American Ballet Theatre Review: A Ratmansky Celebration
March 24, 2021 | Digital
As a native New Yorker who as a young dancer idolized American Ballet Theatre and spent many hours at City Center as student and spectator, I eagerly awaited the reuniting of these two iconic cultural institutions.
Albeit from a physical distance much further than even the last row of the balcony, the pre-performance panning of the beautiful Moorish Revival theater mirrored my eyes taking in the vibrant blues and elegant reds of a childhood landmark.
But it is here that my appreciation of the camera ends as the ever-changing angles and lens adjustments throughout the digital performance is at best slightly dizzying and at worst frustrating.
It is not only ABT that has chosen to make these pandemic time offerings more a cinematographic experience rather than a simple filming of dance. But after watching dozens of ballets on my laptop screen this past year, I am still left wondering why this is often the creative preference.
Especially for this Ratmansky Celebration, I arrive at no good reason why a straight on recording would have been a bad choice; none of the pieces, including the premiere of Bernstein in a Bubble, are dance films. They are dance on film – a distinction that has come to the forefront as our industry develops ways to reach a greater and more diverse audience.
The highlight of the evening is watching recently-appointed principal dancer Skylar Brandt.
Reaching this coveted position in fall of 2020 and later gracing Dance Magazine’s cover in February of this year, Brandt certainly must be on a joyous professional high. And it shows.
Her Princess Aurora in the Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty is absolutely lovely. It is wonderful to see a ballerina who knows how to portray the spirit of a teenager without neglecting her strength as a woman. She dances Alexei Ratmansky’s staging with grace, precision, and a face that radiates the energy and freshness of youth.
The two middle pieces of the program – excerpts from Seven Sonatas and The Seasons – are nicely danced but are just that – nice. A bit of a whimsical blip before the anticipated closer.
The title is catchy, as are some moments in the eight-movement ballet, but overall Bernstein in a Bubble feels sparse.
In an interview presented before the piece, Ratmansky says that when envisioning his new work, he wanted to “give [the dancers] something to enjoy”. Perhaps that was his intention, but I remain unconvinced that this sentiment translates to the audience.
Each dressed in a distinct combination of tops and bottoms – the four men in shades of blue and indigo, the three women in pinks and reds – the dancers somewhat stylistically advance through the sections of Bernstein which are loosely inspired by various social dances and musical time signatures.
Each vignette is a more intimate story amid the dynamics of the whole – Aran Bell and Patrick Frenette in a solemn mazurka; Cassandra Trenary and Blaine Hoven in a feisty samba; Brandt, Frenette, and Tyler Maloney in a playful turkey trot; Catherine Hurlin and Bell in a sultry blues.
As touched upon earlier, the method of filming is distracting. Instead of having the liberty to see what I wish to see, I am being persuaded without choice to only ingest what I am given. Perhaps more time and an in-person viewing will make this piece a more fulfilling experience.
ABT Live from City Center: A Ratmansky Celebration is available to watch on demand through Sunday, April 18.
A Ratmansky Celebration Trailer
Featured Photo of Patrick Frenette, Aran Bell, and Skylar Brandt in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty © Christopher Duggan Photography
I’m astonished that Ms. Lee simply dismisses the Seven Sonatas piece as a “whimsical blip” in the program. The speed, the intricacy of the steps, the sudden surprises, the balance of looseness and control, and above all, the musicality of the choreography created a breathtaking interlude. All four dancers, in top form, responded to the moment and the music, and to see Herman Cornejo, even if briefly, was a joy.