BWW Reviews: LA SYLPHIDE and HEAR THE DANCE: DENMARK

The Danish choreographer August Bournonville, who predates the NYCBallet's founding by a century, still delights audiences with a repertory cultivated from his Royal Danish Ballet. His aesthetic sparks with joyful spontaneity, and even his most tragic works seem lightly brushed with a pastel warmth. The New York City Ballet attempts to reconcile their modernist magnitude with Bournonville's unselfconscious vitality in their "Hear the Dance Denmark" program, which includes first act divertissements and the second act "La Sylphide."

The divertissements, performed in quick succession, are an admittedly artificial presentation of Bournonville's capabilities. The first scene uses a backdrop to represent the interior of a European dance studio, and is a duly delightful entrance to Bournonville's work. It is followed by a pas de deux from "Flower Festival in Genzano." The performance, which should thrive on a sense of improvisational toying, betrays its complicated composition. The warm demeanor, so vital to Bournonville performance, seems more deluded than delighted. The "Pas de Six," from the third act of his "Napoli," thrives on fantastic execution from all performers, especially its female corps. The lilting and playful leaps of Indiana Woodward especially flavored the dance with internal joy. The final moment of the divertissement act is the grand tambourine finale of "Napoli," performed with a grounded joy. Perhaps it is Napoli's structure in social dance that electrified the movement but, whatever the reason, the interactions between dancers came with sincere abandon.

The second act's performance, the two part "La Sylphide," first performed in 1832, and as newly staged for NYCBallet by Peter Martins, is considered the first Romantic ballet. With a simple two act structure, "La Sylphide" opens on its hero, James, as he is woken by a Sylph in his Scottish manor. We then find that James is to be married to Effie, who is herself pursued by a young suitor, Gurn (Joseph Gordon.) During the celebrations a witch, Madge, is nearly expelled from the warm manor by James. During nuptial celebrations, the sylph appears to lure James into the woods. He pursues her into the Scottish forest, leaving his home behind. Madge then concocts a revenge. She poisons a shawl, which she tells James will allow him to capture the sylph. He, desperate to hold the sylph, uses the scarf. instantly killing her. He then sees the happy union of Gurn and Effie. In despair at what he's lost, he falls to the ground as Madge stands triumphant in her revenge.

While the publicity for this "La Sylphide" seems to portend a new fragrance from Dior, Martins' "La Sylphide" is, in fact, a classically wistful tragedy. The performances are executed with decisiveness and grace by the leads, Andrew Veyette and Ashley Bouder. Megan Lecrone grounds the story with her spectacularly realized characterization of Effie. From her frustrations in her distracted betrothed to her despair at his abandonment, her journey is entirely engrossing. Marika Anderson has a great deal of fun hamming in her joyous characterization of the witch Madge. The costumes by Susan Tammany are of velvetine richness. The tartans worn by the dancers and delicacy of the classic sylph costumes are vibrant constructions. These costumes are married well to a richly envisioned set. The forced perspective Scottish manor gives the sense of a romantic hearth. The forest glade he is lost in drips with art nouveau delicacy and with Chagall boldness in color. If "La Sylphide" isn't a harrowing tragedy, it is certainly a transporting fantasy.

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