Christina Pandolfi - Page 3

If ever someone were to look up “classical ballet” in the dictionary, an image captured from Swan Lake would certainly accompany its definition, thanks to its timeless grace and poise. On Wednesday June 14, 2017, American Ballet Theatre more than lived up to Swan Lake's storied reputation, as the company danced with both precision and pixie dust to create lyrical beauty that echoed Tchaikovsky's magical score.

It's May 8, 2017 and I'm sitting in the National Dance Institute Center for Learning & the Arts' quaint auditorium in Upper Manhattan, waiting for the students to take the stage. As part of the celebrated Art Nest series, this evening's mixed medium program centers on the loneliest woman in mythology: Medusa. But as the audience quiets for NDI Founder Jacques d'Amboise's speech, it is exactly the opposite feelings of community and togetherness that drum up pure joy.

So often, the desire to dance is intrinsic at birth; it can't be separated from a person's essence and has always been in their very heart and soul. But what about when the passion is discovered later in life? When something moves you so powerfully that it becomes a new avenue for happiness and clarity?

It takes the perfect spark to light a match, and on Thursday May 18, 2017, that spark was Soloist Christine Shevchenko. Replacing a temporarily injured Gillian Murphy, her rendition of Kitri was the cherry on top of the already delicious sundae that is Petipa's 'Don Quixote,' presented during the company's first week of spring performances at their Metropolitan Opera House residency. The ability to adapt, adjust, and make something your own is a rare gift that so often gets taken for granted. But it's exactly that nuance that let Shevchenko - and the entire production - shine like the brightest star in the sky.

As audience members, we're often not privy to dress rehearsals. We don't get to travel behind the scenes and see the inside of a dancer's psyche. But “Places Please!” commissioned by DANCE NOW, broke traditional boundaries in both environment and format. Shown at the legendary Joe's Pub, longtime collaborators Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott treated us all as friends, bringing us into the intimacy and anxiety that drives the creative process. And oh, what fun we all had!

The New York City Ballet kicked off day two of the company's 2017 Spring Season on Wednesday, April 19 at the opulent David H. Koch Theater. A performance dedicated to the iconic playfulness of Jerome Robbin's choreography, the evening started on a high note with the orchestra's charming “See the Music” section, treating the audience to teaser selections of the coming score. The bluesy, sultry notes of Bernstein's music set the scene beautifully; as the orchestra descended back into the pit, the curtain rose on “Fancy Free,” the legendary collaboration between Robbins and Bernstein, which later inspired Broadway's sensation “On The Town.”

As the first signs of spring crept into the air on March 25, 2017, the same was true at the GK ArtsCenter in DUMBO, at a performance of Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's Eternal Spring. Though I've seen the company perform twice, “third time's a charm” is an age-old adage for a reason.

On March 17 2017, excitement buzzed at the Peter Norton Symphony Space during the season premiere of The Ashley Bouder Project. A powerful collective that celebrates the beauty and strength of female dancers (and the resilient support of their male counterparts!) the showcase more than proved Bouder's mantra that At This Dance, Women Take the Lead.

At the inviting New York Live Arts Theater, New York Theatre Ballet presented their Uptown/Downtown/Dance series on March 3, 2017.  Now in their 38th Season, the company stands apart within the larger ballet community for its grasp on classical technique that mingles with undercurrents of modern dance vocabulary. But the program's pacing left something to be desired, as the excitement and delight peaked before intermission.

Dampened from the chilly rain falling outside, I stepped into the majestic David H. Koch Theater on January 24, 2017 in desperate need of comfort. But I got so much more than that at New York City Ballet's Stravinsky x Five program. As I took my seat, the heavenly timbres of Stravinsky's bluesy score from "Scenes de Ballet" flooded my ears and spirit. In that moment, all was right in the world, and it stayed that way for the entire evening.

Living through political tumult and societal unrest brings many emotions to the surface: fear, worry, anxiety, and most notably, anger. In these times of uncertainty, the healing powers of dance can reflect all that is good and beautiful about humanity. And it's just what Dorrance Dance achieved on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 during their run at The Joyce Theater. In a stunning collaboration with the velvety vocals and musical styling of Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely, esteemed dancers Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Derick K. Grant and chorographic help from Karida Griffith, Michelle Dorrance created a mesmerizing, imaginative universe; one filled with tap dancing so powerful, it brought the entire room together through love and light.

On Friday, October 28, 2016, a crisp, cool air set the mood for a dreamy evening performance of American Ballet Theatre's fall program. A company known for its classic traditionalism, the evening took a turn for the eclectic, choosing to showcase the dancers' eccentricities and otherness through modern dance inspired works that spanned from 1929 to the present.

Does evil trump goodness? Does darkness dim the light of mankind? These questions set the stage for Danish Dance Theatre's New York premiere of Black Diamond on Thursday, October 13th, the first of a four-day engagement at The Joyce Theatre. The company's first time back in the city since 2013, the full-length program meditated on the duality of nature and human existence through elaborate drama - in choreography, costumes and scenery - to create a complete alternate reality. But you know the saying: Sometimes, less is more.

New York Live Arts hummed with anticipation on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at the premiere of Caterina Rago Dance Company's three-day run of Labir Into. In a bare, nondescript theater, the responsibility fell upon the company to dazzle, to make the space more than just four walls and a stage floor. Not only did they achieve this, but they transcended limitation, taking the audience on a thrilling journey.

On Friday, September 23, 2016, the David H. Koch Theater was abuzz with excitement, as the company of the New York City Ballet prepared to take the stage. Each time I get to experience this group of artists perform, it's a completely unique adventure. But what remains constant is their collective ability to remain rooted in Balanchine's essence - in movement, character, and cadence. And this night proved no different.

An air of bravura swirled through the Joyce Theatre on the evening of Tuesday, August 9th 2016 as The Sarasota Ballet premiered its 26th season with 'A Knight of the British Ballet,' the company's love letter to famed choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton. Led by director,Ian Webb, the company prepared a six-excerpt tribute spanning Ashton's works from 1947- 1978. From the very start, the dancers' precision and commitment to the movement was unwavering.

In a cozy, familiar theater filled with memories and the history of dancers past, I took in the premiere of Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance's Veiled, held at the Jack Crystal Theater in the East Village. On the platform - literally and figuratively - where many great dancers get their professional start, the stage was set for an evening of exploration and reflection through careful, composed movement.

At its best, classical ballet has the ability to utterly transfix, bending the boundaries of what we as human beings think is possible. With every gravity-defying grand jete and blossoming developpe, dancers transform into otherworldly beings, physicalizing that which can't be believed. At the 2016 Spring Season premiere of American Ballet Theatre's Le Corsaire, the company did just this, mesmerizing the audience and showcasing their ability to create a unique world of beauty, unto its own.

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre premiered the second edition of its modern dance festival May 19, 2016 at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater on West 64th Street in Manhattan. Comprised of six distinct pieces from different choreographers, the night was a tribute to the creativity of movement and how it collectively inspires us all. But the way in which these pieces were curated left something to be desired. The flow felt disjointed; choreographic styles were often polarizing from one piece to the next, making the audience consider only what was directly in front of them without further context or the continuation of any theme.

A different kind of energy crackled throughout the David H. Koch Theater on the evening of May 13, 2016, vibrant and self-aware, with a knowing sense of the dynamic dancing that lay ahead. As I settled into my seat, preparing to bask in the evening's ode to Jerome Robbins, a British accent behind me said, clearly and plainly, 'I've never been to the ballet...I'm so excited.' I smiled to myself; thankful for all of the ballets I had seen before, and with a keen certainty that after tonight, this gentleman was certainly going to be returning.