Alexa Maxwell's Novice leads an excellent All Stravinsky program

There are certain performances that reach such a level of excellence that you think, “Should I see this ballet with anyone else?” I felt this when I saw Ulyana Lopatkina’s Odette/Odile, Vladimir Shklyarov’s Solor, Alina Cojocaru’s Giselle … Well, I can add to that list Alexa Maxwell’s Novice in The Cage. 

Jerome Robbins’ The Cage is a 15-minute tawdry shocker, and it can be surprisingly hard to cast the Novice. I’ve seen some great ballerinas crash and burn in the role. It is hard for ballerinas who are taught to make their movements smooth to nail the strange torso contortions that seem to mimic an insect molting. 

Alexa Maxwell, however, magnified every moment, so you saw the entire ballet anew. She is one of the company’s most compelling dancers. She is tiny and intense and a riveting stage actress. There is such tension in her body. She practically coils with a feral viciousness. Her legs had the awkward gait of someone just out of the cocoon, but her arms twist and her fists ball with terrifying glee. She actually kicks her victims. No stylized air kicks for her. If there’s a dancer she resembles, it is Cassandra Trenary of American Ballet Theatre, another dancer where the dance always serves the character and drama. Maxwell deserved her solo bow at the end.

Maxwell’s duet with the hapless Chun Wai Chan was exquisite. You knew their love was doomed, but the ending was still shocking. Emily Kikta as the Queen was a great foil for Maxwell. Fantastic performance.

The program started off with Danses Concertantes. I usually think of this as third-drawer Balanchine. The main interest is the colorful commedia dell’arte Eugene Berman sets and costumes. But there was a special sentimentality in watching last night’s performance. Nine years ago, at the annual SAB workshop, a remarkable young dancer named Emma Von Enck made a great impression in the “yellow duet” and I also remember seeing Christina Clark in the purple trio. So many years later, here is Emma (now a principal) making her debut in the company, and Christina Clark is also still in the purple trio.

Von Enck is perfect for this ballet. She has wit and style, very much like Alexandra Danilova (the role’s originator). David Gabriel partnered her perfectly. Their pas de deux was a cheeky parody of the Diamonds pas de deux, down to the kiss of the hand at the very end. Gabriel is an exciting virtuoso, with spacious jumps and incredible hang-time. The two of them made this ballet seem more substantial than it usually is.

Robbins’ Concertino is another ballet that was elevated by the performance. It’s brief and a bit generic, like Robbins cosplaying Balanchine’s Black and White ballets. It is jazzy and fun with the right dancers. Emilie Gerrity, Jovani Furlan and Jules Mabie were a nice trio. Furlan is making a welcome return to the stage after a long injury.

Stravinsky Violin Concerto closed the program. The Aria II duet is one of Ashley Laracey’s best roles. She is fragile, kittenish, and lyrical. Her and Joseph Gordon gave one of the best accounts of this aria in recent memory. Aria I was not as impressive. Sara Mearns was unusually subdued and did not match well with Aaron Sanz. As a result, the push-pull tension of Aria I was diluted.

The whole evening had an excellence across four ballets that is a rare occasion. And it had a sui generis portrayal in Alexa Maxwell’s Novice. I would highly recommend seeing this program if you have the chance.