NYCB: The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Jewels
I've seen the NYCB thrice since the last post, and have been, in short, underwhelmed, surprised, and abstracted.
The Nutcracker, with Yvonne Boree as the Sugar Plum Fairy, on a late December Saturday night, in a full-priced seat in the Orchestra, was over-storied, under-choreographed, and dull.
Romeo and Juliet, with Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild as the lovers, on an early January Wednesday, in a student seat from the third ring, was believably dramatic, expressively danced, and unsappily romantic (and Daniel Ulbricht as Mercutio was the bright spot of the night).
Balanchine's Jewels, on a mid-January Saturday night, from the fourth ring sides, with Ashley Bouder dancing in Rubies, Abi Stafford dancing in Emeralds, and Maria Kowroski dancing in Diamonds, was unclear about itself, despite the technical chops of these dancers, from beginning to end. Balanchine-lovers love Jewels, and I'm not a Balanchine-lover yet, but even Ashley Bouder projected so much showmanship at this performance that the relationships between dancers and their partners seemed meaningless. This was the first explicitly non-story ballet to come from Balanchine, but even a subtraction of narrative implicates moving bodies in space into a relationship with one another, and this connectivity was wholly missing from tonight's performance. A most chilly, lonely night.
I still look to the rest of the winter repertory with pleasure - because I discovered the twenty dollar fourth ring sides seats? Because I still get a thrill out of ballet formation? Because A.M. was right, that the orchestra has never been better? Because it's winter? because it's fun to deconstruct intended meaning out of these pieces? Because the photographs lining the walls at the New York State Theatre are grainy and haunting?

