Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Virtual dance programming during the pandemic: Ghostly reminders of past glories

• By drediman
• March 16, 2021
• No Comments

Perhaps the most ephemeral of the performing arts is dance. Every moment in a dance performance reflects the dynamic, ever-changing intersection between music-making, dancer ability, and cumulative human experience. Additionally, the physical demands of the art form dictate the brevity of dancers’ careers, further emphasizing that each performance is a singular one. During the pandemic, dance companies have often turned to regurgitating filmed past performances instead of live-streaming programs. These archival glimpses serve as ghostly, bittersweet reminders of past glories. Indeed, who knows if we’ll ever be able to recapture them in the same way again?

This past week, I had the opportunity to watch some gorgeous past performances from a number of brand name dance companies from around the world, namely New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. Here are my thoughts on these hindsight-oriented broadcasts.

THREE SIDES OF BALANCHINE: STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO
New York City Ballet
Season on-demand through March 18

This week marks the final stretch of New York City Ballet’s “Three Sides of Balanchine” series, which explores George Balanchine’s mastery of the narrative, classical, and neoclassical ballet form. This last installment focuses on Stravinsky Violin Concerto (choreographed for the 1972 Stravinsky Festival) (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), the neoclassical representative of the series. As one of the most beloved of the choreographer’s distinctive, visually minimalistic “Black and White” ballets, the work has captured the imaginations of many an aspiring dancer over the years. This was evidenced by the illuminating commentary of Repertory Director and former Principal Rebecca Krohn, Soloist Claire Kretzchmar, and Principal Sara Mearns during the week’s accompanying “Inside NYCB” episode (was once again knowledgeably hosted by Principal Russell Janzen), which also functioned as a fascinating working rehearsal session for Ms. Kretzchmar (who is learning the ballet) and her instructor Ms. Krohn. As for the 2018 performance, it was sensational. Particularly ravishing were the pair of Ms. Mearns and Taylor Stanley, who danced with command and individualistic flair. I ache for the day I can see these tremendous talents – who were dancing at the very height of their powers when the pandemic struck – once again perform live and in-person.

SWAN LAKE
Paris Opera Ballet / The Joyce Theater
On-demand through March 24

Is there a more elegant classical ballet company in the world today than the Paris Opera Ballet? I suspect the answer to this inquiry would be a negative. Each time I’ve encountered this ballet company – from the quintessentially romantic Giselle to Pina Bausch’s modern choreographic vision of Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice – its dancers have invariably impressed me with the unmatched ethereality of their work. It’s a refined “floating” quality that’s often emulated but never quite replicated. Thanks to the Joyce Theater, I was able to stream the company’s version of Swan Lake, (RECOMMENDED) which was originally choreographed by the legendary Rudolf Nureyev in 1984 specifically for the Parisian forces. Leave it to the French to feature an Odette with, shall we say, a complicated romantic relationship with the evil sorcerer Rothbart. But despite the one-note ambivalence of the central romance between Prince Siegfried and his swan princess, the dancing was trademark Paris Opera Ballet all the way, from the principals down to the corps de ballet. Leading the 2016 performance were Mathieu Ganio and Amandine Albisson as Prince Siegfried and Odette/Odile, respectively. Mr. Ganio, especially, exuded a nobility and purity of line that was breathtaking to behold.

NEW ADVENTURES FESTIVAL: MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE
New Adventures / New York City Center
Festival on-demand through April 4

Lastly, I was able to relive Matthew Bourne’s revision of Swan Lake (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) via New York City Center’s virtual New Adventures Festival. I first witnessed Mr. Bourne’s take on the iconic classical ballet way back in 1999 as a student abroad in London. That fateful night singlehandedly turned me on to dance (until then, I was primarily interested in solely traditional theater). What Mr. Bourne’s hybrid dance-theater approach revealed to me is that dance and movement are every bit as effective as storytelling tools as dialogue and songs. In recent years, Mr. Bourne has revisited and refreshed his now-classic production, giving it a sharper point of view and newly-appointed designs. The 2019 performance on view for City Center’s festival evidenced all this. As for the performances, they were superb. As the Prince and the Swan/Stranger, Liam Mower (London’s original stage Billy Elliot) and Will Bozier, respectively, brought clarity and confidence to their performances. All over again, I marveled at the narrative invention – e.g., the witty depiction of royalty, the audacious all-male corps of swans, the unabashed gay subtext – and dramatic potency of Mr. Bourne’s masterpiece. The festival continues in the coming weeks with filmed past performances of The Car Man, Cinderella, and Romeo and Juliet.