Tivoli, N.Y. — One of the wonderful things about the Berkshires is the access one has to performing arts institutions. One such institution is Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, N.Y. Over the arc of its 30-plus-year history, while supporting dance continues to be a primary focus, Kaatsbaan (Dutch for “a playing field”) has grown and expanded and now rightly considers itself an “incubator for creativity and a presenter of world-class artists in dance, theater, music, film, spoken and written word, and culinary and visual arts.”
On May 31 and June 1, the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company performed in Kaatsbaan’s intimate black box theater; the performances coincided with the opening of Kaatsbaan’s 2025 Visual Arts Exhibition, which includes both outdoor and indoor sculptures, art works, and installations set throughout the institution’s beautiful 153-acre Cultural Park. The exhibition runs through October, and the Cultural Park is open and free to the public during the day each week; it would make a nice outing.
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world. And while the Studio Company is, in theory, a kind of “second company,” there is absolutely nothing “second” about these dancers. Most, if not all of them, could right now be professional dancers in ballet companies in this country or around the world. Undoubtedly, though, they are hoping to be chosen to join the prestigious ABT company itself; indeed, the performance program noted than nearly 85 percent of current ABT dancers are alumni of the Studio Company.
It is fun to watch young dancers being pushed a little beyond their limits in a performance (where something is truly on the line) because the dancers generally perform with their hearts on their sleeves. They are still a little raw, guileless, and transparent, in addition, of course, to having absolutely endless energy and exuberance. There is an extra edge to performances by young dancers, an edge that the flawless and consummate older and more seasoned professional dancer can sometimes fail to embrace. That edge was certainly on display at this Kaatsbaan performance.
The concert opened with “Tarantella,” a playful duet of relentlessly speedy steps choreographed by George Balanchine, with music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. To open a program with “Tarantella” is a bit like getting shot out of a cannon, and even more so when the dancers are the high-spirited Audrey Tovar-Dunster and Max Barker. The two had the requisite carelessness and lightness in their movement, but they coupled it nicely with attack and precision, and they were flirtatious and expressive in the bargain. As these two dancers mature and get even more comfortable with their technique in performance settings, they will find they don’t have to work quite so hard in their dancing (something that can distance a performer from the audience), and they will refine that closer connection to the audience that turns great dancers into exalted dancers.
The “Rose Adagio” from Tchaikovsky and Petipa’s ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” followed, danced by YeonSeo Choi, with her four partners Aaron Marquez, Maximilian Catazaro, Elijah Geolina, and Ptolemy Gidney. Ms. Choi danced this difficult variation with composure and finesse. She set everything up perfectly with her first set of extensions, which were beautiful—her leg effortlessly floating into the air. It was gratifying to see her push herself in the iconic balance sections of the variation. She was not consistently successful in the attempts, but, because she is challenging herself in performance, there is no doubt she will one day be entirely successful at this variation and many others, and that day is coming very soon.
Natalie Steele and Daniel Guzman then danced the “Birthday Variations” pas de deux, choreographed by Gerald Arpino, to music of Verdi. Just like Ms. Choi in the “Rose Adagio,” Ms. Steele set the tone with her opening movement, a modest lowering of the leg while being partnered, to a straight leg tightly closed position on pointe called sous sus. It was a simple, unassuming movement, but it was done with a gentleness and sweetness that gave it gravitas, and it set the stage for the piece. The two then danced this pas beautifully. The unison dancing when they were separated was nearly flawless, and the partnering excellent; they were in sync, communicating and connected throughout.
Ptolemy Gidney performed the male variation “Gopak.” This variation included some crowd-pleasing “tricks,” at which Mr. Gidney was very successful. He held one off-balance jump called a “540” so long before landing that landing it seemed impossible. Each time he landed this jump, there was an audible gasp from the audience.
Sooha Park and Daniel Guzman performed the pas de deux from Act III of Swan Lake, the “Black Swan” pas de deux. Simply put, this performance was entirely professional level. Ms. Park’s command of the steps and her control of her center were astonishing. Mr. Guzman’s turns and jumps were razor sharp but relaxed. Special mention must be made of Mr. Guzman as a partner; he was extremely attentive and sensitive to Ms. Steele in “Birthday Variations,” and he was even more accomplished as Ms. Park’s partner in the “Black Swan” pas de deux.
The program included two pieces commissioned by the Studio Company, “U Don’t Know Me,” a sextet choreographed by Houston Thomas to the music of Avro Pärt, and “Beyond the Silence,” a duet choreographed by Brady Farrar to the music of Rachmaninoff. These commissions were clearly designed to challenge the dancers in ways the classical and neoclassical works they are learning do not, and both succeeded. The works were contemporary ballets, requiring the dancers to expand their dramatic and dynamic range, as well as their partnering skills. All the dancers executed the ballets, and especially the complicated and unusual partnering—the taking of weight; the shifting from balance to off-balance—with ease. To this viewer, Kayla Mak was the most fully realized of the performers in these two pieces.
The program closed with master choreographer Jerome Robbins’ “Interplay,” to the music of Morton Gould. As its name suggests, this is a playful piece, requiring the eight dancers to show off yet another performance skill, that of amusement and joy, while at the same time corralling Robbins’ complex timing, his use of canon phrasing, and the intricate spatial patterning. As with all the work on the program, these truly accomplished dancers were most definitely up to the task.
The ABT Studio Company is flourishing under the excellent direction of Sascha Radetsky, its artistic director. The future for these talented, committed, and passionate dancers is very bright, and the good news is that we will get to be dazzled by them for many, many years to come.
More information about the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, and events there, can be found on its website.
