Wall-to-wall genius

Dance Magazine, July, 2004 by George Jackson

MARATHONS should be both exhilarating and exhausting. New York's March 20 Wall to Wall George Balanchine was--even for those who didn't last all twelve hours of Symphony Space's free, panoramic centennial tribute to the master choreographer. Seats that were empty at 11 A.M. soon disappeared, and emcee Isaiah Sheffer (artistic director of Symphony Space) began begging people to leave and make room for others waiting in long lines outside. Almost everyone remained glued to the spot. The kickoff was a master class for students from School of American Ballet, the official Balanchine training institution. SAB's Suki Schorer worked eight young women hard, correcting them precisely and praising the results while using herself as contrast to show movement Balanchine didn't want. Excerpts from six Balanchine ballets followed, featuring more SAB students.

The programming strategy of the Symphony Space and Balanchine Foundation staffs was alternation. Live presentations preceded those on screen, lectures followed chats, coaching sessions contrasted with full-blown dancing. There were no low points. It soon dawned on all--despite the copyright on Balanchine style and technique--that no single way of performing Balanchine is right. He wanted his dancers to be individual. Distinct and distinguished on this occasion were Alicia Markova, Alicia Alonso, Maria Tallchief, Melissa Hayden, Suzanne Farrell, Frederic Franklin, and Helgi Tomasson (on screen), and (live) Violette Verdy, Allegra Kent, Merrill Ashley, Lourdes Lopez, Jacques d'Amboise, Arthur Mitchell, and Edward Villella. Some sessions had live music, so important to Balanchine, by pianists Katarina Batist, Miles Fusco, and Nancy McDill.

A scholarly tiff between New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff and Martin Duberman, biographer of Balanchine's patron and sparring partner Lincoln Kirstein, illustrated that the past is not set. Reflections on Balanchine's choreographing, teaching, musicianship, chefmanship, and personality came from associates behind the scenes then and now: Barbara Horgan, Nancy Reynolds, Edward Bigelow, filmmaker Merrill Brockway, designer David Hays--and from writers Lynn Garafola, Elizabeth Kendall, and Robert Gottlieb. Actresses Rochelle Oliver and Maria Tucci, who read from the memoirs of Balanchine's wives and companions, Tamara Geva and Alexandra Danilova, evoked their special perfumes.

Highlights of the day included complete performances of two Balanchine ballets. Drama defined Dance Theatre of Harlem's Apollo, from the god's birth to his ascent to Parnassus. In the title role, Rasta Thomas performed nobly, yet his demonic gaze focused beyond the visible world. Kansas City Ballet's Renard (1947) had survived the decades only in Todd Bolender's memory, but it hit the stage running. The all-male cast, dressed in Esteban Frances' vivid critter costumes, kept this character charade funny and focused. Pungent excerpts from Balanchine classics were danced by members of New York City Ballet (Who Cares?) and DTH (The Four Temperaments; Agon, with Kip Sturm and the recently returned Alicia Graf). However, no one looked lovelier than Vera Zorina, on screen in Balanchine's 1930s-'40s choreography, bathed in Hollywood lighting.