Evening star., 1961-07-04

In pairing maria IallcnleI
dance company, the brothers
Field have come up with a
winning combination. A near
capacity crowd that made the
huge bowl look filled on a holi-
day eve when thousands had
fled the city was ample testi-
mony to the wisdom of this
booking.
1t was a most enjoyable eve
ming of ballet. It was an eve
ming not marred. either, by the
mishaps that overlook a COUP
ie of members of the corps de
ballet, who encountered damp
spots underfoot and were star
tied to find themselves dane
ing with both feet pointing up.
It happened to Margot Fonteyn
once in Constitution Hall, so it
is understandable that it could
happen to less experienced
dancers out of doors on a night
when fog was condenSing
wherever it could.
= +
Fortunately, most of the stage
seemed to be in good, dry con-
dition. Miss Tallchief and Mr..
Bruhn were not forced to re-
peat their narrowing expert
ence of last week, when they
made a brave try and then had
to give up on an overwaxed
outdoor stage in New York.
The appearance of these two
Is bound to remain one of the
highlights of the summer sea-
son at the amphitheater, at
least for balletomaneS. Both
are dancers of uncommon skill
at or very near the peak of
their powers.
Last night they danced the
second act of Swan Lake" and
endowed it with a freshness
you may not have seen on it in
years. Miss Tallchief dances
Odette with emotion as we'll as
technical skill and it is a fine
display of shimmering acting
artistry.
Mr.. Bruhn, who probably is
not outclaSsed by any other
male dancer today, is rare
one among them. In addition
to masterful technical control.
he has a knack for projecting
vigor and authority when nee
essary and for fading almost
TO inviSibility when showing off
q ballerina in adagio.
y II
The Tallchief- -Bruhn appear
ance was enhanced consider
ably. incidentally, by being in
corporated into a ballet, or at
least into a full act of a ballet.
That pas de deux is so much
better in context instead of out
of it, as too many visiting
guest stars perform it.
This also gave us a chance
to enjoy the pert caperings of
the local cygnets Kathleen
Blake. Leslee Gearhart, Bar
bara Livshin and Maria Souk-
hanov) and the flights of the
senior swans led by Paula
Mckay and Patricia johnson.
There's that setting, too. It's
almost crime to do ballet at
Carter Barron without includ-
ing "Swan Lake" before that
completely right sylvan back
drop.
Also featured last night was
the premiere performance by
the Washington Ballet of Con
Brio" choreographed by Robert
Davis, the troupe's leading male
dancer. He, Marcia Barrett and
the company danced it with
enthusiasm.
Miss Barrett, in fact, danced |
it with more than that. There
are moments when you might
suspect that Mr.. Davis designed
the whole thing as a test of her
agility and if he did it is a
test she meets in praiseworthy
fashion.
All in all it is an entertain
ing ballet in the classical vein. |
1t is more solid than inspired |
and it is not marked by any
wild flights of the choreogra-
piers Imagination. But it is
an interesting composition of
movement and has the look of
something that will wear well.
Gladys P. Johnston, inciden-
tally. has costumed it brightly
to match the spirited dancing
and Tschaikowsky music.
\ = \