NYCB: Orpheus – once hot, now on life support

Adrian Danchig-Waring as Orpheus and Brittany Pollack as Eurydice in Balanchine's Orpheus

Unity Phelan in George Balanchine's Serenade

Meagan Fairchild in George Balanchine's Theme and Variations

By Ivy Lin, 14 October 2023

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“Today, the work looks like a curiosity.”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 12 October 2023

Serenade (George Balanchine)

Orpheus (George Balanchine)

Theme and Variations (George Balanchine)

New York City Ballet

Isamu Noguchi, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Barbara Karinska, Costume Designer

Mark Stanley, Lighting Designer

David Hays, Lighting Designer

Adrian Danchig-Waring, Dancer

Brittany Pollack, Dancer

Megan LeCrone, Dancer

Davide Riccardo, Dancer

Emilie Gerrity, Dancer

Unity Phelan, Dancer

Tiler Peck, Dancer

Megan Fairchild, Dancer

Joseph Gordon, Dancer

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

Study in Scarlet: Rubies crown Balanchine’s Jewels in Vienna

Mark Pullinger, 8th February

With a trio of excellent performances, Balanchine's sassy Rubies proves the hit as Jewels – a relatively recent acquisition – returns to the Wiener Staatsballett.

****1

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Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin's love of ballet began in high school when at the school dance she quickly realized she had two left feet. One always admires things one cannot do, and so Ivy began to attend dance performances to marvel at the grace and beauty of bodies in motion. Ivy's day job is a biology teacher and after a long day in the classroom she loves to unwind by watching dance. She also enjoys theater, opera, pop and classical music. Ivy has her own blog (www.humbledandoverwhelmed,blogspot.com)