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David Guthrie has provided the requisite grey monks’ robes for the corps de ballet, setting the choral groups in tiers on both sides of the stage with stage center ornamented by a large hanging disc, displaying a variety of signs spilling into the Asian yin-yang circle, a platform with curving steps on either side and a central pullout section to emphasize crucial passages.

Replacing Fortuna, Nahat presents the Magician, which Easton Smith portrayed in scarlet robes, black wig, admirable torso and arm muscles, quite convincing in his ability to manipulate the forces of present, future and human desire. Nahat creates a fetching sequence in Part I where a three-part musical development is used to adorn garlands of flowers draped on the stage pews of the chorus with six pairs of maids and young men. Through them threads Maykel Solas as a free young man and Karen Gabay as a lonely young girl, initiating a hide and seek, the girl seeking, the man eluding before the roles reverse. Gabay’s port de bras and the finish of her hands were particularly beautiful.

The tavern scene, Part II, features Le Mai Linh, adroitly conveying a drunken gambler, his delivery with touches of folk posture and body weight enhancing his reliable delivery. The pull-out device stage center is used to stage the death throes of Ramon Moreno’s Roasted Swan, bare save a white skull cap and athletic strap. A heroic animal, the Swan endures two or three stabs in the abdomen and slices from a leg while it quivers and delivers a mixture of Fokine and Petipa images of swans recumbent and expiring. After Moreno disappears, the pull out is retired briefly before Seth Parker appears as The Devil, accompanied by Hayley Henderson and Kaleena Opdyke,women of pleasure swishing around the monks and topers.

Part III or the Court of Love,finds the Free Young Man duly attracted by the Lonely Young Girl now draped on the Magician’s platform as the next best thing to Mariolatry. Gabay gave us book, line and verse of the struggles convent-raised girls go through reconciling virtue to fever pulsing in the veins, adrenalin and pelvis. Solas wasn’t too bad himself. You guessed it,they come together atop the pull-out circle, have their symbolic mating and during the swelling finale, adroitly directed by Elena Sharkova, are hidden from view by the young men and maidens. The Magician was suitably pleased.

To return to Summerscape as opener, Movements I and II displayed trios - Mirai Noda, Maria Jacobs and Ramon Moreno in I, Catherine Grow, Alexandra Mejier and Maximo Califano in II, with Maykel Solas and Le Mai Linh completing Movement III. Ramon Moreno and Solas are from the same Cuban city.

Large Ribbons of Red and White, fashioned as flowers, dot the stage and are hoisted in the beginning. Everything is sprightly in Movement I; Movement II has touches of emotional contest for the attractions of Califano whose technical inabilities outweigh his handsome face and emotive expressions. An elegant looking porteur, Califano’s turns are as laborious as his muscular turnout is almost nonexistent. Grow managed the better end of the triangle, but Mejier’s delicacy of port de bras and quiet strength of attack was to be admired

Noda, Moreno and Jacobs made a fetching trio in the first movement and Yui Yonesawa danced with such a joyous caring one wishes she would be given central billing.

In Movement III Maykel Solas, dancing with the company for his first season, projected presence but uneven delivery, apparently saving his energy for his multiple traveling turns in Carmina Burana. Le Mai Linh was consistent and finished as always.

Dwight Oltman conducted the orchestra with typical understated competence.