I elected to see this show, billed as the Fall Family Matinee, because it paired the young apprentices and members of the ABT Studio Company with the dancers of American Ballet Theatre. The Studio Company puts on its own shows and they are generally of very high caliber but there’s something to be gained from seeing both groups in the same performance. You get to see a sampling of what the future holds and compare it to the current roster. This show was put together to appeal to families with kids and there were plenty of them in the house. The intermission was set up as sort of a balletic Halloween for kids. Most of the children were in dance costumes and the mezzanine was set up with stations where they could meet the dancers, have photos taken, buy the usual merchandise and even, believe it or not, visit the Shoe Petting Zoo. Who knew that children were subject to shoe fetishes? The meet and greet was a hit and less chaotic than might have been expected given how many children were involved.

The Studio Company and the apprentices opened with Lauren Lovette’s Le Jeune, set to music by Eric Whitacre. It is an attractive but not memorable piece of choreography. Mainly, it serves as a reminder that ballet is and always has been about beauty. The dancers were all very well trained and gorgeous. The JKO school’s curriculum is producing great dancers with a unified sense of style. In previous years I’ve seen bona fide future stars such as Zimmi Coker, now a notable member of the corps de ballet, in the junior company’s shows but there was no dancer of quite that level here. The two most impressive youngsters were Léa Fleytoux and Melvin Lawovi. Fleytoux, an apprentice, was lyrical and moved with very nice clarity. She should have a solid professional career. Lawovi is more of a wild card, and potentially has a stronger upside. Notably, he is not a flashy dancer. His jumps aren’t that high and he’s not a strong turner – something that is de rigeur in today’s major dance companies. On the other hand, he moves with a soft beauty that is reminiscent of David Hallberg. His legs are long and mesmerizing. It will be interesting to see what happens with him over the next couple of years.


ABT’s short fall season at Lincoln Center is at an end and I’m sorry that I didn’t get to see more shows.