Rockin' Robbins

The Pennsylvania Ballet opens its season with an all-Jerome Robbins program.

by Janet Anderson

In the Night, from 1970, a new repertory acquisition, superficially looks like ballet as usual. Three pas de deux set to Chopin — how much more classical can you get? However, nothing's ever what it seems with Robbins. Here he explores the three stages of love. First we see the initial yearning; the mood is subdued, the colors pastel with technically elegant Arantxa Ochoa and her gallant partner Maximilien Baud reaching out and pulling back as delicate steps bring them together. In a sultry, earth-toned mood, sinuous Riolama Lorenzo and her excellent suitor James Ihde evoke mature love. But Julie Diana and James Ady got the dishy part — passionate love, all sharp angles and primary colors of lust, anger and reconciliation. They luxuriated in it. In the finale all three moods intersect — sometimes new love shines, often it's mature love, but nothing stops the show like passionate love.

Robbins' The Concert (1956) actually sends everyone home laughing. He spoofs everything from the pianist's affected mannerisms, to audience bad manners, even the gaffes and pratfalls in a ballet performance. His audience argues over seats and sight lines. Dancers are carried on stage like inanimate props. One dancer is always in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing. Wonderfully performed by the ensemble, it ends in a Shakespearean mood — with a Puck-like creature rushing around shooing the players offstage. Then the curtain drops and the dancers come onstage with chairs so they can watch the audience. Turnaround is fair play.