Borrowing From Balanchine

If the spring season of American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House emits the pure white light of classicism, then the fall repertory at City Center displays a spectrum of shorter 20th-century works created within the classical tradition.This weekend, the company premiered “Kaleidoscope,” a mesmerizing new ballet shaped in the old imperial style by the young and talented choreographer Peter Quanz. A pastiche of elements from Balanchine’s neoclassical oeuvre, “Kaleidoscope” is vertiginous in its countless allusions as well as in its design. From the opening tableau to the grand finale, the corps strikes mirror images of symmetrical patterns reminiscent of Balanchine’s “Jewels,” “Symphony in C” (originally “The Crystal Palace”), and “Allegro Brillante,” among others.More significantly, “Kaleidoscope” bares an unmistakable and proud resemblance to “Ballet Imperial,” from which it borrows its dominant subject: the estrangement and consummation of the “queen” ballerina and her prince. Balanchine’s masterwork was set to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and for “Kaleidoscope,” Mr. Quanz chose Saint-Saens’s Piano Concerto No. 5. In both works, the concerto structure – with its dynamic involvement between a solo instrument and the orchestra – provides a choice vehicle for demonstrating the hierarchies that exist among the corps, soloists, and principal dancers.Robert Perdziola’s backdrop of frosted glass replaces the Winter Palace, and the corps, wearing violet tutus, frames the activity of the two leading couples. Although the ballet is abstract, it is richly suggestive of incident.Once Ethan Stiefel enters as the first cavalier in a sky-blue vest, the corps recedes to the opposite end of the stage in step with the crystalline runs on the piano. They immediately retread their ground at the appearance of Gillian Murphy, forming a protective boundary that separates the pair. The two finally unite, punctuated by Ms. Murphy’s extensions in her supported arabesques, filling out the phrases for horn in the orchestra pit.The whole introductory movement effectively glistened with Saint-Saens’s bright chromaticism, flashing in the dancers’ movements before settling on a darkly exotic melody in the following Andante, which gives the work its nickname as an “Egyptian” concerto. It is an admirable feat by Mr. Quanz to not be buried by the achingly beautiful and complex music, which was given an arresting live performance by pianist Barbara Billach.Lively and contemplative by turns, the choreography exhibits fluid sequencing, surprising combinations (a fainting spell into the hands of suitors), and powerful individual statements, especially in the role of second ballerina, performed by Veronika Part. Ms. Part summoned formidable presence for the cadential section that recalled the elaborate preparations in “Ballet Imperial,” which she danced splendidly last spring. Maxim Beloserkovsky partnered her in a slippery and, according to Brad Fields’s lighting, vaguely illicit pas de deux before the corps interrupted again, sleighing across the stage to the sound of cymbals.In an alternate casting on Saturday night, Herman Cornejo replaced Ethan Stiefel. But the gratifying surprise was Sarah Lane, who distinguished herself from the corps last fall during the City Center season and continued to radiate with a confident technique and personality. She showed pluck in her solo, rounding the stage in a repeated series of pirouettes and arabesques that highlighted her line from every quarter profile.“Kaleidoscope,” of course, owes such an obvious debt to Balanchine sources that Mr. Quanz opens himself up to accusations of piety – or a dismissive wave of the hand for irrelevance. But imitation as a form of homage is a credible starting point for a young artist, and can serve as a launch pad for more innovative stylistic departures in the future.After completing short works – notably to the avant-garde composer Peteris Vasks as part of the New York Choreographic Institute in 2002, and for American Ballet Studio Theatre last year – Mr. Quanz’s decision to highlight the neoclassical side of Balanchine is commendable. Most imitations have tended to be either perversions (ahem, Boris Eifman’s “Musagete”) or inadvertent parodies (Gerald Arpino’s whip cream and sugar in “Suite Saint-Saens”). In “Kaleidoscope,” Mr. Quanz drinks deep, and it shows.***At Saturday’s matinee, American Ballet Theatre presented alternate casts in “Afternoon of the Faun” and “Rodeo.” I have been looking forward to Xiomara Reyes’s performance as the cowgirl in Agnes de Mille’s “Rodeo.” She has the neat, muscular frame of a tomboy who spends a lot of time at the sandlot after school. Her dancing, strongly characterized by dramatic flourishes, can sometimes be over-animated, but this role concentrates her theatrical gifts to delightful ends.The cowgirl spends as much time off to the side as at the center of attention, and Ms. Reyes was every bit the part on Saturday afternoon. She bit the corner of her mouth in frustration, or dusted off her trousers, intent on another shot to capture the feelings of the head wrangler (Jared Matthews). She was less convincingly shy than Erica Cornejo, who performed in the opening cast on Wednesday, but she won our sympathy as she fell to the ground after Mr. Matthews’s final rebuff like a broken-hearted Petrouchka. As the girl in a yellow dress, she happily succumbed to the advances of the champion roper, performed by Sascha Radetsky, whose boot-tap routine lit an invisible fire under his heels that Ms. Reyes tried to snuff out eagerly with the flounce of her dress.***David Hallberg and Stella Abrera replaced Ethan Stiefel and Julie Kent in Jerome Robbins’s portrait of narcissism in “Afternoon of the Faun.” Both couples represent physical epitomes of classic beauty as they warm up and eventually entwine in front of the rehearsal mirror. But Mr. Hallberg appeared less serenely self-absorbed than Mr. Stiefel.To the halcyon melody of Debussy, Mr. Hallberg’s sangfroid was upset with a slight grimace that added a dimension to the role, expressing greater awareness, even embarrassment, as he contracted visibly at his image in the mirror. Ms. Abrera, a brunette copy of Ms. Kent, also showed a deep engagement in what was developing between them, as if she and Mr. Hallberg were locking eyes in each other’s reflection.“Kaleidoscope” will be performed again October 26 & 29 and November 1 & 4 (131 W. 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, 212-581-1212).

Borrowing From Balanchine

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