World-class review of ballet and dance.
The School of American Ballet is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. So is George Balanchine’s iconic “Serenade”—the first piece he made in America in 1934, choreographed on students from his brand-new academy. Fittingly, SAB’s annual workshop performances led off with Suki Schorer’s clear and energetic staging of the ballet. An excerpt of Balanchine speaking about how “Serenade” came to be (from the 1977 edition of Balanchine’s Complete Stories of the Great Ballets) was included in the program notes: “As part of the school curriculum, I started an evening ballet class in stage technique, to give students some idea of how dancing on stage differs from classwork. ‘Serenade’ evolved from the lessons I gave.” Balanchine makes an interesting distinction here. SAB no longer has a class in stage technique, but since 1965 the school has held yearly workshop performances to supply that crucial lesson. It is fascinating to witness these apt young pupils encountering rich adult repertory every year. This year’s crop of precocious children and teenagers tackled four difficult ballets: “Serenade” and the third movement of “Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #2” by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon’s “Scènes de Ballet,” and, for one night only, Lauren Lovette’s “Tendu.” Some of the roles in these ballets are among the puffier in the NYCB rep (like the tall corps of “PC#2” and the Russian girls in “Serenade”), so the kids were definitely in great shape. From the two performances I caught, it was clear that the youngsters were honing their artistic personae as well.
Performance
Place
Words
“Uncommonly intelligent, substantial coverage.”
Your weekly source for world-class dance reviews, interviews, articles, and more.
Already a paid subscriber? Login
A duet featuring the choreographer himself was an unexpected treat when Boca Tuya, founded in 2018 by Omar Román de Jesús, took the stage at 92NY last week. De Jesús is a scintillating model for the liquid, undulating movement style that flows through all three works of the evening.
Plus
Designed to look at the process and art of writing dance criticism, this one-day event will feature panel discussions with Fjord Review writers, audience Q&A sessions, a conversation with a special guest choreographer, and networking reception.
FREE ARTICLE
Creating Urban Bush Women forty years ago—after having had a dream about her parents—Jawole Willa Jo Zollar may have stepped down as artistic director from the women-centered group dedicated to telling stories of the African diaspora through traditional and modern Africanist dance forms, but she’s busier than ever.
FREE ARTICLE
George Balanchine loved American culture because he loved America. He had lived through tyranny and chaos as a boy in the Russian Revolution, and though his displays of affection for his adopted homeland could border on silly (like the Western bolo ties he favored as fashion statements), he never took for granted the possibilities he found here, never stopped extolling America’s freshness and energy.
Plus
After reading Faye Arthur’s review, anyone who regularly attends performances of NYC B, must attend SAB’s annual workshop performance. Her review was a first look at the talent emerging from the school, and the names of the dancers who will be asked to join NYCB and other major dance companies.
It seems like yesterday that Lauren Lovette performed in the workshop, became a principal dancer at NYCB, and now has returned home.