American Ballet Theater’s new Harlequinade was a feast for all senses. The costumes, the music, the dancers, and the choreography all worked together to create a stunning performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on Friday, June 8th at 8pm. Alexei Ratmansky has done it once again.
With the help of his wife Tatiana, Alexei Ratmansky has been reconstructing different ballets by Marius Petipa using Stepanov notation found at the library at Harvard. Last time it was Sleeping Beauty, powdered wigs and all. This time it was Petipa’s famous commedia dell’arte, Harlequinade.
This was an odd choice of ballet by Mr. Ratmansky as noted by Brian Seibert, a critic from the New York Times. Mostly, because Harlequinade isn’t your typical story ballet. It is not as familiar as Sleeping Beauty, probably because the story hasn’t been Disneyfied. Also, there are only two other versions currently done in the world, and one is often danced right across the plaza by the New York City Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater.
However, Ratmansky has a talent for breathing new life into a dated story. One of his strong suits is his comedic timing evident in almost every ballet he does. Even though this was a reconstructed work by another choreographer, you could still find some of Ratmansky’s unique humor throughout the evening.
One particular section that had the audience rolling, was when Léandre (the heroine Columbine’s wealthy suitor) showed up with his two lackeys to serenade Columbine with his poor singing. Keith Roberts played this role with aplomb and his two lackeys, played by Carlos Gonzalez and Luis Ribagorda, were the perfect goading sidekicks.
Another highlight was Ms. Sarah Lane, the true star of the evening. Sarah played Columbine with grace and ease even while she was dancing the most difficult choreography compared to her costars. During one of her variations she had to do rotating hops on pointe while also performing a grand rond de jambe with her leg. It was extremely impressive and had both my guest and I grabbing each other with excitement.
My only qualm with Ms. Lane, was that her shoes were very loud. It was distracting as an audience member. After watching her hop en pointe throughout the ballet, I understood why she needed those hard shoes, but I wish that next time she performs she could take some time to bang her shoes against the wall. A technique often used by ballerinas so their pointe shoes don’t make so much noise.
After reviewing the performance, I believe that this ballet is a must see for theatergoers in New York City. It might not be the best ballet for ABT's Met season audience (there wasn't much applause at the end of the ballet) but if you are a fan of commedia dell'arte, Harlequinade will keep you laughing in your seat. Sometimes it is nice to go to the ballet and laugh instead of cry.
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