In 1944, Jerome Robbins premiered his first-ever ballet, Fancy Free. It was an immediate hit and has never been out of the repertory for long. In 1997, Robbins choreographed his last ballet, Brandenburg. That ballet has only been fitfully part of the New York City Ballet rotation. It was last revived 15 years ago.
Last night, audiences got to see the very first and very last Robbins' ballets in one program. It’s remarkable how Robbins resorted to the same stage tricks in both ballets, yet never seemed derivative. The jolly cartwheels of the sailors in Fancy Free are echoed by the cartwheels of the merry, peasant-inflected corps of Brandenburg. The women of Robbins are never the remote goddesses of Balanchine’s works. They are silly, they are sexy, they are always human. You see it in Fancy Free and you see it in Brandenburg. The mix of formal classical ballet steps, folk dance and ballroom dance are also in both works. Robbins' career was long and varied, but his works were always recognizably “Jerry”.
Brandenburg was the raison d’etre of the evening. Is it the greatest Robbins? No, but it’s still delightful. In the first section, a corps of sixteen weaved in and out in patterns that resembled folk dance. Holly Hynes’ colorful costumes look like the villagers in Giselle, with shorter skirts. In the pas de deux, Anthony Huxley and Indiana Woodward were sharp and zippy, but this is probably the least compelling section of the ballet.
Mira Nadon and Aarón Sanz were dark, mysterious and elusive in the ballet’s contemplative middle section. Nadon is always compelling. The gorgeous arc and reach of her arabesque and the creamy, lush épaulement set her apart from the rest of the company. Sanz partnered her beautifully. This pas de deux is full of near-connections, but it’s all ephemeral. In the end, the two exit at opposite ends of the stage. This section is the shade in an otherwise sunny ballet.
The last section is the best. It is a merry dance of four corps de ballet couples, who seem to be doing a dance-off. Domenika Afanasenkov and Davide Riccardo were simply adorable in the short pas de deux. The only other dance work which contains such a joyful sense of community is Paul Taylor’s Esplanade. This is a ballet that deserves to be seen and I hope it will not take another fifteen years to see it.
Fancy Free received the sort of blithe, pleasing performance that was easy calories. Roman Mejia, Joseph Gordon and Andrew Veyette were perfectly fine sailors, funny and charming. Veyette in particular is in a sort of Indian summer of his career. The effort and slowness that marked his dancing in recent years has given way to a newfound freedom of movement. The women made a strong impression. Mary Thomas MacKinnon came across as strong and no-nonsense, and therefore the business of the sailors snatching her purse did not seem predatory. She brushed them off like they were flies to be swatted away. Alexa Maxwell also exuded a kind of sultry strength. But this ballet has become overfamiliar. The audience laughs at the exact same places every time.
Agon was an odd sandwich ballet. Balanchine’s severe, mathematical masterpiece didn’t fit into the “Jerry’s Journey” arc of the evening. Agon was well-cast and well-danced. Unity Phelan and Adrian Danchig-Waringin the central pas de deux were severe, impersonal, angular. They did not generate the heat of some other Agon couples I’ve seen, but it was excellent dancing. But the best performance belonged to Taylor Stanley in the first pas de trois. Stanley has a very unique, fluid way of moving. He danced the music, instead of on the note. Emilie Gerrity reprised her very fine performance in the second pas de trois.
Audience response for all three ballets was extremely enthusiastic. From 1944 to 1997, Jerry knew how to please audiences.
