It's good that the Miami City Ballet isn't based in New York, as it might put some of the Big Apple's most esteemed dance companies out of business. If the opening night intermission buzz is any indication, after seeing the Miami troupe perform two Balanchine classics, many New York balletomanes now prefer their way of dancing Balanchine to that of the New York City Ballet. Then, after the Miamians put their feet to a challenging Twyla Tharp ensemble work, I decided I like what they do with Tharp's idiosyncratic style much better than what American Ballet Theatre or the Ailey company does with it. And for those who delight in the Paul Taylor Dance Company because of its signature team of good-looking, gracefully athletic men, the Miami City Ballet sports its own contingent of male heartthrobs who perform both ballet and modern movement with a stunning masculinity reflective of their troupe's founding artistic director, former New York City Ballet star Edward Villella.
Though founded in 1986, the 54-member ballet company (one of the largest in the United States) is making its Manhattan debut in a one-week, two-program engagement at New York City Center. While the second is an all-Balanchine program, the first, presented opening night, followed fresh renditions of Balanchine's "Symphony in Three Movements" and "La Valse" with a snazzy performance of Tharp's "In the Upper Room."
The company's explosive interpretation of the monumental "Symphony in Three Movements" was authoritatively led by Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, who dances with the powerful grace of a big cat. In the two secondary principal roles, Tricia Albertson captured the tricky athleticism but not the artistry of the choreography, while Patricia Delgado proffered perfect pirouettes pristinely executed, yet with a delicacy that evokes the sense of peril one should feel when watching a vertical body spinning rapidly on the tip of a toe.
Despite Deanna Seay's lackluster performance in the leading role of "La Valse," the supporting soloists mined the mystery and darkness contained within the beauty of the movements, and the ensemble ballroom waltz sequence was glorious.
Presented by Miami City Ballet at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th St., NYC. Jan. 21-25. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. (212) 581-1212 or www.nycitycenter.org.