'Jewels' dazzles at sold-out show

NEW YORK— For the past few months, New York City Ballet has been celebrating the centennial of the birth of its late founder George Balanchine. This season's program shows the range of influences on Balanchine's choreography that brought him to "Americanize" ballet, making choreography quicker, more precise and more demanding on its dancers. He revolutionized the artistic relationships between movement and music. Next season, City Ballet looks to Balanchine's fully evolved American works, where he borrowed from contemporary American composers such as Gershwin and Sousa. In these masterpieces his signature style came to fruition, and he created dances that are now performed by companies worldwide.

Many of Balanchine's classics have been refreshed and restored with new costumes, scenery and dancers specifically selected for this yearlong centennial celebration. Last Saturday night's performance of the three-part ballet "Jewels" showed off some new scenery — remade by the original designer Peter Harvey — and the dancers, many new to their roles, which sparkled with a renewed vigor that audiences haven't seen from the company for quite some time.

The three sections of the plotless ballet "Jewels" have different moods and different composers. There is no story unifying the three parts; they are only tied together by the theme of "Jewels" brought out in the costumes and sets.

Miranda Weese epitomized weightless elegance in her lead in the "Emeralds" section, floating through her pirouettes with a waft of tulle from her long tutu trailing behind her. Though Karinska's long green costumes obscured the dancers' legs, Weese demonstrated that she has the most beautiful and articulate feet in the company. Stephen Hanna, new to his role, was an able partner. Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette danced a supple pas de deux. Jennifer Tinsley, Arch Higgins and Pascale van Kipnis delighted with their cheerfully synchronized threesome.

"Rubies," set to music by Igor Stravinsky, is always a jazzy showstopper. Alexandra Ansanelli, with her expressive eyes and upper body, was perfectly matched with Damian Woetzel's coquettish flair. Ansanelli's debut in the role began tentatively but she soon danced with more attack and eased her way through the angular positions, which included "walking like an Egyptian." Teresa Reichlen, a coltish blond, debuted in the role of the seductive soloist. Balanchine's choreography puts the woman's limbs at the mercy of four suitors. She is supposed to enjoy the manipulation as each man grabs an arm or a leg and positions her in a full split on pointe. Then she rejects them all to perform arabesques on her own. Reichlen's pirouettes could have had more snap. Reichlen had the requisite height, but lacked the bravura for her part.

"Diamonds," is the quintessential ballet — a corps of dancers resplendent in white sparkling costumes moving in unison to Tschaikovsky's score. The part Balanchine originally created for Suzanne Farrell was performed by Maria Kowroski. Kowroski's legs reach for eternity and she exhibited supreme control over them to perform crisp, clear steps. She was regal. Philip Neal was a steadfast and confident partner and landed soundlessly from his leaps in his solo.

This viewer gasped when, in the finale, all of the dancers paused from the complex choreography to present their legs to the side — a la seconde—only to return to a complex combination of steps. The intentional shift from complexity to simplicity in Balanchine's work was a consistent motif and a trademark for a choreographer who always keps audiences begging for more.

New York City Ballet at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center "Jewels" will be performed again on Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. The centennial celebration continues through Feb. 29 and picks up for the Spring Season April 27-June 27.