This week, the oldest continuously operating professional ballet company in the United States, the San Francisco Ballet, is pretty much in residence at Jacob’s Pillow, performing each night on both the Henry J. Leir (outdoor) stage and in the Ted Shawn Theatre. The company is performing a wide variety of work in both venues, including classical pas de deux, neo-classical, and, for want of a better word, “post-modern” pieces. The company, formed in 1933 (the same year Ted Shawn founded Jacob’s Pillow, as kismet would have it), has not been at the Pillow since 1956, when Shawn invited the company to have an impressive three-week-long run—something the Pillow had not done before then, and has not done since.
For this viewer, what was immediately noticeable about the company’s dancing was that it was distinctly “American.” By that I mean it had an American sensibility in terms of the approach the dancers took to the movement; their attack and dynamics; their crisp, sharp line in the shapes; and their dramatic flair. George Balanchine (a Russian, no less!) is arguably historically responsible for this “American” style of ballet. And while the dancers clearly had the ability to be entirely lyrical, and soften the edges, that was not their default position, at least in the work being performed this week at Jacob’s Pillow. Importantly—and not a surprise at all, given the stature of this impressive company—the dancing by these exceedingly talented and poised artists was generally excellent indeed.
Joshua Jack Price and Katherine Barkman in Marius Petipa’s “Le Corsaire” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Hannah Murphy.
The Leir outdoor stage provided an interesting setting for the dancers during the open-air performance that started the evening. For most of the pieces, the outdoor setting was certainly unusual and, for sure, demanding. The hugeness of space, and even a slight breeze, can be disorienting for dancers who are used to performing on a proscenium stage, or in a very defined, structured environment. Certain steps, such as turns, can be very difficult to control. All the dancers did an exceptional job of handling the outdoor conditions, particularly Katherine Barkman and Joshua Jack Price, who stayed entirely within themselves in the ever-so-slightly modified, but still quite technically challenging pas de deux from “Le Corsaire.”
Harrison James and Wona Park in Liam Scarlett’s “No Man’s Land” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Hannah Murphy.
Wona Park was also wonderful in the pas de deux from “No Man’s Land,” choreographed by Liam Scarlett to music by Liszt. She hurled herself into the movement with wild abandon, particularly in the partnering and lifts. Later in the evening, on the indoor Ted Shawn stage, she danced with the same abandon in the pas de deux from “Raymonda,” though admittedly the partnering in the “Raymonda” was more classically sedate. In both pieces, however, she trusted completely in her partner. And, in both pieces, her partners, Harrison James in “No Man’s Land” and Fernando Carratalá Coloma, were resolutely up to the task. And Park and Coloma exhibited exceptional musicality in the “Raymonda.”
Jasmine Jimison in Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Hannah Murphy.
Mention must be made of Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan,” performed on the outdoor stage. Duncan was the turn-of-the-20th-century groundbreaking pioneer of modern dance. The story goes that Ashton, as a young man, saw Duncan dance, and that event was life-changing for him. Thus, many, many years later, he choreographs the Brahms Waltzes as a remembrance of her. The outdoor stage was a perfect setting for the piece (Duncan was famous for performing outside, in nature). Against a stunning backdrop, the setting wonderfully enhanced the way Jasmine Jimison’s gauze dress was affected by the air and the way the rose petals Jimison released from her hands fluttered to the earth (Duncan had similarly used rose petals). Jimison expertly used the surroundings to perfect dramatic advantage.
One bonus of having an illustrious company such as the San Francisco Ballet at Jacob’s Pillow is that heaven and earth can and will be moved to make sure everything is just the way it should be for the performances. Thus, for a number of the pieces outdoors, the dancers were accompanied by live, open-air piano music, notwithstanding that just before the performance began, a raindrop or two—but thankfully no more—fell. Likewise, when the performance moved inside the Shawn Theatre, much of the evening’s work was accompanied by 22 members of the Albany Symphony Orchestra. While live music is regularly heard at Jacob’s Pillow, rarely, if ever, does the music come from a 22-piece orchestra. Dancing is always enriched, and there is always an exciting edge, when it is accompanied by live music, and the collaboration between the Albany Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet was no exception.
San Francisco Ballet in Hans van Manen’s “Grosse Fuge” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Becca Oviatt.
The Shawn Theatre program featured the eclectic repertory that the company is known for: from classical pas de deux from “Don Quixote” and the “Raymonda” mentioned earlier; to Balanchine’s neo-classical pas de deux from the “Diamonds” section of his ballet “Jewels”; to Hans van Manen’s interesting ensemble work “Grosse Fuge,” with music by Beethoven; then moving forward to Akram Khan’s pas de deux from his piece “Dust”; and then moving very fast all the way forward to work by William Forsythe, including “Prologue” and “The Barre Project.” All of the work was danced with uniform expertise; however, for this viewer, the marvels of the evening were the Khan duet and “The Barre Project.”
San Francisco Ballet in Hans van Manen’s “Grosse Fuge” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Becca Oviatt.
It is an absolute cliché to say that dancers, especially dancers in modern and post-modern duets, are connected and communicating and creating their own world while dancing. Of course, clichés are clichés because they are true. And so it was with Dores André and Victor Prigent in the Khan duet. With the exception of one or two quite frankly inexplicable moments when the dancers were choreographically required to surface to peripherally acknowledge the dancing and almost break the fourth wall, the two wonderful dancers were entirely in their own private and essentially secret world, which the rest of us had the privilege to just get a glimpse of onstage. The powerful effect, realized through the fully committed dancing of the two performers, was greatly enhanced by the beautiful and very effective lighting.
San Francisco Ballet in William Forsythe’s “Prologue” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Becca Oviatt.
The program ended with “Prologue” and “The Barre Project” by Forsythe, with, quite famously, music by James Blake. A more perfect piece for these accomplished dancers from the San Francisco Ballet could not be imagined, in my opinion. Just about everything in the Forsythe choreography is directly in the wheelhouse of these dancers; the sharp, precise lines; the dynamic attack; the speed; the direction changes; the drama; the flair; the attitude; the musicality. Most remarkable was how quiet the dancers were on their feet, even in the face of the incredibly complex and challenging choreography. It was a joy to watch these beautiful dancers just revel and luxuriate in the movement.
San Francisco Ballet in William Forsythe’s “The Barre Project” at Jacob’s Pillow. Photo by Becca Oviatt.
The San Francisco Ballet will be at Jacob’s Pillow through this Sunday, August 9. It is a company very much worth seeing. Information on performances, and all events and performances at the Pillow, can be found on the Pillow website.