VIEWPOINTS – City Ballet successfully debuts four out of five works

I had missed New York City Ballet’s fall gala last week, usually a glamorous affair at the intersection of new choreography and the latest in “high” fashion. I had heard some rather strong opinions about that evening, good and bad, and was therefore eager to take in this latest crop of six new ballets – and costume designs – under the aptly-named umbrella program “21st Century Choreographers”. Here’s my assessment.

Peter Martins' "The Chairman Dances" for New York City Ballet

Peter Martins’ “The Chairman Dances” for New York City Ballet

The evening started off with Peter Martins’ The Chairman Dances, set to music by John Adams (from his seminal opera Nixon in China, a piece of music I’m very fond of) and choreographed for soloist Megan LeCrone. It came to my attention that this new Martins work was not included in the gala. No wonder; it is an embarrassment. The choreography is made up of repetitive upper-body movements that really don’t amount to much at all. Ms. LeCrone appeared tentative and lacked the kind of spark needed to make this sort of simplistic choreography come to life. The corps, too, looked bored. At least they looked good in their kitschy-light costumes courtesy of Rouben Ter-Arutunian.

Troy Schumacher's "The Wind Still Brings" for New York City Ballet

Troy Schumacher’s “The Wind Still Brings” for New York City Ballet

A bit discouraged, the program continued a brief pause with The Wind Still Brings choreographed by soloist Troy Schumacher with a score by English composer William Walton. Mr. Schumacher has a distinct style – flowing, dynamic, and seemingly carefree. Happily, his latest ballet capitalizes on these refreshing attributes, as did the costuming by Jonathan Saunders. I found his choice of music interesting and unintuitive, which only contributed to the depth and vitality of the piece; his cast seemed to agree and danced accordingly. The piece was never less than interesting and a good closer to the first act. I’m eager to see what the talented Mr. Schumacher has next up his sleeves.

Gianna Reisen's "Composer's Holiday" for New York City Ballet

Gianna Reisen’s “Composer’s Holiday” for New York City Ballet

I returned back to my seat from intermission, intrigued to be catching a piece from 18-year-old Gianna Reisen, entitled Composer’s Holiday. Ms. Reisen’s debut work is choreographed to the music of Lukas Foss, and it’s clear who her influences are – Balanchine and Robbins, yes, but also the (relatively) youthful Justin Peck. Composer’s Holiday is an extremely promising and accomplished first work for the big stage. It’s playful, theatrical, but still very much rooted in the classical ballet idiom. It also looks classy, thanks to designer Virgil Abloh of Off-White.

Lauren Lovette's "Not Our Fate" for New York City Ballet

Lauren Lovette’s “Not Our Fate” for New York City Ballet

Next up was Lauren Lovette’s second major work for City Ballet, Not Our Fate. Her previous work, which premiered at last year’s gala, I thought was a muddled mess, trying to cram so many ideas into one ballet – it was clearly the work of a young choreographer trying to find their voice. Although Not Our Fate is by no means perfect, the piece is a considerable step forward for this principal dancer-cum-choreographer. Although I found Michael Nyman’s score to be a generic bore, if perfectly appealing, Ms. Lovette here shows a more focused style that reveals her true talent for creating ravishing dance (Not Our Fate is a collection of pas de deux of increasing tension and passion). The costumes by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim of MONSE and Oscar de la Renta I thought were a thoughtful extension of Balanchine’s black-and-white aesthetic.

Justin Peck's "Pulcinella Variations" for New York City Ballet

Justin Peck’s “Pulcinella Variations” for New York City Ballet

The evening closed with Justin Peck’s musically astute Pulcinella Variations, featuring music by Stravinsky and playfully costumed by Japanese designer Tsumori Chisato. If Mr. Peck, perhaps the most hyped choreographer of his young generation, hasn’t been completely successful with each outing (remember that Frankenstein monster called The Most Incredible Thing?), I applaud his keen willingness to explore new styles of movement and experiment with different approaches to construction. Count me a fan of Pulcinella – it’s a mature work comprised primarily of sharply-drawn and inventively choreographed (but never showy) solos and pas de deux. Last night, it was danced pristinely and with much brio by some of City Ballet’s big guns, which include the likes of Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, and Sterling Hiltyn. I’ve never seen Mr. Peck more acutely attuned to music before, and I’m eager to see him apply this newfound sensitivity to a large-scale ballet.

Well, four out of five hits last night – not such a bad success rate at all, especially for new works. Kudos to City Ballet for focusing and taking risks on new works and nurturing new choreographers. They are, indeed, the future of this most ephemeral of art forms.

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21ST CENTURY CHOREOGRAPHERS
Dance
New York City Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater
2 hours (with one intermission)
Program is performed twice more on October 13 and 14

Categories: Dance

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