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The Great Gatsby
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It isn’t perfect. There are parts of it that still need major tweaking. But the basics are firmly in place: The Atlanta Ballet’s “The Great Gatsby” is a major coup. The audience at the Fox Theatre on Thursday night was still on its feet and cheering by the third curtain call; can this really be the somnambulate “Nutcracker” crowd?
For that matter, can these really be the “Nutcracker” dancers?
Yes, and that is one of this troupe’s proudest stocks-in-trade: versatility. Put these willing, youthful bodies in the right choreographic hands and watch what happens, especially when the material teems with some of the most intriguing characters ever to emerge from the pen of F. Scott Fitzgerald. You remember them from high school — Gatsby, Daisy, Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan.
In an interview, Atlanta Ballet artistic director John McFall and his co-choreographer Lauri Stallings commented that these characters were rich in heart and “raw instinct.” As such, said Stallings, “Gatsby,” is the “perfect vehical for this company.”
No argument here. If these dancers have ever looked better on stage, it hasn’t been in the decade this writer has been watching. What Stallings does with quick, bold limb thrusts and herky-jerky head moves is so moving, so direct as to be riveting; each scene has an unmistakable mood about it.
McFall favors the long lyrical line - the romantic pas de deux are clearly his, the ensemble scenes hers. Their styles are different, but they balance and complement each other — not to mention their dancers — beautifully. Add some gloriously colorful, borrowed-from-Broadway 1920s-style costumes (flapper hats and all), a soundtrack comprised of mostly vintage jazz recordings from the 1920s and ’30s, and an abundance of positive physical and emotional energy emanating from the stage, and you have in “The Great Gatsby” a proud accomplishment for the Atlanta Ballet and an evening of unabashed, substantive entertainment.
Atlanta Ballet’s “The Great Gatsby” 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday. 7 p.m. Sunday. 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. 8 p.m. Wed. Feb. 14. Through Feb. 17. $15-$80. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-817-8700, www.atlantaballet.com.
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By Randi Williams
February 9, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this
Great Review of a dazzling performace! The coreography of John McFall and Lori Stallings is to be lauded. The dancers were at their best! We left the performance energized and full of conversation about “The Great Gatsby”. This is why we are season ticket holders. I too am enormously proud of Atlanta Ballet’s accomplishment with the Great Gatsby, particularly as they undertake the challanging course toward fiscal health.
By ks
February 12, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
Dear Ms. Elliott,
Did you see the same performance the rest of us did?
The Great Gatsby proved neither a great coup nor a significant addition to the Atlanta Ballet repertoire. The small audience could barely make it through the first and only curtain call on Sunday
While at no fault of the dancers themselves, the work proved disjointed, poorly planned, and overall disappointing. If this is the perfect vehicle for the company and the dancers have never looked better, I shudder to think what the upcoming Sleeping Beauty (arguably the hardest classical rep. available) will amount to.
Gatsby’s greatest problem was a lack of storytelling. What seemed like a series of individual short dances, the piece portrayed little character development. Audiences unfamiliar with the story would have left just as bewildered. Aside from the lack of narrative, the modern choreography seemed better suited to a plot-less studio workshop than a 2-act ballet. A few brief pas moments stuck out nicely against the awkward and overly-choreographed “party” scenes. Static lines of dancers with the sexes separated on opposite sides of the stage lent to an awfully dull party. When the partiers did move around, the movement was so “herky-jerky” that it was difficult to remember this was taking place in the roaring 1920s.
After a raving review of an otherwise forgettable piece, one begins to question the credibility of the reviewer.
By ESims
February 12, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this
Yes, I question the credibility of “ks” who obviously is no expert on dance, ballet, etc. I suggest you stick to NASCAR and things of that sort next time you go looking for entertainment.
By pb
February 13, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this
I must agree with KS’s statements. As a new resident of Atlanta, The Great Gatsby was my first introduction to the Atlanta Ballet, and the title is very misleading, as was Ms. Elliott’s review. In my opinion, it should have been titled “The So-So Gatsby”. I felt embarrased for the dancers as they moved about the stage - several times the music ended before their steps did. The lights came up for the end of the first act before Daisy had descended - leaving the audience bewildered as to whether they should leave thier seats for a bathroom break or wait (as Daisy sat trying to stay in character) until she disappeared. There were moments when I thought for sure I was at a high school production of “Guys and Dolls”. Not up to my standards for a professional ballet company. Susan Elliott, you should know better.
By Sally Fleming
February 13, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this
I have been a ballet season ticket holder for over 15 years and this was the first time I left a performance at intermission - Sunday 2/11. I’ve been through the good, the bad and the ugly and feel our wonderful dancers deserve a vehicle worthy of their talent. While I may not appreciate Ms. Stallings choreography, I am not against new, comtemporay dances, and have enjoyed other inovative works in past seasons. Not to worry, because they have dismissed the orchestra I will not re-new my season tickets. The Gatsby just reinforces my decision. I will miss the dancers and the dance.