American Ballet Theatre's Captivating "Onegin"

Chloe Misseldine and Thomas Forster in "Onegin" EMMA ZORDAN

Last week, American Ballet Theatre opened their summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin. In a season comprised of literary-inspired ballets, Onegin serves as a poetic entrance into the world of wordless masterpieces which lift text from the page and raise them to extraordinary heights. Following Onegin, which is based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin, comes Woolf Works, inspired by three of Virginia Woolf’s novels, Swan Lake, whose origins lie in a German folktale, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, of course, and finally, Like Water for Chocolate, based on the novel by Laura Esquivel. 

Onegin premiered at the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965, and has been in ABT’s repertory since 2001. Its Russian-novel roots are clear from the start, and although it is told wordlessly, somehow Cranko managed to keep the poetry intact. Unlike other story ballets, there is no grand pas de deux, no dramatic fish dive ending pose. While Cranko displays his brilliance in the often absurdly ambitious choreography, the storytelling always comes first, with emotions brimming behind every gesture.

Thursday night’s cast featured Chloe Misseldine as Tatiana, Thomas Forster as Onegin, Catherine Hurlin as Olga, and Aran Bell as Lensky. Misseldine carefully presented Tatiana as someone who we got to see grow up before our eyes. Tender, and shy at first, with a delicate air and youthful passion sparked by Onegin, we quickly saw Tatiana blossom. Young Tatiana's solo showed Misseldine’s exquisite control, particularly in the double attitude pirouettes, which were executed in near slow motion, a breathtaking sight. In the first Act, Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell’s pas de deux also held this quality, where it seemed as though both were weightless beings to whom gravity never applied. Their chemistry, stage presence, and fluidity nearly made me forget that theirs was not the main story being told. 

Chloe Misseldine and Thomas Forster Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell

The end of Act One, the dream scene, highlights Cranko’s genius choreography, not only in how Onegin is revealed within the mirror, but in the astounding, complex series of lifts and partnering. Here, Misseldine and Forster truly managed to veil the rest of the world. It was only them, alone upon the darkened stage, and they showed complete commitment to the emotional story behind the physically-demanding and daring choreography. What they created together only further heightened the devastation of the second Act, when Onegin cruelly rips up Tatiana’s letter right before her eyes. Misseldine’s Tatiana completely changed in that moment, with a glassy, numbness replacing the lively, naivety that once shone in her eyes. If there is a perfect way to let bits of paper fall to the floor, in a way that imbues the action with such heartbreak, Misseldine certainly found it.

In Act Three’s forest scene, Aran Bell danced amid the birch trees with such profound beauty, that I wished he might dance on and on without end. Particularly his kneeled cambrés back, were devastatingly full of heartache. Here, the poetry of the scene is so rich that one can hardly imagine trying to paint the same feeling with words, although of course that is the root of the tale. Lensky seems to know his fate before he even meets Onegin, and Tchaikovsky’s score evokes a Swan Lake-like heartache which sent goose-bumps rippling out into the audience. At the close of this scene, Onegin's remorse was portrayed by Forster with such raw regret that for a moment I might have felt an ounce of pity for the man who otherwise has very little sympathy going for him. 

In the final Act, we find our two leads to be changed by time. Tatiana is bolder, more mature, yet still holds in her eyes a trauma-induced glaze which makes it clear that she has not forgotten what occurred between her and Onegin. Misseldine captured this perfectly, radiating far into the audience this look of brokenness that no beautifully-adorned dress can hide. Even in the final scene, clad now in an appropriate black, that look in her eye never faded. There are many dancers who could go through the motions of this choreography, but it takes a truly talented artist to step into character so fully and believe fully that nothing beyond the stage exists. Only then can the audience be led to believe that what they see is true. Misseldine shows a maturity beyond her years, and danced the final pas de deux with wild abandon and glorious fluidity, while never losing her character amid the detailed choreography. In fact, it seemed that she only found Tatiana more and more as she shared this passionate pas de deux with her flawed, yet beloved Onegin. 

Forster had the difficult task of portraying a character who is very hard to love, but in this final pas, a softer side of him was shown. Onegin clearly loved Tatiana, and yet, it was too late to fix it all. Forster presented this heartbreaking truth with regret written into every movement, enough to redeem his character at least slightly and make the end even more difficult to watch. Misseldine and Forster danced with such delirious devastation and anguish that there was no thought of prescribed choreography, simply two brilliant dancers moving so intuitively and smoothly that it seemed this dance must be rushing forth from their hearts. 

Onegin is the kind of ballet that sticks with you long after the curtain falls. Tchaikovsky’s rich score, and the breathtaking beauty with which this story is brought to life makes me already yearn to see it again. Bravo, ABT! This year’s Met season is off to a very strong start!

American Ballet Theatre dancers in "Onegin"

(Side note: this being my first trip to see ABT perform, I find it ridiculous that only their principals are highlighted in the program. If they are going to give a lead role to a soloist, then she certainly deserves to be shown as more than just a name in the credits. Every dancer on that stage ought to be more than just a name in the program. A company does not rely solely on its principals to bring these magnificent ballets to life, and the rest of the company deserves to be seen in the Playbill as well).