Polyphonia

Polyphonia is a one-act ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon to music by György Ligeti, costumes designed by Holly Hynes, and was created for the New York City Ballet. It premiered on January 4, 2001 at the New York State Theater. It is regarded as Wheeldon's breakthrough,[1] and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2003.

Polyphonia
ChoreographerChristopher Wheeldon
MusicGyörgy Ligeti
PremiereJanuary 4, 2001 (2001-01-04)
New York State Theater
Original ballet companyNew York City Ballet
DesignHolly Hynes

Production

Performed by the New York City Ballet, Polyphonia premiered on January 4, 2001 at the New York State Theater.[2] It was the first premiere of the company's winter season.[3]

Polyphonia is the first ballet Wheeldon created after he became artist-in-residence with the New York City Ballet and retired from dancing.[4] It is plotless.[5] Wheeldon described it as "romantic with comic twists",[2] and said it was inspired by Norman Morrice's works, though reviewers have noted it also includes homage to Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine, especially the latter's "leotard ballets".[6][3] The title is a reference to micropolyphony, a kind of polyphonic musical texture developed by György Ligeti, whose music is used in this ballet.[3]

The cast includes four men and four women, including Wendy Whelan, who went on to create 12 more roles for Wheeldon, and became his most frequent collaborator until she retired from NYCB in 2014. She later credited working with Wheeldon on Polyphonia for helping her "began to find herself as a dancer", and Wheeldon said Whelan "launched me as a choreographer".[7]

Other companies and revivals
External video
PNB's Polyphonia excerpts, YouTube video

In 2002, Polyphonia premiered in London, danced by Benjamin Millepied's group Danses Concertantes which consisted of NYCB dancers, at Sadler's Wells Theatre.[8] In the 2003 Laurence Olivier Awards, the production won Best New Dance Production, and Wheeldon was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for choreographing Polyphonia and Tryst.[9] The Royal Ballet, where Wheeldon had also danced, and San Francisco Ballet both debuted Polyphonia in 2003.[1][10] Wheeldon's own troupe, the Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, had also danced Polyphonia, with a cast consisted of NYCB dancers, except 15-year-old Beatriz Stix-Brunell, later a Royal Ballet first soloist.[11] In 2015, Polyphonia became Wheeldon's first work performed by the Paris Opera Ballet, as part of a mixed bill honoring the 90th birthday of Pierre Boulez, a conductor and composer who knew Ligeti.[12] Other companies that had danced it include Boston Ballet,[13] The Washington Ballet[14] and Miami City Ballet.[15]

Music

Polyphonia is set to György Ligeti's music, including:[16]

Casts

Videography

In 2020, in response to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, the New York City Ballet will extracts from a performance filmed earlier that year online, including a pas de deux between Lauren Lovette and Andrew Veyette, and another section with Lovette, Veyette, Megan Fairchild, Alston Macgill, Sara Mearns, Jovani Furlan, Roman Mejia and Silas Farley. Apart from Mearns, all the dancers were making their debut when the performance was filmed.[19]

References
  1. "Polyphonia/The Four Temperaments/Sinfonietta, Royal Opera House, London". The Independent. 20 November 2003.
  2. Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (19 August 2010). The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. p. 354. ISBN 978-0199563449.
  3. Kisselgoff, Anna (16 January 2001). "Dance Review; The Breath of Balanchine Wafts Over a New Work". New York Times.
  4. Anderson, Zoë (2015). The Ballet Lover's Companion. p. 305. ISBN 9780300154283.
  5. Scherr, Apollinaire (27 January 2011). "Polyphonia, Lincoln Center, New York". Financial Times.
  6. Dunning, Jennifer (1 October 2005). "A Choreographer and a Composer, Both Confounding Expectations". New York Times.
  7. Sulcas, Roslyn (3 October 2014). "Muse Steps Away". New York Times.
  8. "Danses Concertantes, Sadler's Wells, London". The Independent. 1 October 2002.
  9. "Olivier Winners 2003". Official London Theatre.
  10. Roca, Octavio (15 February 2003). "S.F. Ballet's peak performance / Dancers do justice to masterpieces by Wheeldon, Balanchine". San Francisco Chronicles.
  11. Sulcas, Roslyn (8 October 2008). "In Company's Second Season: Chaos, Order and 'What Happens Next?'".
  12. Jennings, Luke (6 December 2015). "Wheeldon/ McGregor/ Bausch review – a happy birthday bash for Boulez". The Guardian.
  13. Helms, Alan (14 February 2012). "Boston Ballet – Simply Sublime triple bill – Boston". Dancetabs.
  14. Khadarina, Oksana (2 November 2014). "Washington Ballet – Petite Mort, 5 Tangos, Polyphonia – Washington". DanceTabs.
  15. Harss, Marina (13 February 2017). "Miami City Ballet – The Fairy's Kiss, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Polyphonia – Miami". adceTabs.
  16. "Polyphonia". New York City Ballet.
  17. "Polyphonia - 15 November 2003 Matinee 2.00pm". Royal Opera House Collections Online.
  18. "Wheeldon / McGregor / Bausch". MémOpéra.
  19. "Digital Fall Season: October 19 – 24". New York City Ballet. 14 October 2020.
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