NYCB Jewels Review
June 4 & 9, 2024 | The Kennedy Center – Washington, D.C., USA
New York City Ballet brought its perennial classic – George Balanchine’s Jewels – for a seven-performance run at the Kennedy Center Opera House in June. This incandescent ballet has been a staple of the company’s repertory since 1967.
More than 55 years after its premiere, Jewels still shines and sparkles in all its splendor, wowing audiences with its ingenious concept, musicality and artistry.
Jewels was the first abstract full-length ballet, its idea suggested to Balanchine by Claude Arpels of the jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels. All three parts of the ballet are unified and connected by a theme of gemstones.
At the same time, all three parts – “Emeralds”, “Rubies” and “Diamonds” – contrast each other in style, tempo, atmosphere and choreographic vocabulary, each section shaped by Balanchine’s musical choices.
“Jewels was a walk through the musical geography of Balanchine’s life, beginning in France, moving to Stravinsky’s America, and culminating in a nostalgic rendition of a Russian imperial ball,” Jennifer Homan wrote in her biography Mr. B.
This ballet was meant to be a star vehicle for Balanchine’s most prominent and gifted dancers, including Mimi Paul, Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, Patricia Neary, Suzanne Farrell and Jacques d’Amboise.
“It gave many dancers roles that made them glitter as never before; and it contained choreography of dizzying variance, wicked wit, and shattering poignancy,” wrote Farrell, who originated the principal role in "Diamonds".
NYCB Jewels Review
The current roster of New York City Ballet brims with talent. It was a pleasure to see two different casts in the famous roles of this beloved masterpiece.
In the opening night cast, in her leading role in “Emeralds”, Indiana Woodward was a picture of dreamy serenity and tenderness, dancing onstage – as if flowing – with exquisite refinement and plasticity.
The choreography of “Emeralds”, set to the pensive melodies of French composer Gabriel Fauré, is both measured and meditative, with imagery invoking a romantic fairytale that unfolds in an enchanting green meadow.
The dancers walk, glide, skim, whirl, and float about the stage, creating a fascinating world of rapt serenity and enchantment. With her inspired dancing, Woodward brought to her role a great deal of elegance and ardor, her fluid arm movements conjuring a magical world of its own.
Baily Jones, KJ Takahashi and Alexa Maxwell excelled in the pas de trois, dancing with a wonderful brio.
In the red-hot “Rubies”, Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley breezed through the pas de deux with uninhibited ardor and dynamism.
This second part of Jewels brings a jarring contrast to the unhurried “Emeralds”, sending the dancers on a vigorous chase. Fairchild was particularly effective in her role, imbuing her gestures with amusing mischief and playfulness.
“Rubies” is a pure Stravinsky-Balanchine ballet in which the classical idiom is completely revamped: bended, stretched to the extremes and thrown off-balance. Here Balanchine brilliantly captures the lighthearted wit and high-octane energy of Stravinsky music (Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra), creating a kaleidoscope of tantalizing movements: humorous, athletic and visually spellbinding at the same time.
Yet on opening night, the most remarkable performance in "Rubies" came from Mira Nadon, a relatively new principal of NYCB (she was promoted to the highest rank of the company in February 2023.)
Nadon in the central ballerina role was nothing short of a revelation; her interpretation of the role was equally thrilling, exciting, and fresh. With her unique way of moving through space and her beautiful lines, Nadon captivated the audience at every turn. She was a sight to behold as she kicked and sliced the air with her gorgeous long legs, channeling in her dancing a boisterous showgirl.
In “Diamonds” – a pure classical part of Jewels inspired by Tchaikovsky (selected movements from Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 29.) – Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan danced with a stately composure and expressivity.
This final section of Jewels is Balanchine’s tribute to his dancing heritage and grand traditions of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg.The impressive corps de ballet helped to conjure a sense of royal grandeur in the ballet’s spectacular finale.
The cast of Saturday matinee’s program delivered several notable performances as well.
Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia brought loads of energy and glee into their vigorous duet (originated by Patricia McBride and Edward Villela) in “Rubies”.
This part seemed like a perfect fit for Peck’s vibrant and sunny personality. Quick and nimble, she was completely at ease while conquering the choreography’s most challenging athletic hurdles; her sense of sheer abandon and glee was simply infectious.
Mejia proved a good matched to Peck’s exuberant disposition. He danced with technical assurance and aplomb, aptly capturing in his dancing the choreography’s galloping rhythm as well as its vaudevillian humor.
I also admired the rendition of the principal roles in “Diamonds” by Unity Phelan and Joseph Gordon. In her dancing, Phelan was fragile and tender, giving her interpretation an appealing romantic fervor. Their duet hinted at a poignant love story, with images of Swan Lake conjuring before our eyes.
The moment when Gordon dropped to his knee to kiss his ballerina’s hand felt particularly poignant – a cavalier’s worship of his ideal woman – the image that constantly permeates Balanchine’s work.
Featured Photo for this NYCB Jewels review of Mira Nadon and dancers of New York City Ballet in the “Rubies” section of George Balanchine’s Jewels. Photo by Erin Baiano .
