Balanchine's Vienna Waltzes

 Balanchine's treatment of the waltz takes us to the core of its appeal.  In waltzing we lose and recapture our balance more precipitately than in other forms of dancing, and since the momentum keeps pulling us, we want to do it again and again.

--Arlene Croce

I have posted previously about Vienna Waltzes, on September 26 2016 and July 4 2020.  The 2020 post was in response to the beginning of NYC Ballet's digital season and this week Vienna Waltzes represents the end of the digital season, with live performances to resume, we hope, this September.  The 2020 film was from 1983, the year of Balanchine's death, and the current performance is from 2013.  Indeed, the cast is different but this beautiful ballet continues, with a changing cast.

The first part is Tales from Vienna Woods, music Johann Strauss II, with Rebecca Krohn and Tyler Angle as the lead dancers, coming together and splitting apart, with other couples.  The second part is Voices of Spring, music by Strauss II and the only part of the ballet danced en pointe, led by Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley.  The third part is Explosion Polka, with music again by Johann Strauss II, a light-hearted romp, with Erica Pereira and Sean Suozzie. The fourth section is The Gold and Silver Waltz, music by Franz Lehar and led by Teresa Reichlen and Ask la Cour.  The final part has music from Ricard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, with Maria Kowroski and Jared Angle at the beginning and then the rest of the cast joining them in a swirling finale.

Each episode suggests a different period of the 19th Century and each emphasizes dancers alone, in a pas de deux and as part of a group, as well as each section representing a different time of year, with the first three parts "outdoors" and the last two "indoors," as well as all sections representing pursuits of love as Balanchine sees it. 

Unfortunately there is no credit give for the director of those behind the camera, but Vienna Waltzes is beutifully filmed in full shots of the ballet, with a very occasional closer shot with a zoom lens.  It probably goes without saying that ballet, like baseball, does not film well and those who have never seen ballet live are missing out on at least some of its beauty, of which we were reminded during NYC Ballet's digital season.