Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jamar Roberts’ tentative new work headlines City Ballet’s program celebrating contemporary choreographers

• By drediman
• February 4, 2022
• No Comments

Last night at the David H. Koch Theatre, I attended a performance by the New York City Ballet, which is currently in the midst of its winter season. The program, entitled “Visionary Voices”, features a trio of works by contemporary choreographers – Jamar Roberts, Pam Tanowitz, and Kyle Abraham. The program is notable for debuting Mr. Robert’s highly anticipated new ballet (Emanon – In Two Movements), following the recent premiere of Justin Peck’s new work. More importantly, the overall bill highlights the company’s commitment to presenting the works of artists with distinctly diverse perspectives (the featured choreographers consist of two Black men and a women).

The evening commenced with Mr. Roberts’ new ballet Enon – In Two Movements. Set to selections from jazz musician Wayne Short’s album Emanon, the ballet, at first look, is a tentative if pretty foray for Mr. Roberts (who is the Resident Choreographer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) into the world of classical ballet. Choreographing on pointe for a major dance company for the first time, Mr. Roberts’ work is curiously bland and lacks a strong point of view – particularly for the women – especially when compared to his accomplished recent output (particularly the gorgeous and soulful Ode for Ailey). Fortunately, his choreography is more confident for the men (in the segments featuring them, he meets the flourishes in the music with appealing emphasis), who were particularly wonderful last night (e.g., the technically brilliant Anthony Huxley is dancing with encouraging newfound stylishness; the dynamic Jovani Furlan is on the fast track to becoming one of the company’s invaluable assets).

The balance of the program consisted of Ms. Tanowitz’s Bartók Ballet and Mr. Abraham’s The Runaway — and they’re anything but timid. Much like Merce Cunningham’s Summerspace, Bartók Ballet is a polarizing work for City Ballet audiences. Nonetheless, I took to the uncompromising 2019 work’s refreshing avant-garde bent and was disarmed by the purity of spirit of its unconventional movements, as well as its genderless universe. As for The Runaway, it’s a keeper. Although not quite as sharp as it was when it first premiered four years ago, Mr. Abraham’s voluptuously costumed ballet still casts a moody, phantasmagorical spell with choreography that exists within the music as opposed to set to it. The piece made Taylor Stanley a star in 2018; he remains a knockout in it and continues to be the glue that holds the episodic ballet together.

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NEW YORK CITY BALLET: VISIONARY VOICES
Dance
David H. Koch Theatre
Approximately 2 hours (with two intermissions)
In repertory through February 24