Here They Come — The National Ballet in 1983–84

Reviews Here They Come - The National Ballet in 1983-84 Two new ballets by Constantin Patsalas constituted significant additions to the National Ballet's repertoire in the 1983-84 season. In "L'Ile Inconnue" and "Oiseaux Exotiques" Patsalas demonstrated once again his ability to pick from among the company's younger stars and emphasize facets of their dancing personalities that have been previously recognized but not exploited. Patsalas knows these dancers. His knowledge informs his choreography and the dancers in turn reveal his intentions in a genuinely reciprocal relationship. As a result, the company never looks happier or more at ease than when it is dancing Patsalas' work. This kind of easy reciprocity is one of the necessary conditions for real choreographic enterprise to thrive. In achieving it, Patsalas and the company have reached an important threshold. He now takes a year's leave of absence from the company and from choreography. Where he and the company go on his return, whether they cross the threshold they have reached to explore new territory together, is probably the most important single factor determining the company's artistic future. "L'Ile Inconnue" is set to Hector Berlioz' song cycle "Nuits d'Ete," for which Theophile Gautier's poetry provided the words. Gautier is a major figure in the history of Romantic ballet. He collaborated on the libretto for Giselle, a reflection of which can be found in "Au Cimetiere," the fifth of the songs in "Nuits d'Ete." Its second song, "Le Spectre de la Rose," provided the inspiration, though not the music, for Fokine's ballet of the same name. Patsalas, however, makes nothing of these references. His historical point of departure lies instead in Fokine's "Les Sylphides,'' but this time the evening is set in amber rather than moonlit tones. Like "Sylphides ," "L'Ile Inconnue" is a sentimental remembrance of romanticism, a modern work in the guise of period piece. Patsalas' choreography evokes the long, elegant line of - 146 romantic ballet, reflected in the fluttering costumes and moving draperies of the set. Yet the line is unmistakably modern, broken and punctuated by footwork that beats metrical time and lends a nervous haste to the overall effect. Like "Nataraja," "L'Ile Inconnue" makes special use of Gizella Witkowsky and seems at times to derive inspiration from her impeccable sense of legato. One of the ballet's great moments comes in a wonderfully extended lift for her in "The Spirit of the Rose." On the phrase "j'arrive du paradis," she is transported aloft across the stage and lowered to a supine Rex Harrington who holds her above him for some moments. The passage works on an abstract as well as a sensuous level in perfect accord with Berlioz' musical climax. Patsalas' fidelity to his musical inspiration makes this a forceful, memorable sequence. I am less certain about his setting of ''Barcarole,'' the last song of the cycle, where its title is "L'ile inconnue." The irony here turns on the phrase "on ne la connait guere" and suggests that eternal faithfulness and love seldom coexist. This song's irony tinges the entire cycle; presumably that's why Patsalas took his overall title from it. But the choreographic mood here reveals nothing of this reflective irony. Instead, it links "Barcarole" closely to the buoyancy and joy of "The New Season" (the cycle's opening song), with little hint that this initial mood has been significantly altered by the intervening material. It's a good question, of course, just how much responsibility the choreographer has to follow the lead of the music. In this case, however, where Patsalas has to reckon with both Berlioz' music and Gautier's verse, the interdependence is complex. It will take further performances to evaluate whether "Barcarole" lives up to the challenge. "Oiseaux Exotiques" sets a completely different mood, defined in large part by the giant white ruffle that forms its backdrop. That ruffle, repeated in the women's costumes , tells us that these birds owe more to the South American night-club than to the South American rain forest. The inspiration here is show-dancing with a sideways glance at all the Bluebirds and Firebirds of...