The Stage

New York City Ballet Programme 1 - Serenade/Agon/Symphony in C

Published Thursday 13 March 2008 at 13:10 by John Percival

Three of George Balanchine’s best early ballets have opened New York City Ballet’s London season - an overdue return to the capital.

All excellent, and what variety. Well danced too, with casts mainly showing the company’s many fine young members. Wendy Whelan and Albert Evans, in the Stravinsky Agon, may be familiar to some, but equally notable are newcomers Andrew Veyette and Teresa Reichlen leading the two big trios, and how their keen, elegant, splendidly phrased dancing makes us want to see more of them. Agon’s music and choreography are both 50 years old, but have a sharp originality way ahead of almost any recent creations.

Serenade, score by Tchaikovsky, is pure romanticism, and this is thrilling for the rich invention of its ensembles for a corps of 17 women.

How amazing that Balanchine could create such dances for his first pupils on arriving in America 75 years ago. But don’t forget the wonderful expressiveness of the soloists, again unfamiliar to us - Ashley Bouder, Kaitlyn Gilliland and Janie Taylor, swirling fast and light in their long blue skirts.

Rounding off the evening is the Bizet Symphony in C. Again, young principals or soloists new to us took the four ballerina roles (watch out particularly for Megan Fairchild bouncing with Gonzalo Garcia through the third movement), each with her own partner and supporting group. It’s a delight to see so large a cast all with such matching lightness, velocity, poise and musicality. There’ll be other casts too, three further programmes bringing us through the years right up to date, and then four more companies to follow. This month-long Spring Dance season at the Coliseum is an absolute must-see for ballet lovers.