The New York City Ballet returned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as part of The Music Center’s Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance series, offering an evening that celebrated not only the company’s renowned technical brilliance but also its remarkable emotional range. While the ensemble numbers dazzled with precision and athleticism, some of the evening’s most memorable moments came from the quiet conversations between a single dancer and a single musician.

The program opened with Signs, Gianna Reisen’s lyrical work set to Philip Glass’s evocative score, performed live by pianist Michael Scales. Ten dancers, moving primarily in pairs and dressed in soft blue and white, floated across the stage with effortless grace. Reisen’s understated choreography echoed the meditative quality of Glass’s music, creating an opening of striking serenity.

The evening’s most visually arresting work followed with Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels. Accompanied by Richard Einhorn’s score and guest artist Mary Rowell’s mesmerizing performance on electric violin, the ballet transformed the stage into a dramatic landscape of light and shadow. Mark Stanley’s lighting and Holly Hynes’ crimson costumes heightened the work’s haunting atmosphere, while Emilie Gerrity, Ruby Lister, Joseph Gordon, and Davide Riccardo delivered performances of extraordinary intensity. Whether dancing alone, in pairs, or as a quartet, their athleticism and emotional commitment gave Dove’s choreography tremendous force. The audience rewarded them with an extended standing ovation, repeatedly calling both the dancers and Rowell back to the stage.

If Red Angels revealed the company’s dramatic power, Jerome Robbins’ A Suite of Dances showcased its intimacy. Positioned near the front of the stage, cellist Hannah Holman performed selections from Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello with warmth and elegance while Daniel Ulbricht answered each phrase through movement. Dancing with effortless precision, humor, and irresistible charm, Ulbricht transformed the performance into a dialogue between musician and dancer. The result felt remarkably personal, as though the audience had been invited to witness a private artistic conversation.

The evening concluded with Justin Peck’s exhilarating The Times Are Racing. Set to Dan Deacon’s driving score, the ballet fuses classical technique with contemporary street dance influences, while Humberto Leon’s urban-inspired costumes reinforce its unmistakably modern identity. Performed by twenty dancers moving with fearless energy and infectious exuberance, the work became a vibrant celebration of a city constantly in motion.

The New York City Ballet continues to demonstrate that true artistry extends well beyond technical perfection. Whether through the sweeping power of an ensemble or the quiet intimacy of a single performer sharing the stage with a lone musician, the company possesses a rare ability to forge an immediate emotional connection. It was an evening of exceptional dancing, thoughtful programming, and artistry that lingered long after the final curtain.

–Rosane Grimberg

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