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Stars of the 21st Century Gala 2006 with Ballet, Modern, and Tango

Stars of the 21st Century
International Ballet Gala

Vladislav Moskalev, Oleg Muzyrya, and Victor Okhotin
Present a Solomon Tencer Production
Solomon Tencer, Executive Director
Nadia Veselova-Tencer, Artistic Director
Perry Silvey, Technical Manager
Russell Tencer, Financial Director
Audrey Ross, Press
audreyrosspub@aol.com

At New York State Theater
Lincoln Center
www.lincolncenter.org

Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
February 13, 2006

Appearing at the Gala:

Tango Metropolis Argentina
(See Argentine Tango Features and Photos)
(See Interview with Daniel Binelli)
Pilar Alvarez
Claudio Hoffmann

American Ballet Theatre
(See ABT Reviews)
Maxim Beloserkovsky
Irina Dvorovenko

Bolshoi Ballet
(See Bolshoi Reviews)
Sergei Filin
Svetlana Lunkina

Kirov Ballet
(See Kirov Review)
ANDRIAN FADEEV

Munich Ballet
LUCIA LACARRA
CYRIL PIERRE

New York City Ballet
(See NYC Ballet Reviews)
Sofiane Sylve

Paris Opera Ballet
Mathilde Froustey
Emmanuel Thibault

COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet
Desmond Richardson

PROGRAM:

Showman's Groove
Rhoden/Buble
DESMOND RICHARDSON

Carmen Pas De Deux
Beliy/Bizet/Shedrin
IRINA DVOROVENKO, MAXIM BELOSERKOVSKY

Tschaikovsky Pas se Deux
Balanchine/Tschaikovsky
SOFIANE SYLVE, ANDRIAN FADEYEV

Giselle Pas de Deux, Act II
Coralli/Perrot/Adam
MATHILDE FROUSTEY, EMMANUEL THIBAULT

Oblivion
Alvarez/Hoffman/Piazzolla
ALVAREZ, HOFFMAN, BINELLI

Pharoah's Daughter Pas de Dedux
Lacotte/Pugni
LUNKINA, FILIN

Romeo and Juliet
(Substitution)
Unannounced/Prokofiev
LACARRA/PIERRE

Grand Pas Classique
Gsovsky/Auber
FROUSTEY, THIBAULT

Solo from Dances at a Gathering
Robbins/Chopin
SYLVE

La Cumparsita
Alvarez/Hoffman/Rodriguez
ALVAREZ/HOFFMAN

Paganini Pas de Deux
Vasiliev/Rachmaninoff
LUNKINA/FILIN

Junk Duet from Known by Heart
Tharp/Knaack
DVOROVENKO/BELOSERKOVSKY

Solo
Rhoden/Prince
RICHARDSON

Thais Pas de Deux
Petit/Massenet
LACARRA/PIERRE

Defile
Veselova-Tencer/Tschaikovsky
TOUS LES DANSEURS
(See Stars of the 21st Century Gala 2005)

Solomon Tencer and Nadia Veselova-Tencer's newest Stars of the 21st Century production at New York State Theater was unusually eclectic and included a mix of ballet, modern, and even Argentine Tango. In fact, my favorite bandoneonist, Daniel Binelli, was onstage tonight with the sensual and stylized duo from Tango Metropolis Argentina, Pilar Alvarez and Claudio Hoffmann, in their own choreography to Piazzolla's Oblivion and Rodriguez' La Cumparsita. The rising stars of the Munich Ballet, Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre, were mesmerizing and magical in their Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux, borrowing New York City Ballet's Verona styled balcony, and they were equally virtuosic in Thais Pas de Deux, to Massenet's sumptuous score. These two and their Company should be seen more.

Another set of bravura performances was presented by Paris Opera Ballet stars, Mathilde Froustey and Emmanuel Thibault, in a passionate Giselle Pas de Deux and one of the most elegant ballets of the evening, Grand Pas Classique. Two renowned principals from American Ballet Theatre, who have been frequently reviewed in this magazine, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, mixed their genres. Their first piece, Carmen, choreographed by Beliy, was a severe, silhouetted, red against black vision, and the duo chose this dance well to showcase their technical professionalism. However, the Tharp piece, Junk Duet seemed to be a bit too silly, and the soundtrack seemed scratched. The work ended quite abruptly.

Svetlana Lunkina and Sergei Filin appeared twice, as well, in Pharoah's Daughter Pas de Deux and Paganini Pas de Deux. In the first, Ms. Lunkina showed off her Bolshoi training in the same successful manner as her summer appearance at the Met. Mr. Filin exuded a magnetic presence in his attentive partnering and soaring leaps. Sofiane Sylve of New York City Ballet danced one solo, from Robbins' Dances at a Gathering, to Chopin's piano score, and a duo with Andrian Fadayev of the Kirov, in Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. Ms. Sylve, one of the strongest female principals in her Company, seemed strongest tonight in the duo. I would like to see Ms. Sylve again in this solo role in City Ballet repertoire. Cameron Grant was live pianist for the Chopin score.

A tour de force was Desmond Richardson in two of Dwight Rhoden's works, Showman's Groove and Solo. The first could have used a female partner or some minimizing, as it was extraordinarily long. Mr. Richardson, star of his COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, danced with power and pulsation in both works, to scores by Buble and Prince, in one dressed casual chic and in one dressed casual brief. To return to the Argentine Tango dancers, here the audience was mesmerized and hooted during and after each dance. Tango is becoming quite popular these days, and Ms. Alvarez and Mr. Hoffmann danced with "gonchos" (leg kicks under the partner's thigh), "boleos" (female's swivel of the leg), and exotic lifts. Ms. Alvarez could be upside down or lunging onto Mr. Hoffmann's torso, and these dancers were quite used to recorded dance performance scores (unlike many of the ballet performers, who are used to live orchestral accompaniment). Daniel Binelli's bandoneón swooned and soared with the "tangueros". Mr. Binelli performs widely with Tango Metropolis Argentina as well as on international and local concert and Broadway stages.

In the Defilé, the final work of the evening, Ms. Alvarez and Mr. Hoffmann threw together some Tango choreography to Tschaikovsky, a tantalizing trick. All the evening's performers danced in a Fellini-like potpourri, dashing to and fro about the stage like frenzied fireworks. Kudos to Producer, Solomon Tencer, Artistic Director, Nadia Veselova-Tencer, and to more than a dozen crème de la crème dance performers from around the globe, for this highly entertaining and enlightening glimpse into the rising Stars of the 21st Century.

Desmond Richardson, who appeared in Stars of the 21st Century, Monday Feb 13 at the State Theater.
Photo courtesy of Steve Vaccariello

Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre, who appeared in Stars of the 21st Century.
Photo courtesy of Costas