BENJAMIN MILLEPIED
On October 7th-10th, the American Ballet Theater will premiere three new performances by three choreographers—Aszure Barton, Alexei Ratmansky and Benjamin Millepied—at The Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center. Millepied’s offering, titled “Everything Doesn’t Happen At Once,” is a large ensemble piece featuring Isabella Boylston and Marcelo Gomes, with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and costumes by Karen Young.
As a principal dancer for The New York City Ballet and a critically acclaimed choreographer, many see Millepied as the great dance hope of his generation. And after viewing his last piece at The New York City Ballet this spring, “Quasi Una Fantasia,” which featured sharp, minimal stage design and the feather-light movement of dancer Janie Taylor, I would not argue differently. You can see Millepied and Taylor together, and read more about Millepied’s work in a piece by Jonathan Shia, in the latest issue of The Last Magazine.
While watching the studio rehearsal of “Everything,” I was blown away by the intensity and how modern and relevant this piece feels. In the intimate setting of a rehearsal, you can really tell how much the dancers love this piece. While the classic tradition is always present in Millepied’s work, he is not afraid of going off into new territories, like martial arts and R&B moves. Strikingly confident and assuring, Millepied’s piece (especially the last movement “Cheating, Lying, Stealing”) will make you wonder why you don’t go to the ballet more often.