By the time Ratmansky arrived, the seven dancers, including three of the ballet theater’s newest directors, Brandt, Cassandra Trenary and Aran Bell, had been in Silver Bay for two weeks, preparing their daily training to prepare for long days of intense rehearsal. (Because Ratmansky arrived later, he had to wear a mask for the first two weeks.) Some of the dancers, like Patrick Frenette, were limited to barring at home for almost a year.
Others, like Brandt, Bell and Catherine Hurlin, an aspiring soloist, had access to ballet studios and live coaching. “Some of them looked like they’d never stopped dancing and their confidence was great,” said Nancy Raffa, one of the company’s rehearsal directors, who came with us to teach and assist. Her main task in those first few days was to bring them all back to the same level. (Three other dancers, Melvin Lawovi, Leah Baylin, and Cameron McCune, were also in Silver Bay creating a new piece for the company’s choreographic workshop, ABT Incubator.)
Silver Bay YMCA is in an idyllic location on a lake, surrounded by forests that are now covered in snow. “The view from the window is like wallpaper,” said Ratmansky. “Nothing ever changes, not even a person who goes outside.”
He didn’t mean that as a criticism. “When I work, the less interaction with the outside world, the better,” he said. “It’s only a few steps from the studio to my room. I don’t have to put on shoes or a coat. It’s like a dream come true. “
Dancing fully
The new ballet, about 15 minutes long, is set in an eight-part suite that Bernstein composed in 1980 in honor of the 100th birthday of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It is a solemn compilation of amber-ian gestures: roaring brass, large crescendos à la “West Side Story”, syncopation and jazzy intonations.
Ratmansky, who has already made two ballets to Bernstein’s music, was guided by the energetic drive and humor of the suite. “I’m trying to have the same intentions as Bernstein to make a fun piece to showcase the group,” he said. “I didn’t want to express the worries of our time through slow port de bras. I wanted to give them the opportunity to dance properly with joy and playfulness. “
