Stanley Laracey and Taylor Stanley, SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS
All images courtesy NYCB (photo credits: Erin Baiano)
NYCB has a lot to celebrate this year. Three ballet masterpieces.
Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes de Ballet is wonderfully nostalgic, a sensitive look into the world of ballet training for young children and older teens. The ballet is danced by 64 students from New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet.
In the beginning, two little girls, mirror images of each other, go through their paces at a barre in some grand ballet studio. The striking scenic design by Ian Falconer features soft, impressionistic paintings on the wall and tall, tall ceilings.
All is beautiful at the ballet, with its light, airy feeling, as ballerinas focus on classical moves—8 on stage, then 16, circling around each other with light movement, lots of passé, and big leaps—all delightfully composed.
The older students entertwine with the younger. A little one dreams of herself in a pas de deu, then danced by two older dancers—a sweet partnering, with handsome arabesques. With the dancers ever moving, eight young men then join them in the studio, showing off their aerial antics in the studio.
In this piece, the Picasso-esque costumes by Tsumori Chisato costumes—bright orange in stripes, turquoise splashes, yellow with sharp geometric patterns, fit perfectly with the dizzying moves of choreographer Justin Peck.
The piece includes many changes of directions, requiring great control, to the music of Igor Stravinsky. Miriam Miller and Preston Chamblee’s pas de deux is soulful, punctuated by their gorgeous line. Miller impresses, too, with her battement.
Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara charms in an outfit much like a wedding cake that’s layered in multi-colors.
Dutton-O-Hara
Mary Thomas MacKinnon bursts on stage with dynamic moves, with a chequered outfit and a bauble of a tutu.
Then Emilie Gerrity pops onto the stage, showcasing slow movements as well.
Anthony Huxley’s dance is characterized by huge stretches, soaring leaps, endless twists en l’air, near-perfect landings in fifth position, rare strength, and limitless turns. Bravo! In Unity Phelan’s duet with Harrison Coll, we see clean echapé, strength in arabesque, then impressive balance as she gently drops into his arms. Phelan is like a top in her turns, her expansive arms, stunning.
Symphony in Three Movements highlights Stravinsky’s pulsing score. KJ Takahashi shines in this piece, with his squeaky-clean turns, remarkable ballon, and soft landings.
A showstopper, his jumps cover a huge space such that one can’t take one’s eyes off of him. His partner, Emma von Enck keeps up admirably, her legs seem as arrows, jumping at odd angles, croisé and more.
This piece offers many pairings on stage, the strong and musical Taylor Stanley, 16 male corps members in a stark dramatic line. Ashley Laracey and Taylor Stanley’s gesture-rich pas de deux shows great balance and counterbalance, with rotated legs and torso.
In a slow, unreserved pas, the dancers mirror each other in Stravinsky’s bouncing music, which is like a capricious spring. The entire ensemble on stage provides an ever-changing kaleidoscope of movement on stage.