Strong Women, Lithe Youngsters, Sharp Turns
by JENNIFER DUNNING for the New York Times

The accent was on women on Saturday night when the American Repertory Ballet performed at Symphony Space. To start, there was Carmen de Lavallade, at 75 outperforming dancers a third her age in the company director Graham Lustig's "Dialogues." One of those ballets about a woman reliving her life and loves, "Dialogues" had a strong lead cast in Jennifer Cavanaugh, as the remembered self, and the pianist Max Midroit and the singer Lorraine Ernest, who performed the score by Pat Rasile. But few artists have quite Ms. de Lavallade's gift for eloquent stillness and for simple, quiet gestures that express whole worlds of emotion.

published: March 27, 2006