Dances at a Gathering is an hour-long piece for 10 dancers set to music by Chopin. This dance is abstract but it conveys many interpersonal stories; it is impossible for the viewer to watch without seeing these sometimes ambiguous stories unfold. Robbins choreographed several of the more traditional pas de deux, but he also has men partnering men and women dancing together. The partnering was sometimes a surprise to the audience in this work.
As a dance scholar and a chorographer, watching this piece was like the best choreography lesson I could have. Robbins has such a clear understanding of the basic principals of choreography and he uses them with expertise. In this way, his dance is basic but never simplistic. What is so special about Robbins' dance is that he bends the rules, too, to create astonishing and unexpected moments which make Dances at a Gathering completely unforgettable.
Students of ballet understand that oft times certain steps follow certain steps. They just go together and when using the classic terminology to choreograph, dance makers tend to link steps in certain ways. Robbins, on the other hand, intermingles these standard ways of creating ballet with amazing touches all his own. For example, in one of his pas de deux sections, he has his dancers doing an introverted waltz turn followed by a grand jete to the back. I was baffled! It is rare to see such decisions made in classical ballet.
Nancy Goldner, in her review of Dances at a Gathering said:
"How Robbins could breathe so much human life into such a stylized dance vocabulary is one of the enduring mysteries of Dances at a Gathering. Another is its illusion of spontaneity."
I agree that this spontaneity is one of the draws to this dance. There is something so casual about the way the dancers relate to each other on stage. The audience would almost believe that the dancers were improvising their beautiful movements -- the dancers seem to be watching each other before they join in the dance. This makes the dance seem very fresh and keeps the audience interested.
The San Francisco Ballet is truly a world-class company as well, worthy of performing such a special dance. Should you get a chance to see SFB perform, please take special note of principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan, who danced the Pink role in Dances at a Gathering. Tan brought to mind Sylvie Guillem's amazing extension and boundless energy. Even on a stage filled with elite dancers, my eye was always drawn to Ms. Tan.
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