New York City Ballet “Les Carillons”

What I saw last night. New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. An all Wheeldon night at the ballet. The first piece was a world premier. Lots of couples with the woman being held aloft. I mostly liked but I feel I might have been in the minority. Poloyphonia I have seen many times and it was good until Jennie Somogyi tore something (achilles) and had to limp off mid performance. Tyler Peck filled in for the remainder of the role but it was hard to concentrate after that. Hope she recovers. The last piece I have seen and takes its name as a spin off the French train the TGV. I like this one. The set looks like Frank Gehry work or as if the train went by so fast it tore up the floor boards.

Elements: bent floor, scrim, bad painted drop
Title: “Les Carillons” “Polyphonia” “DGV: Danse a Grande Vitesse” by Christopher Wheeldon
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Arturo Vidich

What I saw last night. Arturo Vidich at the Dance Theater Workshop Studio. A man is interviewed for awhile and talks about online dating and pilot lessons. Later a woman joins him from the audience to enact a first date meeting. Eventually she gets up and starts to whip him and zap him with an electric prod. This continues for some time with occasional breaks for interviewing.  All this is in service I guess of building an awareness but I think I would just be sore.

Elements: computer, tea, chairs, ballet bar, whip, electric prod, chainmail
Title: “work-in-process”
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Camille A. Brown & Dancers

What I saw last night. Camille A. Brown & Dancers at the Joyce Theater. The first piece was the only one that was in anyway abstract with much rushing about and rolling around. The second piece is a solo in which she is essentially dance syncing instead of lip syncing to a few jazz tunes. A hat down low over the eyes is a main feature. Liza cabaret style. The next piece was about black stereotypes and managed to be a stereotype in itself of a dance as a teaching moment. The fourth piece is a solo for an older woman who was once on the Cosby show. It is a poem and was done well despite a poor mic. The fifth piece was like the second except it was a duet and a little bit funnier. The final piece is the dancers waiting for the subway and eventually getting it. Hijinxs like where to sit and reading the paper etc are on display. It is a common trope in dance shows. Dances 2 & 6 I have seen before.

Elements: hat, chair, film, spoken word
Title: “City of Rain” “The Evolution of a Secured Feminine” “Mr. Tol E. Rance: Part 1” “The Creation: Plus 40” “Been There, Done That” “The Groove To Nobody’s Business”
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New York City Ballet “Firebird”

What I saw last night. New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. A rainy night at Lincoln Center. The first piece is bright and cheerful while the second is dark brown and depressing although it still had Wendy Whelan. The final piece is red and has paintings of Marc Chagall’s Firebird. Also animal costumes worthy of H.R. Pufnstuf and Where the Wild Things Are. Bouder performed best.

Elements: feather
Title: “Donizetti Variations” by Balanchine “In Memory of…” by Robbins “Firebird” by Balanchine
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Keely Garfield Dance

What I saw last night. Keely Garfield Dance at Danspace Project. Two women and two men perform in various tableaus that suggest a cross between Twin Peaks and Deliverance. Mostly successfully.

Elements: live music, tree stumps, vacuum, ax, milk, hard hats, nudity, singing, table, etc.
Title: “Twin Pines”
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New York City Ballet “Who Cares?”

What I saw last night. New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. I have now seen Ocean’s Kingdom twice. It has not improved. “Le Tombeau de Couperin” is a complicated work where 8 couples remain on separate sides of the stage and create crazy patterns to Ravel. The last piece is a stream of Gershwin music where various dancers have the opportunity to shine in some times thorny steps.

I see they have streamlined the gift shop now into some kind of minimalist jewelry store with threadless style logos for the ballet t-shirts. I liked it better when it was like the remainders bin at the Strand but perhaps I am old fashioned.

Elements: fog
Title: “Ocean’s Kingdom” by Peter Martins and Paul McCartney “Le Tombeau de Couperin” “Who Cares?” by Balanchine
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Twyla Tharp’s “Come Fly Away” abridged

What I saw last night. Twyla Tharp’s “Come Fly Away” at Bank of America Theatre. A road trip for an abridge version of the show seen here in New York. Still good but not as edgy for some of the key numbers. Crowd went crazy for it though.

Elements: Sinatra, live music, bar
Title: “Come Fly Away”
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Ann Liv Young “Sleeping Beauty Part 1”

What I saw last night. Ann Liv Young at Abrons Arts Center Experimental Theater. One woman and two men. Sleeping Beauty pines away while seated on the toilet holding the phone and singing how she wishes nothing but the best for you. She also dances and finally makes an impassioned speech to her inflated prince while it snows. In conclusion you can take polaroids with her for $2. Happily ever after.

Elements: fir trees, toilet, phone, little bed, singing, inflatable doll, snow, polaroids, Adele, Bob Seeger, point shoes, etc.
Title: “Sleeping Beauty Part 1”
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Daniel Linehan “Montage for Three”

What I saw last night. Daniel Linehan at Abrons Arts Center Underground Theater. A dance for one man and one woman. Mostly portraits of famous people with various expressions are projected on the wall and the performers mimic them. Sometimes they mimic several positions before the pictures are shown to create a sorted of stuttered motion of what you are about to see or have seen.

The second piece is a solo in which a circle is made of reading material while the performer in the center spins at various speeds and makes comments out loud.

Elements: projections of photographs, newspapers, magazines, books, talking, spinning
Title: “Montage for Three” “Not About Everything”
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Chelfitsch Theater Company

What I saw last night. Chelfitsch Theater Company at Japan Society. Two Japanese men and four women perform these three short plays that all take place in an office break room. Hot Pepper is a Japanese magazine like Time Out that they are using to find a restaurant for a farewell party. The other titles are self explanatory. All are funny in a way that TV shows like the Office often find hard to achieve. Still one of the best lobbies at a venue.

Elements: table, chairs, subtitles, bag, magazine, wikipedia
Title: “Hot Pepper, Air Conditioner, and The Farewell Speech” by Toshiki Okada
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