NYCB MOVES Returns to Vail
“New York City Ballet has the marriage of music and dance written into its constitution” -The New York Times
Such joining of elements, greater together than separate, illustrates the ethos of the Vail Dance Festival under the leadership of Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, former principal dancer with the renowned ballet company.
NYCB MOVES rejoins the Festival after 9 years to help fete the Vail Valley’s gathering of dances on opening night on July 30. The smaller touring branch of the 90-dancer and 62-musician company will also present an evening program dedicated entirely to NYCB’s rich history on July 31.
Founded in 1948 by neoclassical ballet pioneer George Balanchine and impresario Lincoln Kirsten, the company sustains over 150 works: a repertory of “unequaled richness” and “the envy of the world,” as proclaimed by the New York Times. From pure dance to classic tales, these works have transformed the landscape of ballet and left a map for artists of tomorrow.
MOVES brings four of these masterpieces to Vail. Dances at a Gathering serves as the marking motif of the Festival in its enveloping distillation of humanity in harmony. The quintessential piano ballet was choreographed by City Ballet’s longtime associate artistic director Jerome Robbins to 18 of Frédéric Chopin’s mazurkas, waltzes, and études. The weaving tapestry of ten dancers in music is an intimate affirmation of community through music and dance.
Robbins’ impression of human connection in Chopin’s timeless piano works continues during the following evening’s program on July 31. The company will present Robbins’ 1970 ballet In the Night. The work for three contrasting couples expresses a spectrum of love and partnership, and is composed only of nocturnes, taking on the mood of midsummer at midnight.
The Festival is known for its commitment to reviving seldom seen works while showcasing current leading choreographers. This spirit endures with NYCB MOVES in a rare performance of George Balanchine’s Sonatine. The refined fluidity yet emotional complexity of the work was choreographed to the radiant piano music of Maurice Ravel in 1975. The evening will also include preeminent 21st century choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s exuberant Pictures at an Exhibition. Like Modest Mussorgsky’s famed score, the 2014 ballet’s dynamic shapes and rhythms evoke a rich palate of sensations.
NYCB’s return to Vail marks the spirited revival of the Festival with dancers, musicians and audiences celebrating the art of life together at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.