Review: HUGO MARCHAND Artists at the Center at NY City Center-Just Marvelous
Six excellent works curated by Hugo Marchand are thrilling for all those who appreciate the art of dance
For those who are fortunate enough to get a ticket to Hugo Marchand-Artists at the Center, it is a marvelous program. Dance lovers and many more will hail it as one of the best performances they have ever seen. The show is now at New York City Center through July 26. It consists of six works, curated by Marchand, that promise to thrill audiences.
Hugo Marchand is a principal dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet. Our readers will admire that he also founded his non-profit, Hugo Marchand pour la Danse to make dance accessible to communities and regions where it is less present. Marchand has an abundance of talent and a unique sensibility for art of dance. At New York City Center, he has expertly curated an array of pieces. We attended the opening night on Thursday with the appreciative full-house audience.
The program opened with Sonotine that features choreography by George Balanchine and music by Maurice Ravel. This lovely, romantic pas de deux with its playful moments was excellently performed by Leonore Baulac and Germain Louvet. It enjoyed piano accompaniment by Elena Bonnay.
The program continued with a stunning performance of The Firebird with choreography by Maurice Bejart and music by Igor Stravinski. It featured eight dancers moving in a unified fashion as the challenging role of The Phoenix was superbly danced by Zsolt Kovact. The Firebird is a work that tantalizes the imagination.
The next piece, L’Avandon from Le Parc is choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It featured Hugo Marchand and Dorothee Gilbert in a beautifully sensual dance. The pair wowed the audience with their fabulous talents as they performed seemingly impossible movements.
After a brief intermission, Hugo Marchand appeared with Leonore Baulac in Trois gnossiennes choreographed by Hans Van Manen with music by Erik Satie. The sharp choreography with its inventive lifts and turns showcased the pair’s precision and grace. Elena Bonnay’s piano accompaniment for the piece was exquisite.
The fifth work on the program was L’espirit du Bleu, Pas de deux from Signes with choreography by Carolyn Carlson and music by Rene Aubry. Performed by Dorothee Gilbert and Germain Louvet, this affecting piece had a modern flair as the dancers create striking poses that look like living sculptures.
The finale of the program was a thought-provoking, vibrant all-male piece, Bolero with choreography by Maurice Bejart and music by Maurice Ravel. The role of La Meladie was performed to perfection by Hugo Marchand with eighteen dancers as Le Rythme. Marchand took center stage on a raised platform while the other members of the troupe were seated around him in chairs. As Bolero progressed, the dancers rose in pairs to participate. It was the ideal way to end an enchanting evening of dance.
We applaud the creative team for the excellent lighting, stage design, and costume design that complemented every one of the six works in the production.
New York City Center’s presentation of Hugo Marchand Artists at the Center is spectacular from the first minute to the last. A standing ovation to the Center for making the finest dance available to metro area audiences!
New York City Center is located at 131 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019. For more information and ticketing, please visit Home | New York City Center or call 212.581.1212.
Photo Credit: "Bolero" by Maria Helena Buckley
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