San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA
Program 4: Prodigal Son, A Garden, Raymonda (the Wedding Act)
March 4, 2001

I had not intended to see Program 4, but in the end, I found myself drawn irresistibly by a few factors: the prospect of watching Muriel Maffre vamp it up in Prodigal Son, and watching Lorena Feijoo tear up the stage in Raymonda. So, there I was, craning with the other eager audience members in the standing room on Sunday.

Joan Boada was heavily promoted last year as the leading Prodigal out of the many fine men cast. The one I remember most, however was Gonzalo Garcia, whose performance this year I missed unfortunately. Still, seeing Boada again improved my feelings on his performance. He is a fireball of a dancer, which suits the style of Prodigal, however, he is occasionally a little lost dramatically. The standout is of course Muriel Maffre as the Siren. No one commands a stage in this company quite the way she does, and certainly Boada's Prodigal doesn't stand a chance against her. Her phrasing of the idiosyncratic movements is at times a little slower than I'm used to seeing, but this doesn't detract overall from her portrayal, which is detailed and obviously well-thought out. No matter how fine the two servants of the Prodigal are(and Kester Cotton and Ikolo Griffin did quite well on Sunday), I always miss their dance because I'm fascinated by the little drama that Maffre is playing out with Boada on the table. No matter what the situation, Maffre never misses the details of a moment. Of all the Sirens at SFB, she was the only one to get the stylized hand position, rising above her crown exactly behind her head for the maximum effect.

Mark Morris's new piece, A Garden, is his latest work for SFB, set to the music of Richard Strauss. As pieces go, it is cheerful and relentlessly musical. I found the costumes oddly unflattering (standard ballet leotard and skirt for the women and tights and a polo shirt for the men). Somehow, the length of the skirt contrived to hide the beautiful lines, and the brown polo shirt looked a bit too casual.

The wedding act of Raymonda was presented last year at San Francisco Ballet, and it remains an opulent acquisition. For those who were starving for a tutu ballet, here it was in spades. The elegance of the setting along with Glazunov's glorious music and Lorena Feijoo's impulsive interpretation almost covered for the essentially boring choreography contrived by Rudolf Nureyev. Certain sections, the Grand Pas Classique, Raymonda's variation, the passé relevés forward, cannot be changed much, and these sections were among the finest and most cleanly executed. Feijoo's strength and temperament suit this role, and she makes the most of every pose from moments of stillness in sous-sus sur place (and REALLY sur place) to the quick throwaway sautés in arabesque.

I wished that the cortége hongrois had had even a bit of her fire. There are few occasions for character dancing in ballet these days, but this used to be the kind of variation which could be a showstopper in the right hands. Chidozie Nzerem and Alice LuAn Lewitzke managed well, but ultimately this dance looked more like filler than like an important scene in its own right.

What's ahead in Program 5: The Sleeping Beauty, a revival of Helgi Tomasson's lavish staging, is sure to pack them in. Everyone loves a good fairy tale, including myself. I also look forward though, to seeing the old warhorses of ballet, not so much for the intellectual challenge of it, but rather to see what these gifted dancers will do with choreography that has tested the abilities of countless artists before them. Everyone will doubtless run to see Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre. Her charm is an asset to the role. But in other casts, I find myself most anticipating Julie Diana's debut as Aurora. Her fresh quality and clean dancing make her perfectly suited to this role of classical purity and sweetness. Among the others to see will be Joanna Berman, who never fails to provide a well-rounded interpretation, and Tina LeBlanc whose technique will ably serve the exactions of the choreography.

Among those dancing in the showcase role of the Bluebird, Guennadi Nedviguine and Roman Rykine will receive their due accolades, but for my money, Gonzalo Garcia will be the dancer to see. There is a pleasure in watching his progression through classical, neo-classical and modern repertoire, and I am anxious to see how his appeal comes across in the brief, but physically demanding pas de deux and variations.

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This review initially appeared on Voiceofdance.com, March 25, 2001.

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