Susan Jaffe Is Ready to Bring American Ballet Theatre Into a New Era
The "New Look" by Christian Dior came at a time when the thirst for a new beginning was insatiable. It was 1947 and the world was trailing off of the dreary woes of the Second World War; the rounded shoulders, cinched waist, and full skirt were a celebration of opulence in women's fashion. It was the first page of a fantasy novel following the mundane plot of its prequel. Today, the performing arts are experiencing a parallel reality. Covid put strains on the industry, but with it, came an opportunity potent for reinvention.
Susan Jaffe, American Ballet Theatre's newest Artistic Director is at the helm of that new era for the performing arts. She's the first woman to be bestowed the title in the company's 84 years of existence. Following Kevin McKenzie's 30-year tenure, Jaffe's vision for the legendary ballet company is a sensitive combination of history, tradition, and modernity.
"I think there is so much more gratitude for the performing arts following the pandemic. After every performance this summer, the audience immediately stood up. There were roaring, thunderous, emotionally charged people in our crowds." Jaffe tells T&C. "I think ballet has been discussed negatively recently saying that it is old. But those voices are loud. There are so many people who don't have a megaphone and love ballets. It's not like the audience is empty. They are full."
Starting mid-October, she will lead her troupe of dancers and choreographers through the fall season with three programs. The first, Classics Old and New from October 18 to Saturday, October 21 will feature Alexei Ratmansky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Harald Lander’s Études. The second, 20th Century Works: Balanchine and Ashton will run on October 21, 22, 25, and 26 and will consist of George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Frederick Ashton’s The Dream. Lastly, 21st Century Works: King and Ratmansky will feature Alonzo King’s Single Eye and Ratmansky’s On the Dnipro from October 27 to October 29.
It will be her first fall season leading the company, and audiences both old and new will surely put pressure on Jaffe. Inheriting American Ballet Theatre, the country's custodian of classic ballet which echoes the style in Europe, at this time is no easy feat. Not only is she working to upkeep the high technical standards of the dancers at American Ballet Theatre (one that is hardly shared by other companies in the country), but society at large is asking new, modern questions that cultural institutions cannot ignore. How will American Ballet Theatre reflect its audience, the country, and the world? How will it attract a young audience? And how do you make a historic institution feel relevant without becoming something it is not?
"I love the classics. I will always love the classics," she says. "They sell the houses out and we will never stop them. But, I want to bring a younger, diverse audience." Her strategy to do so is to employ intersectional change: offer opportunities to women choreographers, diversify dancers, and tell contemporary stories. Unlike in the past, dancers now wear tights that match their skin tone, rather than the traditional white tights.
Over the summer, American Ballet Theatre showed Like Water for Chocolate based on the 1989 novel by Mexican author Laura Esquivel. It was a contemporary performance that, unlike more classic pieces, pushed stage design and theatrical elements as equally, if not more, as the dancing. The audience was split into two. Some expressed their concern that the stage design distracted from the dancing. Others cheered for it. "I have gotten to an age when recognizing that you cannot please everyone all the time. As an artist, you have to do what you believe is the right thing to do. Some people dislike it. Oh well. I can't worry if someone likes it or doesn't. I can only worry about if it's a really good piece. If people don’t come anymore we won’t do it. But, that's not the current case."
Jaffe’s vision is in the same vein as other major organizations. Look peripherally at the world: Currently at the Frick Collection is Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick, the first solo exhibition of an artist of color at the museum. At the Paris Opera Ballet Fall 2023 season, women choreographers are taking the helm. Classic suit makers, such as those on Savile Row, are expanding their silhouettes to more contemporary styles (Marc Jacobs is fond of the pagoda shoulders). There’s change in all forms, and daring leaps that are attempted.
What Jaffe is ambivalent about, however, is distracting too much from the craft itself. Think of fashion companies that partner with celebrities, or luxury car companies that partner with athletes. While there's temporary short-term marketing gain, the product sometimes becomes more about its associations rather than the quality; something that Jaffe is not interested in forfeiting. The fact is, Jaffe is a ballet purist. While her vision of American Ballet Theatre consists of contemporary changes, she remains dedicated to making sure the focus is still on dance. "If there's a moment for collaboration, I will certainly consider it. It's not something I'd rely on, but it's certainly not something I'd shun. I want to keep the focus on the art."
Thirty-two years in the ballet world makes her dedication to dance almost inevitable. Her success as a dancer is rare. At 18 years old, Jaffe was catapulted into international stardom after Mikhael Baryshnikov, then the director of American Ballet Theatre, pulled her out of the corps de ballet to dance a pas de deux from Le Corsaire with the star Alexander Godunov. In her lifetime, she's danced for legendary choreographers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiri Kylian, and Mark Morris. After retiring for performance, Jaffe became an adviser to the chairman of the board and taught at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. "I developed a different relationship with [ballet] when I became a teacher," she says. "Dance is not passed on through books, video, or film. It is passed on through people."
But, whether Jaffe's direction is considered either too conservative or too forward, she believes that the art is enough to speak for itself and continue drawing in crowds. "Ballet is a vehicle with beautiful form and beautiful vocabulary. It is structured, something humans tend to gravitate to, but also a road to freedom," she says. " The reason why ballets continue to be valid today is because there are universal stories. In Swan Lake, you are watching love, trust, betrayal, darkness, light, dilemma, forgiveness, death, and redemption. These are all narratives of humanity."
Surely, there's anxiety around change–especially at an institution like American Ballet Theatre. Jaffe and her ideas for the future may be considered daring. But, so, too, were the ideas (though more extreme) of Stravinsky, a pivotal figure in modern music in the 20th century. As was Phillip Glass in the late 20th century and the early impressionist artists who were considered radical and in violation of academic painting. Yet, each is revered today. Bold may be Jaffe and her ideas, but time has proven that boldness surely has the potential to be lasting.
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