This Bitter Earth
The New York City Ballet, like many performance-based companies, had to cancel their spring performances. But they had already shot some footage for promotional purposes, and as they watched it back, this piece resonated with them deeply.
It resonates with me too.
Please enjoy this rendition of This Bitter Earth, and thank you to Dr. Alexis Halpern for sending it.
In the midst of preparing for our now-canceled spring performances, NYCB had recently completed production on a short film meant to be used to promote our season — a single continuous shot of Sara Mearns and Adrian Danchig-Waring performing an excerpt from Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth.
As we worked with the footage in the days following the shoot, and as the coronavirus pandemic began to unfold in NYC, it struck a chord with many of us, including NYCB Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan — the originator of Sara's role who was on set during the filming. Reflecting on the footage she said, "Words cannot fully capture the beauty or essence of this moving pas de deux, but for me it speaks to our times. It honors where we have come from and the challenges we face moving forward into the unknown. The choreography inspires reflection from both its performers and audience and I hope, for you, conveys a peaceful sense of hope for the future."
