NEW YORK - When a top athlete or performer ends a long career, it's a time to celebrate his or her accomplishments and help usher in a well-deserved retirement.
Then there's Damian Woetzel, one of the most gifted dancers of his generation, who was in such great form at his farewell performance Wednesday for New York City Ballet that it was hard for his fans to be quite so charitable. At 41, he looked as if he was ready for 10 more years of performing at a level of which most dancers can only dream.
Witness one of his spinning exits into the wings during "Rubies," the second act of George Balanchine's "Jewels," so stunningly fast that there were whoops from the audience. You could almost hear them saying: "He can still do THAT, and he's leaving?"
But Woetzel had decided that this season, with its celebration of Jerome Robbins works, was the right time for him to end a brilliant 23-year NYCB career. So he reprised his roles in some of Robbins' best works - "Dances at a Gathering," "West Side Story Suite," "Fancy Free" - and earned ovations that grew in intensity as the days wore on.
And though he left the stage of the New York State Theater Wednesday, he is hardly leaving the dance stage in the broader sense. Many expect Woetzel, who directs the Vail International Dance Festival and has a master's degree in public administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, to one day direct a major dance company - perhaps even NYCB itself, now run by Peter Martins.
But on Wednesday it was all about the dancing, and it started with "Fancy Free," Robbins' eternally charming 1944 romp about three sailors on shore leave, seeking a little female companionship. His easy, jaunty, humour-filled performance earned him a standing ovation, and after the intermission, he was supposed to have a break: The male lead in "Rubies" was to be performed by Joaquin De Luz.
Instead, in a little treat for the unsuspecting audience, there were three main couples rather than one, and the last was Woetzel partnering Yvonne Borree. The upbeat "Rubies" has always been a perfect showcase for the silvery quick footwork of this tall, wiry and exuberant dancer, and he clearly relished every moment of it.
As much as Woetzel was known for his technique, he was admired for his thoughtfulness and his dramatic intensity. For the final act of his farewell performance he chose Balanchine's 1929 classic "Prodigal Son," based on the biblical parable about sin and redemption. His final trip across the City Ballet stage was a desperate crawl to reach the comfort of his forgiving father's arms.
And then came the bows, the cheers and the flowers. Woetzel was showered with confetti and feted with bouquets and hugs from a parade of fellow dancers and friends, including the recently retired Kyra Nichols, American Ballet Theatre stars Angel Corella and Ethan Stiefel, and choreographers as diverse as Broadway's Susan Stroman, Eliot Feld and Christopher Wheeldon.
"What a love fest," a fan pronounced as the audience finally filed out. Woetzel's fans can only wait and hope that his now-ended performing career will launch him into an even more influential position in the world of dance.
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