New York City Center
130 West 56th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
March 19-22, $35-$95
212-581-1212
www.alvinailey.org
www.nycitycenter.org
After enjoying a terrific experience choreographing Rust for the Martha Graham Dance Company last year, Nacho Duato asked if he could create another piece for the famed company, and artistic director and former Graham dancer Janet Eilber jumped at the opportunity. The result is the tentatively titled Depak Ine, which will have its world premiere March 20 as part of the Martha Graham Dance Company’s too-brief upcoming season at City Center, which runs March 19–22. The season includes the Graham classics Appalachian Spring, Maple Leaf Rag, and The Rite of Spring in addition to two pieces by Andonis Foniadakis, one act of Clytemnestra and the world premiere of Echo. The Spanish-born Duato discussed the new commission and showed unadorned advance excerpts (as well as Graham’s Lamentation and a scene from Rust) at a recent “Works & Process” presentation at the Guggenheim, explaining how he choreographs to make the most of each dancers’ individual talent, something the performers were all smiles about at the reception afterward. Duato, who studied with the Martha Graham Dance Company when he was much younger and feels a kinship with Graham’s gestural sensibilities, talked about how he wanted to work with the women as well in the new commission, since Rust was for five male dancers. The former artistic director and current resident choreographer of the Mikhailovsky Theatre ballet company and the incoming head of the Staatsballett Berlin, Duato noted that the title, Depak Ine, might change — it is currently named for the musical piece by John Talabot that is used in it (along with Arsenije Jovanovic’s “Athos — Montana Sacra”) — and he also pointed out that he still had to figure out what to do with the last three minutes. Hopefully all will be in place by March 20, when this exciting work makes its debut.