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Created for an ensemble of 12 dancers and set to Virgil Thompson’s Etudes for Piano, Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (1988) is a prominent work in Mark Morris’s choreographic portfolio and was his first ballet made for American Ballet Theater. In her 1993 book “Mark Morris,” critic Joan Acocella praised it as “arguably the freshest, most original ballet produced in America since the death of Balanchine.”

Drink to Me opens with a piano solo – the haunting “Chromatic Double Harmonies” etude, so the music becomes an intrinsic part of the dance. Pianist Glenn Sales played with zest and skill, and conveyed admirably the richness and subtlety of the Thompson score.

After the final chords of the opening etude subside, the dancers, dressed in all-white, simple costumes, appeared on stage. They created a dynamic flow of striking and witty choreographic formations. Morris, with eloquence and sophistication, recaptures the moods and evocations of the music in the inventive movements, blending complex modern dance patterns with relatively simple but elegant passages en pointe. The result is a sequence of abstract choreographic vignettes, where intricacy and minimalism, humor and restraint, are united by abundant energy and dynamic rhythm.

As puzzling as it seems, Drink to Me is immensely captivating. In a way, this dance mirrors the vibrant personality of the choreographer, his charm and wit, his enthusiasm and earnestness.

Drink to Me was the Washington Ballet’s premiere and the first Morris work in the company’s repertoire. On opening night, the entire ensemble danced with unity and spark, fluently dealing with the challenges and dynamic of Morris’ steps. The excellent Jonathan Jordan was superb in the famous whirling solo, originally choreographed for and performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Among other notable performances were those of Brianne Bland, Jade Payette, Sona Kharatian, and Jared Nelson.

Love is fair game in Christopher Wheeldon’s There Where She Loved. In this exploration on modern dating, choreographed as a series of romantic rendezvous, the men cheat on the women, and the women, in turn, break the men’s hearts. Made in 2000 for the Royal Ballet and danced to a selection of emotionally contrasting songs – lyrical by Frederick Chopin (expressively sung by soprano Kate Vetter Cain) and derisive by Kurt Weill (performed with pathos and ardor by mezzo soprano Shelley Waite), There Where She Loved reveals Wheeldon’s bold and ingenious approach to dancemaking.

Brianne Bland and Jonathan Jordan
© Stephen Baranovics

One of the most memorable moments of the opening night performance came from the lovely Brianne Bland and Jonathan Jordan. Their affectionate duet, accompanied by Chopin’s Merry-Making, made the audience sigh with utter admiration. Elegant and buoyant, Bland brought nice touches to her solos, accompanied by Chopin’s poetic songs Spring and There Where She Loves. But the performance reached its highest point when a longtime Washington favorite, former company star Michele Jimenez, joined the charismatic Luis R. Torres in the culminating duet Je ne t’aime pas. There was a warm welcome for Jimenez, a member of the Dutch National Ballet who performed in the program as a guest artist.

Twyla Tharp’s timeless Nine Sinatra Songs was a perfect choice for a grand finale. Performed by seven couples, it was simultaneously a Tharp ballroom dance extravaganza, a Frank Sinatra hit parade, and an Oscar de la Renta fashion show. Hugely popular and entertaining, Nine Sinatra Songs comprises seven intimate duets (one for each couple) and two ensemble dances. Taking ideas from the song lyrics, Tharp infuses the duets with distinctive character, giving each couple their own story, reflected in the choreography. The stylish and supremely cool Elizabeth Gaithner and Runqiao Du made an impressive opening in Softly as I Leave You. The unyielding attraction between Laura Urgelles and Alvaro Palau was spilling out in their alluring tango danced to Strangers in the Night. Spiced with wry humor, the highly athletic duo Erin Mahoney-Du and Luis R. Torres in One For My Baby illuminated the house with smiles. But it was the thorny encounter between Michele Jimenez and Jared Nelson in That’s Life that stole the show.