Category: Ballet

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Classic New York City Ballet

“Classic New York City Ballet” by New York City Ballet was amazing this afternoon!

“The Four Seasons” was absolutely gorgeous with 49 dancers (!!!) in the piece. Sterling Hyltin and Chase Finley perfectly captured Spring, but Ashley Boulder, Zachary Catazaro, and Roman Mejia stole the show with Fall. I enjoyed seeing two of my favorite ballerinas, Maria Kowroski and Tiler Peck, on stage together in “Oltremare” as well as Megan Fairchild in “Square Dance.” Also, the promenade of the Koch Theater was beautifully decorated with sculptures by Jihan Zencirli.

The Four Seasons, choreographed by Jerome Robbins with music by Giuseppi Verdi, presents a series of scenes depicting Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The opening scene of Winter was both elegant (dancers dressed in all white) and humorous (dancers rubbing their hands to keep themselves warm, against a backdrop of falling snowflakes). Sterling and Chase perfectly captured the exuberance of Spring with Sterling’s bright personality and Chase’s (and the boys’) leaps. They looked like young leaves sprouting and eagerly shooting into the air. Summer was hot and slow, and wonderfully conveyed by Ashley Laracey and Taylor Stanley. My favorite season goes to Fall which felt like a ginormous harvest celebration, filled with non-stop dancing, parades, and lots of impressive turns.

Oltremare explores the feeling of being an immigrant: Constantly moving, searching for a better life, yet never at home. While the central theme is all about emotions, the piece also features tons of highly technical moves. I felt Maria and Tiler, both highly expressively and also super technical, played the parts perfectly. Ashly Isaacs and Megan LeCrone were both lovely in their roles, too.

My favorite part of Square Dance goes to “square dancing” geometric group patterns with intricate ballet steps.

As a side note, I thought I was seeing doubles when the sisters, Claire and Emma Von Enck danced together in the Four Season. I had to check the program to make sure I wasn’t imagining it.

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Jessica Lang and Backhausdance

I LOOOVED Jessica Lang and Backhausdance at the Joyce Theater‘s American Dance Platform. My favorite program of this year’s festival.

“Lyric Pieces” by Jessica Lang was graceful and beautiful. Jessica has incredible way of bringing dancers together, so that as a whole they tell a touching and emotional story. The minimalist but versatile props accentuated the constantly evolving, dynamic movements. “The Calling,” a short solo, was visually stunning from the moment the curtain was lifted. Kana Kimura stood at the center of stage, in an all-white dress that spanned 20 feet across covering much of the stage. As she moved, the fabric of the dress flowed, twirled, and responded to her.

If seeing Jessica Lang’s work feels like attending an elegant wedding, then seeing Jennifer Backhaus‘s work feels like the small victories of making it through a difficult but rewarding week.

“The Elasticity of the Almost” was creative, playful, and deeply emotional.

I was warned ahead of the show that “balls will be rolling into the audience!” Surely and truly, thousands of bouncing balls filled the stage. They were carried on stage by the dancers, rolled in one by one from the sides, poured in by the buckets, before raining down from the sky.

While the balls were the most visible part of the piece (they’re in bright red and other solid colors), my favorite was how the dancers interacted with the balls. The dancers’ movements were organic, dynamic, and gorgeous if not challenging. (Imagine turning and jumping in an ocean of rolling balls!) Yet, they also revealed deep emotions: the stress and rewards of being an artist, making it through the week, hanging onto what we care, letting go of what must go, discovering, and understanding what is truly valuable to us. Such a beautiful, meaningful, and impactful work of art. 😍

Look forward to seeing much more from these two amazing choreographers and companies!

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Ballet Hispánico

Bravos to Ballet Hispánico for a stunning performance last night at the Apollo Theater.

Ballet Hispánico was one of my favorite companies to present the Joyce Theater last season. Their show was not just visually stunning, but prompted me to write this blog post on Why Dance Matters.

I was so glad to see more of their work last night.

I still love every aspect of “Con Brazos Abiertos” by Michelle Manzanales. Even though the dance, music, and sounds are about Michelle’s experience growing up as Mexican American in Texas, her choreography resonated with me growing up as Taiwanese Canadian in the US. I love the emotional, powerful, uplifting spirit of the piece; the struggles of finding one’s identity as an immigrant; and seeing the protagonist grow stronger and more confident through the dance.

During the post-show chat, an audience member asked how the choreography is received in the rest of the US. Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro gave the reaction of a lawyer working for DACA youths, who saw the show in Texas. Even though she had gone into the theatre disheartened, she was so overwhelmed and so inpired by the dance, that she felt rejuvenated and found purpose in her work again.

I also enjoyed “Bury Me Standing” by Ramón Oller that reflected on the experience of Gypsies or “Roma” people living in Spain, and “Espiritu Vivo” by Roland Brown showcasing the lively music and dance of African and Latino diasporas in the Caribbean and Latin America.

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More Star Dust

Just have to see the incredible Complexions Ballet and Star Dust one more time. Thank you, and congrats on a wonderful Joyce season!

Kate, the audience member sitting next to me, summarized the performance perfectly in one sentence: “Wow. That’s the most amazing dance I have EVER seen.”

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Star Dust by Complexions

Star Dust by Complexions Ballet. One of my all-time favorites!!!

Set to chart-topping songs by David Bowie, Star Dust is not just a stunning ballet but an unforgettable rock concert.

The mood of a dazzling and glistening show is set, as soon as the curtain draws open, with the company standing tall as silhouettes against a backdrop of laser lights and disco balls.

I get the goosebumps listening to Brandon Gray sing “Lazarus” accompanied by gorgeous ballet. Energy and excitement build up. Brandon morphs into Andrew Brader in “Change”. Shanna Irwin strolls across the stage, in pointe with poise and attitude, foreshadowing what’s to come in “Space Oddity”. The audience goes wild (every time), when Addison Ector takes center stage in pointe. The beautiful and playful ballet up to this point now turns into powerful commanding movements. Each later song brings its own emotion and character onto stage: youthfulness and spirit in “1984”, humanity and kindness in “Heroes”, dynamism in “Modern Love”. The show always feels way too short, when the company dances their heart out in “Young Americans” to close the performance. Bravos!!!

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Complexions Ballet

​Go and see Complexions Ballet at the Joyce Theater until Sunday November 26th!

Congrats to Eriko Sugimura on debutting as a member of Complexions in New York City.

Complexion’s program for week one includes four premieres by four different choreographers. I especially enjoyed the contemporary piece “Summertime” and its emotional buildup, as choreographed by Dee Daspary and performed by Andrew Brader, Larissa Gerszke, and Youngsil Kim. Shanna Irwin and Addison Ector were beautiful in Ido Tadmor’s “Postponed Conversation”. I also like “Duo” which followed Dwight Rhoden’s beautiful lines and aesthetics of tall and elegant dancers.

Three things I learnt from Wednesday night’s curtain chat.

Desmond Richardson’s biggest piece of advice to dancers: “Dance needs to come from your heart. Have an experience dancing, and we (the audience) will have an experience watching you.”

Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson choreograph for SYTYCD. Contestants on the show have only five hours to learn, rehearse, and put everything together! :O

The official name for the company is “Complexions, a Concept in Dance” and its mission is to “expose society to the beauty of dance and to use dance as a medium to exemplify cultural, racial and aesthetic diversity.”

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Dresden Semperoper Ballett

Dresden Semperoper Ballett at the Joyce Theater: a lovely performance and an educational curtain chat.

My favorites tonight go to both of David Dawson’s choreographies. The U.S. premier of “5” is lively and dynamic. The five dancers not only filled the stage and appeared to jump out of the stage at times, with the incredible amount of energy they had. I enjoyed the playfulness of the dancers and their interactions with the audience, especially by the lead dancer Alice Mariani. “On the nature of daylight” is also playful, with fun lifts while turning. The U.S. premier of “Vertigo Maze” has a satisfying sense of synchronization, partnering, mirroring amongst the dancers, that escape my ability to describe/articulate in words.

Three things I learnt from tonight’s curtain chat with Dresden Semperoper Ballett.

The difference in funding in Germany vs. U.S. (rather, the lack of funding in the U.S.) means that while Dresden Semporeoper Ballett still needs to fill the house (they’re 93% soldout yearly), they can take greater risks in programming and allow dancers to explore and immerse in many different styles. From Gaga to Martha Graham. From performing modern dance one night to Swan Lake the next.

The company advocates an open culture. Artistic director Aaron Sean Watkin describes his philosophy as treating every dancer like an adult, as a person, and not just an extra dancer. By instilling confidence in the dancers, they become more pro-active in their learning. Dancers should be thinking and filling their minds with information, and be more mentally than physically tired. I like the philosophy!

Finally, I also learnt something new about the Germans. Germans love to learn the ideas behind a piece of choreography, and seek out the program notes!

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The Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet

The Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet at the Royal Opera House, London.

Six dance companies in the UK came together for a celebration, presenting works by Kenneth MacMillan.

I was told it’s an unprecedented collaboration. If only I had arrived earlier, I could have also seen the English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet (who were superb in New York earlier this spring), Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Yorke Dance Project as well. This national festival continues until November 1st.

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ABT Fall Gala

The American Ballet Theatre fall season opened tonight with the Fall Gala performance.

My favorite goes to Christopher Wheeldon’s Thirteen Diversions. Love the pairing of Skylar Brandt (full of energy, happiness, and power) and Sarah Lane (gentle and graceful). Other memorable moments include Stella Abrera and Thomas Forster‘s duet (beautiful with a dramatic opening when they, dressed in white, stood against a sea of dancers in black) and Misty Copeland and Gray Davis’ second duet.

The world premiere of “The Gift” is stunning too. Happy. Dynamic. Uplifting. Choreographed by Jessica Lang and performed by 40+ dancers dressed in all white from the ABT Apprentices, ABT Studio Company, and the Upper 2 and 1 students at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. I love Jessica’s use of (so many) dancers on stage. There’s both structure and spontaneity. Everything just flows, with beautiful transitions, dramatic build-ups, and the gorgeous lines. Love the wonderful energy and the passion from these young dancers. Bravos to a lovely performance!