Alexei Ratmansky's "Solitude" was a stab to the heart on Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Center.

New York City Ballet’s matinee program on Saturday at Lincoln Center was outstanding.

Three distinctive works, staged for its Eclectic NYCB program, featured Christopher Wheeldon’s reverent “Continuum,” a work that entered City Ballet’s repertoire last spring; Alexei Ratmansky’s “Solitude,” a devastating expose on the horrors of war in Ukraine; and George Balanchine’s rarely staged and brilliant “Bourree Fantasque.”

All three were memorable.

First, “Continuum.” It’s one of those ballets that one might not take to immediately. Initially, it appears severe -- dancers going through snappy motions of port de bras and tendus. But as the ballet proceeds, the eight dancers – sometimes appearing as soloists, others in duets – reveal their intent. They are demonstrating, to piano scores by Gyorgy Ligeti, the vital continuum of the art itself.

They are the vessels and it is their connection to the basics and the art that is handed down to another – and so it goes to live on and expand.

It begins with eight in two rows – men on one side, women on the other. Kicking their legs in grand battement and shifting from one side to the next, as practitioners of the barre that shapes them. And then the ballet quoted onto signature styles of those who grew and expanded the art – including Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

The ballet is also anchored by a profound duet, danced beautifully by Emily Kikta and Owen Flacke. Kikta folds into her partner and then reaches out – both dependent on his strength and guidance yet searching for something in the beyond. It was deeply moving.

The ballet ends with the dancers united in the art’s perpetuation. That was especially clear with the men with linked arms, representing each dancer as a link in the unbroken chain of ballet.  

While that gave the audience intellectual food for thought, Ratmansky’s ballet “Solitude,” set to Gustav Mahler, was a stab to the heart. It begins with a sole figure, the soon-to-retiring Adrian Danchig-Waring, sit next to a still body of a boy. As he sits, others enter and search the sky. They either flee or slide limply to the ground.

The boy, led away by a seeming angel who was perhaps his mother, leaves Danchig-Waring alone on the stage. He then dances a poignant solo of grief punctuated by loneliness.

Then he takes his calf into his hand as if he too stands with those who are shot or killed, allowing the angels to raise him up to a saner realm.

This is one of those works of art that is important as it is a simple and direct demand to recognize humanity’s obligation to peace.
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After the intense “Solitude,” “Bourree Fantasque” was a reprieve. Set to Emmaneul Chabrier’s music, the work celebrates the glamour and verve of French classical ballet. Balanchine injected the work, which premiered in 1949, with a lot of sauciness by spiking it with a touch of cancan and humor. The polonaise finale overwhelmed with its showy energy and sparkle.

World Ballet Company presented its glittering version of "Swan Lake" at Proctors Theatre on Sunday night. (Photo courtesy of World Ballet Company) 

The last night in a series of one-night stands must come as a brutal relief.

That’s where World Ballet Company found itself on Sunday evening at Proctors Theatre – the end of a run of “Swan Lake.” Sadly, the dancers seemed tired and, at times, sloppy. While Lina Sheveleva danced Odette/Odile with excellence, many of the dancers appeared to be only going through the motions, sometimes carelessly.

There are always slips and out-of-sync errors in ballet, but on Sunday there seemed to be more than usual. At one point, Georgii Stelmakh, dancing the role of Prince Siegfried, nearly dropped Sheveleva from the second act’s high, final triumphal lift.

This was surprising as World Ballet Company is one of the better touring ensembles. Based in Los Angeles, the company has many fine productions – with sparkling sets and costumes and many first-rate dancers, most from Eastern European countries. For Sunday’s show, they traveled with the company’s orchestra, which was anticipated to elevate the production to the highest level.

But even a well-played Tchaikovsky classic, can’t endure exhaustion.

While there were some unfortunate moments, this production is still beautiful. It begins with a flashback during the overture when Odette, behind a smoky and shimmering drop, is seen captured by the evil Rothbart who turns her and her retinue into swans. Under his spell, Odette is only human at night. Only a true, forever love can remove Rothbart’s curse.

Of course, when the Prince Siegfried arrives at the lake on a hunting expedition and sees Odette, he is enraptured and promises his love forever. Rothbart, seeing this, unspools a new plot to keep Odette and her entourage his captives.

Some of the ballet’s best moments are seen at the lake where Odette is accompanied by a flock of swans that deploy in dazzling, swirling formations. The corps de ballet kept the magic of the ballet intact, as did the quartet of tiny swans with their coordinated, connected pas.

Konstantin Geronik, as the jester, had his moments too. With his brilliant bouncing and antics, he was a welcome sight in every palace scene.

The trio who danced the Russian variation in the second act were also divine. But the Spanish variation was not. Here, again, the lead female dancer came close to tumbling to the floor as her male escorts stumbled.

Stelmakh as Siegfried was a decent soloist, capable and clean tours en l’air and entrechats six. But in his partnering of Sheveleva, the connection was cool. The two followed the choreography – rocking embraces, hands over hearts – without an emotional effort to make it feel genuine. That was disappointing.

Finally, this version of “Swan Lake,” which traditionally ends in tragedy with the two lovers either killing themselves or separating forever, ends happily. Siegfried kills Rothbart and Odette is restored to human form, allowing her to live in bliss with her prince.
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At least, there was that.

On Saturday, MasterZ at Work Dance Family ended the Kaatsbaan Cultural Center's annual festival on a high note. (Photo by Works in Process/Titus Ogilvie-Laing)

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park’s annual festival ended on an upbeat note on Saturday with an invigorating program with MasterZ at Work Dance Family. This collective of a dozen ballroom culture dancers, led by Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington, strutted their bodies and styles on the outdoor stage in a showcase that honored the differences that the ballroom community embraces.

I’m not talking the old-fashioned ballroom waltzes, tangos and the cha-cha. I’m talking the runway-style competition dancing, popular in some quarters of the Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ circles. Here, house, voguing, jazz, hip-hop and modern dance merge to create something uniquely personal for each dancer. The point is to let free the dancers’ honest expression, which is encouraged and applauded.

Interestingly, Washington’s creative choreography somehow preserved that essential independent vibe while harnessing it into concert dance – where unified movement elevates and exposes the ballroom community to larger art-loving community.

Certainly, two works shown, “ALL INCLUSIVE” and “The 24/7 Diner” were gratifying. Not only were audiences able to witness the dancers’ artistry, but Washington’s ability to construct pieces that spoke to those who are used to the formal stage.

The propulsive “ALL INCLUSIVE,” to music created by DJ Byrell the Great, opened the afternoon show. With a strong percussive beat, the dancers of all body types showed off their forms, as individuals and in group synchronized sections.

Dressed in neon colors – green, pink and orange – the dancers looked electric. They also donned sweat bands around their heads and wrists, as if they just stepped out of a 1980s music video or Jane Fonda aerobic workout.

Their flashy colors did not detract from their flashy dancing – their hands were constantly moving, their arms flowed and cut in front of their body and face and suddenly stopped to make a frame. They walked – one leg crossed over the other – with their chests and buttocks exaggerated. All this sashaying was quite sexy and fun to watch.

“ALL INCLUSIVE” was pure showmanship.

“The 24/7 Diner,” on the other hand, told a tale of a busy diner. Inspired by Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner,” the piece portrayed a city eatery as a place where the staff and their costumers conspired to create an environment where all were welcomed.

It began with the dancers literally playing out Vega’s song. It then morphed into a DJ rendition, like a dream-sequence of stops and starts that the dancers played with as they dined, served and shined up the invisible eatery. During intermission, Washington said the piece is not technically complete as she wants to have a clearer storybook ending.
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But it’s just fine as it is – so too is her company. Hopefully, Washington’s dancing family will continue to share their gifts beyond the ballroom community.

"Dive Barn" at PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance in 2025. It was successful, PS21 repeated the community experience. 

What’s better than a mild summer evening with a cloudless sky in a field of golden rod.

Little.

But add in some thoughtful dance and music in a natural amphitheater and what you get is a perfect late afternoon.

That’s what the Chatham community experienced on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance. Lovers of dance are familiar with its outdoor amphitheater. But in recent years, the center has expanded its venue to encompass its entire 100 acres of orchards, fields and outbuildings. And they have done this without paving over and destroying nature. Kudos to PS21.

Sunday’s free show held sway in an old dairy barn that stands at the bottom of a hill. And above its large wooden door that revealed its stage sat countless people of all ages – lounging on blankets, chatting with neighbors and feasting on picnics.

They were gathered for two short works by dancer/choreographer Sayer Mansfield – one for her Tuesday Night Dance class and a duet in which she performed with Ashley Hill. In between, the late afternoon offered some music by guitarists/singer/songwriter Raena Jade. The program concluded with the expansive, electronic sounds of composer Elori Saxl.

The program, known as “DIVE BARN,” was sold out. But people kept coming. And what they witnessed was not anything particularly innovative and breathtaking. Instead, the dance artists offered an exploration of the unique space – a narrow and deep, sunbathed passageway into the barn.

But more than that, the whole scene radiated with a collective respect and gratitude for the artists, the audience and nature. It was one of those moments where everyone felt a little awed.

Of course, the reason for my presence was Mansfield’s dances “Group Work,” for about 35 dancers of all ages and variety of abilities, and her duet “not one or the other.”

“Group Work” was enchanting. Set to Julianna Barwick’s “Prizewinning” and William Basinski’s “dip 1.1.1,” the work pulsated with the number of people who moved in unison through this narrow, shadowy stage. At first, they just walked, back and forth, disappearing and reappearing from the hidden side stalls.

Then, they gathered close in the doorway – first just bouncing, then swaying, then flopping to one side. The sensation of the group solidarity was both hypnotic and eerie. It felt right and good, but also threatening. It fascinated without any fancy dancing.

The duet with Hill, to music by several artists including Buffy Saint Marie and Erik Satie, seemed to penetrate the other in all of us. The two – with the long-flying blonde hair – appeared like twins who were unified but struggled to cooperate.

Their initial movements were synchronized. But then after rolling back and forth, over and over, at the barn door’s edge, Mansfield broke away.  Hill stood and flung her arms and head in rebellion. Manfield returned and tried to dress her. It was impossible. Her clothes slipped to the floor.
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In the end, they returned to their harmony – but at what cost? “not one or the other” left one to ponder.

Cassi Abranches' "Traca (Braid)" was a gorgeous celebration of Brazilian dance and music. Pictured here are Mia Bermudez, Amir Baldwin and Arianna Carson. (Photo by Jamie Kraus)

Drop what you are doing tonight and head over to Jacob’s Pillow for the summer’s most dazzling showcase -- Ballet Hispanico New York.

Its dozen finely honed dancers are presenting a program of female choreographers that simmers and then sizzles in a 90-minute showcase that includes a salute to flamenco, a sentimental portrait of human relations and a rousing celebration of all things Brazilian.

Led by Eduardo Vilaro, this company seems capable of every style – fine balletic petit pointe work to the flying and fighting stances of capoeira. And they did it with precision and confidence that energized the rowdy patrons in Ted Shawn Theatre.

The evening opened with a Pillow co-commission from 2016, elegant “Linea Recta” choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. In it, she gathered flamenco’s props such as the frilled skirts and lacy fans and mannerisms to shape the artform into a living sculpture. In bold, arrogant stance, the slice of the arm or leg seared into the mind’s eye. She also toyed with what the profile of the dance could do if unleashed together or in pairs and trios.

The lines were stunning. And in the end, the dance’s legacy, pushed along by the flamenco sound of Eric Vaarzon Morel, was truly elevated.

“Otra Vez, Otra Vez, Otra Vez,” choreographed by Stephanie Martinez, depicted a community where the sun rises and sets on friends, lovers and loners. While some of the instrumental music she selected for the congregation was lovely, the encroaching gravelly vocals were annoying, tearing down some of the pensive allure.

Still, the look of the piece was gorgeous. The set and lighting design by Julie Ballard gave the piece a dreamy look – as if the audience were voyeurs for intimate encounters or bystanders to the world at-large. The women – in silky skirts designed by Holly Hynes – floated like feathers in and around their insistent, strong partners. Martinez beautifully crafted this work, ensuring it soon won’t be forgotten.

Finally, the evening’s favorite was Cassi Abranches’ “Tranca (Braid).” To music by Beto Villares, this piece was a full-out carnival – a parade of pulsating dancers who stepped and sambaed to the unrelenting beat.

They started out slow with their chests pumping and from there it grew into a cauldron of electrifying dances that vibrated. Coming and going, the dancers kept all eyes busy and minds in awe of the heart-throbbing thrill.
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Special mention goes out to Thierry Blannchard who stood out in all three dances.

Bravo, Ballet Hispanico.

Since Martha Graham’s death, her iconic company has had its ups and downs.

But one thing remained throughout, the 100-year-old mother of all modern dance companies remains defiant and relevant.

As seen on Wednesday night at Jacob’s Pillow, the Martha Graham Dance Company paid homage to its radical roots and also made certain that everyone understood it is taking on the tumultuous headwinds of today’s world. It was program that was both breathless, breathtaking and meaningful.

That’s true even when their newer dances, or at least one of them, aren’t up to the company’s standard. It’s not the fault of the dancers – oh no. They are rocks, so absorbed in Graham’s rigorous style that sometimes it requires a doubletake to make certain it’s not Graham herself up there dancing.

This was true of both historic works on the program – Graham’s startling “Night Journey” and her recently reconstructed solo “Immediate Tragedy.” In “Night Journey,” the retelling of Jocasta’s revelation and subsequent suicide when she realizes she married her son Oedipus, was classic. Xin Ying danced Jocasta opposite Lorenzo Pagano as her husband/son in a work that depicted both alluring erotica and devastating shame.

Ying related her guilt in twisted and tumbling solos while Pagano flaunted his powerful virility with his wide and hovering stance. The drama was elevated by Tiresias, the blind seer, who stomped about with his staff and the chorus of dancers or daughters of the night as led by the solid Leslie Andrea Williams. The final scene, rope wrapped around Jocasta’s neck, was chilling.

 “Immediate Tragedy,” from 1937, is dedicated to the women enduring the Spanish Civil War. Amazingly, this once lost work was restored after images on a photo contact sheet were discovered. As they showed the sequence of events, Artistic Director Janet Eilber expertly revived it.

With Anne Soder in the role, she used the Graham technique to take invisible gut punches that felled her to the floor. Her skirt, lined in red, showed that the fire within her never died. She remained courageous in the face of fascism – a lesson for today.

Of the two new works, Hope Boykin’s “En Masse,” had outstanding sharp choreography and lighting effects. But it went off the rails with her musical choices – Leonard Bernstein and Christopher Rountree. They were not compatible and seemed random. “En Masse” would win with a singular musical style as the dancing, particularly the solos, were knock outs.

The same could be said for Jamar Roberts’ “We the People.” His thoughtful silence solos were juxtaposed coolly to the vigorous group action set to the music by Rhiannon Giddens.
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Both of the newer works demonstrated the power of the people. But watching these masterful dancers, one also sees the power of Graham. Her legacy lives on.

San Francisco Ballet performed the heart-pounding "The Barre Project" by William Forsythe on Wednesday night at Jacob's Pillow. It was the company's first appearance there in 70 years. (Photo by Hannah Murphy)

Jacob’s Pillow marked a momentous occasion on Wednesday night with the return of San Francisco Ballet.

This wonderful company of artists, with the technical wherewithal to dance just about anything, hasn’t been to Terpsichore’s hallowed grounds since 1956. Thus, on its eagerly anticipated return, the company ensured it will not be soon forgotten. It blazed across the both the outdoor platform and the Ted Shawn Theatre stage with a hefty program of classics and contemporary works that demanded all eyes, at all times, and left every dance aficionado sated.

Also significant was the Pillow debut of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, which expertly accompanied the company playing selections from Ludwig van Beethoven, Ludwig Minkus, Alexander Glazunov and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Under the direction of David Alan Miller, few small city symphonies can master the range. As typical for them, they did.

But back to the amazing dancing on the stage. San Francisco Ballet is one of the oldest in America. Established in 1933 -- the same year as the Pillow -- the company is directed by Tamara Rojo who is keeping this singular west coast ballet ensemble in fine form.

Their week-long stay includes classical pas de deux from Petipa’s “Don Quixote” and “Raymonda” (the latter updated by Rojo) along with the sparkling royal pas de deux from George Balanchine’s “Diamonds.” Those are juxtaposed with an excerpt from Akram Khan’s devastating “Dust” and Hans van Manen’s sculpturally striking “Grosse Fuge.” And it all ended with a William Forsythe finale that merged “Prologue” and “The Barre Project” to show off some of the 31 dancers’ fleet and flashy talents.

Forsythe’s pieces, like all of his works, challenge the dancers and often the audience. They are shadowy, giving his dances a mysterious air. Yet the structure is like a bustling avenue – bodies coming and going, pivoting, sliding and swaying off-kilter into a shimmering, action-packed kaleidoscope.

While Forsythe keeps minds racing, Khan’s works always land an emotional punch. The dark duet from  "Dust,” danced by Dores Andre and Victor Prigent, portrays an anguished couple struggling with an unseen enemy. It’s harsh, painful and leaves no ambiguity on the boards. Once again, Khan proves to be an important voice in the dance world.

The classical duets were sharp and fascinated with their various styles. The “Don Quixote” pas de deux awed with technical feats, while this updated “Raymonda” elevates the romance between Raymonda and her beloved. The elegant “Diamonds” duet won with its nod to ballet’s courtly roots.

The van Manen opener to Beethoven was striking for its own reasons – mainly for the contrast of black and white costumes and the perfect symmetry of all eight dancers when they peopled the stage.

Though my least favorite of the night, it again underscored San Francisco Ballet's remarkable versatility.

"WITNESS:  dance across boundaries," created by Sondra Loring as a collaboration with those serving inside the Greene Correctional Facility in Coxsackie, expressed their joy in a uniting in creativity.

Often, what passes as extraordinary in today's dance world is technical pyrotechnics -- dance and dancers who dazzle with physical feats.

I'm not immune. But every once in a while a performance comes along where the dancers' physical abilities take a backseat and a performance emerges that is equally powerful, mainly for its honesty.

That's what audiences experienced on Tuesday night with "WITNESS: dance across boundaries" at Union College. This was a most unusual creation -- one that was inspired by creator Sondra Loring's time teaching at Greene Correction Facility in Coxsackie. There, through the power of movement and words, she unlocked a collective creativity. And in "WITNESS" she retells that life-changing journey she and the inmates made through dance, music and poetry.

The group of eight looked ragtag. Aside from a ribbon of red that adorned each outfit, they were dressed in street clothes, looking like anyone else you may meet walking down the street. Yet this octet was united in this stripped down depiction of their story.

It begins with the audience entering the college's dance studio. We see the eight at a table, writing. Every minute or so, they would switch seats, rotating in a chorus of musical chairs. 

After they stepped off stage, they returned, one by one, to stand behind a table and stare at the audience. They held their fists down into the table as if holding back an urge to flinch. And then two broke into a chorus asking "Will you harbor me?" with an answer of "Will I harbor you?"

Then Loring stepped up to talk about her experience entering the prison on her first day, the doors that slammed and locked behind her and finding a group of quiet and nervous students awaiting her in the gym. She told the audience she started with walking. The cast demonstrated, circling and calibrating as they went: fast and slow, backwards and forwards.

The cast, accompanied by soothing background sounds from Aidan Samp on the drums, read letters and poems. And they danced -- in solos and together, stopping to teach each other their fancy moves. There is laughing, support when another falls and questioning each other and the audience about fears, written down in composition notebooks.

The thing about "WITNESS" was it felt raw and real. And at a time when the world is so divided between us and them, the outside world versus the inside world, they merged with unrestrained respect. It was beautiful and moving. 
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It also sent an important message about the healing power of art. Why are we not supporting it more?

Lisa Goldsworthy of Circa Contemporary Circus shows her fangs in "Wolf" on Wednesday night at Jacob's Pillow. (Photo by Christopher Duggan)

​Circa Contemporary Circus went deep into the forest to draw out one of its most misunderstood and mystifying creatures – the wolf. And in its U.S. debut of “Wolf” at Jacob’s Pillow on Wednesday night, this Australian company of 10 acrobats astounded with strength and grace in a ferocious evening-length work.
 
Choreographed by Yaron Lifschitz in collaboration with the ensemble, “Wolf,” the audience is told is based on research on the canine in the wild. And what came across, was a clannish group that is playful, loyal, and sometimes cruel. And all of it – the depiction, the movement, and the accompanying sound design by Ori Lichtik – fascinated.
 
Set on a plain backdrop onto which color of any kind could be projected, the work began with a sole performer curled in a ball and suspended from aerial ropes. Another stood nearby at military-like attention, watching the horizon. As she rose and fell from the ropes – in movement both smooth and harrowing -- the other became engaged in what is a preview of “Wolf.”
 
It can be best described as dancers climbing on and falling into other performers to a constant momentum of a drum roll. And the variations of this never ceased to astonish.
 
While watching, those in the audience gasped at much of the action. But what I found intriguing was the relationships between the players as they depicted the wolves as they ran, played, hunted and most importantly, in the end, united in a coordinated pack.
 
In one section, wolves injected themselves between a mating couple – as it happens in the wild. In another, they bounced off each other in a unifying romp. And in the end, as they hunted, their shoulders rose and fell menacingly as if stalking prey.
 
The ensemble also built these human towers – performers standing on shoulders, standing on shoulders. At times, another would fly out of seeming nowhere to be caught midflight on this totem. Here, the wolves were seemingly seeking higher, safer ground.
 
While all of the performers were mountains of brawn and grit, one stood out. Barney Herrmann was the lone wolf – launching himself into the air and crashing down to the floor again and again. It was a punishing solo that emphasized loneliness does not equal weakness.
 
In the end, the wolves were all together, pulsating to a rhythm as they stared at the audience, telling them beware and respect.  
 
Circa Contemporary Circus certainly has earned that esteem.

Kloe Walker soars in Tiler Peck's "Symphonie Espagnole" at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday afternoon. (Photo by Erin Baiano)

New York City Ballet’s summer stay at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center is all about Tiler Peck.
 
Her performance in George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was inspired. She gave a pre-performance talk, she signed copies of her book, “XO Ballerina Big Sis.” And her ambitious “Symphonie Espagnole,” to Edouard Lalo’s violin concerto, made its SPAC premiere on Friday afternoon.
 
Peck deserves all the attention as she stands out as one of the company’s biggest talents. She is a draw whose charms onstage translate off. And as “Symphonie Espagnole” shows she is also not afraid to tackle the big and bold, creating a work that explores Spanish-infused themes to create splashy variations for her fellow dancers.
 
However, it’s a shame that it had to premiere at a matinee. At SPAC, matinees are always disappointing as the lighting, so essential to a ballet’s mood, is lost.
 
Friday opened with another perfect Balanchine ballet, “Serenade.” Sadly, the moonlight that bathes the dancers in the first movement of the Tchaikovsky ballet is unseen. And the ascension to the heavens, the ballet’s glorious end, just doesn’t read as it should.
 
Daytime also weakened Jerome Robbins’ “Opus 19/The Dreamer.” In it, Joseph Gordon is a man plagued by a restlessness that haunts him in dreams. But again, the open-air amphitheater, that cannot darken, dispels the nightmare’s power and diminishes the subsequent relief Gordon finds with Alexa Maxwell.
 
Still, the cast for both ballets was good, but one laments losing lighting by Mark Stanley (“Serenade”) and Ronald Bates (“Opus 19/The Dreamer”).
 
Consequently, in Peck’s piece, the potential spark is misplaced. The playful first movement with Emma Von Enck and David Gabriel, the daring dances in the second and third with Kloe Walker and Roman Mejia and finally the romance of the fourth with Mira Nadon and Ryan Tomash are vibrant, but lack the sense of progression that lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker likely provides.

It is clear that Peck’s work was well-constructed. She designed the dance beautifully with lines of corps de ballet dancers – upstage and near the wings -- defining the space. Throughout, she sprinkled Spanish spice. Finger snaps and hand claps evoked flamenco while the red, chocolate and icy blue costumes by Robert Perdziola aroused a feeling of toreadors and dark-eyed flirtatious senoritas.
 
Mejia stole the show and hearts with his flashy smile and the ease of his endless turns. Backed by eight other men, Mejia and crew asserted their vigor, prompting some in the audience to surely swoon.
 
All three ballets will be repeated on Saturday night, where they will be seen as intended – in the glow of evening’s light.