SF Ballet opens new season
The program began with the familiar Balanchine "Rubies" set to Stravinsky's music which premiered in 1987 in SF, on my birthday, January 30 with its world premiere in NYC in 1967...lovely, traditional, pairs and groupings in ruby red costume. On point. I didn't wear my ruby; with the diamonds, it has so much sparkle and glitter...anyway, my seat partner, an artist who lives in Berkeley says, 'Why don't they do Diamonds or Sapphires, why always the repetition of "Rubies".
Mark Morris's (always) very unorthodox and unexpected "Drink to me only with thine eyes" (the title comes from an old English song, "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes", the lyrics from a poem in Renasissance playwright Ben Johnson's masque, "The Vision of Delight") was anything but conventional...and lively music was played on the piano upstage while the dancers are downstage. Curiously the pianist is not listed in the program...the composer of the classic 13 piano etudes is Virgil Thomson, but the arrangement is another question mark. Anyway, lovely free flowing...in pink jerseys and pants as though in a rehearsal session. Always a classical vocabulary for Morris, with some quirky twists. It peaks, drifts, softens...clean simple, beautiful. A basic phrase is put in each section and repeats...creating a movement motif, characteristic of Morris's style.
"Fearful Symmetries " (William Blake's poem "The Tyger" provided the title: "What immortal hand or eye, /Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" ) ended the program with brilliant Flavin like staging of lights, white upon black, in this world premiere, choreographed by Liam Scarlett, who came out for the standing ovation. The house was full. It was daring, edgy, and very satisfying and successful in its interpretation of the music. "The pushing of classicism's boundaries is part of Scarlett'e visual aesthetic, but it also comes from Adam' music."
Adams says the music is 'an example of what I call 'my travelling music', music that gives the impression of continuous movement over a shifting landscape." Scarlett said the music has a "feline" quality, taken from the tyger, and the dancers need to move together synergistically like a "pack"... without the women on pointe, but in flat shoes, which adds to "gender-ambiguity"...and grounds the dancing. Scarlett definitely creates in a way that is riskier, more "exposed". When what he calls "an undercurrent, a tone of simmering tension"...I saw it as "edgy", and "hot". He pushes it as far as he can, with the dancers. Frances Chung points out that it is "full body movement" and very physical. Soloist Jennifer Stahal calls the movement "very grounded very athletic and physical...his musicality is phenomenal -- it seems very sensual but natural."
The audience loved the performance, and everyone in a full house provided a standing ovation. As the dancers said it was fun to dance, it was also a joy to watch.
See the SF Ballet website for clips and photos as they become available.
Mark Morris's (always) very unorthodox and unexpected "Drink to me only with thine eyes" (the title comes from an old English song, "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes", the lyrics from a poem in Renasissance playwright Ben Johnson's masque, "The Vision of Delight") was anything but conventional...and lively music was played on the piano upstage while the dancers are downstage. Curiously the pianist is not listed in the program...the composer of the classic 13 piano etudes is Virgil Thomson, but the arrangement is another question mark. Anyway, lovely free flowing...in pink jerseys and pants as though in a rehearsal session. Always a classical vocabulary for Morris, with some quirky twists. It peaks, drifts, softens...clean simple, beautiful. A basic phrase is put in each section and repeats...creating a movement motif, characteristic of Morris's style.
"Fearful Symmetries " (William Blake's poem "The Tyger" provided the title: "What immortal hand or eye, /Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" ) ended the program with brilliant Flavin like staging of lights, white upon black, in this world premiere, choreographed by Liam Scarlett, who came out for the standing ovation. The house was full. It was daring, edgy, and very satisfying and successful in its interpretation of the music. "The pushing of classicism's boundaries is part of Scarlett'e visual aesthetic, but it also comes from Adam' music."
Adams says the music is 'an example of what I call 'my travelling music', music that gives the impression of continuous movement over a shifting landscape." Scarlett said the music has a "feline" quality, taken from the tyger, and the dancers need to move together synergistically like a "pack"... without the women on pointe, but in flat shoes, which adds to "gender-ambiguity"...and grounds the dancing. Scarlett definitely creates in a way that is riskier, more "exposed". When what he calls "an undercurrent, a tone of simmering tension"...I saw it as "edgy", and "hot". He pushes it as far as he can, with the dancers. Frances Chung points out that it is "full body movement" and very physical. Soloist Jennifer Stahal calls the movement "very grounded very athletic and physical...his musicality is phenomenal -- it seems very sensual but natural."
The audience loved the performance, and everyone in a full house provided a standing ovation. As the dancers said it was fun to dance, it was also a joy to watch.
See the SF Ballet website for clips and photos as they become available.
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