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Baryshnikov's Flashy Finale
| Article
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20593 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
10 / 1992 |
1,513 Words |
| Author
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Camille Hardy
Camille Hardy is a New York-based critic who publishes and
broadcasts on the arts internationally. |
New challenges for the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and a dynamic swell to a grand finale were some of artistic director Peter Martins' achievements with the ensemble's spring season at Lincoln Center. With the Diamond Project, the company presented eleven premieres in five days (during the run ending June 27), demonstrating that dancers thrive and blossom in the choreographic process of making new work. To cap that accomplishment, and to offer a splendid season-end flourish, some very special guests were invited to appear with City Ballet. Among these was Mikhail Baryshnikov.
His six appearances--played to house-capacity audiences--were reminiscent of his brief term as a member of this troupe before leaving in 1980 to become artistic director of American Ballet Theatre. Since his departure, Baryshnikov has had an open invitation from Martins to collaborate with the NYCB on some special engagement or project. A coincidental conversation with Lincoln Kirstein (he and George Balanchine cofounded City Ballet) in the theater led to the June performances. Baryshnikov, like the other guests, was contracted at a fee equal to what a principal member of the company is paid, not at an international star rate.
While it is always enlightening to watch the Russian-born artist on stage, Baryshnikov's choice of choreography was most interesting in this instance. He danced Balanchine's Duo Concertante and Three Preludes by Mark Morris. Baryshnikov performed the two ballets three times each on varied programs for cheering crowds.
Duo Concertante was made exactly twenty years ago for Martins and ballerina Kay Mazzo. The ballet premiered on June 22, 1972, as part of the Stravinsky Festival. A theatrical essay on intimacy and on the total fusion of music and dance in Balanchine's collaboration with Stravinsky, the work involves two musicians and a pair of dancers. For this engagement, Guillermo Figuroa played violin and Jerry Zimmerman, piano. Baryshnikov partnered Yvonne Borree, a 22 year-old member of the NYCB corps whose beliefs in miracles has been strengthened by recent events.
Student Success
Borree joined the City Ballet five years ago after two years at the company's affiliate academy, the School of American Ballet (SAB). She trained initially at the Tidewater Ballet Association in Virginia and admits that Mazzo was one of her favorite teachers at SAB. With the long limbs and tiny head of the prototypical Balanchine dancer, Borree's physique makes it easy
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