It is difficult to believe that William Forsythe's Impressing the Czar is 20 years old. When Ballett Frankfurt premiered the work in 1988, I was five years old and concerned with the likes of Strawberry Shortcake and Fraggle Rock. Now 20, this three-act ballet is still fresh and all about fun, making for a whimsical midsummer evening at the Lincoln Center Festival. And my message to all the Harvard graduates in the audience squinting their eyes and trying to understand what it all means: just enjoy the grace in the chaos.
During the first act, a channel surfing schoolgirl obsessed with Mr. Peanut wonders like an outsider through a disorderly Alice in Wonderland-type court full of gilded objects. Women in full velvety Baroque dresses break from their court dancing to execute conga moves. The wide stage at the Rose Theater offers a brilliant panorama of bizarre chaos with arrows flailing and flying across the stage. One of the formally dressed women takes golf swings at the gilded objects with a gilded oar as men in metallic gold pants and dunce caps creep about and take turns gesticulating while standing on the Dr. Evil chair.
The second act "In the middle, somewhat elevated" is precisely where Forsythe asked that the two golden cherries, which make up the set, be hung. Aki Saito was deliberate in Sylvie Guillem's signature part, making it her own with extraordinary musicality. Forceful partnering and a deep stance showcased the petite dancer's power. The act was less of a feast for the eyes than the first with simple costuming and many frontal Balanchine-esque flourishes. The unwavering technique of The Royal Ballet of Flanders is apparent in this section.
A frantic auction of gilded objects and people dressed in gold lame open the third act. Forsythe was rocking the naughty schoolgirl look before Brittany Spears ever sang her first hit, as a cast of 39 dancers circled the stage wearing female school uniforms in a ritualistic and frenzied dance circling the outsider. I am reminded of the Willies from Giselle who dance their prisoners to death. During this act, the choreography also reflects the time Forsythe spent in clubs with exaggerated versions of the "funky chicken" and "Rodger Rabbit". The huge cast is truly powerful and childlike as they meander to stage right with twinkly fingers held overhead, taunting the outsider. The whole spectacle is a little mean-spirited and a lot of fun.
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