"Balanchine choreographed Serenade for the students of his newly-formed School of American Ballet, and when the New York City Ballet came into being the following decade, he adapted it for a professional company. A masterpiece of abstract, neo-classical dance, it's now performed by companies far and wide. Set to Tchaikovsky's 'Serenade for Strings', Balanchine's Serenade is an almost miraculous fusion of music and dance. Balanchine's much-quoted diktat: "see the music, hear the dance" finds full expression here, and it's glorious to watch."
"It's danced on a bare, blue-lit stage by a corps of 17 with four soloists and five principals. The women wear ethereal costumes with long white skirts tinged with the merest hint of sky blue. Basic academic steps gradually gain in difficulty; the ever-changing formations for the corps show Balanchine's crafty way of dealing with the varying numbers of students available to him at any given time."
"The soloists cut through the corps formations in the allegro sections; in the first cast, Fumi Kaneko was a sparkling presence, taking flight with her soaring grand jetés. She was partnered by Vadim Muntagirov, their obvious enjoyment of dancing together adding a hint of spice to the proceedings; Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano brought a very sensual gravitas to their adagio; and Leticia Dias offered buoyant, joyous solos."
The Royal Ballet's Perspectives triple bill juxtaposes George Balanchine's 1934 Serenade with Justin Peck's 2014 Everywhere We Go and a new piece by Cathy Marston, Against the Tide. All three works emphasize a choreographic focus on musicality. Serenade, set to Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, showcases Balanchine's neo-classical fusion of music and dance, danced by a corps of 17 plus soloists and principals on a bare blue-lit stage. Ethereal costumes, evolving corps formations, and escalating technical demands demonstrate Balanchine's craft. Soloists deliver distinct qualities: sparkling allegro, partnered interplay, sensual adagio, and buoyant solos.
Read at London Unattached
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