By Mary C. Curtis
Dance Critic
For the first show of its new season, N.C. Dance Theatre offers works by three choreographers – all named George Balanchine. “Timeless Ballets by Balanchine,” which premieres on Thursday, showcases the versatility of the man called Mr. B by those who knew him.
He is “the Picasso or Stravinsky of the dance world,” said Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, NCDT president . “He is an absolute genius.”
Fortunately, one of the late choreographer's protégées is N.C. Dance associate artistic director Patricia McBride, former New York City Ballet star. She is restaging the dances she once performed, from notes, videos and memories of working with Balanchine.
The Russian-born Balanchine, a pioneer of ballet in the United States, was co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet.
The program will be a traditional contrast to upcoming programs of Innovative Works, “Othello” and a variety of dances inspired by the movies.
“Raymonda Variations” (1961) is classical Balanchine, a “tutu ballet,” with beautiful costumes, intricate corps work and a series of solos to show off the dancers' virtuosity. Set to music by Alexander Glazunov, it is a tribute to the style of 19th-century choreographer Marius Petipa, cited by Balanchine as a major influence.
“La Sonnambula” (1946) is that rare Balanchine story ballet, and what a tale it tells: of a poet, a coquette and a sleepwalker. “It is so mysterious, so touching,” said Bonnefoux. “People don't know that side of Balanchine.” Vittorio Rieti's music is based on themes from Bellini's operas.
The sets are borrowed from the Louisville Ballet, where McBride once danced “La Sonnambula” with Mikhail Baryshnikov. On opening night at N.C. Dance, Traci Gilchrest is the sleepwalker, with David Ingram as the poet and Kara Wilkes as the coquette.
“The Four Temperaments” (1946), with music by Paul Hindemith, is Balanchine stripped, spare and abstract. Bonnefoux said the music came first, commissioned by Balanchine – an accomplished pianist – as a piece to play with friends. The ballet's four main sections, or temperaments, come from medieval psychology: melancholic, sanguinic, phlegmatic and choleric. The meaning is “all there in the steps,” said Bonnefoux, who said it was one his favorites to dance. “It's something complex, almost mathematical,” he said.
It's all different and all Balanchine, with scores performed by the Charlotte Symphony.
Bonnefoux remembered how Balanchine worked with dancers: “He would hear the music and begin to move. He was very calm, trusting the dancers, enjoying them, celebrating the dancers.”
At a rehearsal for “Raymonda Variations,” McBride was carrying on in the spirit of Balanchine. She offered encouragement and a few suggestions after running through each section:
“Beautiful.”
“Watch, watch the line.”
“Try to get a little closer in your last pose.”
“I just love the energy.”
During a brief break, she said of the dancers, “They can really do Balanchine well. I'm so proud of them. I know how difficult it is. It's a killer.”
“That's Balanchine. You cannot have lazy legs.” |
