Program
Contemporary Choreography II
MAY 15, 19, 21, 23, 24
CONTEMPORARY WORKS EXPANDING THE HORIZONS OF BALLETIC CHOREOGRAPHY
New York City Ballet continually invests in works by new generations of choreographers. Pam Tanowitz’s Law of Mosaics, set to Ted Hearne’s score, combines moments of resonant silence with propulsive string-based music, and is further illuminated by the colorful costumes of Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung. Despite its simplicity, This Bitter Earth, a pas de deux danced to a remix of Dinah Washington’s recording of the title song, ranks among Christopher Wheeldon’s most delicate and moving works. For many followers of the Company, William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux remains a totemic example of the adventurousness that Balanchine always championed and exemplified. The Company’s ongoing interest in a wide variety of music and the dancing it inspires is illustrated in Kyle Abraham’s Love Letter (on shuffle), which draws on the pop music of singer-songwriter James Blake and combines classical steps with a distinctly 21st-century aesthetic.
Ballets on this Program
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Law of Mosaics
Adding to her growing presence in the Company’s repertory, NYC-based postmodern choreographer Pam Tanowitz follows her recent digital work Solo for Russell: Sites 1-5 with her second main stage commission, a new ballet set to Ted Hearne’s sonic patchwork for string ensemble, Law of Mosaics.
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This Bitter Earth
This breathtaking and poetic dance for a man and woman explores the haunting, tenuous melodies of Dinah Washington’s soulful rendition of “This Bitter Earth” as remixed by British composer Max Richter.
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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.
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Love Letter (on shuffle)
Following his two previous acclaimed works for NYCB, The Runaway from 2018’s Fall Fashion Gala and his digital creations Ces noms que nous portons and When We Fell, Kyle Abraham returns to create his second main stage work for the Company, premiering in Fall 2022.
