Megan Fairchild – Jason Chuang

“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.

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.