Dance Reviews : McKerrow, Yeager in ABT ‘Symphonie Concertante’

Sharply defined, efficiently executed and nearly interchangeable, the performances by Amanda McKerrow and Cheryl Yeager in “Symphonie Concertante,” Sunday afternoon in Shrine Auditorium, typified the cookie-cutter neoclassicism that has become a familiar American Ballet Theatre dancing style recently.

George Balanchine created the work in 1947 for two highly distinctive ballerinas: Maria Tallchief and Tanaquil LeClercq, one reflecting solo violin passages in the Mozart score, the other representing the equally prominent viola.

McKerrow and Yeager, however, negated contrasts or any personal response to the music. Instead, they aimed for maximum neatness and uniformity as if the glorious individual statement that Gelsey Kirkland made four years ago (in the violin role) had never existed.

Only Wes Chapman--dancing the cavalier for the first time--made involvement a priority in the Sunday cast. Chapman also seemed to understand how male energy establishes another kind of counterpoint in the work and he never allowed the formal elegance of the ballet to mute his eagerness or sense of physical freedom.

The corps danced cleanly. Emil de Cou led an uneven, often authoritative orchestral performance. Leonard Shapiro (violin) and Carole Mukogawa (viola) were the capable instrumental soloists.

In “Gaite Parisienne,” Susan Jaffe’s fine first performance as the Glove Seller boasted an alluring softness and silken technique. New to the role of the Peruvian, Robert Wallace danced and gesticulated effectively if over-broadly.

Kathleen Moore portrayed the Flower Girl with a great sense of fun--probably the only way to wear her outrageous floral costume without looking embarrassed--and Hilary Ryan aptly exuded fashion-model hauteur as La Lionne.

Clark Tippet’s “Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1” (previously reviewed) completed the program.