• Misty Copeland & James Whiteside in Bach Partita.  Photo: Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
    Misty Copeland & James Whiteside in Bach Partita. Photo: Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
  • James Whiteside, Luciana Paris, Cory Stearns, Isabella Boylston & Daniil Simkin in Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free.  Photo: Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
    James Whiteside, Luciana Paris, Cory Stearns, Isabella Boylston & Daniil Simkin in Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free. Photo: Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
  • Stella Abrera & Calvin Royal III in Alexei Ratmansky's Seven Sonatas.   Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
    Stella Abrera & Calvin Royal III in Alexei Ratmansky's Seven Sonatas. Darren Thomas, Photo Co.
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American Ballet Theatre: “Three Masterpieces” -
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, 5 September -

“Three Masterpieces” is a program of works that was compiled by American Ballet Theatre (ABT) for this season to show both the versatility and the depth of talent in the company. The program also showcases three choreographers who have featured prominently in the evolution of the company, the most recent being Alexei Ratmansky.

His Seven Sonatas, which premiered in 2009, was the middle work of this program. An expressive interpretation of the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, played live by Barbara Bilach on a grand piano upstage right, it is a work for three couples dressed in white.

Following a rather reflective first movement, where the couples move in and out of unison, is a series of solos and pas de deux, each reflecting the finesse and detail of the different sonatas, thereby creating different moods.

Stella Abrera and Calvin Royal III were mesmerising in a heartfelt duet. The repeated motif of a posé en pointe as Abrera reached out with one hand only to be held back by Royal III, spoke of a yearning. In contrast, Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo performed a brighter, quite flirtatious pas de deux of fast jumps and turns.

It was a delightful work; beautifully crafted and immaculately performed with wonderful spontaneity and expressiveness. Joseph Gorak, who partnered Christine Shevchenko, especially stood out for his beautifully shaped long legs, clean line, most breathtaking port de bras and noble carriage of the upper body.

Twyla Tharp’s Bach Partita opened the program. Created on the ABT in 1983, it was not performed again until its revival in 2012. It is a large work set to Bach’s Partita No. 2 for solo violin, brilliantly played here by Charles Yang.

Again this is a choreographic interpretation of the music, in which Tharp pays homage to the classical idiom, creating movement that is almost a visual reflection of the score.

Multiple changes of direction with great focus on the off balance, posé turns, chaînes on bent knees and the occasional flexed foot feature as part of the - at times - relentless construct, which seems to follow the contemporary in its reluctance to repeat or hold solid shapes or lines. This sometimes makes the movement difficult to visually absorb.

The dancers, however, were impeccable; the women’s rather 80s styled short tunics and men’s shorts showing the toned muscularity of their bare legs.

Misty Copeland’s finely sculpted precision contrasted with the serenity of Abrera’s performance, while Gillian Murphy danced with class and panache. Together with Marcelo Gomes she had fun with the difficult movement, spinning and balancing with ease. A series of male solos for Gomes, Royal III and James Whiteside were also quite luscious, showing wonderful breadth of movement and elevation.

The final work was the oldest here in the company’s repertoire, Fancy Free, choreographed for ABT by Jerome Robbins to the music of Leonard Bernstein, and premiering in 1944. It has a slight premise – three sailors on shore leave in New York City looking to have a good time – but in a perfect marriage of movement to music, and performances that speak more of Broadway than ballet, the work sizzles.

Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns and James Whiteside were the three sailors, from the short to the tall, who maintained great energy and the cheeky characterisations throughout. The two passers-by who attract and then reject their attention, Luciana Paris and Isabella Boylston, were in turn sweet and sassy, both lusciously long-limbed.

The dance highlights of the work are the three solos where each sailor competes for the attention of one of the two women. They were all performed with wit and impeccable technique, however, Cory Stearns was over the top with his sassy hip thrusting struts, smart turns, and crisp finishes that drew much laughter and applause.

The music is recognisably Bernstein – wonderful – making Fancy Free a memorable end to the evening.

– DENISE RICHARDSON






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