Wall Street Journal: Ladies First at American Ballet Theatre

By Robert Greskovic

22 October 2019

The remarks at American Ballet Theatre’s Wednesday gala, which opened the company’s season that runs through Sunday, often focused on “ABT Women’s Movement,” launched in 2018 as “an ongoing initiative to support the creation, exploration and staging of new works by women for ABT and ABT Studio Company.” To that end, two of the newest additions to the 79-year-old troupe’s repertory presented at the gala were by female choreographers; another premiere, also by a woman, is in the offing this week, as ABT aims to right the imbalance between ballets in current repertory by women versus those by men.

So far the fledgling program has yet to produce a strong work, but perhaps Gemma Bond’s “A Time There Was,” which has its premiere tomorrow, will be the first. The two works already unveiled offer little to suggest they’ll find longevity at ABT.

Of these latest efforts, Twyla Tharp’s “A Gathering of Ghosts,” to Brahms’s String Quintet in G Major, Op. 111, held the stage more vividly but not impressively enough to indicate staying power. The 27-minute ballet showcases Herman Cornejo as its designated Host. Mr. Cornejo is celebrating his 20th anniversary with ABT this year and will be featured in a special program on Saturday evening that will include Ms. Tharp’s new creation.

Read the full article in The Wall Street Journal.