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Choreographer's Diary

by Leigh Witchel

Day 38. September 17, 1999.
Second performance.

As in the final week of rehearsals, tempers are short, and some of the dancers are obstinate, not understanding why they have to rehearse if it's a technical problem in Armature. I don't even bother
wasting the time to explain, I just run the rehearsal, and we go over the questionable cues in Armature twice. It pays off. The ballet becomes visible tonight and has its best performance of the run. It was a pleasure to get to see it. I find it sly and witty, but also beautiful at the same time, and I like the idea that it is open to so many interpretations. (Is it a spoof or a love song? Yes.) Scherzo is a bit more disjointed at its opening than the night before, but I still like watching it. It's a great opening ballet, both for the audience and the dancers. The fact that it's in soft slippers lets the dancers find themselves on the stage, and the audience loves the atmosphere. What I am struck by while watching it is how gay it is. Not because it's camp (it isn't) but because of its iconography and portrayal of the women. A straight man wouldn't have made them look like that, as a larger than life iconic heroine, a Vivian Leigh in Streetcar or Lillian Gish in Broken Blossoms. Aubade goes well although Chuck accidentally edits about 16 counts of the ballet out at one point and has to resort to emergency mime. Horizon, however, looks as if it had been rehearsed in separate rooms. The videographer is shooting emergency footage in case there's a major slip up in the performance tomorrow, when a two-camera shoot is scheduled, but I think precious little of the footage tonight would be usable, there is that little synchrony among the dancers. I make it clear that this ballet will be rehearsed tomorrow before we leave for the evening.

Day 39