Program
Contemporary Choreography I
OCT 9, 10, 11 mat & eve, 12
Performance Dates
Four dancemakers converge on the cutting edge of ballet
Voices is one of Alexei Ratmansky’s most enigmatic and experimental works. The dance comprises virtuosic solos set to vocal recordings of six inimitable women (including singer Nina Simone and painter Agnes Martin) overlaid with piano composition. An ensemble work showcasing the friendly relationships between its ten dancers, Gianna Reisen’s Composer’s Holiday reflects the capricious changes in mood—from exuberant to romantic to elegiac—echoing the evolving dynamics of the score for piano and violin by Lukas Foss. William Forsythe’s genre-stretching Herman Schmerman pas de deux has regularly returned to the repertory since the choreographer created it over three decades ago. The program concludes with a new ballet by Jamar Roberts, former Resident Choreographer of the venerable Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, representing his second commissioned by NYCB.
Ballets on this Program
-
Voices
Set to a score of recorded speeches by notable women overlaid with accompanying solo piano, Ratmansky’s sixth creation for New York City Ballet features character-rich and technically demanding solos for five women, joined by five men who perform interstitial dances before the entire cast unites in a final ensemble movement.
-
Composer's Holiday
Gianna Reisen, NYCB’s youngest commissioned choreographer to date, made a splash with her first work for the Company, bringing refreshing vivacity to the stage through fleet-footed choreography set to a violin and piano interpretation of Lukas Foss’ Three American Pieces.
-
Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux
Forsythe’s angular, contemporary choreography for this striking and inventive pas de deux is paired to an electronic score by his long-time collaborator Thom Willems.
-
New Roberts
Following his first commission for NYCB, 2022’s Emanon - In Two Movements, former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts introduces his second work to the company’s repertory.
