THE HANGOVER REPORT – Catherine Hurlin is luminous in the title role of Ballet Theatre’s lovely production of Ashton’s SYLVIA

Catherine Hurlin and Calvin Royal III (center) in American Ballet Theatre’s production of “Sylvia” at The Metropolitan Opera House (photo by Nir Arieli).

Last week, American Ballet Theatre continued its summers season at The Metropolitan Opera House by brining back its sumptuous production of Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia, one of the jewels in the company’s large repertoire of full length story ballets. Although it’s relatively rarely staged compared to Ballet Theatre’s farm more recognizable warhorse productions (e.g., Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet), Sylvia is a bounty of striking pleasures, combining a smirking nod to creaky classical story ballet conventions — the ballet’s haphazard plot is a fantastical, nonsensical hodge-podge, to say the least, and is hardly worth further expounding upon — with choreography that’s playful, intricate, and always interesting to dissect.

If I were to describe the ballet more specifically, I’d likely reference qualities of other Ashton ballets, namely the pastoral glories of The Dream and the giddy world building of his magnificent version of Cinderella (which, by the way, Ballet Theatre is long overdue in programming). Then you have that exquisitely grand Debiles score, which sweeps audiences through the work’s myriad of exotic and mythical locales. Despite the instability of the plot and the schizophrenic motivational shifts of the title character (particularly in the fuzzy, exposition-heavy first act), Ashton has nonetheless created a uniquely empowered heroine — a headstrong sylph-like huntress who is determined to control her own destiny throughout the three-act ballet.

Luckily, luminous Ballet Theatre principal Catherine Hurlin was more than up to the task, meeting the considerable technical demands of the title role with panache. In Act I, she approached Ashton’s fiendishly tricky choreography with defiance and frisky attack, floating through the steps with both command and remarkable ease. In Act II, Hurlin revealed her craftier, more sensual side as Sylphia escapes her brutish captor Orion (a game Cory Stearns, in a thankless role). And in the celebratory final act, she was elevated and regal as she danced alongside her love interest Aminta, a shepherd played with elegance and appealing openness by Calvin Royal III. The rest of the company looked settled and confident, which is a good sign this late into the lengthy six-week season.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

SYLVIA
Dance
American Ballet Theatre at The Metropolitan Opera House
1 hour, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Ballet Theatre’s summer season concludes on July 19

Categories: Dance

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