City Ballet: The Goldberg Variations and West Side Story Suite
I kicked off my New York City Ballet spring season with an All Robbins program, and it was a great one. First up was The Goldberg Variations , a Jerome Robbins ballet set to an 18th century Bach composition . One of the things I have always loved about Robbins's choreography is the way you see the music in his movements. His choreography is what the music dictates. The music for this piece has the published title of "Aria mit verschieden Veraenderungen," with "veraenderungen" typically translated as "variations." Repertory notes state that "veraenderungen" could also be translated as "alterations" or "mutations." Robbins's ballet plays with all three translations. The piece begins with Faye Arthurs and Zachary Catazaro appearing in baroque-period costumes and dancing the theme. After the theme comes, of course, the variations, split into two parts. Part one, featuring soloists (including Lauren Lovette and...