http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/arts/wendy-whelan-leaves-city-ballet-after-30-years.html 2014-10-19 22:03:56 Wendy Whelan Leaves City Ballet After 30 Years Wendy Whelan gave her final performances with New York City Ballet after a 30-year career that created roles for some of the most notable ballets of the 21st century. === As the ballerina The choreographer Alexei Ratmansky has paid tribute to the line of her legs; I would add too that she has a superb stage face. Its large planes — framed by her marvelous Roman nose and the firm lines of her brow, cheeks and jaw — all claim the light; so do her gleaming eyes and huge, eager smile. She is one of those rare figures who have redefined beauty for us. Yet Ms. Whelan’s exterior looks are just the outer frame. To watch her is to admire a mind in action: She exudes self-belief, purposefulness, intelligence, generosity. A phrase that Shakespeare’s Charmian applies to Cleopatra came to mind: “A lass unparalleled.” Her dancing in several classical prima roles has been controversial. My praise for her over the years has been attacked by her opponents, my complaints by her admirers. But on Saturday, I was happy to join in the ovations and to recall many particular inflections she has brought to an entire range of ballets. Saturday’s performance gave us the whole of George Balanchine’s I’ve noted before that the finest ballets of the 21st century have been created for City Ballet. It’s no accident that Ms. Whelan originated roles in most of them: notably Mr. Wheeldon’s “Polyphonia” and Mr. Ratmansky’s “Russian Seasons” and “Concerto DSCH.” Has any dancer in history been involved in more world premieres? It’s easy to imagine the stimulus of collaborating with her. (From the only time I’ve met her, I recall that big smile and how quickly she made me laugh.) And though she has certainly brought refined technique to the process, you can’t help thinking that what must most inspire choreographers has been her spirit, her mind and her sheer will. Ms. Whelan’s Sleepwalker was, once more, a startling apparition: driven, urgent, darkly ambiguous. She had an especially fine moment on Saturday when she, still seemingly with eyes shut, stopped at the dead body of the Poet (Robert Fairchild) and circled her head and shoulders in lament, as if releasing a mighty wail to the heavens. The “Dances at a Gathering” excerpt showed an aspect of her that company dancers will miss: her pleasure in being part of an ensemble. This was the waltz where the six dancers collaborate in lifts, throws and catches; Abi Stafford, Rebecca Krohn, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Zachary Catazaro and (especially) Jared Angle took visible delight and pride in sharing the occasion with Ms. Whelan. “Concerto DSCH” Saturday brought just the concerto’s slow, second movement; and here, the musical delicacy of Ms. Whelan’s dancing brought tears to the eyes as she, lifted by Tyler Angle, beat her legs together in the air. At the scene’s end, the choreography, bringing the lead couple together into patterns with the six supporting dancers, afforded another glimpse of Ms. Whelan’s exemplary ensemble playing. The “By 2 With & From” is set to a Max Richter arrangement of Vivaldi’s This was not Ms. Whelan’s farewell to dance. As an adieu to her mother company, it was nonetheless historic. The Koch Theater audience was a Who’s Who of celebrities, not from the dance world alone. Many came onstage to present Ms. Whelan with flowers. She responded differently to each and every one, yet almost always with joy. Her many curtsies to the audience will stay in the memory. Opening her arms wide and inclining one knee, she greeted the theater with both pride and modesty. She has enlarged the art she serves; it has enriched her.