Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Ballet Theatre premieres works by Ratmansky and Tharp, as well as an evening-length JANE EYRE

• By drediman
• June 6, 2019
• No Comments

American Ballet Theatre’s spring seasons have typically been dominated by creaky productions of full length classical ballets (just how many productions of Don Quixote in consecutive years can one stand?). However, so far this spring season – which we are currently in the thick of – Ballet Theatre has shown more versatility than ever before, a refreshing breath of fresh air for longtime fans of the renowned New York-based ballet company. I attribute Alexei Ratmansky, Ballet Theatre’s Artist in Residence and one of (deservedly) the world’s most sought after classical ballet choreographers, for instituting this more eclectic programming. Now if he can only find a way to create much needed intimacy in the far-too-large Metropolitan Opera House …

American Ballet Theatre dances Alexei Ratmansky’s staging of “Harlequinade” at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The season got off to an adequate start with Harlequinade (RECOMMENDED), Mr. Ratmansky’s well-appointed year-old staging of the comic if lightweight Petipa classic. The production is as silly and inconsequentially cheerful as I remember it, with Isabella Boylston (as Columbine), James Whiteside (as Harlequin), and Stella Abrera (as Pierrette) handily leading the performance I attended with their pitch-perfect characterizations. Nevertheless, I’m still somewhat baffled that the dance company threw this much talent and resources into a fancy new evening length production of what should essentially be a breezy one-act ballet.

American Ballet Theatre dances Alexei Ratmansky’s “The Seasons” at the Metropolitan Opera House.

In a welcome change of pace, this spring season also includes not one but a pair of mixed bills from two of the most prominent choreographers working in the business. First up was the Ballet Theatre’s Artist in Residence’s Ratmansky Trio (RECOMMENDED). The main cause for fanfare here is the world premiere of Mr. Ratmansky’s ballet “The Seasons” (set to Alexander Glazunov’s luscious score of the same name), and it’s one of the finest works the choreographer has produced for Ballet Theatre – it’s both sophisticatedly structured yet wholly charming. Indeed, his achievement here is second only to his stunning Shostakovich Trilogy, which Mr. Ratmansky originally choreographed for Ballet Theatre. The bill also included the soulful “Songs of Bukovina” and the one-act story ballet “On the Dnieper”, both danced with personality and sensitivity by Ballet Theatre’s blosssoming pool of dancers.

American Ballet Theatre dances Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room” at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The other mixed program was Tharp Trio  (RECOMMENDED), which featured three dances by the living legend Twyla Tharp. Each piece exhibited Ms. Tharp’s brash and eclectic style, culminating in a thrilling rendition of the relentless “In the Upper Room” (with music by Philip Glass), one of the dance company’s iconic gems in its repertoire. The program was also notable for Ballet Theatre’s company premiere of “Deuce Coupe” (set to a string of songs by none other than the Beach Boys), which defiantly but whimsically mashes classical ballet with a wide array of other forms of dance. Lastly, the bill also included “The Brahms-Haydn Variations”, which showed Ms. Tharp at her most stylistically subdued but no less inquisitive.

American Ballet Theatre dances Cathy Marston’s “Jane Eyre” at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Most recently (last night, in fact), I caught Ballet Theatre’s newest addition to its ample collection of evening length story ballets, Cathy Marston’s ballet adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre (RECOMMENDED). The dramatic new production, which is being shared with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, was first seen three years ago courtesy of Northern Ballet in Doncaster, England. I appreciated the rigorous and stylishly choreographed storytelling (set to Philip Feeney’s evocative composition), a far cry from many of Ballet Theatre’s predictably structured Petipa-style classical ballets. Last night’s performance was led gorgeously once again by Isabella Boylston (in the title role), Thomas Forster (as Edward Rochester), and Skylar Brandt (as the young Jane Eyre). Mr. Forster, in particular, has grown into a distinctive leading man with a wonderful stage presence. As Jane Eyre, both Ms. Boylston and Ms. Brandt were compelling in a role that fits their respective skills and demeanors like a glove. I have mixed feelings about the dowdy, arguably cheap looking sets, but all-in-all, Jane Eyre marks a successful premiere for the company.

There’s still a lot of ballet left to go. Ballet Theatre’s 2019 spring season concludes exactly a month from now on July 6th.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: 2019 SPRING SEASON
The Metropolitan Opera House
Each performance is approximately 2 hours (including one or two intermissions)
Through July 6th