshires
Members of the Royal Danish Ballet Come to Jacob's Pillow, as it celebrates its 86th anniversary. Art, time, and money can squirm and slip around one another in unexpected ways. This year’s Gala at Jacob’s Pillow in the Berkshires made some people open their pockets on the spot and made others wish they could. The mood was jovial, and the weather responded with sunshine (perhaps the gods … [Read more...]
Refreshing an Old Story
American Ballet Theatre premieres Alexei Ratmansky's remounting of Harlequinade. It’s almost two o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon, and I’m casing the audience that’s gradually filling the Metropolitan Opera House, where American Ballet Theatre is holding its spring season. Most of us, I’d guess, are either over 65 or under 12. More of us appear to be female than male. And, as Alexei … [Read more...]
New York City Ballet Celebrates Jerome Robbins
I lived with Jerome Robbins for six years. (Forgive the startling opener; he was dead at the time, but liked a joke). During those years, I read his diaries and his letters, talked with his family, friends, and those he worked with. Since recovering from writing a book about him and his choreography, I haven’t attended many performances of his ballets. Now the New York City Ballet, for which he … [Read more...]
The New York City Ballet Looks to Its Future
21st-century works in The New York City Ballet's Winter season (January 23-March 4) A subtle artistic schism exists for dancers in the New York City Ballet. None of them knew its co-founder Balanchine. They hadn’t taken his classes; they hadn’t watched him choreograph new ballets or lent him their bodies to use as inspiration and building blocks. If they experienced ballets by his later … [Read more...]