Fall for Dance was different from the ballets I am used to seeing, as it showcases multiple dance troupes rather than just one, so it was interesting to see how these different dance troups compare.

First was the Ballet West's rendition of Les Biches. Personally, I did not care for the choreography, as it made the dancers appear heavy, as if an obese person was trying to do ballet. Also, the dancing sometimes did not fit the music, such as times when the dancers would dance lightly to loud music. Also, I would have preferred that the music was live rather than a recording, but I guess for the City Center stage, that would be an impossibility.

Second was Dendy Dancetheater's rendition of Afternoon of the Faunes, which was certainly an odd ballet, mainly because the dancers did the same jumping dance in place for a lot of the ballet. However, I did like the other dance, particularly that of the more prominent dancer, who would do handstands and jump around, almost like breakdancing. The choreography in general though was skilled, and I would like to see more from Dendy Dancetheater.

Third was the New York City Ballet's rendition of Four Bagatelles choreographed, interestingly, by the choreographer of the original production of West Side Story, Jerome Robbins. This, to me, was the most traditional of the ballets in this series with music by Beethoven and more standard ballet moves. Though it didn't really stand out from the other ballets, I thought the ballet was well exectuted. (It is the New York City Ballet after all.) Also, I liked the use of live music for this production, even if it was only a piano.

Finally was the Mark Morris Dance Group's rendition of Grand Duo. This was one of my favorites, though it's not actually ballet; it's modern dance. The music was certianly different from the other music in the other ballets, being much more modern (1988) and live, with a piano and a violin. The dancing was skilled too, and it made me interested in modern dance. My favorite part was the last movement in which the dancers danced in circles while stomping their feet to the music, almost like tap dancing. This really caught my attention, and I would like to see more from Mark Morris.

I though that Fall for Dance was an interesting sampling of various ballets, and I think, aside from the first dance, the dances were well-coreographed and a joy to watch. I think I will be seeing more from the New York City Center in the future.