This was possibly the most fabulously interesting ballet program I’ve ever attended. The Joffrey presented three pieces originally commissioned by Serge Diaghilev: ‘Les Noces’, ‘Parade’, and ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’. We saw this afternoon's matinee, the last performance of seven. The music was live, which enlivened and enlarged the performance considerably
I knew going in that the dances and music in this program would be very different from the classical fare. Frankly, I did not expect to like them. Not that I am overly charmed by classical story ballets, but in the past I have found Stravinsky’s music too jarring to be pleasurable. Of the three ballets, I was probably looking forward most to “Parade”, if only for the Picasso set and costumes, and because two years ago a picture of Calvin Kitten as the Chinese Conjurer graced the cover of Dance Magazine (when Kitten was named one of the 25 dancers to watch). I did feel reasonably well versed about “Les Noces,” thanks to this recent thread in the Ballets area of the board.
Well. Neither the theme nor the music of “Les Noces” was “likeable”, to my mind, but I found the combination visceral and compelling. The music IS jarring, but so is the theme: two young people, scared out of their wits, leaving home for the uncertainty of an arranged marriage. (Dolphingirl’s quip: “So, it’s basically like reality TV?”) The plain brown, uniform costumes, the deadpan expressions, the minimalist movement – all strip this piece down to the rawest of bare emotions. The choreography largely concerns a group of boys and a group of girls, each in turn commiserating with their friend and preparing him or her for the impending marriage. What is important here really is the group, or the juxtaposition of groups, and not particular movements by individuals. This is NOT the piece to see if you are looking for flash, verve, and lots of tricks. (This is true of ‘Printemps’ as well; the family resemblance between Nijinska’s choreography here and Nijinsky’s in ‘Printemps’ is striking.) The dancers in ‘Les Noces’ move from one frozen tableaux to another. Boys and girls are separated until the moment when the bride and groom approach and embrace in mutual consolation; then the groups of boys and girls intermix, and one somehow feels optimistic for the newlyweds’ future. I literally heaved a sigh as the curtain fell, and for a moment I truly wondered if I had been holding my breath the whole time.
‘Parade’ provided the lighthearted, comic relief in between the two heavier themes. The Picasso set and costumes were even better than I anticipated. Kitten reprised the role of the Chinese Conjurer, very successfully. I thought the most interesting of the "acts" was the American Girl, danced by Stacy Joy Keller. This role manages to convey myriad popular images of early 20th century America: gangsters, street fights, working women, high-rises, a culture slightly out of kilter. At least, that’s what I saw in the dance, so to the extent that it was intended Keller succeeded admirably. The horse, of course, stole the show. I don’t know whether it was to the dancers’ credit (David Gombert and Michael Smith) or Picasso’s that the horse’s face (mask) seemed to convey distinct emotions.
Once I saw ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’, I understood why there were riots at its premiere. What a shock it must have been! Again, somber, raw, nothing pretty or delicate. No virtuosos; once again, the ensemble is the thing. Weird, turned-in postures that evoke a clumsier, less evolved past. No doubt the original audience wondered the same thing I did: “How is this ballet?” Nevertheless, I found it urgent and compelling, although not as emotionally powerful -- nor as beautiful -- as ‘Les Noces’.
This was not a program in which one could single out specific dancers for praise. Indeed, with so many dancers on stage, all largely dressed and wigged alike, it was difficult to discern who was who.
Nor was the program to everyone’s liking. I met up with two acquaintances who clearly considered this a wasted afternoon. Unfortunately, this was their first visit to the Joffrey, and from our conversation it was clear that they had had no concept of what the program would comprise. What they got differed hugely from their expectations. One of them, a novice adult ballet student, bemoaned the lack of role models. “Doesn’t the Joffrey have any good male leads?” he asked plaintively. Well, yes, it does. But this wasn’t the program in which to see them.
One last note: we were lucky enough to attend a pre-performance talk by the Joffrey’s community outreach director, Carla Graham-White. This talk was part of the company’s initiative to attract and educate younger audiences. (The initiative also includes providing half-price tickets to anyone affiliated with a ballet school, whether as student or bill-payer or staff/faculty.) The talk was very informative, and hopefully forestalled among the fifty or so attendees the kind of disappointment my acquaintances encountered. We were also shown some of the costumes and wigs that the dancers would soon don. Since the talk took place in the orchestra seats, it was also fun to watch as the company ended class and the crew cleaned and set up the stage.