07 November 1974
Boston Ballet debuts Birgit Cullberg's Medea; and two Merce Cunningham pieces Summerspace and Winterbranch. Of Medea Lisa Schwazbaum of The Boston Globe praised Boston Ballet company dancers Laura Young and Anamarie Sarazin's performances as, "an angularly appealing Creusa" and a "believably vengeful Medea, full of strength and fire". However, it was Winterbrach which created the greatest sensation, but not in the best way, as audience members walked out of the performance. In contrast many critics applauded the bold move of presenting the piece. Schwarzbaum stated, "[Winterbranch] is a mesmerizing exercise in creepiness, a dark craggy assault on the senses..." and Amanda Smith of the Boston Phoenix proclaimed, "Plaudits to E. Virginia Williams, the artistic director of the Boston Ballet, for providing the pink-tights-and-toe-shoe audience with a controversial series of performances at the Music Hall".
Laura Young and Woytek Lowski in Birgit Cullberg's Medea
Unsigned photograph
Boston Ballet Archives