'Symphony in C' reviews 'Dances at a Gathering' reviews Meunier in reviews Kowroski in reviews recent NYCB reviews

We saw the 12 September performance. The 11th was cancelled at 8pm (curtain due up at 830pm). Peter Martins made an announcement from stage saying much as they did not want to be intimidated by violence and that they did want to share the joy of dancing but - they could not perform that night. It emerged later that fortunately nobody lost a relative or friend in the attack.

On the 12th, which became the first night of the second programmme, there was extra military/ police security outside, with the US and Italian flying at half mast. There was a minute's silence before the start.

The impression the company gave was mixed - good in Barber Violin Concerto, very memorable in Dances and the B team in Symphony in C. Not really a dance audience - a bit stiff in their response (and distracted by a bird swooping over the stage and auditorium).

Monique Meunier, with very steely legs and Charles Askegaard led the classical half of the first movement. Elizabeth Walker and Charles Fayette were the contemporary couple. At one point they dance parallel duets to the same music, one formal, the other modern. In the second movement, the moden boy (Fayette, very strong) pushes and pulls the classical girl (Meunier) till she succumbs - loosening her hair, pulled by his power.

In movement three the modern girl was like a disco bunny, humanising the classical boy, who looked like Siegfried lost at a crazed party.

In Dances at a Gathering Jennie Somogyi was excellent in yellow, very a la Guillem. Peter Boal, Benjamin Millepied and James Fayette all very good. First time I'd seen this, incredibly musical response to the Chpoin music - but it does seem too long. After the faux finale, the pas de six mazurka, the audience got very restive. The three sisters references and the still ending were very effective. Amazing to think this was created after The Concert (remember a Trocks pastiche many years ago).

When I saw NYCB do Symphony in C in New York three years ago that was the first time I had really understood Balanchine - the spring and accents of how they jump and land. This was not nearly so good - untidy, mismatched corps who didn't hear the music in the same time, arms badly held, bends different taken, heads not aligned.

Messy first movement - Nilas Martins looked too old, too heavy. Maria Kowroski excellent as the essence of a swan queen in second movement. Third movement with Janie Taylor and Seth Orza was the best with great spring, lift and bounce. The sloppy corps spoiled the last movement but the stage was not really big enough to hold everybody.