inspiration: the ballet dancer misty copeland and photographer inez van lamsweerde

abt soloist misty copeland, as photographed by inez van lamsweerde for w magazine (december 2009)

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as misty copeland and matthew prescott finished their performance of "falling" --choreographed by mr. prescott himself--at tonight's DRA benefit, my sister leaned toward me and whispered, "she is a gorgeous dancer."

impossible to disagree. (honestly, we could have been talking about her legs alone. amazing.)

when you have an opportunity to see her dance up close, as we could at the cedar lake theater, you'll notice she's even lighter, her muscles more precise than in any photos you'll see online. the gentle hyperextension in her knees deepens the drama of her leg action. but the extension through her whole upper body is just as exquisite. she doesn't do "bravado" or big ballet gestures (to be fair, the choreography didn't call for it, but still)...she just entrances you.

there are no high-quality, extended videos of "falling" (though there was a video crew at tonight's performance, so perhaps in the coming weeks, the dra will post one) but if you'd like to see a very short clip, start at the :22...

the mind reels...morphoses/ the wheeldon company and the critics

i am not a dance critic. this is now indisputable after spending the week reading the reviews of morphoses/the wheeldon company's recent performances at city center. the three performances presented for the november 1 sunday matinee (the finale for the season) included 2 wheeldon ballets (continuum, and the world premiere of rhapsody fantaisie) and a re-working of a piece choreographed by the team lightfoot/leon, titled softly as i leave you.

continuum, the opening number, turned out to be precisely the kind of modern ballet that i can appreciate, but don't enjoy. mr. wheeldon, in addressing the audience before the performance, said that his goal was to make the music visual. the score, by the hungarian gyorgy ligeti, is a real micropolyphonic spree. it's mathematical, with melancholy chords, in messy clusters. the dancing played all of that up, with precise, acute angles layered into combinations. i suppose you could call it brilliant. but it was also relentless, exhausting and emotionless. i was relieved when it was over. it was not lost on me, though, that i was seeing dancers performing at their peak. the choreography required no less.

the final number, rhapsody fantaisie, was much more to my taste: sweeping, passionate music (rachmaninoff suites for 2 pianos) and dance perfectly matched. intricate, but seemingly effortless. i stood and cheered.

wendy whelan and andrew crawford in wheeldon's rhapsody fantaisie. photo by dave morgan.

wendy whelan and andrew crawford in wheeldon's rhapsody fantaisie. photo by dave morgan.

drew jacoby and reginald pronk in wheeldon's rhapsody fantaisie. photo by dave morgan.

(the only mystery: red harem pants for the men. modern ballet costuming strains.)

but it was lightfoot/leon's softly as i leave you, performed by the ultra dynamic partnership of drew jacoby and rubinald pronk that captivated me, almost completely. and this is where get stumped.

i will grant that the opening sequence of the number, with ms. jacoby thrashing and fighting her way out of a wooden box is a little...overwrought.

rubinald pronk and drew jacoby, in softly as i leave you. photo by bill cooper.

but from the moment they engage on stage, out of the box, to bach's soaring (albeit very familiar) air on the g string i was blinking back tears. in fact, i blinked them back on 6 separate occasions. i was awed by rubinald and pronk--her forcefulness, his fluidity and flexibility. their lines and extensions are beyond perfect, their unison and chemistry is undeniable when alone on stage, or dancing in a corps. it is among the most marvelous live performances i've ever seen--hence, the tears.

and yet, the critics (at least in new york and london) HATE it. i don't know that i've read a collection of more negative dance reviews (though it's entirely possible i haven't read enough). but the terms mawkish, unrewarding, unalluring, worst in show are only a small sampling... one ny critic who saw it performed earlier this fall at the fall for dance festival called it "a repulsive piece featuring most of the worst clichés of European postwar choreography."

huh? and, wow.

i just don't see it. and from reading the blogs and facebook comments, neither do the rest of the hoi polloi.

there is no video of that piece yet--but when one is, i will present it here. you can judge for yourself.

for now, have a look at their other work--a live performance of "one" and a clip from a rehearsal with erstwhile SYTYCD? judge/choreographer, mia michaels (she's continuing to endow us with inimitable style on a more intimate, and no less important scale. cheers to that). critics (and you) may take issue with the choreography, but i doubt anyone can argue that their partnership is a riveting, vital one. but then again, i'm merely a fan...