Balanchine Gala: Serenade/ Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux/ Concerto Barocco/ Episodes. NdB - Národní divadlo Brno, May 5th, 2023

May 10

May 10 Balanchine Gala: Serenade/ Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux/ Concerto Barocco/ Episodes. NdB - Národní divadlo Brno, May 5th, 2023

Sometimes I leave a performance with the thankful feeling that I wrote down so many notes to my notebook because there is so much to say (and/or criticize) or emphasize - and I do not want to forget any of the details. I needn't have worried about that in concern to last evening's performance at NDB.

I nearly made no notes.

They were not necessary.

The impact on the audience (and on this critic) spoke for its own – for it was a performance as near to perfection as I have not seen in the last three years.

And I must tell you: This felt good, for a change.

I am very picky, specially when it comes to Balanchine. I still recall the times when ABT dancers, just „across the street" from NYCB would not even “dare to think” of dancing the repertoire of Balanchine’s (and Robbins’) “home”. I remember when Gelsey Kirkland „crossed the street" the other way, from NYCB to ABT and had, first, a hard time adapting to another „language". One she had not been not brought up to „speak" during her (many) years with Mr. B. That is, so to say, “the other side of the medal”.

I fully understand the worries of „The George Balanchine Trust", since the Ballet Seasons have been so extremely reduced in New York. It is also an economic issue. The Trust has not only to maintain Mr. B.’s work in present times “going” but has also to have enough financial capital to keep the Trust itself going. Quite a few jobs are involved in that. That is why so many companies, which are not suited at all to dance this work are being „coached" to do so. Sometimes with disastrous results.

But once more I’ll repeat my favourite sentence today that describes perfectly well my relation to this particular Gala: I needn't have worried about that.

Presently, NdB (Národní divadlo Brno) is in such good shape, as it hasn't ever been before. Thanks to Mário Radačovský brilliant era of direction, the company has been brought not only to a very high technical but also artistic level which is a joy to observe.

Unlike many other directors, Mr. Radačovský has the „nose" to find the right (and extremely good) dancers (on next day after the performance I went to watch just for a short while the company’s class for I need to “know” this company better. I stayed for the whole 1 ½ hours. I need not say why, do I?).

But not only the right dancers, he knows also how to surround himself with the right team. I will not recite all their names, functions, and talents here, otherwise, this oration would be nearly as long as yesterday's performance but just say „Bravo" to them and to the wonderful work they are doing. It is sad how we all sometimes forget the teams backstage… Those people who are extremely responsible for the result that we can see on stage. From seamstresses to stagehands, from Ballet Masters to pianists, from lightning to inspectors... and the list goes on and on.

What fascinates me strongly at NdB (and especially last night) is the artistry and care with which „casting" is made. „Casting", is sometimes so strongly neglected in certain companies.

Also, the homogeneous body types (not only by the girls but also by the boys), which is a big issue that I will not go into, otherwise the „radical politically correct" will crucify me as I still have my formed ideas of how dancers should look like. The fact is that the paying audience wishes to SEE Harmony in that department.

And not to be forgotten: The flexibility (meaning versatility) of the artists on stage. Today dancing the main role, tomorrow in the background... I like that. Team work. The sense of cooperation is much stronger when one does not „stick" to titles (even if they exist). Soloist Thoriso Magongwa, a few weeks ago the second lead of „Beethoven", this time humbly in the background, being part of one of the couples in „Episodes". This is what a repertoire should do, incredibly allowing its performers to learn even more of the pieces. Changing roles, which I consider extremely important as it gives all performers a better understanding and creates empathy within the performers/roles/characters. Chapeau.

As the curtains opened for „Serenade", surely my all-time favourite Balanchine choreography, the audience was brought to that magical, unique musical phrasing that is a trademark. Many have tried to do that, never achieving Mr. B.'s perfection.

„Serenade" gives us the feeling of looking at pictures. Great pictures. When five girls, hand in hand, go into a Gran Ècart and then proceed, generated by the central dancer (in this case lovely Taela Paltridge), to interlock to each other, first the two ones on the left and then the two ones on the right, are what I call „My Botticelli's FIVE Graces" (There are only three in “Primavera”). This is surely a beautiful moment but „Serenade" is filled with such moments anyways. Yes, Mr. B. At his very best.

The company, in fully „stylish command" of the arms – which I, personally consider, more than anything Balanchine's real trademark (much more than the cliché about “lines and legs” – is more than prepared to make justice to this genius's work. The required precision, combined with that (for me) nearly inexplicable dynamic (physically and musically), is there. Exact. Precise. Natural.

One is nearly obligated to mention Diana White's and Nanette Glushak's wonderful work (staging/coaching): Having the great pleasure of meeting Miss White at the Première Party and talking about the evening, it was good to hear from her how statically happy she is with the company, its level of technicality, its stamina, and its professionalism.

Momona Sakakibara, Se Hyun An, and very elegant Alejandro Moya „supported" the main couple with grace and delicacy. Each Dancer a personality in their own right, melted into a harmonic „ensemble" that carried this most sensitive of pieces beautifully. Togetherness.

Robert Hyland (who, by the way, had the difficult task of being in extensive parts in three of the four presented ballets) showed his proficiency and beautiful presence on stage (There is still a little work, very little, to be done with his head. He tends to add, but just in this piece, some “bird-like” movements to his neckline that are irrelevant to the piece). A very young dancer from Vienna from whom, I am sure, we will hear a lot in the future.

Beautiful Klaudia Radačovska gave life to one of the most delicate, fragile parts ever in the Balanchine repertoire. I always referred to this role as „Mr. B's variation of Giselle". The nearly spiritual treatment, in the end, overcomes all the (physical) difficulty of the last scene. Fascinating. Strenuous. Effectively touching.

Expectations were very high when, after the first intermission, the time came for „Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux". I simply did not open my notebook and then „leaned down, put my feet up, and relaxed to enjoy". Marvelous dancers such as Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov (Royal Ballet) are what I call „a notch above".

You do not have to worry about anything when dancers like this are on stage: Just about not missing a single thousandth of a second of anything they do.

I was right.

This gorgeous couple gave us such a beautiful, brilliant, vibrating performance as I haven't experienced in years. International Stars of the First Magnitude. I need say no more.

I had seen this particular piece a very long time ago with Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins – even if so many years have passed, I still remember it well (For, to be quite honest, I never liked Miss Farrell's arms) and I do not remember being as excited and touched and delighted as I was this time. Nearly at the end, there is a little change in the steps that lead to the lifts (in which she nearly touches the floor with her face). That I did not know, it is quite new for me. I have to research on that.

I am truly happy to have seen this „miracle". Yes, one of those moments in which everything „melts" together. The music, the lights, the static audience, the choreography, the costumes, the performers... Magic. Pure magic.

„Concerto Barocco" - I know that opinions diverge quite a bit about this piece. Many of the „not everyday Ballet goers" do not like it because of Bach's music (?), which they consider unsuitable for ballet work. But WHY? Balanchine „talked once about this" as he spoke of the choreographer and his motivations:

"If the dance designer sees in the development of classical dancing a counterpart in the development of music and has studied them both, he will derive continual inspiration from great scores."

I can add no more.

Beautiful Eriko Wakizono and Chanell Cabrera (in a role danced at the New York City Ballet in the late 50s 60s and 70s by my dear Friend Carol Sumner), and „Danseur Noble" Robert Hyland gave sincere, technically precise, projected performances. Yes, there was projection up to the last row of the Janáček Theatre.

The eight dancers of the „Corps"; Barbara Andrade, Sarah Dadonova, Klaudie Lakomá, Isabella Poli, Kamila Sizinceva, Antoneta Turk, Petra Večeřova, and Anna Yeh, deserve to be mentioned. And highly praised. They are not the violin solos but the essence, the WHOLE of Bach's music. And they have played it more than beautifully.

„Episodes" is one of some of Balanchine's works that are „dated". In this period, he made the mistake of taking a shortcut in his own „Yellow Brick road". This happened, more or less at the same time as totally contemporary/modern choreographers such as Merce Cunningham (whose work nowadays is more than dated) were reaching the highest point of their careers. He choreographed “Episodes” with Martha Graham. Her pieces seem but to be no more existent. They seem to have been lost.

Perhaps, in a weak moment, he made some concessions, Perhaps because of sponsors', and investors' pressure, and tried to be more in harmony with these modern “trends”. To "adjust". He should not have sold his soul.

It took a while but he returned to the main „Yellow Brick Road" and reached „OZ" at last. There were still so many Masterpieces to be done in the 60s and 70s.

Eriko Wakizono and Adrian Sánchez in full command of their performance gave a beautiful reading of this difficult piece. In this particular case, because the music does not really help, one can read a choreography but the difficulty is to add your own „touch" to it. And they did. From the inside.

Once more, talented Robert Hyland, with Se Hyun An, shone for the audience.

Marco Ivanovic and the Orchestra are not to be forgotten for their incredible “rendition” of von Webern, Bach and Tchaikovsky. Pin-pointed and sensitive to the last note.

All in all, an evening to remember. It bordered perfection. There is not much more to say because there was really nothing to criticize. I just want to strongly recommend this programme and give it the highest praise I have given in a long, long time to a show.

Ricardo Leitner

May 6th, 2023

Note: It is incredibly interesting to observe how some Houses in Central Europe have developed within the last few years. Extremely good „Reputations" used to lay somewhere else, geographically. Not exactly in Brno, Bratislava, Budapest which are doing so well now.

Interesting to observe these „movements". This, in itself, is the best Dance I can expect. This movement, this shifting.