1914 is not a year that should conjure much nostalgia for those who survived it. Among smaller aggravations, the year marked the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and resulted in a half decade war, the likes of which the world had not seen. The year also marked the premiere of Fokine's 'The Golden Cockerel' by The Ballets Russes. Fokine, their first choreographer, was no stranger to '(Description) (Bird)' pieces whether it be 'The Dying Swan,' 'The Firebird,' or 'The Gold Cockerel.' 'The Golden Cockerel' was in his established career and it, unlike the previous year's infamous 'Rite of Spring,' was a jewel box escape from the hostile international climate. The warmth of this piece served a Parisian audience in search of the early 1910's glow, which was probably a distant memory by then. Today, scrupulously mounted by ABT under the direction of Ratmansky and with designs by Richard Hudson (off of the Natalia Goncharova originals,) 'The Golden Cockerel' is a charming aesthetic study even as it has waned as a satisfying evening of dance.
