Review: LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO: Bravura Technique and Comedic Flair

For 42 years and counting, the all-male Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has been delighting audiences around the world with the company's unique blend of superb technical prowess flavored by spot-on humor that never fails to elicit laugh-out-loud reactions. The evening of December 16th 2016 at The Joyce Theater in NYC was no exception. As always, the gentlemen portraying ballerinas were on pointe and sporting gorgeous tutus as well as wigs and stage make-up fit for the divas they truly are. During the troupe's three-week run, this was the opening of Program B, a double bill with Act II of "Giselle" followed by highlights from "Paquita".

To my taste, "Giselle" was less successful than "Paquita". The spoof of a cherished favorite in the classical ballet canon was extremely broad to the point that the jokes took precedence over the dancing. Not only that, but anyone who wasn't schooled in the original libretto must have been confused about why everyone else found certain moments in this version funny. Even so, the selection was well-rehearsed and the dancers pulled off some of the trademark virtuoso steps such as Giselle's hop turn in arabesque and the repeated travelling beats with admirable aplomb.

"Paquita", on the other hand, was pure perfection. Staged by Elena Kunikova, the beloved quintessential Vaganova-trained ballerina-turned-teacher (and dance writer), this little gem of a ballet showed off the first rate artistry of the company punctuated by just the right amount of well-timed humorous incidents. The lead ballerina, Alla Snizova (Carlos Hopuy) backs into the cavalier, Sergey Legupski (Giovanni Gofreddo), by "accident" and lets out a shocked yelp. Later on Legupski, supposedly unwittingly, knocks a corps member down and eventually does a very long sequence of changements (jumps with feet changing in the air) while remaining absolutely deadpan. Best of all, though, Snizova high fives a corps member before exiting after completing a phenomenal series of fouettés, the difficult whip turns on one leg. As a former ballerina myself, and a current pointe teacher and Ballet Mistress, I can vouch for the fact that we've all wanted to do that! Hopuy, blessed with "good feet" (the holy grail of professional ballerinas), performs on pointe with enviable ease while projecting stage presence to burn. Also, at various times throughout the piece one or two dancers make hilarious errors reminiscent of the high jinks that go on in Jerome Robbins' "Mistake Waltz" from "The Concert". In another spot, a dancer who is wearing glasses pushes them up when they slip and then flashes a coquettish grin.

As I describe these amusing stage bits, I realize that you pretty much had to be there to understand why the comedy works so well. That said, you still have until New Year's Eve 2016 to hie yourself over to the Joyce to catch one or both of the Trocks' programs. Program A - which offers Act II of "Swan Lake", Merce Cunningham's "Patterns in Space", "Napoli Pas de Six", and "Raymonda's Wedding" - is scheduled for 12.21 at 3pm and 7:30pm; 12.22 at 8pm; 12.23 at 8pm; 12.24 at 3pm; 12.26 at 7:30pm; 12.27 at 7:30pm; and 12.28 at 3pm and 7:30pm. Program B's remaining performances will be on 2.18 at 3pm; 12.20 at 7:30pm; 12.29 at 8pm; 12.30 at 8pm; and 12.31 at 3pm. Why not treat yourself, and your friends and family, to a welcome dose of holiday cheer by watching the Trocks this season as they "Keep on Trockin'"?

Photo by Yi-Chun Wu

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