Morphoses Review: Their Final evening at The New York City Center

Meryl Cates | Oct 06, 2008 | 0

Morphoses in Christopher Wheeldon's "Fools' Paradise"

In the first of a trio of short films to supplement the ballets, Christopher Wheeldon stressed the importance of "having trust in yourself"; and trust is what he had, when he created Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company last year.   Sunday afternoon, in their final performance of their 2nd New York season at The City Center, a program of diversity seemed most appropriate for a young company that seems to be finding its identity.

Fairly new, Morphoses is the Guest Resident Company of The New York City Center and the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. It boasts exquisite dancers from New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and The Norwegian National Ballet, with all of this made possible under the well-known umbrella of Christopher Wheeldon's celebrated name as a choreographer.

Seeming more like a compilation than a company, Morphoses spent a long weekend at the City Center with two different programs. Wheeldon introduced the afternoon, and their 2nd program, by providing some program notes and personality, lending to an overall intimate atmosphere. In between the ballets were three films produced and directed by Benjamin Pierce, and gave a behind the scenes look at rehearsals, dancer's rituals, and a profile of two of the company members.

Wheeldon's Commedia, which premiered recently at Sadler's Wells Theatre on September 24th, was set to Stravinsky's "Pulcinella Suite", and remained true to its title.  The piece was whimsical, bright, and all things clownish (the costumes and scenery included).  The backdrop was a collage of jester's faces, and the dancers wore unitards that resembled the suit of diamonds, with spurts of colorful ruffles, or headdresses that looked like bandanas with eye slits.  

The piece was defined by the dancer's symmetry and the rhythmic undulations of their hips and legs, as each arabesque or tendue smoothly transitioned into the next movement.  The 2nd pas de deux with Leanne Benjamin and Edward Watson was wonderfully nuanced, their playful demeanor complimenting the lively pauses in the music.  Wheeldon's use of vibrant arm movements created the illusion of a strong frame for every step.   The twisting of the hand to face palm-up and the circular swinging of the arms often drew ones eye primarily to the upper body.  A contrast to the rest of the ballet, the ending was reminiscent of Balanchine's black and white Stravinsky ballets, as the scenery ascended to a blank, blue backdrop, and the dancers moved forward with structured arms and subtle body angles.

One, by half-Belgian, half-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, was created for the Dance Salad Festival in Houston, TX and premiered on March 20, 2008. The stage design and lighting was stark, but warm, at times utilizing sensual silhouettes, and the music by Jacob Ter Vedhuis had a breathless and urgent quality. The pas de deux, danced by Drew Jacoby and Rubinald Pronk, was strong, powerful, and serene.  The choreography mimicked the intensity of the music and was quick paced without sacrificing intricate positioning of the body.  Ms. Jacoby's pinpoint precision and speed revealed some of her background with LINES Ballet.  Whether it was an accented kick or a silky developpe, she had the strike and swiftness of a prick.  Mr. Pronk was strong and complimentary, as they both projected a violent, yet romantic chemistry, and a mysterious allure.

Monotones II, a work by Sir Fredrick Ashton that premiered in 1966, was described by Wheeldon, as a serene landscape with a man on the moon motif, as he also expressed his interest in having Balanchine dancers perform Sir Frederick Ashton.  Wendy Whelan, Tyler Angle, and Adrian Danchig-Waring performed their debut in the role, and mastered the very measured character of the music.  Their solidarity and fluidity had the quality and comfort of a lullaby.  The presence of the man on the moon can be seen in the futuristic, white unitards and headpieces, which looked like swim caps covered by tiny nodules, courtesy of San Francisco Ballet. They all performed with a seamless exactitude, but Ms. Whelan's constant ability to meld to the choreography makes her look at home in any work, as she grants a level of artistry and maturity to whatever she dances

Christine Thomassen and Andreas Heise wonderfully performed Shutters Shut by Lightfoot Leon, which was set to the poem by Gertrude Stein.  It was a sheer play on words and play on movement.  With phrases like, "If I told him if Napoleon if Napoleon if I told him. If I told him would he like it would he like it if I told him. Now. Not now. And now. Now.", the quick fire arm movements and facial expressions were set to each word, and became a recognizable rhythm as the piece unfolded.  The choreography matched the rapid speaking and tone of the poem and, perhaps, captured its essence better than a metaphorical dance.

Wheeldon's 2007 piece, Fools' Paradise, was the last on the program and seemed almost like the headliner of the afternoon.  The music by Joby Talbot, an orchestration of "The Dying Swan", was haunting in its arrangement, and as effective as the petals that cascaded downward to form a beautifully simplistic backdrop.   With such accomplished dancers as Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, and Celine Cassone, the technicality was brilliant, each movement robust and effortlessly executed.  

Teresa Reichlen, a soloist with New York City Ballet, did not quite match the artistry of the other three ballerinas, although always technically proficient, but in her pas de trois with Tyler Angle and Adrian Danchig-Waring seemed to find a passion and involvement that she does not always employ in her roles.  Ms. Kowroski's pas de deux with Edward Liang was a highlight of the piece, as her long legs yielded an amazing ability to be beautifully supple, and then in a moment, transform into sharp, fang-like contortions, almost animalistic in their positioning.  At times, the choreography was carefully structured, as the dancers paused in their positions, all leading to the final geometric pose, which left the audience in a theatrical enchantment.

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Ballet, Enthusiast, Performance, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, The New York City Center (all tags)