Photo courtesy of Wolf Trap.
The Philadelphia Ballet’s evening program, “Stars and Stripes Forever,” danced at Wolf Trap on the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, remains a tribute to the patriots following that tragedy. What could be more powerful than George Balanchine, an immigrant who loved his adopted country and who created this red, white, and blue salute to the values we hold dear, especially national pride?
What could be more powerful than George Balanchine, an immigrant who loved his adopted country and who created this red, white, and blue salute to the values we hold dear, especially national pride?
“Stars and Stripes,” the closing ballet in the Wolf Trap program, was divided into five sections, called “campaigns,” to a medley of familiar parade marches. When asked why he chose to choreograph a ballet to John Phillip Sousa’s marches (adapted and orchestrated by Hershy Kay), Balanchine replied, “Because I like his music.” We learned this and other tidbits at a pre-show lecture. Artistic Director Angel Corella (former principal with American Ballet Theatre and widely recognized as one of the finest dancers of his generation) cheerfully greeted fans and talked about his own guest performances with the New York City Ballet and the influence of George Balanchine on his Philadelphia Ballet.
He joked about the name change, originally the Pennsylvania Ballet, founded more than 50 years ago by Barbara Weisberger (who was a student of Balanchine and his adult protégée). “When I told my European friends that I was directing the Pennsylvania Ballet, they asked if Dracula lived there,” Corella joked, his friends thinking Transylvania. The director ended the talk with an invitation to see the Philadelphia Ballet in its’ home-based “City of Brotherly Love,” especially Balanchine’s rendition of “The Nutcracker.”
Choreographed in 1958, “Stars and Stripes” was Balanchine’s salute to the United States during the Eisenhower administration. The ballet has been performed for many memorable occasions, including tributes for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and the opening ceremonies for the New York State Theater (now the David H. Koch Theater) at Lincoln Center. For all its patriotic touches—military costumes for the cadets, brightly colored tutus, gold braids and epaulettes, originally created by Karinska (a close collaborator with her Russian friend and mentor)—the Wolf Trap program contains as much classical dancing as most full-length ballets, but with shot-gun dynamics and a precise attack that many American dancers enjoy performing.
The four-part Americana celebration combines Balanchine’s, snazzy “Stars and Stripes” and his jazzy, Gershwin-scored “Who Cares?” (concert version) with Jerome Robbins’ tap-happy “Fancy Free “and Eliot Feld’s daring (and a bit naughty) “Variations on ‘America.” For those who question the gimmicks of a ballerina playing a bugle onstage, or the baton twirling (yes, a ballerina twirls a baton while strutting across stage in her pointe shoes), Balanchine loved chorines, high kicks, and entertainment galore.
In the “First Campaign,” Lucia Erikson, looking sharp and ready to attack the jaw-dropping technical demands in the ballet, drew the corps de ballet together in lines that resemble chorus dancing. They kicked à la Rockettes, then broke ranks to weave in and out of a large circle. The best moment came as Erikson took her bow with a salute to the audience.
Next came the 2nd Regiment. The Gladiators facing upstage, their backs to the audience as they maneuvered sidewards, and their leader (Isaac Hollis) turned multiple times across the stage. He’s a whiz at fouettés (one leg extends forward and to the side, while the other pirouettes outwardly.) They marched off with that now familiar salute, and we sigh. Standouts in this ballet included Mayara Pineiro and Jack Thomas in a poignant pas de deux, with flash and a fiery hold high above his head and Gabriela Mesa as leader of the women’s Rifle Regiment. Brava!
“Fancy Free” was the first ballet Jerome Robbins ever choreographed in 1944 about three sailors on shore leave during wartime. The music was composed by Leonard Bernstein specifically for the ballet, in a tight collaboration with the choreographer. Sailors Arian Molina Soca, Jack Thomas, and Nihola Patterson were adorable, especially when they try to win over the girls in a dance off, each pulling off tricks and seemingly impossible moves, in front of Oliver Smith’s authentic cafe. Robbins’ theater piece became the opening in the movie and musical, “On The Town.”
Eliot Feld’s contribution to the evening program was “Variations on ‘America” with Yuka Iseda and Ashton Roxander as “influencers” in this irreverent duet. Charles Ives created the wildly imaginative musical score for Feld’s bold, dramatic choreography. I loved this ballet, my second viewing in 40 years or more. Catch it, if it comes our way again.
According to The George Balanchine Foundation, “Who Cares?” (the concert version) features four principal dancers (one man and three women) executing a series of playful and technically challenging pas de deux, danced to the gorgeous songs by George Gershwin. Balanchine created beautiful, romantic ballets to “The Man I Love, “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” “Embraceable You,” and “Fasinatin’ Rhythm,” among other hummable tunes. Philly dancers Sydney Dolan, Thays Golz, Dayesi Torriente, and Sterling Baca did a remarkable job of capturing the music with their swoops and swirls and and fabulous leaps across the Filene Center’s huge stage. Still it was the “Stars and Stripes” finale that left us feeling happy and inspired. The entire company marched in unison under a large American flag hanging on the back of the stage—a high-energy spectacle that brought the audience to its feet. As we left the Filene Center and headed to the car park, we could hear folks humming Sousa’s songs and marching.
“Stars and Stripes Forever!” ran one night only on September 10, 2026 at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182. For more information and tickets for upcoming performances, call 703-255-1868 or go online. Programs continue through the winter season in the Barns at Wolf Trap. The Philadelphia Ballet performs “Stars and Stripes Forever!” at the Philadelphia Academy of Music on October 8-11, 2026. For more information, visit philadelphiaballet.org.
