American Ballet Theater, now in its 85th year, opened its summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House by celebrating another anniversary: The company’s “Swan Lake,” by Kevin McKenzie, has turned 25.
While “Swan Lake” is a reliable seat filler, with two runs at either end of Ballet Theater’s six-week season, its age is showing and its dramatic touches are more cloying than clever. Yet when a young dancer appears out of nowhere to freshen up the landscape, you perk up.
That was the case with Elisabeth Beyer, a member of the corps de ballet making her debut in the pas de trois. Her sparkling technique was amplified by her airy poise, long lines and the way music flowed out of her limbs with delicate, intuitive grace. The glamorous Sierra Armstrong, performing in another cast of the pas de trois — and later as Zulma in “Giselle” — moved richly, with velvety amplitude. This year, there were other memorable additions to “Swan Lake,” notably a new Prince Siegfried in Michael de la Nuez and the return of a majestic Chloe Misseldine in the dual lead of Odette/Odile.
After the first of the two “Swan Lake” runs came Wayne McGregor’s “Woolf Works,” a flawed three-act ballet inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf. Now, the company is deep into “Giselle,” which on Saturday night made news by starring Olga Smirnova, the former Bolshoi ballerina who left Russia to join the Dutch National Ballet after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
On Saturday night, she brought her astounding artistry to New York City as a guest artist opposite Daniel Camargo. It was one of the spotlight-worthy performances so far this season. Here is more on that and some others.
Olga Smirnova in ‘Giselle’
From the moment Smirnova stepped onstage, she was a seamless a dancer, making every gesture or grand movement not merely count but linger in a moment of floating suspense. Her slender fingers grazed Bathilde’s dress, resulting in a wash of shy awe over her sculptural features. Then came her effortless, dizzying turns as she whirled into the Wilis, a tribe of women who have died before they were able to marry.
Smirnova’s fluid épaulement and delicate hands have spellbinding qualities. In the mad scene, she was achingly beautiful while she pressed her palms to the sides of her cheeks, covering her ears with the wingspan of her fingers. It seemed like the blood was draining from her body, as if she had already started to enter the spirit realm.
She is an angelic Giselle, yet she gives unnatural qualities a natural aura. Dancing with Camargo — his Count Albrecht, at first cavalier and confident, progressed subtly along a path toward grace — she moved with a quiet rapture. Through Smirnova’s uncanny, luminous Giselle, he found humility.
Chloe Misseldine in ‘Swan Lake’
Although Misseldine’s appearance in “Swan Lake” wasn’t a debut, it was further proof that she, one of Ballet Theater’s most singular dance artists, is in full bloom. A ballerina of youth and magnitude, she unveiled a more nuanced Odette this season, with regal authority and a vulnerable heart that lent pathos to the luxury of her line. Misseldine’s scheming Odile was fun: alert, ferocious and even playful with a side eye so devious that you could understand why Prince Siegfried was in over his head.
But the broader performance was uneven. As Prince Siegfried, Aran Bell was a fine partner but gave Misseldine little in the way of drama, which at times warped the pace and made it seem like she was reacting more to her own imagination than his. (They revisit “Swan Lake” later this season, but before that, they pair up for “Giselle” on Saturday night, with Misseldine making her New York debut.)
Cassandra Trenary in ‘Woolf Works’
At the end of the season, Trenary, a principal dancer of expressive depth, will leave Ballet Theater for the Vienna State Ballet under the artistic leadership of Alessandra Ferri. There aren’t enough roles to go around at Ballet Theater, and she needs to dance. But she will be missed.
While “Woolf Works” is hindered by its goofy, cinematic Max Richter score, stretches of this ballet were given weight by the presence of Trenary, making her debut as Virginia Woolf/Older Clarissa. (Ferri originated the role at the Royal Ballet in London when the production premiered in 2015.) The interiority of Woolf’s writing is at odds with much of McGregor’s staging and choreography, but Trenary — somber, contained, concise — seemed to possess a sensory understanding of the words and how the emotions they provoke can be held within a body. Swept away by the waves, her tiny, haunting form was towering.
Michael de la Nuez in ‘Swan Lake’
This young corps de ballet member showed up — nobly — for his debut as Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake.” Yes, he is green and, sure, his partnering needs work, but de la Nuez was heroic in his perseverance to put his ballerina first. Dancing opposite Gillian Murphy, the marvelous principal who retires next month, de la Nuez appeared onstage to a screaming crowd. He clung to his composure, perhaps aided by fellow company members whose encouraging smiles helped to will him back into his body and into his prince, fed and misled by heart-forward ardor.
De la Nuez was promising not only for the power of his dancing, but also for his naturalistic, commanding presence. His elegance was more than conveyed in his expressive legs and feet, not to mention his bounding jump and steady landings in arabesque. But what set him apart was his vulnerability. With heartbreaking dignity he seemed to shed, in real time, the parts of himself that were not useful to the task at hand: performing a major role with a venerable ballerina. De la Nuez can dance. The happy surprise is that he can feel — and that he can transmit those feelings through the art of dance. It was so moving.
Gia Kourlas is the dance critic for The Times. She writes reviews, essays and feature articles and works on a range of stories.
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