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City Ballet of San DiegoSan Diego, Joan B. Kroc Theatre by Anjuli Bai |
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Having recently received a brochure detailing a fairly ambitious season of five separate programs, one an evening of Balanchine, I decided it was time to see this local group of approximately twenty-five dancers and apprentices. I must admit it was the inclusion of Balanchine in a later program, which bespeaks the imprimatur of the Balanchine Trust, which piqued my interest. The Kroc Theatre is only a few years old, part of a one hundred million dollar bequest from Joan Kroc (think MacDonald's - yes "that" MacDonald's) which begot a huge complex of theatre and sports facilities seldom seen in the private sector. The midsize theater is perfect for a small dance company, bringing the audience fairly close to the action, whilst at the same time providing the technical accoutrements necessary for a production. However, the lesson long ago learned by the ancient Greeks (and probably even before) of setting the seats in rising tiers, has not been learned in our time and the first dozen or more rows leaves the viewer with not much to view through heads and torsos of those seated in front. How many millennia does it take to learn this lesson?
"Mendelssohn Concerto" with fifteen women in black leotards and tights (thankfully brightly lit) was a sprightly opening. The choreographic patterns were well executed and overall it was a pleasing work, though I would have favored some color. It was a "ballet black" opening rather than the usual ballet blanc. I think the use of color would have been more successful especially as an opening piece.
She was in white, he in short black unitard. The partnering was hesitant in places, a bit grappling in others. Part of the problem may be she, when on pointe, is a bit taller than he. Still, with the lively music of Joplin, it swings along.
This was a more successful partnership. However, Bowman needs to find his ballerina's center in supported turns - her axis was disturbingly pointing south of north several times. The silver and white costuming for her, while he was in shades of moss green, was visually pleasurable. Interestingly, in contrast to the usual classical structure of the first variation of a grand pas de deux being performed by the man, in this construction the first variation was performed by the woman. When she was finished her variation, instead of exiting she stood downstage in sight of the audience as he danced his variation. In a small theater, so close to the audience, we were treated to watching her as she caught her breath. Leaving the stage after each variation has much to commend it. But, I am niggling here. It was a nicely danced pas de deux.
Immediately it became obvious that this partnership was both smoother and sharper than those that preceded it. Smith was clothed in a lovely soft classical tutu of pale blue, the bodice flowing into a bloused sleeve. Both danced with authority: he tossing off a particularly difficult pirouette sequence, she assaying the grand flic flacs (sometimes called French fouettés). I was intrigued to see that she did them to both the left and right. I don't recall having seen that done before in this pas de deux - they usually are all done to the same side. Her fouetté turns, though traveling a bit, were done confidently. However, that's only the first half of the equation. The second half is how to finish them. This was her difficulty, and one could see as she built the momentum that the finish would prove not as tidy as one would like to see. Gil is a fine dancer - jumping with delight and landing in silence. A pleasure to watch.
Well, what to say? Hard to know when it didn't really say anything particular to me. Garbed in unitards of clown colors and acrulic mops of sort-of-clown hair: red, blue and yellow, rolling and tossing about in sometimes clownish acrobatics interspersed with truly classical steps - faces sometimes angst-cy - well, it was a mish-mashy affair to me. Quite a change of pace from the preceding program, but perhaps that was the point.
Program notes indicated that this work was done as a reflection of the events of September 11, 2001. The four couples were in gray leotards with short skirts for the women, unitards for the men. It was a mesmerizing piece: soft, clean and smooth. The music, choreography and dancers flowed from pattern to pattern with hypnotic effect - an occasional change of direction taken on the heel rather than the ball of the foot notwithstanding. I'm niggling again.
This was an exceedingly short piece done in gold and mustard unitards. It didn't leave much of a lasting impression, seemed over before it had truly begun. But, at the same time - it didn't leave a negative impression. Well, that's a plus. One might guess it was inserted to give time for costume change and a few minutes of rest from what came before to what came after.
It takes a bit of chutzpah, to say nothing of courage, to choreograph to this music after the tour de force by Fokine. But, I have to say Wistrich did capture the mood and I found myself content with her choreography despite my love affair with Fokine. Interestingly, she chose to put the woman on pointe in contrast to Fokine's choice of slippers. While not geographically correct (and when has that ever given ballet pause?) the use of pointe added a dimension to the choreography. Mr. Gil is a very fine partner. His care was evident throughout. Mira Cook, while enticing him, also seemed to keep him at a distance. Did she mean to? The question, for me, was left open. Altogether this is a commendable piece. But.....the choice of costuming was bewildering. Not the design - she in pants and midriff top, he bare-chested above and in pants below - but the color. In all my viewings of paintings of seraglios, oriental feasts and celebrations, in their private lives the people are depicted in silks and gauzes awash in brilliant color. Black was a poor choice for these costumes, in my opinion. I kept substituting red as I watched.
This is a challenging pas de deux that sits incongruously in the midst of the ballet "Esmeralda." Why is it there? According to a recent biography of Vaganova, she felt the need for a set virtuoso piece and so inserted this. I did like the pale mint green tunic and short skirt for Diana while Acteon was in pants. (There were lots of bare-chested males in this evening's program. I am not complaining, just noting the fact). Both dancers threw themselves into the choreography and though I would certainly opt for a bit of abandonment rather than constraint, a couple of times it almost got away from them.
Very pretty soft tutus of white with pale peach overlays were an enhancement to this work. Having the additional variations was more in keeping with how it is presented in the actual ballet - and even that is sometimes danced as a pas de trois. In this partnership too, Mr. Bowman needs to find the ballerina's center in supported turns. There weren't any disasters, but the axis was off and this detracts from the overall effect. It says a lot about Coatney's aplomb that she didn't allow it to distract her. Another breath holding moment occurred as he stepped in to catch her waist in the midst of her tours a la seconde. A close run thing. There was a glitch now and again, but overall it was accomplished nicely. Throughout the evening it was notable that not one pointe shoe was heard, landings from the men were also almost completely silent. Some major companies might envy that. The technical level was promising - they need more opportunity to dance. The rest of the year is scheduled to take place in several mid-size theaters in the San Diego area. It might help to have a home theater. The company is making an effort to reach out to various areas of the city, encouraging attendance with price discounts for specific postal area codes. That's a novel way of thinking and I hope it is successful. The company's resident choreographer, Elizabeth Wistrich, (wife of the artistic director, Steven Wistrich) is obviously an asset, able to choreograph to many moods and music. Her hand is not hesitant; she works into the strengths of her dancers; giving them challenges but not overwhelming them. No credits were given for costuming that I could find and the stage was bare throughout. The music was taped, some tempi such as for the Don Quixote Pas de Deux, taken fairly rapidly. The decibel level hovered on the edge of aural discomfort, but didn't quite cross the line. Judging from the biographies of the company members listed in the program, only one seems to have been trained by the company's school. This leaves open to question what the school has produced in the past and what it will produce in the future.
Finally, City Ballet of San Diego is worth watching and they do provide an evening of pleasurable dance and hopefuly promise for the future.
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