Inside the latest American Ballet Theatre premiere
Liam Scarlett uses Hee Seo to demonstrate a lift. Photo by Kyle Froman.
Liam Scarlett defies all the clichés about “genius at work” and “artistic temperament.” Constructing an intimate pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre’s Hee Seo and Marcelo Gomes last fall, he conceived quietly attentive lifts and intricate steps with the cool deliberation of a mason laying bricks. The dancers, joined by the second cast’s Isabella Boylston and Cory Stearns, repeated each phrase with calm, meticulous efficiency, then waited for the next.
Marcelo Gomes and Hee Seo work through a phrase.
At age 28, Scarlett is already The Royal Ballet’s first artist in residence and a choreographer in international demand. In addition to his ABT premiere, during the 2014–15 season Scarlett created a pas de deux for New York City Ballet and a narrative one-act for The Royal, and is now working on a three-act Carmen for Norwegian National Ballet before heading to the Royal New Zealand Ballet to choreograph A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
With a Chance of Rain, Scarlett’s first work for ABT, bristled with his characteristic use of soaring Soviet-style overhead lifts and sensational partnered descents unexpected from someone who looks as innocent as a dewy, curly-headed choir boy. He set the dance for four couples to six preludes and an elegy by Sergei Rachmaninoff, whose virtuosic demands have delighted audiences and terrified performers for over a century. Company pianist Emily Wong met these challenges repeatedly.
Cory Stearns and Isabella Boylston hone the dynamics.
Occasionally, some of Scarlett’s instruction threatened to become impenetrably British: “Make this look more dextrous,” he told Gomes about a gesture. Fortunately, he demonstrated the move he meant and the intensity he wanted. Gomes, in practice clothes of clashing colors as boldly designed as a costume, matched the choreographer’s shapes. He and the other dancers worked through each phrase, again and again, as Scarlett repeated and refined every step.
What makes choreography compelling? Whether you consider a work’s musicality or steps, formations or narrative, it often comes down to one
thing: the element of surprise. Justin Peck is a master of this. He’ll bring two partners together for what seems like the beginning of a sumptuous lift—and then have them take off in opposite directions. Or he’ll ask the corps to hit an elegant classical position—while lying on the floor. This ability to counter expectations has skyrocketed Peck from a dancer dabbling in dancemaking to a national force in choreography in just two short years. Now New York City Ballet’s official resident choreographer, Peck will be creating or setting work on five major companies this season, and a documentary about his creative process, Ballet 422, is about to be released nationwide. The ballet world has been waiting anxiously for the next Christopher Wheeldon, the next Alexei Ratmansky. I think we’ve found him.
Right: “With Justin, it wasn’t difficult to see the raw gifts that he possessed right away.”—NYCB ballet master in chief Peter Martins on his company’s new resident choreographer. Photo by Jayme Thornton.
Peck’s not the only reason to be excited about the fall performance season. As budgets seem to have (mostly) recovered from the recession, it feels like the pent-up artistic energy finally has the resources to be let out. We’ve got the scoop on the 10 most intriguing premieres and tours going on around the country. These are the productions that everyone will be talking about. And yes, one of our picks is NYCB’s fall season, which boasts world premieres by Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett—and Justin Peck.
In this issue we also offer a peek inside the life of a Broadway dancer while she is between gigs. Leah Hofmann is scheduled to start rehearsals of Susan Stroman’s The Merry Widow soon, but she let us follow her around for a day while she juggled side gigs, an audition, jazz class and a meeting with her agent, and she shared insight into how she makes it all work. She’s learned all too well the unpredictability of this career: Shows get cancelled, roles get assigned at last minute, choreographers ask for skills you didn’t know you had. She stays prepared for whatever opportunities might come her way. Because life isn’t all that different from dance: The surprises are often the best parts.
Jennifer Stahl
Editor in Chief
jstahl@dancemedia.com
British choreographer Liam Scarlett talks about how he approaches the pas de deux, with footage of The Promise, performed by the Royal Ballet's Laura Morera and Bennet Gartside.
