NYC Ballet 2024: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Taylor Stanley in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo credit: Erin Baiano
On May 28, 2024, New York City Ballet raised the curtain on their run of Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The dancers and orchestra, under the trusty baton of Andrew Litton, did much to transport the audience into the magic of this beloved 1962 ballet, making for an enchanting night.
Following the spirited overture, where the four-chord motif pivots into a flurry of strings and running winds, the work opened as the stage filled with bugs and woodland critters played by children from The School of American Ballet, whose constant scurrying into a variety of figures often carried the whimsical charge of the setting, never allowing the forest to seem too still as it teemed with magic. Often heading up this group was principal dancer Emma Von Enck as Butterfly, whose swift entrance saw some nimble turns, leaping splits, and retreating arabesques before the arrival of Puck and the fairy regents.
In the role of Puck, Taylor Stanley finely captured the sprite’s impish nature through movement as well as expression. After the deft leaps and prowling energy of his entrance, he shares an unseen, sympathetic moment with the forlorn Helena before seeming to rally the other sprites as they gather in a brief tableaux over the opening motif. His interactions with Oberon were a constant source of laughs as the latter’s orders went awry, and it was satisfying to watch him act as both an agent and victim of the hijinks. Some personal favorites include the switching of Lysander’s flowers for the magical flower, the misleading the men apart from their swordfight, and the brief instance of carrying Hermia through the trees upstage to keep her from fighting Helena. While his role often had him darting on and offstage, Stanley nonetheless made the most of his time in the spotlight.
As Helena, Mira Nadon was frequently captivating as she pined away for the aggressive Demetrius. Earlier appearances saw her excel with the chaotic partnering as she tries to dance with her beloved while being constantly pushed, turned, and lifted away, and moments later herself rejecting the spellbound and amorous Lysander. Her position on the short end of the love quadrangle also provided more intimate moments to explore Helena’s sorrow, which Nadon seized on with a languishing grace through her brief, lovelorn solos.
In the role of Hermia, Emilie Gerrity made for an overall brighter contrast as her happy relationship with Lysander saw a number of sweet touches in their entrance, like the ways she slowly or quickly spun into his kneeling embrace from a supported promenade, or their trailing port de bras as they seemed to float around one another. These passionate qualities were subverted wonderfully as Lysander falls for Helena, leaving Hermia to despair in the forest with searching, chained turns about the stage, and her once-flowing gestures being repeatedly broken as her body seemed to crumple from her heartache before ultimately whirling offstage.
"Ballet is woman," goes the oft-quoted remark from Balanchine, and much of this work upholds that viewpoint. While the roles of Puck and Oberon have much to display through their various crossings onstage, the men of Theseus's court have more of a reduced role as their choreography serves to either further the plot or support their respective partners. Nonetheless the men proved themselves more than capable through their passages, with Aarón Sanz's Lysander being tender and affectionate, and Peter Walker's Demetrius being harsh in a way that's so satisfying to dislike as he thrusts Helena away and they approach the point of violence. Once the trappings of the plot have been resolved, their appearances in the second act divertissement gave a better look at their artistry.
In the role of Titania, Sara Mearns elegantly portrayed the fairy queen through her refined yet energetic bearing. After her opening bicker with Oberon, we're given a fuller look into her character through her brief duet with her cavalier, dutifully played by Chun Wai Chan. Here, she delighted with a lightness in her moves which conveyed a weightless quality, such a fine leap as she's caught in a sitting position before neatly popping into a descending arabesque, and some gracefully carries going from center stage to the right to display a series of seamless turns. After the brief scene where the fairies thwart Puck's attempt to abduct her servant, the number is closed out in stunning fashion as she's lowered from her caught leap and turned her working leg to float offstage.
These aspects were contrasted to charmingly amusing effect during her later duet with Bottom. Her spellbound state saw expression through charged expressions as she often broke from her moves with sweeping port de bras to lavish affection on her transfigured love. These excess emotions carried things wonderfully as she led the perplexed Bottom around the stage and tried to mold him into a more fitting dance partner, as well as lending the comedic undercurrent required of the moment.
Anthony Huxley in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo credit: Erin Baiano
Opposite her was Anthony Huxley as Oberon. His regal air and expressive command of his body added up to a glittering antagonist after his request for Titania's page is soundly rejected. Just before he set Puck to acquire the magic rose, he whipped the sprites into an arrangement of figures, displaying a strong sense of ballon through his effortless leaps, sharp pirouettes, and swift entrechats. His antics with Puck carried a remarkably human touch as the two often frustrated another, speaking much to the nature of their relationship.
Last and by no means least was Preston Chamblee as Bottom. Following a brief passage where we're introduced to the merry group, they're later put to use as Puck and Oberon play their joke upon Titania. His pas de deux with the fairy queen had carried with equal parts charm and humor, due not just the animal like bearing as he shook and groomed himself, but for little touches like the perplexed head-turn as he supports Titania in an extended swoon, playing well off her heightened affections.
Sara Mearns, Preston Chamblee and Taylor Stanley in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo credit: Erin Baiano
Balanchine's adaptation neatly wraps up the story within the first act, leaving the second for a stunning pas de deux which plays to the choreographer's strengths of arranging dense and vibrant formations for the corps and mesmerizing passages for the principals. The festivities were opened through a joyous and stately entreè featuring Mendelssohn's iconic wedding march theme as the corps prepares the entrance for the three newly-married couples. The number was led by principals Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle, two dancers who have consistently impressed me in earlier company productions in this season through their artistic sense and experience, and were nothing short of enchanting Wednesday evening. Their chemistry and attentiveness to one another was powerfully felt through the adagio section as he supported her through lightly beaten hops traveled in several directions, silky, articulate turns, and deep, extended cambrés under his care. With such an intoxicating close as Peck floats down while turning into his support, one could not help but applaud this near show-stopper.
The variations and coda saw great expression as the corps returned and we were treated to some lovely partnering from Hippolyta and Theseus, played by Emily Kikta and Gilbert Bolden III, who flourished through their own choreography and under the embellishments created by the raised arms of the many dancers. All this led to a stunning tableaux as she eased her working leg into a nearly-vertical position behind her, as if doing a split against the air.
Tuesday's performance had much to enjoy from the talents of the principals, the enchanting Mendelssohn score, and the lush displays from the corps, ranging from the delicacy of the insects of the forest, to the chase and power of Hippolyta's hounds, and more. As New York City Ballet readies to close their season, they made sure to do so with a spell that will linger long after the curtain falls.
-written by Logan Martell