ABT Premiers Benjamin Millipied's I FEEL the EARTH MOVE Music by Philip Glass

Benjamin Millipied (b France 1977) has accomplished many things on the int'l dance world in its most esteemed echelons.  Millipied was a principal dancer for NYC Ballet and choreographer for the company.  He was the Director for the Paris Opera Ballet 2014-2016 and is the founder for the LA Dance Project 2011for which he currently oversees and choreographs.  I FEEL the EARTH MOVE made its world premiere for ABT on Oct. 25th, 2017.  Millipied's ballet stood apart from the other three works on todays program:  Jessica Lange's HER NOTES (2016), Liam Scarlett's ELEGY PAS de DEUX (2014) and Christopher Wheeldon's THIRTEEN DIVERSIONS; the oldest work (2011).  Wheeldon's genius stands on the shoulders of Balanchine from the late 20th C to the present.  THIRTEEN DIVERSIONS was a masterpiece in every sense.  The dancing was glorious, costumes stunning and the lighting extremely effective in enhancing the magnificence of the piece.  Scarlett's  ELEGY PAS DE DEUX was astonishing.  It took my breath away.  The dancers, Isabella Boyston & Thomas Forster were phenomenal.  Lang's HER NOTES was extraordinary, simply stunning.  Her use of space and incredible musicality in her choreography is miraculous.  The dance's ephemeral beauty had a lofty dreamlike quality that was heavenly.  Millipied's dance felt very different from these other 3 works.  His felt very contemporary.  The women did not dance on pointe shoes.  The staging gave us a behind the scenes vantage meant to be avant garde.  The street wear costumes were by Rag & Bones.  Glass' music with its percussive and repetitive loop underlined a vocal repetitive loop of a radio disc jockey who referred to Carol King, David Cassidy and DJ, Harry Harrison.  The piece was clever for cleverness' sake.  The dancers let loose with abandon & astounding athleticism.  The movements were powerful & fast paced except for prolonged prone, rippling interludes.  An ensemble cast, including young students paid homage to Jerome Robbin's GLASS PIECES.  The choreography was impressive but felt too aggressive & relentless.  While the other 3 works had a serenity & fluidity to the dancing, Millipied utilized vigor & prowess but was oftentimes combative & unsettling.  I felt the movement to Millipied's work but I was not stirred as I was by Lange, Scarlett or Wheeldon.  Wheeldon may stand atop Balanchine's genius but I think Lange may be on pointe to lead classical ballet into the 21st C.  My heart leaned towards HER NOTES.  Foolish heart, I've been wrong before and  Millipied may be leading the way forward in the world of ballet.