Art stands out: Wheeldon, Balanchine and a Justin Peck world premiere

Peter Walker and the Company in Justin Peck's Mystic Familiar

Taylor Stanley and the Company in Justin Peck's Mystic Familiar

Emily Kikta and Naomi Corti in Justin Peck's Mystic Familiar

New York City Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's From You Within Me

Miriam Miller and Daniel Ulbricht in George Balanchine's Variations pour une porte et un soupir

By Carla Escoda, 31 January 2025

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“Wheeldon’s work looked tremendously sophisticated in comparison”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 29 January 2025

From You Within Me (Christopher Wheeldon)

Variations pour une porte et un soupir (George Balanchine)

Mystic Familiar (Justin Peck)

New York City Ballet

Taylor Stanley, Dancer

Tiler Peck, Dancer

Gilbert Bolden III, Dancer

Emily Kikta, Dancer

Naomi Corti, Dancer

Sara Mearns, Dancer

Chun Wai Chan, Dancer

Jovani Furlan, Dancer

Miriam Miller, Dancer

Daniel Ulbricht, Dancer

Contemporary escapism at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 1st May

A longtime NYCB fan favorite, Concerto DSCH by Alexei Ratmansky, meets the New York premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Continuum. But the evening belonged to corps dancer Ruby Lister in Edwaard Liang’s Distant Cries.

****1

Atlanta Ballet shines in a mixed contemporary program

Rebecca Ehrhardt, 3rd April

Atlanta Ballet's Golden Hour program featured two world premieres and the Atlanta premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour.

*****

NYCB: Ratmansky’s The Naked King is not satire, but good fun

Ivy Lin, 7th February

New York City Ballet presents a very entertaining quadruple bill which includes Alexei Ratmansky’s latest work, The Naked King, showing off the company’s comic talents.

****1

The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate is sumptuous but complex

Amanda Jennings, 1st October

The Royal Ballet’s season opener, Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, is visually tremendous, very well danced but the many principal and soloist characters are difficult to keep up with.

****1

Ballet Nights makes an impressive and unforgettable Scottish debut

Kathy Elgin, 4th July

Ballet Nights is more than an evening of party pieces: it showcases emerging talent alongside older favourites and, in the case of this first Scottish outing, has an eye to local tradition.

****1

ABT in Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale: CliffsNotes Shakespeare

Ivy Lin, 2nd July

Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale is a sumptuous looking production but on this occasion, it didn’t come to life emotionally.

***11

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Carla Escoda

Born in the Philippines, Carla trained as a ballet and modern dancer with the Alice Reyes Dance Company in Manila. She has lived and worked in Asia and the U.S. and has written about the arts for Bachtrack, KQED (the northern California public media broadcaster), Dance International, dance journal/hk, the Huffington Post, Dance Europe and ballettothepeople.