A friend at City Center helped me obtain a slew of tickets for the annual Fall for Dance festival this year. Since tickets are only $10 and I am unlikely to be able to indulge in tickets for any event for so little, I splurged and got tickets to four performances over two weeks.
It was such a pleasure to connect with different friends every few nights. I am fortunate to have this connection, and I enjoy sharing my fortune with friends. It was a treat to get out and to have an occasion to attend. It felt good to do something I did as an employed person who could afford to engage more in the world.
It is the centennial anniversary of the Ballets Russes, a company that has long intrigued me. To mark the celebration, many dances originally produced by the Ballet Russes were performed during the festival (Afternoon of a Faun, Noces, Petrushka Suite, Les Biches).
Ballet Russes has often emerged in readings about some of my favorite painters, film makers, and writers. Matisse, Picasso, Derain, Miro, Cocteau, Dali, and Chanel are among the luminaries who designed the company's sets and costumes. I vaguely recall seeing scratchy old film footage of Nijinsky performing Afternoon of a Faun and hearing about the riot sparked by the premier of Rite of Spring. Ballet Russes is one of my favorite documentary films.
I had often wished to see what their productions were like, so the program was a special pleasure for me.
Boston Ballet's "Afternoon of a Faun" was a faithful recreation of the original production. The expressionist set design was gorgeous. The dance style, inspired by Greek vase paintings, appears stilted and quaint now, but one can appreciate it in context.
Les Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montreal's "Noces" was a reinterpretation. The original piece highlighted traditional Russian folk dancing at a peasant wedding. Apparently, it was a wedding themed ballet without romance. It is difficult to comment on the new piece without having seen the original. The new piece also includes the wedding party and there is interaction among the sexes, but they are presented in zombie-like attire that drains them of sensuality. The piece emphasizes the roles of men and women attending a social event devoted to honoring the union of a man and woman.
Ballet West performed "Les Biches" with a set based on paintings by Matisse. The set and costumes were consistent with those that would be used when the ballet originally was produced. The male costumes included bathing briefs worn with socks, which made me laugh out loud. The flapper character wore long beads and held a long cigarette holder. I loved that her movements were accompanied by swinging and clanking jewelry. It was also funny to see an athlete perform complicated moves while holding a cigarette.
Of course their were many other performances, and among the best was Savion Glover and the Others. They were simply amazing. I love it when dancers perform to live music with the musicians on stage. It was exceptional to see the dancers and musicians perform in concert as the taps of the dancer were an integral part of the music.
Other notable performances were Batsheva's "B/olero," Tangueros Del Sur's "Romper el Piso" (such drama!), Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company's "Softly as I Leave You" (how could a plywood box look so beautiful?), Monica Bill Barnes & Company "I Feel Like," and Dancebrazil "Culture in Motion."
Showing posts with label City Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Center. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Lost Moment
Last night my niece and I rushed down 56th Street to meet a designer friend at City Center for the Fall for Dance festival. Our meal ended later than anticipated, and I was concerned that I was late and that my waiting friend would be worried.
We passed two unusual ballet dancers smoking cigarettes outside of City Center's office door. These were tall men wearing full drag make-up, their hair in buns (with flowers), tutus, and point shoes.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was on the program that night, so I figured they were members of the troupe.
Once I met my friend inside, I realized my camera was in my purse. My niece was visiting from Boston to see the performance. She has studied dance for many years, and attends a special arts school.
I will forever kick myself for not taking a photograph of my niece with the unusual ballerinas!
We passed two unusual ballet dancers smoking cigarettes outside of City Center's office door. These were tall men wearing full drag make-up, their hair in buns (with flowers), tutus, and point shoes.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was on the program that night, so I figured they were members of the troupe.
Once I met my friend inside, I realized my camera was in my purse. My niece was visiting from Boston to see the performance. She has studied dance for many years, and attends a special arts school.
I will forever kick myself for not taking a photograph of my niece with the unusual ballerinas!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Ironing Boards
One of the lovely qualities of the Fall for Dance festival is the opportunity for someone relatively unfamiliar with dance to gain some expertise through exposure to many companies and types of dance within a short time frame.
As I watch all of these amazing athletes move in ways that would be impossible for my body, I study the composition of their bodies. What does a body have to look like to hold such potential movement?
The dancers are also quite young, and many of them are very attractive.
These attractive young men and women have model bodies. They don't have an ounce of fat on them, and every muscle group is in perfect working order.
Most of the ballerinas are flat chested.
I have been a dupe of the fashion and beauty industry most of my life. I finally grasped the extend to which models and actresses were digitally altered upon reviewing a friend's photography portfolio recently.
As I sat in the audience at City Center observing all of these model thin bodies with proportionate chests, I was stunned to realize the large proportion of female models and actresses who must have had breast augmentation surgery.
I recalled a line by Steve Martin comparing the silhouette of women in Los Angeles to ironing boards with bowling balls.
Of course I've known all along that the female ideal impressed upon US women is anything but normal. But it was a revelation to watch the tiny percent of young women who have actually obtained the nearly impossible body American women are led to strive for, and observe that surgery would be required to give even this elite group the so-called ideal form.
As I watch all of these amazing athletes move in ways that would be impossible for my body, I study the composition of their bodies. What does a body have to look like to hold such potential movement?
The dancers are also quite young, and many of them are very attractive.
These attractive young men and women have model bodies. They don't have an ounce of fat on them, and every muscle group is in perfect working order.
Most of the ballerinas are flat chested.
I have been a dupe of the fashion and beauty industry most of my life. I finally grasped the extend to which models and actresses were digitally altered upon reviewing a friend's photography portfolio recently.
As I sat in the audience at City Center observing all of these model thin bodies with proportionate chests, I was stunned to realize the large proportion of female models and actresses who must have had breast augmentation surgery.
I recalled a line by Steve Martin comparing the silhouette of women in Los Angeles to ironing boards with bowling balls.
Of course I've known all along that the female ideal impressed upon US women is anything but normal. But it was a revelation to watch the tiny percent of young women who have actually obtained the nearly impossible body American women are led to strive for, and observe that surgery would be required to give even this elite group the so-called ideal form.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Gym Pass
As I walked up the subway stairs at 53rd and 7th Avenue, I received a text from my dear friend. He informed me that he got tickets to the Miami City Ballet performance that night, and would meet me at the bar during intermission.
This is the grown up version of passing a note in class to make plans to meet by the gym soda machine between first and second periods. It thrills me now as much as it did in high school.
Another friend, an abstract painter, made plans to see the ballet with me. I admire her work profusely and am intrigued by her astute and unusual perspective on arts and events. It is a treat to spend time with her.
We saw two older pieces choreographed by Balanchine: "Symphony in Three Movements" and "La Valse." The evening closed with the fantastic "In the Upper Room" choreographed by Twyla Tharp.
Each time I see dance performances, I am struck by the young ages of the dancers. If the quality of the performance wasn't superb, I would mistake it for a high school production. This probably is a testament to my own advancing age.
I also find myself pondering the differences among all of the perfect physiques. All of them have been trained in the same way for the same purpose, yet genetics has formed their muscles in different ways. All of them must have about the same body fat ratio, yet some are lean, sinewous, and bony while others are more bulky with more visible muscle.
A variety in body development was particularly unusual in this ballet troupe because it is not diverse. It surprised me that a group based in Miami appeared to include only a few Latinos. I didn't see a single African-American on stage.
Alex Wong was outstanding. His leaps were spectacular. He hovered in the air. One is accustomed to seeing the special effect used in karate films of freezing a jump kick and changing perspective. Wong seemed to bring that effect to the stage.
At the end of the performance, the dancers took a bow with the ballet founder Edward Villella and choreographer Twyla Tharp (still lithe and beautiful at 67). I noticed that she had her arm around Alex Wong but only held the hands of the other dancers. He must be a universal favorite.
The costumes and sets for these dances were very simple. "Symphony in Three Movements" is an older piece with the traditional movements, but it is also quite athletic. "La Valse" was more typical traditional ballet. "In the Upper Room" was an energetic fusion of modern dance in ballet with jerky, mechanic motions and asymetrical movements that seemed unbalanced but allowed each dancer to retain equilibrium.
It was fun to meet during each intermission with my friends to discuss the dances. My dear friend is an avid arts fan, and has seen these ballets before. He pointed out several young dancers among the bar crowd. They looked like average high school students. If I had not been told that they were principal dancers in the New York City Ballet, I would never have guessed that they hid highly trained physiques under those jeans and slouchy sweaters.
This is the grown up version of passing a note in class to make plans to meet by the gym soda machine between first and second periods. It thrills me now as much as it did in high school.
Another friend, an abstract painter, made plans to see the ballet with me. I admire her work profusely and am intrigued by her astute and unusual perspective on arts and events. It is a treat to spend time with her.
We saw two older pieces choreographed by Balanchine: "Symphony in Three Movements" and "La Valse." The evening closed with the fantastic "In the Upper Room" choreographed by Twyla Tharp.
Each time I see dance performances, I am struck by the young ages of the dancers. If the quality of the performance wasn't superb, I would mistake it for a high school production. This probably is a testament to my own advancing age.
I also find myself pondering the differences among all of the perfect physiques. All of them have been trained in the same way for the same purpose, yet genetics has formed their muscles in different ways. All of them must have about the same body fat ratio, yet some are lean, sinewous, and bony while others are more bulky with more visible muscle.
A variety in body development was particularly unusual in this ballet troupe because it is not diverse. It surprised me that a group based in Miami appeared to include only a few Latinos. I didn't see a single African-American on stage.
Alex Wong was outstanding. His leaps were spectacular. He hovered in the air. One is accustomed to seeing the special effect used in karate films of freezing a jump kick and changing perspective. Wong seemed to bring that effect to the stage.
At the end of the performance, the dancers took a bow with the ballet founder Edward Villella and choreographer Twyla Tharp (still lithe and beautiful at 67). I noticed that she had her arm around Alex Wong but only held the hands of the other dancers. He must be a universal favorite.
The costumes and sets for these dances were very simple. "Symphony in Three Movements" is an older piece with the traditional movements, but it is also quite athletic. "La Valse" was more typical traditional ballet. "In the Upper Room" was an energetic fusion of modern dance in ballet with jerky, mechanic motions and asymetrical movements that seemed unbalanced but allowed each dancer to retain equilibrium.
It was fun to meet during each intermission with my friends to discuss the dances. My dear friend is an avid arts fan, and has seen these ballets before. He pointed out several young dancers among the bar crowd. They looked like average high school students. If I had not been told that they were principal dancers in the New York City Ballet, I would never have guessed that they hid highly trained physiques under those jeans and slouchy sweaters.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Grace
On Wednesday I got one of those wonderful windfalls that arts-loving, middle-class denzions of cosmopolitan cities adore: a free ticket for a wonderful show. In this case, I was invited to see the Alvin Ailey dance company.
I am a fortunate person. This is probably the fifth or sixth time I have had an opportunity to see this amazing troupe perform. I'm actually gaining enough familiarity with the group to recognize certain dancers and to have seen some dances more than once.
Last night was extraordinary because the seats were the best I've ever had for Ailey: orchestra fourth row from the stage. In another stroke of luck, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (conducted by the brilliant Wynton Marsalis) accompanied the dancers live. As if this wasn't enough cake and icing, a small group of gospel singers joined the orchestra for Revelations at the end.
The program was a sampling of pieces choreographed by Ailey over time: Night Creatures, Revelations in D, Caravan, The Mooche, The Road Show of Phoebe Snow, Pas de Duke, and Revelations.
At other performances, I found Ailey's older pieces (with the exception of Revelations) to be a little tired. This was not the case tonight. Perhaps my excellent seat allowed me for the first time to appreciate the facial expressions and subtle movements of the dancers, such as arching backs, rhythmic ribcages, quick hand gestures.
Perhaps the impact of the dance was heightened by the live music. Seeing them move before the orchestra punctuated the fact that the two disciplines are working in tandum to the master of movement and time. I've seen traditional dancers from India, Hawaii, or Indonesia perform with musicians and singers on stage. Generally, the musicians are very closely watching the dancers who move to their beats.
Last night I noticed that the musicians and singers were not watching the dancers at all. They were focused on the music as the dancers were focused on the dance. If either lost their sense of rhythm or control, the performance would suffer. Of course, both were masters and the performances were practically flawless.
Another wonderful aspect of the show was watching it at this moment in time. It is the 50th anniversary of the troupe. Alvin Ailey died in 1986 and one of his dancers, Judith Jamison, took control and facilitated the organization's professional and artistic growth. Ailey has grown from a small troupe for a marginalized group to a major cultural institution that recently opened a huge dance facility in NYC.
Ailey's choreography and dancers continue to convey the experience of African Americans, but they are also diversifying and this is intriguing to me. The dancers and choreographers now include people of other ethnicities. The dances now cover a broader range of experience.
This seems positive to me because it indicates progress. First, the community that supports Ailey has probably broadened and its traditional base of African Americans donors has probably prospered and grown. Major corporations support Ailey, and the ranks of African American CEOs is probably bigger than ever before.
Second, there is an indication that the larger culture has diversified to the point where an African Americans dance troup doesn't feel compelled to provide opportunities soley to African Americans. This strikes me as a healthy way of moving from a protective and closed attitude forged from strife to an attitude of renewal and regeneration in an optomistic environment.
Finally, we are in what must be one of the most optomistic environments for African Americans. The first black president is poised to take the oath of office.
Watching the story of this group of people through their choreography to their music at this time was particularly poignent. While the economic crises unfold, many people are hurting, and anti-Western radicals continue to spread violence and hate; this extraordinarly display of talent, narrative, moxy, and diversity declares that there is good reason to hope things will improve.
I am a fortunate person. This is probably the fifth or sixth time I have had an opportunity to see this amazing troupe perform. I'm actually gaining enough familiarity with the group to recognize certain dancers and to have seen some dances more than once.
Last night was extraordinary because the seats were the best I've ever had for Ailey: orchestra fourth row from the stage. In another stroke of luck, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (conducted by the brilliant Wynton Marsalis) accompanied the dancers live. As if this wasn't enough cake and icing, a small group of gospel singers joined the orchestra for Revelations at the end.
The program was a sampling of pieces choreographed by Ailey over time: Night Creatures, Revelations in D, Caravan, The Mooche, The Road Show of Phoebe Snow, Pas de Duke, and Revelations.
At other performances, I found Ailey's older pieces (with the exception of Revelations) to be a little tired. This was not the case tonight. Perhaps my excellent seat allowed me for the first time to appreciate the facial expressions and subtle movements of the dancers, such as arching backs, rhythmic ribcages, quick hand gestures.
Perhaps the impact of the dance was heightened by the live music. Seeing them move before the orchestra punctuated the fact that the two disciplines are working in tandum to the master of movement and time. I've seen traditional dancers from India, Hawaii, or Indonesia perform with musicians and singers on stage. Generally, the musicians are very closely watching the dancers who move to their beats.
Last night I noticed that the musicians and singers were not watching the dancers at all. They were focused on the music as the dancers were focused on the dance. If either lost their sense of rhythm or control, the performance would suffer. Of course, both were masters and the performances were practically flawless.
Another wonderful aspect of the show was watching it at this moment in time. It is the 50th anniversary of the troupe. Alvin Ailey died in 1986 and one of his dancers, Judith Jamison, took control and facilitated the organization's professional and artistic growth. Ailey has grown from a small troupe for a marginalized group to a major cultural institution that recently opened a huge dance facility in NYC.
Ailey's choreography and dancers continue to convey the experience of African Americans, but they are also diversifying and this is intriguing to me. The dancers and choreographers now include people of other ethnicities. The dances now cover a broader range of experience.
This seems positive to me because it indicates progress. First, the community that supports Ailey has probably broadened and its traditional base of African Americans donors has probably prospered and grown. Major corporations support Ailey, and the ranks of African American CEOs is probably bigger than ever before.
Second, there is an indication that the larger culture has diversified to the point where an African Americans dance troup doesn't feel compelled to provide opportunities soley to African Americans. This strikes me as a healthy way of moving from a protective and closed attitude forged from strife to an attitude of renewal and regeneration in an optomistic environment.
Finally, we are in what must be one of the most optomistic environments for African Americans. The first black president is poised to take the oath of office.
Watching the story of this group of people through their choreography to their music at this time was particularly poignent. While the economic crises unfold, many people are hurting, and anti-Western radicals continue to spread violence and hate; this extraordinarly display of talent, narrative, moxy, and diversity declares that there is good reason to hope things will improve.
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