ABT II On Tour November 9, 2008
ABT II breezed into the Mondavi Center on Friday night, bringing a refreshing breath of youthful exuberance with it. ABT II is the training program for the world famous American Ballet Theatre, with its pick of the most promising ballet dancers in the world. It’s a great look into the future of ballet and its upcoming stars, with everyone between the ages of 16-20. A well rounded program was offered, showcasing both the strengths of the small company as well as showing the world how they can handle difficult (and diverse) repertory. The small company took huge risks as they can afford to with its talented roster, but as with all risks, some worked better than others.
The biggest success of the night was Jerome Robbins’ Interplay capitalizing on the company’s youth, with its whimsical concept of kids at play. Dressed in bright primary colors suggesting youth from the very beginning, a boy waves to another. A sense of playfulness pervades as the dancers constantly relate to each other, with boys playing leapfrog and other childhood games, with lightning quick moves and offbeat surprises. A competitive spirit adds to the fun, as Joseph Gorak shows off his langorous lines, an arresting stage presence, and a level of artistry seen more in more experienced dancers. A collaborative group chemistry completes this fun romp to perfection.
The rest of the program worked on many different levels, but a part of my problem is that I unrealistically expected it to be a mini-ABT. Their infectious energy withstanding, the performance was still riddled with tenuous turns, a few nail-biting slip ups, and a whirlwind of difficult technical steps without shape or direction. This however undoubtedly will be ironed out with performing experience and the passage of time. Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante was a courageously daring endeavor; its difficulty and the effort it required was unfortunately visible as steps were whipped out at breakneck speeds with the transparent intent of getting them over with, instead of responding organically to the music. Despite the piece’s technical difficulties, the soloist Sae-Eun Park was a long-legged wonder, with a lightness and a pleasing airiness in her dancing, with Jose Sebastian was her noble partner. The Swan Lake Act II pas de deux and the Don Quixote pas de deux followed in the second half of the program, with a very sassy performance by Meaghan Hinkis in Don Quixote. Petipa’s Carnival of Venice closed the program showcasing the ability of this group to tackle classical repertory, which brought the evening to a celebratory end.
This group offers great hope for the future of ballet, with flashes of brilliant artistry peeking through already at such a young age. It was a great way to experience a top notch ballet company outside of their home state of New York. And Helgi, can we bring Joseph Gorak home for Christmas?? That would be wonderful. Newly hired Isaac Hernández joined San Francisco Ballet recently from ABT II.
Hm, this picture doesn’t look like ABT II but it’s listed that way. Pretty pose, no?
ABT II continues their tour. Click here for their website.
Great review, and lovely picture! It’s too bad they didn’t execute everything perfectly, but, like you said, it is the company of the up-and-comers. I do wonder though if it’s better to tackle difficult choreography and do less than perfectly with it, or just perform more basics and do very well. You don’t want the audience to get bored, but you don’t want them to see too many foibles either. I guess as long as they make it clear it’s the studio company, it’s okay. Anyway, I look forward to seeing some of these dancers you mention in the future.
Hi Tonya, it’s a really interesting question. ABT II is undoubtedly one of the top training companies in the world, so I could see how tempting it is to let them do the hardest repertory in ballet more as a message to the world on how great they are. On the other hand, it’s a huge risk because if it’s not pristine, these pieces are as transparent as glass, showing each mistake. I think the best course would be to treat it not as one of the best training companies in the world, but to treat ABT II like a real ballet company, where they choose repertory that showcases the company’s strengths, which they did with Robbins’ Interplay.
I also liked the fact that they danced a broad range of repertory, and look to be incorporating new work into their repertoire as well.