New York City Ballet Koch Theater February 8, 2014, matinee

New Combinations: Vespro (Mauretti/Bigonzetti); Spectral Evidence (Cage/Preljocaj); Acheron (Poulenc/Scarlett)

Dancing in the Dark

Dear NYCB: Please pay your Con Ed bill. At the start of the third murkily-lit piece of the afternoon, a man behind me loudly whispered to his seat mate that the lighting person must be on vacation.

Well, maybe others were happier today, like the man who sat behind me at a recent Union Jack performance and snarkily commented, “New York City Ballet—so contemporary.”

All three of these ballets exhibit much of the odd conformity (dark stages; tedious and inexplicable gesturing; highly-trained dancers rolling around on the floor in skimpy costumes) that seems to be a requirement of “modern” ballet (I would except Ratmansky). The one that worked the best conceptually was Spectral Evidence. While too much of the choreography is banal, and seems to offer little challenge to the dancers (other than fear of sticking to or sliding off of the otherwise effectively used white wedges), the central portions for Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild form the ballet’s creative peak. The solo Preljocaj has created for Mr. Fairchild (his sister is in the piece, too, but sorely underused) shows inspiration and wit and is superbly performed. After this I was willing to take the whole ballet more seriously. If only Preljocaj had been able to sustain that level of dance-making throughout.

Bruno Moretti’s composition for solo piano, voice, and saxophone, is thought-provoking and I appreciate NYCB’s commission; it is regrettable that Bigonzetti’s choreography is not able to communicate its ideas more effectively. Andrew Veyette does his best with what he is given.

Liam Scarlett’s new piece, premiered just last week, with vaguely faunish costumes for the men (who look good) and filled with romantic sweeping lift (after lift after lift) shows promise. The choreographer showed he had some breadth and a good sense for movement, but the ballet itself didn’t stand up to the Poulenc Organ Concerto.

In all, these new combinations are not terrible; they are avenues that must be explored. But I left the theater longing for that old combination, Concerto Barocco.