March 9, 1970
The N. C. Essay
Page 3
Y'Cp'f'ifiVsA ^rom iNl&voS^
Just before the first perfor
mance of his new ballet, Who Caves?^
George Balanchine was presented with
a medal by New York City Mayor John
V. Lindsay. His Honor's tribute to
Balanchine included a quotation from
Lincoln Kirstein, the man who had
first lured Balanchine to America:
"He has transformed what was once an
ephemeral amusement into a continu
ous source of amazement."
Balanchine’s creative gifts did
not fail in VTho Cares?j the title
both of his new ballet and one of the
seventeen George Ira Gershwin songs
which comprise its music. It
doesn't pretend to any tight artistic
unity. But the songs, in ragtime and
jazz, offer their own changes of
pace and patterns and give Balan
chine the opportunity of using his
dancers. The ballet is a smorgasbord
of delights. It's like rifling
through a boxful of old snapshots
and putting them in order as to the
where, when, and who of things.
Balanchine doesn't condescend to
the music. The choreography digs down
deep inside the songs, into the hidden
pulse of Gershwin's art. In songs
such as Somebody Loves Me^ sweetly
danced by five girls together, and
then by each in her own way, or in
The Man I Love^ a show-stopping
pas de deux by Patricia McBride and
Jacques d'Amboise, Balanchine trans
mites into movement the touching
sentiment not only of the melody, but
also the unsung lyrics, which seem
to hang audibly in the air.
In part. Who Caves? looks back
on Balanchine's Broadway years to
musical comedies he choreographed
such as I Marr-ied An Angel and
Louisiana Purchase. As his
Western Symphony delights in cow
boy movies and Stars and Stripes in
his adopted country. Who Caz'es?
glorifies show biz: sentimentally,
satirically and affectionately.
Strike up the Band which
opens the ballet, and I Got Rhythm,
which closes it churn the kaliedescope
of bodies around like Busby Berkeley.
When five boys do Bidin' My Time it's
like soft-shoeing Ray Bolger with
mirrors. The d'Amboise-Marnee Morris
pas de deux to Errbraaeahte You re
calls long-lost Harvest Moon balls,
and Who Cares? with d'Amboise and
Karin von Aroldingen evokes all
the vaudeville teams in all the
vaudeville teams in all the Palaces.
ALL STUDENTS WHO MADE YEAROOK DE
POSITS MAY NOW GET THEIR REFUNDS
AT THE COUNTER IN THE FRONT OFFICE
OF THE MAIN BUILDING. BRING YOUR
RECEIPT^l ’O, ,
■
But the ballet is not yesterday,
it's today for the young dancers led
by the brilliant d'Amb.oise in one of
his finest hours. Most of the dancers
are too young to know the music and
they dance to it with a vivacity and
spontaneity that renew Gershwin's
lease on Immortality. Every number
glitters, especially perhaps the
solo variation of Patricia McBride
to Fascinating Rhythm. But it's
all vibrantly alive, bursting with
good health, and optimistic spirit,
impelled by Balanchine's capacity to
seem to hav elived forever and to
have been born yesterday.
STOLEN WALLET
Mrs. Young would like to thank the
person who took her waI let for his
consideration in'leaving it where
it could be found. Money only re
presents man (or woman) hours of
work -
I terns I i ke
Car registration
Social Security Card
NCSA Faculty Card
Credit Cards
Drivers License
Health Insurance
State Retirement
take time - and money - to replace.
She knows, she replaced them all
last year when her wallet was sto
len for the first time.
BLOOD
DONERS
Thursday , Maroh 12,
Duke Power Company
10:00 A.M. - Z:ZO P.M.
nc essflv staff
tdiVoT' -
^e,r(^o Son
V)L>'\\\\oLYY^S
FVivJ'bor ~Tbn^
Sweet Baby James
(from pag-e 2)
ended. It is movingly sad, since
James has spent so much time to
himself and now aloneness is being
forced upon him, But Blossom
follows quickly, and offers the
warmth and loving he needs. Under
standing one's self and one^s out
look on the world are necessary but*^'
not sufficient aloiie.
. Anywhere Like Heaven is James'
reaction to our large cities. It's
• ■ 'i ' I 11 ‘ '
no surprisehe feels glum watching
Qity dwellers. Our cities are hell.
People in the city, he realizes, live
Srom day to'day, but evidently do not
count the time, since they all appear
involved in meaningless pursuits. A
very similar'theme may be found in Chi
cago's Does Anybody Realty Know What
Time It Is? "They don't see their days
slipping away - and neither do I",
is James claiming that he can't really
understand the lives of these people
since he doesn't see his own days
slipping away - he lives them.
Suite for 20G is a plea that the
peace of mind, the clarity of
insight possessed at the present mo
ment stay forever, just as James hopes
the month of May will.
Sunshine on my Wall makes him live
in the present, but Footsteps in the
Hall remind him of the transience of
his present state of mind.
Of course, when this state of mind
is temporarily lost, there's always
grass: "Let it rain, sweet Mary-Jane.
Let it wash your love down all around
me." But in this album, "I've been
trying hard to find a way to let you
know that we can make it shine most all
the time." And music is part of the
way of making it shine. It can bring
you up or enhance an up trip any time.
Although a goodly number of in
struments are listed on the rear cover,
the arrangements are uncluttered. Tay
lor has his own characteristic guitar
style and his vocals are pleasing.