“You can see so much of Balanchine himself (in ‘Who Cares’) just being in love with the excitement of city life,” she added.
The New York Times agreed in a review of the work’s premiere, courtesy of Balanchine and the New York City Ballet in 1970.
“(Balanchine) tries to evoke a world of warm nights, Manhattan penthouses, cold martinis, and Astaires smiling at each other with cheerful camaraderie,” the review said.
Ballet Tucson will follow “Who Cares?” with “No Holds Barre’d”, a more modern work by renowned choreographer Kiyon Ross, director of company operations at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.
Mullin danced with Ross for a while at the Pacific Northwest. This will be his second work performed by Ballet Tucson.
Mullin said “No Holds Barre’d” is fun but hugely empowering, with music from four composers keeping dancers on their toes. The piece has elements of Balanchine, Mullin said.
“Balanchine turned the ballet upside down and said, ‘What if we completely change the way we attack things? Make it much more playful, have lots of ups and downs in the tempo.
“He created neoclassical ballet. Kiyon is definitely the product of that. He’s part of a generation that took this whole approach one step further.”
