• January 28, 2020
• National Ballet of Canada
• Repertory Program
• Washington, D.C.

You know you’re in for an exciting ride when an evening of ballet is programmed to showcase The National Ballet of Canada dancing William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Alexei Ratmansky. Before the performance even begins, the Kennedy Center audience is already abuzz regarding the upcoming dances, three which premiered in the 1990s; this means that many a balletomane has already seen these ballets albeit perhaps by another company. And with a reputation that Artistic Director Karen Kain has sustained since taking the reins fifteen years ago, the National Ballet of Canada is sure to please.

Pre-intermission, we are exposed to two of Forsythe’s works, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Approximate Sonata 2016. The first – as the title so adequately implies – is a short and satisfying series of vignettes of varying groupings of the five-member cast. The women are donned in futuristic chartreuse tutus while the men wear vibrant purple biketards. Upon the curtain rising, Naoya Ebe and Harrison James are poised still, only they knowing what is to come. And what is to come is a non-stop energetic suite of dancing set to Franz Shubert’s exuberant Allegro Vivace from Symphony No. 9 in C Major. All in the quintet are superbly precise in the quick footwork and off-balance movements that are signature to Forsythe, but the men shine particularly in their abilities to reach such great heights with such great speed.

The mood changes drastically when during the pause between pieces we are surrounded by a subtly crescendoing pulsing bass, an auditory prequel to its visual interpretation to follow. In Approximate Sonata 2016, Forsythe chooses to stray further away from the classical vernacular that we saw earlier to present the relationships between four couples. Thom Willems’ minimalist score is at best grating to the ears, the pulsing motif cycling with piercing and scratching sounds throughout the piece. Hannah Fischer is a relief from the overall disconcerting vibe, her languidness adding the much-needed rounded edges to an otherwise severe experience.

Kylián created Petit Mort for the Salzburg Festival in 1991, a tribute to one of the city’s most prodigious celebrities, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The dichotomy between the sweet sounds of the familiar piano concertos and the passionate intensity and coy humor on the stage is a creative representation of aspects of the musician’s history. The cast of six couples is a beautiful ensemble both in artistry and in their skillful, synchronous operation of the props.  Again, Fischer stands out with her expressive lyricism and clean lines; surely she will be a shining star for years.

Another musical homage closes the program, this one abstract and quite chaotic. The finale of Ratmansky’s nod to Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Concerto #1 is part of the full ballet Shostakovich Trilogy. The choreography is no doubt challenging, perhaps too much so as there are several moments when it seems like the dancers can’t keep up.  This is not a reflection on their abilities – the corps is solid and the two lead couples are charismatic and technically spectacular.

National Ballet of Canada will be performing this program and The Sleeping Beauty at The Kennedy Center through February 2, 2020.

 

Featured Photo of National Ballet of Canada Artists in Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto #1  © Karolina Kuras

 

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