Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – An assessment of NEW YORK CITY BALLET’s landmark all-women choreographers program

• By drediman
• October 14, 2024
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One of the more intriguing programs in the latter portion of New York City Ballet’s fall season — which concluded last weekend — was the Contemporary Choreographers program that was also performed during the company’s popular fall fashion gala. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the bill was that it was comprised of works (two of them company premieres) by a trio of women dance-makers — Gianna Reisen, Caili Cuan, and Tiler Peck — a first and certainly a landmark for City Ballet.

The program opened with Signs, which Reisen originally created two years ago for the students of the School of American Ballet. Three of those former students — Olivia Bell, Grace Scheffel, and Mia Williams — have returned, more refined and mature, to the piece as corps members. The natural and unaffected Bell, in particular, is a luminous dancer to watch out for. Set to piano music by the ubiquitous Phillip Glass, there’s a clear sense of purpose in the choreography, and the shapes that bloom from it are invariably striking. Throughout, the music seems to intrinsically drive the Reisen’s steps and movements — in turn undulating and statuesque — which is an encouraging sign for the up-and-coming choreographer. Although by no means groundbreaking, the piece is a welcome addition to the repertory.

The other premiere of the evening was Beneath the Tides, a piece which also marked the Quan’s debut as a choreographer for the company (Quan is a former member of the Philadelphia-based contemporary dance company BalletX). Set to Camille Saint-Saëns’s turbulent and emotionally heightened Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, the choreography boasted predictable romantic flourishes, but a certain coldness eventually settled in, as did a bit of repetition. The divisive corset-centric costumes were by Gilles Mendel of House of Gilles, and they yielded opposing qualities — flowing for the women, harshly defined silhouettes for the men. The piece was handily led by principals Tiler Peck and Sara Mearns, who oddly seemed to be dancing in two different ballets. The men (particularly Gilbert Bolden III) — dynamic and bold — fared better.

The evening concluded with the anticipated return of Peck’s Concerto for Two Pianos, which was the runaway hit of the winter gala earlier this year. The first thing you’ll notice is Peck’s inspired choice of music — Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra — which is full of character and vivid nooks and crannies, allowing Peck’s imagination to fully take flight. I’m happy to report that her choreography is just as impressive as the first viewing — inventive, musical, and playful — and she gives her dancers ample leeway to play with musicality, as Peck herself is famous for doing. There’s also a discerning sense of construction and structure, which gives the overall dance an accomplished shape and arc. For this revival, the originating cast returned (Mejia, Chan, Nadon), and they were just as, if not more, ravishing than before.

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NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Dance
David H. Koch Theater
1 hour, 45 minutes (with two intermissions)
Closed