New York City Ballet's Spring Season
A Greek Trilogy
"Apollo," "Orpheus," "Agon"
reviewed by Leigh Witchel
Essential Balanchine
“Walpurgisnacht Ballet”, “Liebeslieder Walzer”, “Symphony in Three Movements”
reviewed by Mary Cargill
"Othello"
reviewed by Leigh Witchel
"Symphonie Concertante" and "The Dream"
reviewed by Susan Reiter
London Letter
Enterprise from Tomasson,
A different Swan,
Disappointing Rambert
by John Percival
Invited to a meeting with Helgi Tomasson at a London hotel, of course we hoped he was going to tell us about a London season next year to celebrate 75 years of ballet in San Francisco, but no such luck — although happily he did say that negotiations are in progress for the San Francisco Ballet to play at Sadler's Wells in 2009. It seems that the company's touring in 2008 will take it to four American destinations: Chicago, New York, Orange County and Washington DC. So what Tomasson most wanted was to suggest that we visit SF next April when his New Works Festival will offer ten world premieres in three days. Sounds interesting. READ MORE
San Francisco Letter
San Francisco International Arts Festival
by Rita Felciano
If the rest of this year’s San Francisco International Arts Festival’s other guests brought works as vital and as beautifully performed as the debut presentations by dancers from Africa, the Festival should become a major hit in the years to come. But San Franciscans have yet to find out about it. Audiences at both “Dance En Creations” programs that I attended were sparse; the artists for the most part deserved better. READ MORE
Esperanto for Dummies:
Doug Varone's "Dense Terrain"
by Lisa Rinehart
Doug Varone's "Dense Terrain" maps desolate territory. It's an emotionally vacant piece that could dissuade even a hard core New Yorker from renting that grimy studio apartment they've got their eye on — or, at least, send them to the nearest Starbucks for some cozy conversation. This is surprising given that "Dense Terrain" is, like many of Varone's dances, about connecting, or, trying to connect, and what topic is more emotionally fraught? But amidst of pallet of grunge greys, Varone gets bogged down by arcane ideas and technical silliness unrelated to the movement and drains the life from this slick vivisection of psychosis and frustrated relationships. READ MORE
Christopher Caines Dance Company
by Susan Reiter
Everything about Christopher Caines’ enterprise bespeaks meticulousness and earnestness of purpose. His choreography is deeply intertwined with its musical inspiration, and he selects — and analyzes — his scores carefully and diligently. Unfortunately, a quality of airlessness marked portions of this presentation, an evening of two new works set to Mozart chamber music scores. READ MORE