Thou Swell is a plotless ballet made by Peter Martins, then balletmaster-in-chief of New York City Ballet, set to songs by Richard Rodgers in a new arrangement by Glen Kelly with orchestrations by Don Sebesky. It premiered on 22 January 2003 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with designs by Robin Wagner (scenery), Julius Lumsden with Holly Hynes (costumes), and Mark Stanley (lighting).
What is danced
The article does not describe the choreography itself — there is no synopsis, cast list content, or numbers list beyond empty section headers. What it does establish is the unusual performance setup: the score is delivered live by an onstage instrumental trio and two singers rather than a pit orchestra, and at some point one of the male dancers (Nilas Martins in the original cast) leaves the dance to 'sit in' at the piano, folding a musician's role into the cast. Beyond this staging detail, no steps, holds, or vocabulary are given in the source, so nothing about pointe work, partnering, or stylistic idiom can be responsibly asserted from it.
Context
The work dates from Peter Martins's long tenure running New York City Ballet after Balanchine's death, a period in which he made numerous new works alongside the company's core repertory. The article gives no further context on where this piece sits relative to other NYCB ballets or to the wider field in 2003.
Staging history
The two cited reviews — one dated 28 November 2002, one dated 10 June 2008 — bracket a run that the article's own stated premiere date (22 January 2003) does not fully explain, since the earlier review predates that premiere; this is worth checking rather than resolving here. The Playbill and Repertory Week citations, both from NYCB's 2008 season, indicate the ballet remained in the company's active repertory at least five years after its first performance.
How to watch it
Watch for the moment the music-making becomes visible: the trio and two singers perform live onstage rather than in a pit, and one male dancer steps out of the dance to play piano, briefly collapsing the line between dancer and musician. Beyond that staging device, the article gives no guidance on the choreographic vocabulary to watch for.
Credits
- composer: Richard Rodgers