Review: An Overview of NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Presents A STAGING-IN-PROGRESS OF GEORGE BALANCHINE'S GOUNOD SYMPHONY. By Suzanne Farrell Ballet

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet performed a staging-in-process showing of the second movement of the rarely seen George Balanchine ballet, Gounod Symphony, on Sunday, September 11, 2016 at the NYU Skirball Center. Presented in collaboration with The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University, the revived work will premiere in full at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. October 21-23, 2016.

A working rehearsal was followed by a conversation with Suzanne Farrell, Artistic Director of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and Jennifer Homans, Founder and Director of The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University. They discussed Ms. Farrell's re-staging of the Gounod Symphony, her work with her company, Balanchine, and many other fascinating facets of her illustrious career and her thoughts on various aspects of ballet. Ms. Farrell proved as captivating and engaging speaking onstage as formerly in her roles as a legendary ballerina. Her witty, insightful and entertaining banter with Ms. Homans carried the afternoon, as did the wonderful dancing of her young company.

Ms. Farrell stated that every ballet is its own unique world. On this afternoon, the audience was transported into the world of Balanchine's Gounod Symphony, once considered one of his "lost ballets. However, on Sunday the second movement was brought to life.

Gounod Symphony is an elegant ballet in an abstract style. However, Ms. Farrell notes there is always a "story" in every Balanchine ballet. Gounod Symphony is an unabashed celebration of the corps de ballet as they weave in and out of nonstop geometric patterns and spirals while two principal dancers display inspirational classical technique. Gounod Symphony was choreographed by Balanchine to Charles Gounod`s Symphony No. 1 in D major, with décor by Horace Armistead (actually his set for Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden), and costumes by Barbara Karinska. It was first premiered by New York City Ballet at New York City Center, on January 8, 1958 by Maria Tallchief and Jacques d'Amboise and an ensemble. The original Gounod Symphony followed the four movements of Gounod's score. Considerable revisions were made by Balanchine after the first season. The dancing for the two soloists was substantially extended, with Patricia Wilde and Jonathan Watts most often seen in the leading roles. The ballet was not performed after 1965 by New York City Ballet until a revival staged by VIda Brown Olinick in 1985. Robin Wagner created a new set for this revival and Peter Martins created a new pas de deux for the third movement replacing original choreography that had been lost. When Ms. Farrell was asked to stage Gounod Symphony for School of American Ballet in 1990, she was told to omit a "Minuetto" section, which she also leaves out in this re-staging. Ms. Farrell worked from an old video tape of the ballet, keeping true to the original, but added her own remarkable artistic stamp, most notably in musical timing and the amplitude in the dancing. Gounod Symphony survives as a testament to George Balanchine's greatness even through its many revivals and adaptions.

When Ms. Homans asked Ms. Farrell why she chose Gounod Symphony for her company to present, Ms. Farrell replied as she said Balanchine might have, "Why not?" She went on to explain that this ballet has patterns and step sequences not seen in any other Balanchine ballet (or any ballet) and deserves to be seen by today's audiences. She pointed some of these Unique Features out in her working rehearsal. Although Ms. Farrell never actually danced in this ballet one can imagine her in the lead with her glorious, expansive dancing and musicality.

First, the audience observed a working rehearsal of the second movement, with some stops and starts. After an interview moderated by Ms. Homans, the audience watched the complete second movement. We could see the confidence grow and glow in the dancers from the working rehearsal and that several glitches had been ironed out.

Balanchine has had as many sayings handed down for posterity as he did ballets. On Sunday, there were so many pearls of wisdom and wit given by Ms. Farrell in her coaching, that, just as there is a published booklet of Balanchine sayings, there could eventually be one of Ms. Farrell's.

In the working rehearsal, Ms. Farrell gently guided her soloist (the exquisite Natalia Magnicaballi) as she broke away to dance alone from her partner (the excellent Michael Cook), "You don't have to dance for him but because of him."

When coaching her lovely female dancers, Ms. Farrell imparted the image of a languid day of "sunrise to sunset" in the long sweep of their arms as they traversed the stage in bourrées. She deliciously added "and not a daylight savings times day." She urges her dancers to move like the ocean: as waves moving fast onto the shore and then receding slowly from the shore. She gave an enlightening observation of dancers' overuse of gazing into the mirror in class and rehearsals that gives them only one view of themselves to present. She went on to tell her dancers that if there are a thousand people in the audience, they have to be able to dance a thousand ways, and not just one-thousandth way.

Ms. Farrell believes a ballet should not be just "a memory, but memorable." The Skirball audience was given something memorable when observing Ms. Farrell coach and polish the diamonds that are the dancers of her company. The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, under the artistic direction of George Balanchine's most celebrated muse, continues to flourish as the Kennedy Center's own ballet company in Washington, D.C. Combining her vast artistic strengths and teaching gifts with her deep, inimitable insight into the Balanchine canon, Ms. Farrell carries forth Balanchine's enduring legacy-sharing his profound vision and influential works with world audiences via company tours, artistic partnerships, and educational residencies.

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik

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