Staying inside the air-conditioned house on a hot October afternoon and watching the superb Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performance of George Balanchine’s timeless “Allegro Brillante” and Alexi Ratmansky’s poignant “Wartime Elegy,” is as cool as it gets. This performance streaming from October 6th through the 10th, along with Kent Stowell’s “Carmina Burana” (not reviewed here) is a great way to see classical ballet at its best.
“Allegro Brillante” is set to Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky’s, Piano Concerto #3, published in 1894. Brought to vibrant life by Balanchine’s choreography, first performed in 1956, this is a joyous triumph for PNB and a perfect opener to the concert. Balanchine stated, “Allegro Brillante contains everything I knew about classical ballet.” And indeed it is chock full of his beautiful repertory.
Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Jonathan Batista and Angelica Generosa in Allegro Brillante, choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust – Photo © Angela Sterling
The PNB Company of eight Corp de Ballet members and two leads are impeccable in their execution of this classic work. Frothy, light and beautifully constructed, Balanchine hits every note of Tchaikovsky’s effervescent score and perfectly captures the joy within. Principal dancer, Angelica Generosa, an adorable nymph commands the stage, with her fast articulate feet, clean lines and playful persona. While newly minted principal dancer, Jonathan Batista, is an attentive partner and a focused and accomplished, if slightly tentative, dancer. I expect that with time he will relax and become a dancer of singular presence.
Dancing with disciplined abandon, the Corp de Ballet is clearly enjoying every moment of this lovely pastiche and in turn, so are we. These delightful dancers are, Amanda Morgan, Juliet Prine, Clara Ruf Maldonado, Leah Terada, Ryan Cardea, Christopher D’Ariano, Connor Horton and Christian Poppe.
Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in the world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s “Wartime Elegy” – Photo © Angela Sterling
Alexi Ratmansky is considered one of the most influential and important choreographers of his generation. He is Artist-In-Residence with American Ballet Theater and a much sought after creator of ballets worldwide. He was born in Moscow but raised in Ukraine where his family still resides. He is a vocal opponent of Putin’s invasion and war on Ukraine and has raised his voice by creating “Wartime Elegy,” which was premiered by PNB on September 23rd. Using the music of prominent Ukrainian contemporary composer, Valentin Silvestrov and Ukrainian Village Music, Ratmansky is sending a subtle yet potent message.
A tableau of prostrate dancers under a stormy sky sets the scene for this lament. Dressed in black each dancer must rely on the other to complete their movement, much as the people of Ukraine must rely on one another to survive. Ratmansky is delicately sensitive to the music so that the movement and the score fuse together as if one could not live without the other. Primarily using his extensive ballet vocabulary Ratmansky has wisely added a contemporary edge to his work that lifts it beyond the ordinary. This opening section is as beautiful as it is moving.
(L-R) Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Angelica Generosa, Elizabeth Murphy, and Cecilia Iliesiu in the world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s “Wartime Elegy” – Photo © Angela Sterling
Matvei Vaisberg’s illustrations are seen at the beginning and end (the “revengeful angel”) of the ballet, and it is the colorful/cheerful folk art works by Maria Prymachenko that are seen in the middle section. It is with the aide of the shifting of paintings that we know this is the setting for an ode to Ukrainian traditional dance. The men now in peasant wear, dance and cavort with drunken fun, executing one impressive trick after another in a jovial competition. The women, also dressed in peasant attire with crowns of flowers in their hair, equal the men in stunning jumps and turns all done with folkloric flair. This two part segment is exciting and lots of fun to watch, but it left me questioning its intent and took me out of the moody elegy in a way that may not have been intended.
Smartly, Ratmansky segues back to the compelling darkness of the opening theme. Looming in the background is a triumphant or perhaps revengeful angel. Again we are steeped in the gorgeous music of Silvestrov and Ratmansky’s luminous choreography. The deliberateness of the movement, the masterful staging, the allegiance to the music and the extraordinary dancers bring home the anti-war message. In the powerful final moments, a single female dancer is led to center stage where she strikes a perfect arabesque as the remaining Corp drops to the floor and the lights go dark. The survival of the Ukrainian people is what is at stake and Ratmansky has honored them with this stunning work.
The beautifully precise dancers are, Madison Rayn Abeo, Angelica Generosa, Cecilia IIiesiu, Elizabeth Murphy, Luther DeMyer, Lucien Postlewaite, James Kirby Rogers, Kuu Sakuragi.
PNB is everything one could hope for in a ballet company and they carry their own PNB Orchestra who, to my ears, were flawless. If you have an opportunity to view PNB’s work, live or streaming, take it. You will be glad you did. Access is $35 and available through October 10, 2022.
Additional Credits “Allegro Brilliante;”
Staging by Peter Boal
Costume Design by Barbara Karinska,
Lighting Design by Reed Nakayama
Orchestra Conductor, Josh Archibald-Seiffer
Solo Pianist, Christina Siemens
Additional Credits “Wartime Elegy;”
Costume Design by Moritz Junge
Scenic Design & Projections by Wendell K. Harrington
Lighting Design by Reed Nakayama
Orchestra Conductor, Emil de Cou
Solo Pianist, Christina Siemens
To learn more about Pacific Northwest Ballet and to purchase tickets, please visit their website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Jonathan Batista (center) with company dancers in “Allegro Brillante”, choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust – Photo © Angela Sterling
