Last Week, I Longed To Be In Paris, This Week In Saratoga Springs

NYT lacks any truly great ballet writers. But they do an adequate job today of making me long to be in Saratoga Springs:

Lexei Ratmansky’s “Russian Seasons,” . . . is such a marvel of a dance that when the curtain fell, it was like awakening from a vivid dream. To borrow a line from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Mr. Ratmansky’s favorite book, “It was so long since she had been anything near the right size, that it felt quite strange at first.”

The ballet for 12 dancers told in 12 sections was both strange and something of a perfect fit. The resplendent crown of City Ballet’s Diamond Project, “Russian Seasons,” an endearing, capricious example of playful refinement, are being performed this week in the company’s season at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

This approaches good ballet writing: While all the dancers meet or surpass their promise in “Russian Seasons,” Ms. Stafford has never danced with more joy and lightness. In the third section, “Song for St. George’s Day,” she playfully breaks through Mr. Carmena and Mr. Hendrickson’s linked arms and, while on point, straightens her left leg to the side, swings it backward into an attitude pose and pauses in passé before striking an arabesque.

With all of her strength but none of her usual toughness, Ms. Stafford breezes through the steely footwork until, stopping at the edge of the stage, she massages her calf. Turning sideways, she stretches her leg while other couples, in pairs, bow elegantly.

I can almost see that.

There's no real dance going on in DC right now. Were my job not holding me hostage, I'd fly to Saratoga.