ABT 2015 - Classic ABT

In all the madness of planning for my recent trip to Dublin (part two of my trip report will come soon), I totally forgot that ballet season was starting!  Woo hoo!  I've been looking forward to this since I renewed my subscription in January!  You all know it's one of my favorite times of the year!  This year marks the 75th anniversary of ABT, so they're doing quite a few old favorites and also a new ballet later this season.  There will also be three ballerinas retiring this year, one of whom is my absolute uber-favorite, so a lot of my scheduling has to do with catching two of the departing ladies before they go.  Last night was my first trip to the Met...

They called the mixed bill Classic ABT.  They're presenting quite a few one-act ballets that were choreographed over the last 75 years.  Last night's were three pieces that have been in the ABT repertory for many years - "Theme and Variations" was made in 1947, "Jardin aux Lilas" was made in 1936, but first done by ABT in 1940, and "Rodeo" was picked up by ABT in 1950.  There was a nice range to the three pieces, from very classical to quite contemporary.  It was a great evening.

photo credit: Julieta Cervantes

First up was the George Balanchine classic "Theme and Variations."  I saw this piece last year and you can read those thoughts HERE.  I saw a different cast this time - the lead couple was Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo and they were magnificent!  I enjoyed the pair last year, but Sarah and Herman were really sublime.  Cornejo is a technical marvel and his solo was fantastic with many twists and turns, both in the air and on the ground.  Both dancers have feet that are fast and precise, and their jumps are so airy and effortless.  They also had a very nice chemistry in their pas de deux.  Really, the whole thing was so beautiful.  One gal in the corps de ballet took a tumble somewhere in the middle of the piece, but they all shook it off and didn't let it affect the ending.  I felt the ending was quite breathtaking, and I mean that rather literally!  My heart started racing when the music sped up and more and more dancers kept dashing onto the stage - it was great!    I really could see this ballet over and over again.

Next was Anthony Tudor's "Jardin aux Lilas," which I saw for the first time in ABT's fall season.  I saw mostly the same cast this time, except for the lead girl.  This time I saw principal dancer Hee Seo as Caroline, the girl engaged to be married to one man but in love with another.  Seo is a gorgeously technical dancer, but this piece really needs an actress as well, and she just didn't project enough longing and was a bit too reserved.  But Roman Zhurbin was again perfection as her fiancé, a man trying to hide from his mistress, played by Veronika Part.  Both Part and Zhurbin are so expressive, they use their dancing to great effect to propel the plot forward and to paint these characters fully, whereas Seo is just dancing.  Beautifully, but still.  She's not telling a story.  Cory Stearns, as her love, was again very stalwart and romantic, but just a tad more oomph could really make his dancing sing.  I like this piece very much, it's romantic and pretty with gorgeous music; I guess I'm still looking for a dancer to give me something as Caroline.  Maybe I'll have to find an old You Tube video to see if what I think I want is really what's needed in this ballet. 

photo credit: Gene Schiavone

The final piece of the evening was Agnes DeMille's "Rodeo," with music by the great Aaron Copland.  "Rodeo" is just so fun and I love seeing it.  Xiomara Reyes is one of the ballerinas retiring this year, so I was very happy to see her in something I hadn't watched her dance before.  And she did not disappoint.  She was adorable, so endearing and likeable.  You immediately gravitate towards her and the sunny disposition she projects.  You felt for her when her love interest turned her away, and you smiled and laughed when she realized who she loved after all.  James Whiteside was fantastic as the Champion Roper - all quirky sass and lanky tap dancing.  He was really so charismatic and fun.  He seems so tall next to Xiomara; they make an adorable couple.

So, all in all, it was a terrific start to the season for me.  My seat neighbors were great, the dancing was great, even my pre-show/much-too-expensive snack was great.  I had a wonderful time.  I'll be heading back to ABT this weekend - I had hoped to see another one of the retiring ballerinas, but I just saw on the internet that she's pulled out of that performance, goshdarnit.  Oh well.  I'm looking forward to seeing that piece anyway.  Hurray for ballet season!