A “Russian” Program of Stravinsky/Balanchine works, at NYCB (DanceTabs)

Here’s my review of the program, which included the charming “Scherzo à la Russe,” “Divertimento from ‘Le Baiser de la Fée,'” “Danses Concertantes,” and “Firebird.” Divertimento is a curious, work, deceptively dark, like a deconstructed fairy tale. Here’s an excerpt from my review:

“Even though Balanchine eliminated the story, the themes of the fairy-tale remain; magic forces, longing, fear, separation. It is a surprisingly bitter ending for a ballet that at first seems so anodyne. Both casts of soloists performed eloquently; Tiler Peck was especially adept at switching the texture of her dancing from the cheerful sweetness of the pas de deux to the ghostly tones of the ending. The ensemble, however, looked ragged and under-rehearsed.”