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Francia Russell, seated, in a 1957 "Agon" rehearsal with George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky at New York City Ballet photo courtesy Russell and PNB |
I could watch George Balanchine’s
1957 masterpiece “Agon” 100 times and still find something new and magical with
each viewing. Lucky for me, “Agon” was half the season-opening bill at Pacific
Northwest Ballet this past weekend.
I first saw “Agon” in 1993, when
PNB gave its Seattle premiere. A quarter century later, Balanchine’s
choreography looks both of its era and eternally fresh.
“Agon” is Balanchine’s
disciplined and imaginative embodiment of Igor Stravinsky’s commissioned
score--wild, challenging, influenced by Schoenberg’s 12-tone music. One of
Balanchine’s acclaimed “black and whites,” “Agon” was paired by Kent Stowell’s
1993 voluptuous crowd-pleaser, “Carmina Burana.” The bill was both a study in
contrasts, and a salute to Stowell and his wife and partner Francia Russell,
PNB’s founding co-artistic directors.
Russell, an internationally-known
stager of Balanchine’s ballets, performed in the original “Agon.” She brought
the ballet, and many other Balanchine works, to PNB. I’ve had the great fortune
to watch Russell at work in the PNB studios, to see both her reverence for the
choreography and her meticulous attention to detail. Both were on full display in this new production.
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PNB Principal Dancer Lesley Rausch in the 2013 production of "Agon." photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB |
When I first saw “Agon” onstage,
I didn’t know Russell’s history, or really anything about the ballet. But I was
enthralled by the central pas de deux (I suspect Patricia Barker was one of the
dancers). I remember the couple facing the audience, the woman’s backside up
against the front of her partner. She bent at the waist, wrapped her leg around
his back, her foot extended, then flung her arms back as if to challenge the
audience: ‘ha, just wait until you see what else I have in store for you.’
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Here's Rausch in 2013 with retired Principal Dancer Karel Cruz, photo @ Angela Sterling. See what I mean? |
On opening night this time
around, I happened to be seated next to retired PNB principal dancer Olivier
Wevers, who has performed that pas. He told me the two
dancers are meant to egg each other on, the ballet version of "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better." On
opening night, PNB principals Lesley Rausch and Seth Orza delivered. Rausch,
who is always clean and precise, offered some mind-boggling moments. When
Orza lifts her up at one point, she throws open her legs into a wide split,
then holds the position as Orza slowly rotates, then finally lowers her
carefully to the stage. At another point, Orza is supine while Rausch flits
above him. He scoots his body beneath her, his pointed toes fluttering like a
hummingbird.
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PNB's Seth Orza lies supine beneath fellow Principal Dancer Lesley Rausch in the 2019 "Agon" photo @ Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB |
I can’t recount every
choreographic detail for you, but Balanchine has packed this 28 minute dance with
dozens of these captivating moments. Principal Benjamin Griffiths, in a
polished solo, whips off a series of leaps. Nothing unusual, except for the
fact that only one leg is extended; the other remains vertical, slightly above
the stage floor.
I particularly loved a pas de
trois featuring beloved (at least to me) principal dancer Noelani Pantastico
with two of the company’s rising stars: soloist Dylan Wald and corps de ballet
member Christopher D’Ariano. This trio was fierce and unrelentingly daring. I
gasped out loud when Wald lifted Pantastico off the floor, her body
perpendicular, then tossed her, still vertical, over to D’Ariano, who caught
her neatly then lowered her to the stage. Yikes!
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PNB rising stars Dylan Wald, left, with Christopher D'Ariano in "Agon," 2019 photo @ Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB |
“Agon” contains dozens of these
moments, and they (cor)respond wonderfully to the Stravinsky score. (Interesting
side note—PNB recently streamed a rehearsal on Facebook, and one viewer commented
that she liked the dance but thought PNB should swap out the music. That would
be like a PB&J sandwich without the jelly!)
George Balanchine made so many,
and such varied, ballets over the course of his career. I love many of them,
but “Agon” is among my favorites. This coming weekend you have four more opportunities to watch PNB’s most excellent dancers perform this masterwork,
lovingly passed on to them by the woman who learned it from Balanchine himself.
All praise to Francia Russell!