Midsummer takes the stage

Weekly Dispatch From: SPAC

Maria Calegari as Titania in A Midsummer Nights Dream

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has long been regarded as the summer home of New York City Ballet (whether or not the four-day residency that used to last weeks annually still counts as the “summer”, I will leave to the reader). In fact, the company has been there since before the buildings were finished. George Balanchine fought hard for the perfect floors for dancers in the lead up to the stage’s 1966 opening. The first public performance on that stage- Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a hilarious interpretation of the Shakespearean classic featuring one of the most beautiful pas de deuxs and of one of the silliest of all time- returns for a four-performance run this July. Debuts include Gilbert Bolden III (fresh off a long-awaited return to the stage after a horrific injury) as Titania’s Cavalier and soloist India Bradley as Helena. Helena is a role that requires both acting chops and a fulfillment of lines to make the most impact in the roles short burst onstage, so it will be exciting to hear how Bradley tackles the role.

For those of us far away or simply not bougie enough to see the company in Saratoga, here is a recording of the full ballet featuring Maria Calegari, and some archival photos by Martha Swope, of the company visiting the future performance space in 1966.

Where to see dance this week:

American Ballet Theatre’s Don Quixote is be revived at the Met Opera House. Full price tickets are expensive, so I would recommend signing up for the $30 for 30 & Under program or the student rush program if possible. Any chance you have to Catherine Hurlin or Chloe Misseldine in those Kitri jumps- take it. Plus, Tuesday, June 30th is Pride Night at ABT!

Catherine Hurlin as Kitri in Don Quixote