In an ordinary year, my sister Amy and I would have been poring over the New York City Ballet catalogue in March to select which ballets to see in the coming month. We've been regulars for decades, and going to the ballet with Amy is one of the sisterly activities that I look forward to with much pleasure. A few years ago Amy gave me her collection of ballet programs, some dating back to the 1970s, and I can get lost in the memories aroused by going through them.
The virus intervened and, here we are, the 2020 season cancelled. But thanks to the creativity and resourcefulness — and, yes, desperation — of the NYCB leadership, the company has launched a digital spring season, for which it is sharing videos of recorded performances. A new program is announced every Monday and the programs go live on Tuesdays and Fridays with each remaining available for 72 hours.
Which means you have until tomorrow night to catch Friday's program (see above). Now is not the time to hesitate, and here's why: even if you've seen these programs live, as I have, you have much to gain from watching the videos. I've watched Friday's program three times. The first time I did so unselfconsciously, with no expectation other than to assess whether the experience would be enjoyable on its own terms. The second time it was to pay close attention to the choreography and the talent of the individual dancers and to be more attentive to my response. The third time I got to deepen my understanding of why I was so moved by the performances. (I don't know why it delighted me so much to observe the geometric shapes created by the intersecting arms of the corps at around the 14:30 mark. And Anthony Huxley's seemingly effortless jumps and turns left me breathless. His landings are as quiet as a cat's.) Obviously a live performance does not allow for such a deep dive into a ballet and one's reaction to it.
For the third viewing of Ballo De Regina, I pulled down from my bookshelves "Dancing for Balanchine" the memoir by the prima ballerina Merrill Ashley, on whom George Balanchine created Ballo in 1977. She likens the ballet to champagne, so the next time I watch it I'm going to pour myself a glass. (Couldn't do that in the theater!) With Ashley's book in my lap, I could pause the video at any time to read Ashley's accounting of how she and George Balanchine, along with her partner Robert Weiss, worked in close collaboration over the course of a week to complete the early versions of the ballet. Most fascinating is how she breaks down certain of the steps to their component parts. For one who is, as I am, passionate about ballet but not a trained dancer, and lacking the specialized vocabulary of dance, I recommend reading these passages and studying the accompanying illustrations. I can look forward to the next live performance knowing I'll have a greater appreciation of what I'll see.
Megan Fairchild has stepped into Merrill Ashley's role in Ballo Della Regina and she is a wonder. (Hot tip: follow Fairchild on Instagram (@mfairchild17) to catch her series of interviews with friends and colleagues in the ballet world). She executes Balanchine's steps with razor-sharp precision and at warp speed yet paradoxically seems to take her time doing so. I challenge anyone to follow the progression of foot work during her solos. Ashley describes how the challenging steps became second nature to her, freeing her "to revel in the music and in Balanchine's 'fantastic' creativity." I suspect that Fairchild feels the same way. Once the formal elements are mastered, a dancer's intelligence and imagination take over and they are free to let loose, to make the ballet their own.
A new program will be announced tomorrow. I can't wait.
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