A Weekend of Dance... What Could be Better?

Lindsay Live | Apr 24, 2008 | 0

Youth America Grand Prix at City Center

I had the most exciting, fun-filled weekend of dance, dance, and yes, more dance! Is there any better way to spend your free time?

On Friday night, I made my way over to the Ailey Citigroup Theater on 55th and 9th to see some of my old Barnard College/Columbia University classmates perform some very interesting and thought provoking works. I generally look forward to college dance shows because they always promise something a little out of the ordinary.

Ballet has never been a Barnard dance department strength, so I was really anxious to see if the dancers could pull off the opening number, a Robert LaFosse premiere. That being said, I was very proud they took a risk opening the show with a classical piece on pointe, but at the same time I was slightly disappointed. The choreography was pretty, but predictable and full of cliches. It brought absolutely nothing new to the table. There were a few nice, pretty moments, but for a college that prides itself on challenging convention, nice and pretty doesn't cut it. Barnard's not a conservatory, so the students are not as strong or technically proficient as dancers in other institutions or the professional world. However, what they lack in technique, they make up for in intellect, personality, and character, something that could have really been utilized more in the choreographic process. I was really hoping something for more, but the ballet piece left me feeling blah. Nonetheless, the dancers made the most of it and afforded the piece the same amount of effort they give to their studies.

The rest of the show, with works by SUGAR SALON choreographers Luciana Achugar, Renee Archibald, and Heather McArdle, fell within Barnard's quirky modern dance comfort zone. My favorite piece was the last one, Mercy 10x8 on a Circle by Bill T. Jones, in which red confetti fell to the floor as dancers explored repetition of movement in pairs. Overall, the Barnard Dance department left me impressed and proud to call myself a graduate. The dancers don't just dance with their bodies, they dance with their minds and that makes all the difference. However, when it comes to ballet, I'd prefer to see the same kind of thought, attention, and originality that is given to modern dance. Wishful thinking perhaps...

On Saturday night, I went with the Dancer magazine team to see the Kirov perform at City Center. They performed an entire Balanchine bill, including Serenade, Rubies, and Ballet Imperial. The Kirov brought an entirely new perspective to these Balanchine works, yet at the same time reaffirmed the enduring nature of his choreography. When the curtain opened and the dancers appeared in that striking opening pose, it was like seeing Serenade for the very first time. Rubies was an absolute delight and contained some of the highest extensions I have ever seen in my life. Ballet Imperial was pretty, but by the end of the ballet, some of the dancers looked bored and others looked downright terrified. It was a disappointing way to end the performance, seeing all those beautiful bodies attached to some very sad faces. But the majority of the performance had a wow factor that made me realize what a treat it was to see the Kirov in New York City!

And on Monday, I met up with the Dancer magazine team again for the Youth America Grand Prix Gala at City Center. As Matthew Neff already mentioned, the first part of the performance consisted of the winners of the competition (the Stars of Tomorrow) and the second half consisted of top performers from around the world (the Stars of Today). The competition winners blew me away, as usual, displaying technical capabilities that many professionals do not possess. I saw multiple attitude turns, perfect quadruple pirouettes on pointe, and extensions that defy the natural limitations of the human body. But the most exciting part was Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev from the Bolshoi Ballet who performed "Flames of Paris." Their dazzling performance made even the most hard to please ballet critics rise to their feet and clap in admiration.

This weekend holds some really fun dance outings as well. On Friday night I'm seeing Cedar Lake perform Glassy Essence and on Sunday I'm hoping to make it to Baryshnikov's photography exhibit at 401 Projects in Chelsea.

Updates to come soon... have a great weekend and happy dancing!

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Ballet, Modern, Enthusiast, Performance, Barnard College, College Dance, Kirov, Youth America Grand Prix (all tags)