Wicked Moves with Christopher Scott
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) steps down the steps, rests her hat on the floor and takes in the Ozdust Ballroom in Wicked. She elevates her arm, bringing her bent wrist to her temple.
PlusWorld-class review of ballet and dance.
Last year’s School of American Ballet Workshop performances marked two milestones: Suki Schorer’s 50th anniversary as a teacher, and Kay Mazzo’s retirement from the Chair of Faculty position after 40 years. The program was audacious (especially coming out of Covid), with a commissioned world premiere and the staging of the epic finale from Balanchine’s “Symphony in C.” Electricity was in the air. This year, prudently, was about rebuilding. The atmosphere was all gentle breezes. The bill included four excerpts that harked back to the early history of the school, two of which—“Coppélia” and “Napoli”—commemorated the 25th anniversary of the passing of two celebrated teachers appointed by Balanchine, Alexandra Danilova and Stanley Williams. There were reams of tulle, pretty passés, and turns ending in tight fifth positions on display. There was no sight of Balanchine’s abstract, angular side. Though the evening was less zingy than usual, it was smart of Darla Hoover and Aesha Ash, in their freshman year as Chair and Co-Chair of Faculty, respectively, to stress roots and continuity.
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Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) steps down the steps, rests her hat on the floor and takes in the Ozdust Ballroom in Wicked. She elevates her arm, bringing her bent wrist to her temple.
PlusThe Sarasota Ballet does not do a “Nutcracker”—they leave that to their associate school. Instead, over the weekend, the company offered a triple bill of which just one ballet, Frederick Ashton’s winter-themed “Les Patineurs,” nodded at the season.
PlusI couldn’t stop thinking about hockey at the New York City Ballet’s “Nutcracker” this year, and not only because the stage appeared to be made of ice: there were a slew of spectacular falls one night I attended.
PlusLast week, during the first Fjord Review Dance Critics’ Festival, Mindy Aloff discussed and read from an Edwin Denby essay during “The Critic’s Process” panel.
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Oh yes, you are correct Carole! It is a small but impressive list. Peter Boal too, right? But I’ve never seen two Wien Award winners that have been there that long, in the same year no less!
Another confusing topic: the program said that the Coppelia Waltz was a “solo that Mr. Balanchine made for [Ware] in 1974.” But others have told me that it was originally choreographed on Carol Sumner. I generally take program facts at face value, apologies if there are issues. And if anyone can enlighten, please do! Thank you, Faye
Some of us did go all the way through the school. Lauren Hauser, Julie Michael, me, just to name a few. We are not many but it does exist.