Category: David Koch Theater

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Eventide

Paul Taylor Dance Company: Absolutely Wonderful performance tonight on my first of five (or more!) visits to their season at the Lincoln Center.

Absolute looooovoed “Eventide”!!! The choreography tells the stories of five couples.

I love the emotions and the human experience in the stories. The beautiful bond between Jamie Rae Walker and Sean Mahoney in “Christmas Dance.” The exuberant, affectionate, honeymoon-like “Moto Perpetuo” filled with dynamic movements between Heather McGinley and Michael Novak. The elusive love, the missed connection between Eran Bugge and Robert Kleinendorst. The care for each other, but also the heavy weight in the relationship between Parisa Khobdeh and Michael Trusnovec.

I also love the movements, which included numerous steps from historical and social dancing (e.g., polka mazurka!), elegantly choreographed into the narratives, and beautifully executed on stage.

As a dance photographer, I thought the lines in Eventide were goooorgeous. The lifts, dips, arm and leg extensions, couples coming together, spinning around each other, the facial expressions, the connections, the patterns created by five couples. The choreography is filled with moments after moments that would make a stunning photo.

Closing the night, “Mercuric Tidings” was powerful, energetic, filled with amazing leaps and turns. Its plotless “music visualization” was a huge contrast to Eventide that preceded it.

Opening the night, “Set and Reset” by the Trisha Brown Dance Company was lovely in its opening scene. I loved how fluid the piece felt. The dancers moved freely across the stage, gently connected as they passed each other, spun around each other, and from time to time, effortlessly lifted each other into the air. The choreography became somewhat repetitive in the second half though, and I never quite got the connection between the movements and the four overhead video projections.

Overall though, it was a wonderful program. Can’t wait to go back again tomorrow for the TaylorNext Night!

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Stravinsky and Balanchine

My favorite: “Symphony in Three Movements” opened with 16 ballerinas in white, standing in a single diagonal line across the stage, moving in unison. Five more couples in black and white joined in, before the three principal ballerinas (dressed in red) and three principal male dancers (in black) came on stage. I love the gorgeous movements by the 32 dancers and, of course, the stunning lead role performed by Tiler Peck.

We got a little distracted by the shiny sculptures by Jihan Zencirli Geronimo on display in the promenade.

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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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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!

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Bolshoi Ballet: The Taming of the Shrew

Part three of National Dance Day: Bolshoi Ballet at the Lincoln Center!

I also took ballet in the morning but no photos. So just three posts for happy #nationaldanceday. Hope you had a great one, too!

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Jewels

Celebrating 50th anniversary of Jewels. Saw Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds this afternoon by Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet. So beautiful! ❤️

Three of the world’s top ballet companies came together to jointly present Jewels in New York City this week, featuring a different cast each day. The question is not whether to see the show (definitely going) but which cast to see (considering the last row of orchestra starts at $150).

In the end, I went with Megan Fairchild in Rubies, because she was stunning in the role when City Ballet opened the season with Jewels. By extension, the choice meant I’ll see Emeralds with Paris Opera Ballet and Diamonds with Bolshoi Ballet.

First of all, Megan outdid herself today in the grand pas de deux. Wow! Megan was fast, dazzling, playful, fiery, and everything that Rubies represented. Second of all, Joaquin de Luz outshone Megan, which I did not think would be possible. Double wowwww!!! His leaps exploded in the air every time. I loved his playfulness. He not only matched Megan in expression and style, but went on to engage the four male dancers in the corps. With a glance here and a hand gesture there, he lead the men into splendid formations and marvelous leaps.

The famed Laëtitia Pujol took on the leading role in Emeralds. At 41 years of age, she was both gorgeous in her expressions and exact in her techniques. Every one of her assisted lifts soared through the air following the perfect arch and timing.

In contrast to the veterans of City and Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi casted Alena Kovaleva, an 18-year-old prodigy in the leading role for Diamonds. Last fall with City Ballet, Teresa Reichlen was tall, elegant, and stately in Diamonds. In comparison, Alena was softer in her presentation giving the piece a more royal, prosperous, and imperial feel. On the other hand, Alena’s lines and techniques were exquisite. Her grand battements cut through the air with dynamism and energy, and reached for… went through… the roof of the Koch Theater with every extension. She was very much a princess on stage, befitting of the sparkling diamonds, and carried the joint performance to a wonderful close.

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Alvin Ailey: Global Voices

Second night and a new program, Global Voices, with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Lincoln Center tonight.

The enduring qualities of “Revelations” finally came out as I watch the piece a second time. I grew up and am still irreligious, and so gospel is a foreign concept to me. I do like the colors, the movements, and stage construction in the water/river scene, as well as the dynamism throughout the final “Move Members, Move” section.

“Walking Mad” is a strange juxtaposition with a comedy beginning, a fascinating site-specific dance set to marching music in the middle, and a tense duet at the end. The middle section involves a wall that doubles as a dance floor (when tilted), as a room (when folded into two walls to form a confined space), and as secret passage ways (when dancers go through the hidden wall openings). I like the first two sections individually but as a whole the work felt incoherent. Then again, I just saw Merce Cunningham last night, and so I should be open to experimentation.

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Beautiful performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Lincoln Center tonight.

My first time seeing Alvin Ailey live. Could you believe that after all the classes at the Alvin Ailey Extension?

My favorite of the night goes to “Mass”. Am awed by the way the dancers gracefully glide across the dance floor. Their fluid motions and elasticity. Not just in individual dancer’s movements, but the whole group respond together and to each other so beautifully. Finally, when the drum kicks in (there’s a live band on stage), everything goes into high gear. Gracefulness turns into precision and energy. Just incredible!

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Here/Now Festival

Spring time romance at New York City Ballet.

Went to today’s matinee to watch “Carousel” again. Such a beautiful and fun choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. The dance (and love story!) is still so mesmerizing and heart warming the second time around. The leaps at the end by Chase Finlay are absolutely amazing. Of course Lauren Lovette is lovely as usual.

(Next goal: See Lauren Lovette’s choreographies)

Finally saw “Year of the Rabbit” after hearing Justin Peck speak about it at the Inside NYCB seminar. Beautiful choreography. Delighted to see Teresa Reichlen, one of my favorite dancers, starring in the piece.

The black horse of the 5-choreography program goes to “The Inferno Machine” by Peter Martins. Bravos to Ashley Laracey and Craig Hall for the eccentric, sinister, at-times jarring, but powerful ballet. Wow!