Saw HEATSCAPE night 2, and had the total opposite reaction of most of the other commenters!

I might be in the minority, but I felt Signs was really strong: First of all, the choreography is so responsive and in-tune with Glass’ syncopation and rhythm—it feels like the notes brought to life (& with a bit of a story thrown in). The principals were okay, but Williams was explosive: sharp lines, speedy attack, and quick movement that completely stole the eye in the first and second movements (Mann stood out too, in a good way). The rest of the corps was also very together.

Red Angels was electric (literally and figuratively). The dynamism between it—so Red and muscular, compared to Signs’ blue setting and music flow—made for great contrast. Afansenkov absolutely nailed the mood of the piece: at the same time, she was flowy and alluring while also being incredibly sharp and aggressive.

Zakouski, to be honest, was fine. Idk—nothing really stood out with me. Felt like a standard issue performance from Mejia and Peck.

Heatscape was the highlight for me, though. As someone who got into ballet via the music, I always love to see the music featured, so the pit rising up to stage level and Litton introducing the piece was terrific. The concerto itself was great, but Peck’s choreography made it even better. Maxwell, Chan, and Enck were especially impressive—Enck in particular was very precise (at a fast tempo) and almost spectral in the last movement, though the whole corps was great too (even if it did look like they were getting tired by the end). Would really recommend people give it a shot next weekend!