Summer 2015 Ball et Review

An Early American Sleeping Beauty from Review Summer 2015

CoverphotographbyCostas:WendyWhelanandNikolajHübbe inBalanchine’sLaSonnambula .

© 2015 Research Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 Brooklyn – Susanna Sloat 5 Berlin – Darrell Wilkins 7 London – Leigh Witchel 9 New York – Susanna Sloat 10 Toronto – Gary Smith 12 New York – Karen Greenspan 14 London – David Mead 15 New York – Susanna Sloat 16 San Francisco – Leigh Witchel 19 Boston – Jeffrey Gantz 21 New York – Harris Green 39 22 San Francisco – Rachel Howard 23 London – Leigh Witchel Ballet Review 43.2 24 Brooklyn – Darrell Wilkins Summer 2015 26 El Paso – Karen Greenspan Editor and Designer: 31 San Francisco – Rachel Howard Marvin Hoshino 32 Chicago – Joseph Houseal Managing Editor: Roberta Hellman Sharon Skeel 34 Early American Annals of Senior Editor: Don Daniels The Sleeping Beauty Associate Editor: 54 Christopher Caines Joel Lobenthal 39 Tharp and Tudor for a Associate Editor: New Generation Larry Kaplan Michael Langlois Webmaster: 46 A Conversation with Ohad Naharin David S. Weiss Copy Editors: Leigh Witchel Barbara Palf y* 54 Ashton Celebrated Naomi Mindlin Joel Lobenthal Photographers: Tom Brazil 62 62 A Conversation with Nora White Costas Nina Alovert Associates: 70 The Mikhailovsky Ballet Peter Anastos Robert Greskovic David Mead George Jackson 76 A Conversation with Peter Wright Elizabeth Kendall Paul Parish James Sutton Nancy Reynolds 89 Indianapolis Evening of Stars James SuZon David Vaughan Leigh Witchel Edward Willinger 70 94 La Sylphide Sarah C. Woodcock Jay Rogoff 98 A Conversation with Wendy Whelan 106 London Reporter – Clement Crisp 110 Music on Disc – George Dorris Cover photograph by Costas: Wendy Whelan 116 Check It Out and Nikolaj Hübbe in La Sonnambula . Catherine Littlefield as Aurora. (Photo: courtesy of the Ann Barzel Collection, Newberry Library) 34 ballet review Early American Annals of ing Beauty hailed it as the “first performance in America, ” an inaccurate assertion given The Sleeping Beauty Pavlova ’s prior – albeit limited – showings (as well as Mordkin ’s) ¹ In another context, Little- field qualified her claim by inserting the word Sharon Skeel “entire ” and providing additional details: “The [Philadelphia Ballet] Company has many To the list of ambiguities and debates involv - important engagements listed for the coming ing The Sleeping Beauty , I have one more to add: year, 1937, the foremost among which will whether or not Catherine Littlefield and her be the American premiere of Tchaikovsky ’s Philadelphia were the first to entire ballet, ‘The Sleeping Beauty. ’ . . . The produce a full-length version of this ballet in ballet, which is in five scenes, is an entire the United States. On February 11, 1937, at the evening ’s entertainment .” AcademyofMusic,subscriberstothePhiladel - While critics at the time commended phia Forum, a local presenting organization, Littlefield ’s achievement, some also acknowl - watchedLittlefield ’srenditioninitsfullthree- edged that Mordkin ’s Waterbury staging pre - hour splendor, which included one prologue, dated hers. For these writers, however, Mord - three acts, eight hounds, eighty-five musi - kin ’s complete production seemed in some cians , and one hundred dancers. It was orig - way incomplete: it was given “without an or - inal and credible, but was it the first, as Lit - chestra ” or as merely a “preview. ” tlefield claimed ? Indeed, Mordkin ’s Sleeping Beauty was a About two months earlier , in fact , a semi - fairy tale with plenty of fairies but with only professional group directed by Russian émi - three princes, two pianists, no tutor , and no gré Mikhail Mordkin staged what was de - rats. In other words, it may have been full- scribed as a complete Sleeping Beauty in Wa - length , but it was not full-scale, and existing terbury, Connecticut. Shortly afterward, this evidence suggests it lacked the grandeur be - group formally became the Mordkin Ballet fitting Tchaikovsky ’s score and the ballet ’s Company, the forerunner of Ballet Theatre. own history. While Mordkin danced the role Mordkin ’s work was performed just twice: of the Black Fairy (Carabosse) and Dimitri Ro - on December 19, 1936, for the Junior League of manoff and Lucia Chase were Prince Désiré Waterbury, and then again on March 20, 1937 and Princess Aurora , Mordkin ’s advanced (more than a month after Littlefield ’s pre - students assumed most of the other parts miere) for the Scarsdale branch of the New and Chase herself referred to the ensemble as York Junior League. a rehearsal group. Theoriginal1890SleepingBeauty ,whichpre - Theperformance,whichincludedthreeacts miered at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Peters- and a prologue within act 1, began at 3 p.m. in burg,withchoreographybyMariusPetipaand the Junior League ’s auditorium and was to music by Tchaikovsky, was a prologue-three- be followed by the League ’s Christmas dance . act extravaganza. Anna Pavlova, Mordkin ’s Reviews did not appear in the local newspa - formerpartner,gaveAmericanswhatwereno pers. The printed program listed no costume doubt their first glimpses of the ballet. The or scenery designers, although posed photo - repertory for her United States tour in 1910- graphs of Romanoff and Chase show his tunic 1911 included the de deux from act and her and rudimentary crowns on both 3, and, six years later , at New York’s Hippo - theirheads. Onthebacksofthesephotographs drome , she presented an abbreviated version is written “The sleeping beauty (Mordkin ofthefullballet,devisedbyIvanClustine,who after Petipa M), ” which suggests that Mord - likely derived his work from Petipa ’s. kin ’s reflected Petipa ’s in some The printed program for Littlefield ’s Sleep - way. Littlefield ’s, for the most part, did not. ©2015SharonSkeel 35 Despite its departure from Petipa, Little - paring for this challenge at least a decade ear - field ’s Sleeping Beauty exceeded Mordkin ’s in lier, after she returned to Philadelphia from capturing the bold spirit of the original. Pub - New York – where she danced for Ziegfeld licity for the Philadelphia Ballet ’s production and studied with Luigi Albertieri – to assist began five months in advance. A hint about its her mother with for two local opera opulence surfaced in The Dancing Times : “ One companies. They found Littlefield a partner of Miss Littlefield ’s most important objects in and formed a corps using students from their Europe was to confer with designers regard - school, which had developed over the years ingthecostumesandsceneryforherproposed from classes for neighborhood children and production of Tchaikovsky ’s The Sleeping women ’s music clubs. Beauty . . . .” In January the company present - By the late 1920s, Littlefield had recruited ed a preview at a local school that included William Dollar, Douglas Coudy , and Thomas a pas de six, variations , and an excerpt from Cannontoteachandperform ,andwaschoreo - the grand , the only portion of graphing ballets independent of opera. Her Petipa ’s original choreography that Littlefield marriage in 1933 to a wealthy lawyer provided retained. It had been taught to her by Lubov themeanstoactonherlongstandingambition Egorova, with whom she studied during off- to form a company, and she launched the seasons beginning in the mid-1920s. ² Philadelphia Ballet Company in October 1935. Littlefield ’s Sleeping Beauty was in one sense Among the company ’s strongest dancers her homage to Egorova, the former Mariin- were Philadelphia-born Karen Conrad and sky ballerina who had danced the role of Lilac Joan McCracken, whom Littlefield cast as the Fairy in St. Petersburg and alternated as Au - Fairy of Song and Fairy of Happiness , respec - rora in Diaghilev ’s 1921 London revival of the tively , for Sleeping Beauty ’s opening perform - ballet .Intelligentandmusical,Egorovataught ances (on February 11 for the Philadelphia Fo - in Paris for more than forty years. “You know, rum and February 12 for the general public ). Balanchine once told me that by watching her Littlefield ’s younger sister, Dorothie, as the classhegotinspired, ”GeorgeSkibinerecalled. Fairy of Hope (Lilac or Rainbow Fairy), led the During the Philadelphia Ballet ’s 1937 tour to fairy retinue, which was praised by Alberti - Europe, Littlefield arranged private lessons na Vitak in a comprehensive review in The with Egorova for a dozen or so of her prized American Dancer : “ The Six Fairies are all good company members. dancers, and each had an outstanding solo in But Littlefield ’s Sleeping Beauty was more the Prologue, with highest honors given to than just a tribute to her teacher. It was also Karen Conrad for her thrilling elevation and a demonstration that her teacher ’s Old World great style; to Joan McCracken for her airy ballet ideals of artistry, courtliness, and dis - movement and saucy beauty, and to Dorothy cipline could be embraced by New World [sic ] Littlefield for her graceful, flowing lines dancers – that Americans could produce an and beautiful poise. There were many points iconic work and do it well. With her canny oftechnicalproficiencydividedamongthesix: choice of Sleeping Beauty , Littlefield showed one had exceptional développé ; all could turn seriousness of purpose while exploiting her well, as witness they all did fouetté sur la pointe company ’s strengths: generous talent at the and circles of coupé jeté together, and all had top and sheer numbers below (augmented by good petite batterie . At times some of their cos - students from the Littlefield School ). It would tumes were unsuitable to the steps, or vice take almost three decades before another versa, with lovely Dorothy [sic ] Littlefield, as American company would replicate her feat : Fairy of Hope, the most unfortunate in this the Pennsylvania Ballet did it in 1965 and the respect.” Atlanta Civic Ballet in 1966 .3 Lincoln Kirstein, who attended the Febru - It could be said that Littlefield began pre- ary 12 th performancewithGeorgeBalanchine, 36 ballet review Nicholas Kopeikin , and Elliott Carter, panned New York ’s Lewisohn Stadium. 5 Littlefield ’s the costumes outright, writing in his diary , more manageable Aurora ’s Wedding , however, “The music alone almost carried it but only became a fixture on the company ’s programs four boys and six girls danced while the stage in subsequent years. 6 was crowded with her pupils who seemed InvaluablefilmfootagetakenbyAnnBarzel to have made their own horrible costumes. ” at a Lewisohn Stadium rehearsal and during The costumes had been made, and in fact de - a 1939 performance of Aurora ’s Wedding reveals signed, by Philadelphia artist Lee Gainsbor - brief passages of choreography and impres - ough (whose original name was Leon Gins - sive dancing, particularly by the Littlefields. berg ). 4 Other critics applauded his work, and As Princess Florine in Aurora ’s Wedding , Dor- Vitak at least approved of his ensemble for othie proves herself a true virtuosa, with Princess Aurora, an appropriately regal tutu / extraordinary à la seconde extensions and hooded cape combination. masterful turns, while Catherine as Aurora Littlefield ’s husband was said to have in - sustains a pretty line in her cambré back and vested $10,000 in the production, according double pirouettes into fish dives, which, as to Time magazine, a sum that purchased not scholars have noted, probably did not origi - only the costumes, but also the services of nate with Petipa , but with Nijinska in 1921. the prestigious Curtis Symphony Orchestra Barzel ’s footage is silent, absent what Olga directed by opera specialist Boris Goldovsky , Maynard called “the heart of ‘The Sleeping and flourishes such as a movable backdrop, Beauty, ’ the fire that gives the jewel its color giant spider web , and live hunting dogs to an - and light ” – Tchaikovsky ’s glorious music. imate act 2 . The New York Times ’s John Martin deemed it Most observers appreciated the enormity so essential to the Sleeping Beauty experience and significance of the undertaking and es - that Mordkin ’s use of two pianists in Water - pecially the passion that drove it. Vitak, for bury instead of a full orchestra was the de - example, asserted , “ One must marvel at the ciding factor, at least for him, as to whether energy and courage of Miss Littlefield for Mordkin ’s or Littlefield ’s was the first com - tackling such a gigantic task of choreography plete production in America : “ [Mordkin ’s while keeping her own fine technique in con - staging] was without benefit of orchestra , dition to dance the strenuous stellar role. In - . . . and with a work of this sort, the only au - teresting as a side light of character and an thentic part of which is Tchaikovsky ’s score, attribute no doubt responsible for this dual this should perhaps give the decision to the accomplishment in the face of almost insur - Philadelphia performance.” 7 mountable difficulties was her sang-froid Balanchine danced in The Sleeping Beauty as when, soon after her entrance, one of Miss a boy at the Mariinsky Theater and its sense Littlefield ’s four partners failed to catch her of magic never left him. Seeing it in Philadel - in a twirl. She stepped out of her role long phia stirred his memories. Kirstein wrote , enough to bestow upon the culprit a gracious “Balanchine and Kopeikine [ sic ] were marvel- andunderstandingsmile. ”Ingeneral,thecrit - ous on the way home telling about it at the ics ’ most common complaint, one evidently Mariinsky Theater: the squad of soldiers to shared by Kirstein, was the company ’s lack of movethetrees,thefountains ,etc. ”Littlefield ’s depth. grand production so overwhelmed her broth - After the February performances, the Phi- er that he began to cry as he watched from ladelphiaBalletpresentedSleepingBeauty inits his box in the theater. Mordkin ’s no-frills entirety just four more times (with some al - SleepingBeauty camebeforeLittlefield ’sandin - terations) – in July at two different outdoor cluded a full three acts like Petipa ’s. All that venues, Philadelphia ’s Robin Hood Dell and was missing was the magic. summer 2015 37 NOTES IamgratefultoMindyAloff,JanisandKristinaPul - Clercq, Moscelyne Larkin , and Bambi Linn. cini, David Vaughan , and Barbara Weisberger for 4. The printed program credits the execution of their analysisandinsightsregardingtheAnnBarzel the costumes to Young & Gainsborough; McIlhen - footage . – S. S. ney. 1. Additionally, Colonel W. de Basil’s Ballet Russe 5. Interestingly, Alexander Smallens, who con - de Monte Carlo presented Aurora’s Wedding in the ducted the July performances, had been Pavlova’s United States prior to 1936. rehearsal pianist for her 1916 Sleeping Beauty at the 2. In later years, when the company regularly Hippodrome. performed Aurora’s Wedding , Littlefield attributed 6. During these years the company was called the both the grand pas de deux and the Bluebird pas de Littlefield Ballet. deux to Egorova. 7. The American Dancer , too, decided in favor of 3. In 1940 at the Carnegie Chamber Music Hall Littlefield, alleging in its September 1937 issue that (now the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall), Mordkin had made cuts to the score for the Water - Mordkin apparently presented a new full-length bury performance, “which disqualifies his claim to Sleeping Beauty , which was more elaborate than being ‘first’ to present this ballet in its entirety in his prior one , but danced exclusively by Mord- America. So, Catherine Littlefield really holds that kin and his students, among them Tanaquil Le honor .”

REFERENCES Anastos, Peter. “A Conversation with George Skib - Maynard, Olga. “The Sleeping Beauty. ” Dance ine. ” Ballet Review 10, no. 1 (Spring 1982 ): 68-97. Magazine (December 1972 ): 44-65. The Dancing Times (October 1936 ): 24. Mikhail Mikhailovich Mordkin Papers, (S) Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-Papers, (S) * MGZMD *MGZMD 98, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The 123 , Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Public Library for the Performing Arts. Writings Money, Keith. Anna Pavlova: Her Life and Art . New by Lincoln Kirstein are © 2015 by the New York York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. Public Library (Astor, Lenox and Tilden Founda - “The Philadelphia Ballet .” Program file, Music tions) . Department, The Free Library of Philadelphia. LittlefieldBallet,1936-1941 .Videorecording.Ann “Sleeping Beauty. ” Time (February 22, 1937). Barzel Dance Film Archive, Ann Barzel Dance Re - Vaughan, David. “Further Annals of The Sleeping search Collection, The Newberry Library, Chica- Beauty : Anna Pavlova, 1916. ” Ballet Review 3, no. 2 go . (1969): 3-18. Martin, John. “Tchaikovsky Work Is Given as Vitak, Albertina. “Dance Events Reviewed. ” The Ballet. ” The New York Times , February 13, 1937, 8. American Dancer 10, no. 6 (April 1937 ): 22-23.

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