Taste of Modernity

Tuesday seemed like a breath of fresh air for the company.  After a week of non-stop “swanning,” we turned to our Balanchine Black and White program – an evening comprised of four staple ballets choreographed by George Balanchine. Each is simplistic in that the dancers all wear traditional ballet attire (black or white leotards for the women and black tights for the men), which really allows for the audience to focus on the dancing.  In these pieces, it’s all about the movement, music, and patterns. 

Savannah Lowery in the second movement of
Balanchine's Episodes

The second piece of the night, Episodes, is perhaps the most edgy of the four since the music composed by Anton von Webern is often dissonant, and the quirky movements reflect the random pairing of sounds.  It’s funny to us backstage because the audience clearly doesn’t know when to clap; it’s that hard to tell if there’s simply a long silence in the music or if a movement is actually ending!  In these instances, we usually try to start the clapping backstage in order to avoid the awkward silence.  

Each section of Episodes is unique, showcasing various pairings of men and women. The second movement is particularly captivating because the stage is only illuminated by two spotlights on a man and woman, who dance to music with a certain extraterrestrial vibe. I dance in the Bach section of Episodes, which resolves the dissonances of the earlier sections with its Bach-inspired melody.  It starts out simply, with only the principle couple moving through positions. But when more instruments are added to the melody, the corps girls begin to flow through similar positions in a canon, and the entire stage comes to life with these movements.  George Balanchine once said, “See the music, hear the dance.” In this section, you definitely see the music as our positions and patterns mimic the beautiful construction of von Webern’s composition.  Movements are transferred from one dancer to the next, just as similar melodies are passed through the different instruments in the orchestra. 

Jackson Pollock's Number 1A, 1948

Since Episodes is rather abstract, it seems fitting that this week’s excursion should to be to experience the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) where there are many contemporary and imaginative works. It has new exhibitions regularly and a vast permanent collection, ranging from representations of modern architecture to the splatter-paint works of Jackson Pollock. Much like Episodes, some of the works here will make you say, “huh?” and even question why they are considered art.  Even as an artist myself, I am sometimes utterly confused when I see a plain black canvas or a soda can resting on the floor of the museum.  But this is a great place to open your mind, see some notable works, and find inspiration.  Visual art can be a source of inspiration for choreographers, and perhaps Balanchine looked to Jackson Pollock's Number 1A, 1948 when creating his own black and white ballets.  On UNIQLO Friday nights, the museum is free from 4 to 8pm, but I recommend getting there around 3 as the line to get in tends to be long.  Otherwise, the museum is open from 10:30am to 5:30pm each day, with adult admission priced at $25 and discounts offered for students and seniors.

After visiting the MoMA, why not try a new cuisine for dinner in light of this week’s innovation? Last summer, a friend and I tried the Ravagh Persian Grill on 30th street as recommended by a former teacher, and we were enamored by the food to say the least.  We shared an order of the babaganoush, pita bread, shirazi salad, and Cornish hen kabobs.  It was the perfect combination of foods, and at the end of the meal we wished we could be hungry again to eat more of these dishes!  Perhaps if you walk down Fifth Avenue from the MoMA to the restaurant (a 25-minute walk) you can really capitalize on a bigger appetite.  It's best to order a smorgasbord of foods here, and if you can't finish them all, you'll have a delicious meal for later in the week! 

Cornish Hen Kabobs - Before

After!

Afternoon of a Swan

NYCB's Sara Mearns as Odette in
Swan Lake - Photo Credit Paul Kolnik

There was much excitement at the David H. Koch theatre this week as we began our fall season with the iconic classical ballet – Swan Lake.  The dramatic storyline, Tchaikovsky’s incredible score, the beautiful scenery and dancing illuminate a world in which the women are trapped as swans under the evil Von Rothbart’s spell. Though terrified, the swan queen, Odette succumbs to her love for Prince Siegfried, but they can never together as Odette is held captive by Von Rothbart.  To perform this ballet requires passion and artistry, but also technical strength and endurance.  Despite the ballet’s closeness to nature, the movements are often anything but natural.  With all of its back bending and countless bourées (where we move around on our pointe shoes), I’m in serious need of a warm bath when I get home at night. The lake can also be pretty slippery evidently, as I took a tumble during my entrance on opening night.  Nevertheless, as a swan in the corps de ballet, it is an extremely fulfilling ballet to perform.  How could you not want to dance to this music?

For this week’s New York City excursion, I thought I’d detail a late morning trip to one of everyone’s favorite nature spots - Central Park. It is truly an oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle, and at this time of year, the weather is absolutely perfect for any outdoor activity.  There is much to see and do here since it is very expansive; the park spans about 50 blocks from north to south, and about 3 long avenues from east to west.  For a pleasant Swan Lake-inspired morning, I’d go to the lake. 

The Loeb Boathouse

To get to the lake, enter at the 72^nd street opening to the park, on either the east or the west side, and proceed to the center of the park.  If you enter from the west side, along the way you’ll see Strawberry Fields – where there is usually a guitarist serenading tourists with a Beatles tune or a peaceful song.  Then make your way to the Loeb Boathouse to rent a rowboat for an hour.  The rowboats are only available from April to October due to weather constraints, so take advantage of them this season! There is a $30 cash deposit in addition to the $12 per hour charge, and for each additional 15 minutes the cost is $3.  One hour seems to be the right amount of time; this man-made city lake isn’t that big.  Up to four people can fit on a boat, which is great for romantic couples and families of four, but not so much for families of five like mine.  The boathouse opens at 10:30am and the last rental is allowed to leave the station at 5:30pm.  I’d recommend getting there around 11:00am or so in order to beat the crowds that will accumulate in the late afternoon.  If you’re lucky you might even see some swans and if so, be sure to channel your inner Odette by waving your arms up and down like a swan’s wings. 

Restaurant View

After boating, you’ll probably be ready for a delicious lunch.  For those of you on a tighter budget, pack a picnic and take it to Sheep Meadow, located just south of the boathouse, or purchase snacks at the Le Pain Quotidien outdoor café.  If you are willing to spend a little more, go to the Loeb Boathouse Lakeside Restaurant.  It is a picturesque restaurant overlooking the lake, and it offers dishes such as a filet mignon cob salad and a lemon-oregano crusted salmon.  The prices range from $19 to $30 dollars an entre, but for the view and the chance of seeing wildlife while dining? I'd say that’s an afternoon well spent. Of course, if you’d prefer to see humans acting as swans and experience the magic of the ballet, we’ll be onstage every night this week at Lincoln Center!

Adventure is out there!

New York City is abounding with culture – from museums to restaurants, parades to Broadway shows.  There is always something spectacular occurring in the city that never sleeps.  The prospect of exploring it all is exciting, but for tourists on their first trip to the city, simply figuring out how to spend a day can be overwhelming.  With the overload of activities and sights to see, it is even difficult for current residents of the city to figure out what to experience during their downtime. Never fear – with this blog I hope to illuminate some hidden (and some not so hidden) gems of the city for you to experience that will make you fall in love with or rekindle your passion for this incredible place. 

My friend Kelly (on right) and I (on left) exploring
Governors Island, NYC on a bike. 

I’m a dancer in the New York City Ballet with a passion for self-expression through movement. I moved to the city from Winston-Salem, North Carolina when I was 17 years old to pursue a career in dance, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to fulfill my dream.  Since I have now lived here for the past four years, and have danced en pointe with the company for the past three, I’d like to call myself a New Yorker and share some of the best “pointes” to visit.  The arts in particular add so much to the city’s vibe, which is why I would like to use my experiences at the ballet as inspiration for possible city excursions to take this fall.  As someone who loves to plan, I’ll put together mini-itineraries for morning, afternoon, or evening adventures for both travelers and residents alike to explore all that New York City has to offer. The New York City Ballet performance season is just about to start, and these excursions are sure to match the level of diversity and fun we experience onstage!  

As said in my favorite movie UP, “Adventure is out there!”

Stay tuned for my suggestions!