Kansas City Ballet in Jewels: ballet for ballet's sake

Kansas City Ballet in George Balanchine's Emeralds

Kansas City Ballet in George Balanchine's Rubies

Kansas City Ballet in George Balanchine's Diamonds

By Hilary Stroh, 11 May 2024

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“there was one moment of such impeccable comic timing at the end of a pose, that the audience laughed”

Reviewed at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City on 10 May 2024

Jewels (George Balanchine)

Kansas City Ballet

Ramona Pansegrau, Conductor

Kansas City Symphony

Kaleena Burks, Dancer

Andrew Vecseri, Dancer

Cameron Thomas, Dancer

Taryn Pachciarz, Dancer

Amaya Rodriguez, Dancer

Paul Zusi, Dancer

Emily Mistretta, Dancer

Angelin Carrant, Dancer

Mira Nadon’s sparkling debut in Firebird with New York City Ballet

Ivy Lin, 25th April

A triple bill comprising Balanchine's Symphony in C, Agon and Firebird could not have been more inspiringly danced by New York City Ballet.

*****

Ballet for cowboys and soldiers at Kansas City Ballet

Hilary Stroh, 20th March

Kansas City Ballet celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary with three American ballets. Balanchine's Stars and Stripes, de Mille's Rodeo and a new work by Caili Quan, A Home Away.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

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Hilary Stroh

Hilary is an independent scholar and academic historian, based in DC. She has a background in violin, piano and ballet. Educated at Dublin and Cambridge, she has recently published her first two books.