Against All Odds, Hope at the Ballet
The night was interminably sticky and hot — one of those slick, wet evenings in late July that any sane New Yorker would spend glued in front of their AC window unit. But I am a brave woman, so I swatted my way through the heat in a pair of ill-fitting slingbacks to join dozens of Chanel-clad patrons in celebrating New York’s dance scene — the fifth annual BAAND Together Dance Festival, featuring five of the city’s most prominent ballet companies. Gathered at Tatiana at the Lincoln Center, the crowd was awash in polka dots and quilting, pillowy headbands and gold-specked tweed, matching suits and black gowns pinched artfully at the waist. Every which way I turned, diamond-encrusted Chanel logos shone on the lapels of ballet enthusiasts. In the center of the room stood American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland, the company’s first Black principal dancer, who is set to take her final bow this fall.
After some mingling and clinking, we were whisked over to the Koch Theater, where I was shocked to be greeted by a sold-out crowd. It is hard to draw a packed audience to the ballet in general, let alone on a Tuesday night in the dreadful depths of summer. Executive director of the New York State Council on the Arts Erika Mallin delivered the evening’s opening remarks, thanking Chanel for enabling New Yorkers to gather and celebrate the “freedom to create.” Mallin then promised not to “get all doom and gloom” while vaguely referencing the dire state of the arts in this country, but, naturally, the dark veil of the Trump administration hangs over everything.
And then, the dancing. On display were the various expressions of what ballet can be when heralded under different artistic visions. For Dance Theatre of Harlem: sophisticated and playful, pointe shoes paired with bright colors and verve. New York City Ballet presented a 2005 pas de deux by Christopher Wheeldon that reminded me of the tender bravery required in giving someone your full weight and trusting that they will not let you fall. For Ballet Hispánico, camp and humor; for American Ballet Theatre, sharp physicality. And from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: the moment just after, a vision of rebirth and fertile optimism. Or, as my guest, 33-year-old interior designer Ally Doman, described the scene: “Like a Renaissance painting of a fallen angel.”
Jovonnie Lauren Pitt, a 36-year-old who came across the event on Instagram and attended solo, isn’t a dancer but said she jumps at any chance she can to see the ballet with a live orchestra. “It’s freeing,” she said. “The arts are always important.”
Meanwhile, Laura, a 15-year-old ballerina visiting with her mom from São Paulo, waited four hours outside in the heat to score tickets to the performance. It was worth it, she said, to see some of her favorite dance companies in the world — namely, New York City Ballet and ABT. Her favorite part about dancing ballet, she said, is “the feeling that you’re floating.” She thought for a second, before adding decisively, “And freedom.”
On my way out of the theater, I spoke briefly to two 7-year-olds named Ginger and Sadie. Ginger liked Ballet Hispánico best because of “all the fun costumes.” Sadie, however, was less convinced: She prefers hip-hop but reluctantly agreed that Ballet Hispánico was her favorite. The girls were accompanied by their mothers, who grew up dancing and selected the festival as the right occasion to bring their daughters to the ballet together for the first time — mostly because the program was short enough to hold their attention. As I marched out of the building, I was reminded why dance is one of the few art forms that wills my humanity to flicker on. My slingbacks kept slipping off my heels. I was tired and flushed and happy.
BAAND is made possible by Chanel, a supporter since the festival’s debut in 2021. Audiences will have the opportunity to view five pieces co-curated by the companies’ artistic directors through August 2.
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