Performing George Balanchine’s Agon: A Conversation with SAB’s Chairman of Faculty Kay Mazzo and NYCB Apprentice Savannah Durham

In 1957, George Balanchine premiered what he called the “quintessential contemporary ballet”. After commissioning the score in 1953 from composer Igor Stravinsky, the two began a four-year collaboration that resulted in what became Agon. The movements of this ballet were modeled after French court dances of the mid—17th Century, however, the ballet and score have no subject other than an interpretation of the dances that inspired them.

We spoke with Kay Mazzo, SAB’s Chairman of Faculty, and Savannah Durham, a current apprentice with New York City Ballet who first performed the Agon pas de deux at SAB’s 2019 Workshop, on what it was like to dance this ballet. From the learning process in the studio to performing it on stage, and why 63 years after its premiere, the music and choreography make it such an enduring masterpiece.

When learning Agon, who taught you the role/who did you learn it from?

Kay Mazzo: I learned the role from George Balanchine and Arthur Mitchell. When I was asked to perform the role, I only had a couple of days to learn it. Arthur, who was in the original cast, ended up teaching it to me with Balanchine there.

Savannah Durham: Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle taught my partner and me the pas de deux. Kay Mazzo also worked with us closer to the performance.

Who was your main partner that you usually danced this role with?

KM: I danced the role with Arthur Mitchell and Peter Martins. When Arthur retired, that’s when Peter started dancing it. I don’t think I danced it with anyone else.

SD: LaJeromeny Brown was my main partner and is the only person I’ve ever danced this with.

How did it feel to debut the role on stage?

KM: I don’t remember! I’m sure the first performance I was a nervous wreck. But in the end, Balanchine was pleased with it, so I felt it was okay. I also remember Arthur saying very calmly to me before the performance, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be fine, you’re going to be doing this, and all will be well”. Since Agon was originally choreographed on him, as we would perform it together, he would show me certain ways to move and try new things. Over time, the role became something I was comfortable with but always found challenging. Balanchine was there as well and I think he trusted us with the choreography.

SD: I was nervous but at the same time not. It’s very silent and intimidating when you first walk out, then it’s as though you’re shot out of a cannon. By the day of the performance, we’d been rehearsing for months and had two dress rehearsals that week, so I felt like I’d already performed it. It was still nerve-racking of course because we only had one show and wanted it to go well. Before the performance, I made sure to relax and remember to be proud of the outcome no matter what. For me, it was one of the most difficult things I’d ever learned, let alone performed, so I knew I’d be proud of myself and my partner regardless. It made the positive feedback and support all the more special.

What did you find most challenging about learning the role?

KM: What was challenging was that I had very little time to learn the role. I learned it and I danced it in just a couple of days. But what was wonderful about dancing new roles during those days was that once you danced a ballet, you usually were the only person dancing it for many years. When Arthur taught me the role, we wouldn’t go through counts in the music. Arthur instead would say to me, “Listen for this, when you hear this you have to be at a certain point”. It wasn’t until I performed the ballet consistently, that I felt like it belonged in my body.

SD: For me, it was finding myself in the role. It’s such a strong, powerful ballet with commanding energy and at the time that was difficult for me to bring out. I wanted to be this “fierce” persona but still feel like myself. It’s such an iconic piece, and I was worried about butchering it or not doing it justice. The support I got from Tyler and Maria, my teachers, and my friends gave me confidence. I also watched videos of multiple dancers performing Agon. Every dancer’s different approach inspired me and helped me figure out what I wanted to do.

What particular section or step was the most challenging? Are there any sections you had to practice over and over to get it right?

KM: Because I only had a few days to learn the ballet, I didn’t have time to practice! In the opening of the ballet, it’s a challenge when the female dancers first get on stage. You are on stage with other principal dancers and other corps de ballet dancers, and everybody does the same steps but on different counts, until it all comes together. There are portions where you dance together and then you all dance separately. It was such a challenge, but when it all came together we were all very thrilled. It made the beginning of the ballet very exciting and fun. The pas de deux was challenging in its own way, because it’s very different than the first and last movements of the ballet. You move in a much slower fashion most of the time. Agon as a whole is such a challenge because it has every aspect of how you want to dance. Fast and furious, slow and deliberate.

SD: Some of the partnering steps came naturally while others were very difficult. One step we had to practice a lot was the moment where he lifts me up while I’m in a middle split and carries me across the floor above his head.

What particular section or step was your favorite to dance? Did you have a favorite part of performing the role?

KM: I don’t think so. Agon is so special because like so many of Balanchine’s ballets, there’s so much meat to it. There’s so much to do in it, there’s so much to challenge you, there’s so much to make it exciting to dance. I don’t think there’s one part that was my favorite, it was the whole thing that made it always so much fun. I loved performing Agon so much, it was always so exciting and when you’re young and in a company, all you want to do is dance. I would see these roles danced by principal dancers, and when I was in the corps would think to myself, this is where I want to be. That is what I want to dance. When you’re young and you get the chance to perform, you say “fine!”. You don’t even think about it. Getting to perform Agon was so special and when the opportunity arose I said, “yes I’ll do it. Help me, but I’ll do it!”

SD: I loved the excitement at the beginning when we come out separately. I spin into a penché and it’s like he’s caught me. The music slows down and we come together for the beginning of the pas de deux. Another favorite section was the “circus” step where I lift my leg up while on pointe over my head and let go into a penché with one hand. The audience goes completely silent and there’s a moment leading up where I look out into the audience and it’s completely black.