Standing (and Dancing) Strong at New York City Ballet
The New York Times If New York City Ballets spring season could be bottled into a fragrance, it would be fresh and green, with the earthy, sweet scent of a breeze after a bout of rain. How did we get here? The company, seemingly all of a sudden, looks so strong, and more important, so light. The high fives passed from one dancer to the next as they crossed the stage in Alexei Ratmanskys Namouna seemed more funny, more victorious and more true than ever.
As a new generation of dancers at City Ballet finds its way, theres not only more individualism, but more cohesion among individuals. Debuts came so regularly, it was dizzying. And along with risk, there was air and expansiveness, which gave the repertory an on-the-spot kind of inventiveness.
Older ballets had a new sheen. Concerto Barocco (1941) and La Source (1968) are brilliant dances. Even bad performances cant ruin their splendor, but this season they came to life with dancers seemingly conscious of their responsibility. City Ballet is bigger than they are, but they know that they are its current caretakers. The care shows.
