Magical MissTari Tour: NYCB Winter Season 2015

Last night, I was gifted a ticket to see the New York City Ballet. I haven't gone to see NYCB for awhile (I was looking at my old reviews and the last one I see is from 2006, which doesn't seem quite possible. Maybe I'll reprint it as a Flashback Friday someday...). I used to subscribe to their Fourth Ring Society, where you could buy a membership for a small fee, then pay next to nothing for tickets to whatever performances you chose. I enjoyed it, but when they discontinued that program, I didn't resubscribe. Then I became obsessed with the story ballets at ABT and the rest was ballet history. Or not.

Anyway, it's the great choreographer George Balanchine's 100th birthday year, so they're doing many programs at NYCB of All Balanchine. My ticket was to the first performance of the second program, consisting of three ballets I've seen in excerpt on video or tv, but never live (at least I don't think I've seen them live - my memory is sketchy): Donizetti Variations, La Valse and Chaconne.

photo credit: Paul Kolnik

First up was Donizetti Variations, which premiered in 1960. It's a lovely, bright and quick piece, with lots of fast footwork, spins, smiles and personality. The music is by Donizetti from his opera, Don Sebastian. I really enjoyed the piece very much, especially the lead dancers, Ashley Bouder and Joaquin de Luz. They were spectacular, so clean and crisp and they seemed to be having such fun. It was infectious. I know I made my "oof" noise a couple of times at how fast de Luz was moving. But they both were so expert at all of the intricate steps and partnering they did. The corps dancers behind them seemed a little ragged, though, and one poor girl fell in her first variation. It made me nervous for her throughout, but she recovered quickly and kept the smile on her face. But there did seem to be some unison issues here and there. I'm sure once they do the program again, these things will clean up.

photo credit: Paul Kolnik

After a not-so-brief intermission (where my seat neighbor asked how many acts there were - did she not read her program?), it was time for La Valse, with music by Ravel, first performed in 1951. I thought this piece was INCREDIBLE. Everything together just made such an impact on me - the costumes, the sets, the lights, and especially the music and the dancing. The piece begins with eight 'waltzes' featuring several different combinations of dancers; first, a trio of ladies who move beautfully, yet oddly, that sort of prefaces the strange unease to come. Then three couples rush on to waltz together, each having a different relationship to each other and the music. I especially liked the variation with the gentleman from the last couple being overcome by the three ladies of the first variation. His partnering with the three ballerinas was expert and he showed a lot of energy and emotion in their pas de quatre. The last two variations of the opening section were with our lead dancers, a beautiful young woman in white who knows she's beautiful, so she is quite flirtatious with the paramour, yet pulls away each time. Before he lifts her and carries her off, you can see a shadowy figure in the back of the stage, moving towards us.

The second part of the ballet was the three couples and the lead couple, clearly at a ball, when the beautiful young girl in white is dissatisfied with her paramour and decides to flirt with the shadowy figure/man who comes in mid-waltz. While this is happening, the music is building and has such ominous tones underneath, my heart started racing. You gradually realize that the shadowy mysterious man is Death and he is trying to claim the foolish beautiful young girl in white. He gives her gifts (black gloves and a black covering for her white dress), and after she puts them on and admires herself, Death dances her to her death. It was quite thrilling. The paramour is devastated and the ballet ends with the other gentlemen lifting the dead girl above their heads, while everyone else waltzes around them. I just found the combination of the movement and the music so powerful. I loved loved it. I will say, however, that the costume on the lead gentleman made him look rather unfortunately like Mr. Molesley from Downton Abbey fame. Not that there's anything wrong with looking like Mr. Molesley, per se, but I don't really see him as a romantic ballet figure. : ) I just loved La Valse and hope to see it again.

photo credit: Paul Kolnik

After another lengthy intermission, during which I talked to my other seat neighbors about ABT's upcoming season and how much we like Natalia Osipova, then came the final ballet of the evening, Chaconne, with music by Gluck, from his opera Orfeo ed Euridice. It was first performed in 1976. I may be wrong, but I think it was one of the first ballets Mr. Balanchine choreographed on Suzanne Farrell after she returned to City Ballet. At least that's what I think I remember from the documentary on Farrell that I adore, Elusive Muse. Anyway, Chaconne. it is a lovely piece, with dancers in white performing in front of a sky blue scrim, beautifully lit with clouds and light. The first part of the piece is very ethereal, with lots of lifts and extensions, then the second part with the corps is more structured, almost like court dances. Everyone was terrific, though there was another stumble and I hate to think it, but it may have been the same dancer that had a bobble in the first piece. Perhaps she has an ear infection or something which is affecting her balance. But, even if it was a different girl, they got past the stumble quickly and securely. If I didn't love the arms and hands of the lead gal, oh well. Her feet were gorgeous and she had lovely line (except for her arms and hands). I bought myself a DVD of Balanchine dances for Christmas and one of them is Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins dancing Chaconne. I may be taking a peekaloo at it over the weekend, not so much for comparisons sake, but to get more enjoyment out of the piece. I admit to being a little bit sleepy by the end of the evening and maybe my attention wavered here and there. Watching it again should help me out.

I also want to mention that there's a fascinating art exhibit on the Promenade called Psychogeographies by Dustin Yellin. It's like 3D/sculpture/collage/color studies all in one. The pieces are lovely from a distance and quite remarkable up close. I'll put more photos at the bottom. I'm hoping to get back for a little more of the Balanchine celebration - they're titling one evening Hear the Dance: Italy. I'm thinking that has my name ALL OVER IT.