Sal

I went to Wednesday's Ballet Imperial. The Dream performance. I've read everyone else's comments, so here are my random thoughts... 1. The noisy feet! They were so distracting! I found myself wondering why the ladies didn't bang out their pointe shoes, but maybe they had!! I'm so used NYCB dancing so quietly in that theater and really disliked the thunks of the shoes. 2. Ballet Imperial. I Must say that PC2 at NYCB was the first ballet I saw the company dance when I first moved to NYC. Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar were the leads (I can't remember who the soloist ballerina was), and it was so beautiful I was surprised to find myself getting choked up with emotion. Everything about it was moving: the music, the flowing costumes, the dancers, the corps de ballet -- I'll never forget it. To see the same ballet done in, to me, such a stodgy, stuffy manner was jarring. I felt the tutus inhibited the dancers' movement and distracted from the line and patterns they were creating. Isabella and James were out of their league technically, unfortunately, in my opinion, lacking the attack and confidence I've seen the NYCB dancers achieve. And Skylar was fine in her role, if not underused (I found myself wondering how she might have handled the lead ballerina). I never noticed it before but Skylar had a glued-on, unmoving smile throughout, which didn't suit the ballet and just looked a bit odd as the ballet progressed. 3. Jake Roxander! A star is born! I hope the powers that be bring him along carefully and thoughtfully so that we all can enjoy his amazing dancing for many years to come. 4. The Dream. I thought Trenary and Carmago made a lush and lovely couple in their pas de deux. Claire Davison was a hoot as were her cohorts. And the dancer who danced Bottom was spot on. I really enjoy Ashton's humor (La Fille Mal Gardee was a favorite of mine during my dancing days) so I found The Dream to be an enjoyably light entertainment.

I haven't seen any of Trenary's Giselle performances, but I have seen her dance in many, many other ballets and have always thought that she has very strong technique. The hops on pointe can be very problematic with ankles and feet like hers (what look to be loose ankles and very flexible, archy feet). And perhaps she has developed a bit of a phobia about them. She's a human -- not a machine -- and I, for one, would much rather see a human dance than a machine

Ah, yes, I remember now. thanks for the correction. I'm not sure it changes how I feel about LaFreniere and Kikta being promoted now. I guess, if I'm honest, I just really love LaFreniere -- for me she has the combination of strong technique and emotional maturity/artistry that really moves me. I also really enjoy Kikta, but I think I need to see her in a greater range of roles to form a complete opinion. And this is one of the main reasons I think Gerrity should be promoted. She has been carrying a principal load for over a year, similar to that of Phelan.

I agree, cobweb! I vote for Nadon and Lafreniere, immediately to principal, with Gerrity a question mark for me. Although she's not a favorite of mine, she certainly has been dancing a principal load for over a year now and I think she's earned it. I believe Miller and Kikta need a bit more time. Miller needs to develop her artistry further and I think Kikta needs to be given more shots at big principal roles before she gets promoted. (Am I correct in thinking she hasn't yet danced Sugar Plum??) And I would LOVE to see Alexa Maxwell promoted to soloist. She has always caught my eye, even when dancing corps roles, and I want to see her get a chance to take on more challenging roles.

ABT Fan, I was there today, too, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've written! What a joyful exhilarating experience! I was especially struck by Daniel Ulbricht! Not only was his dancing stellar but his partnering was top notch. I've always wondered why he is so underutilized at NYCB (those endless jester-type roles -- ugh) and kind of assumed it was perhaps because he couldn't partner up to NYCB's standards. But that is certainly not the case -- he was a strong and fluid and connected and intuitive partner today. It actually makes me mad on his behalf at his lack of opportunity at City Ballet. Why hasn't he had a career like Juaquin De Luz?? Freemantle and Trenary were a magical pairing in Sinatra Songs -- such chemistry. Trenary was a star throughout. Not only is she a true ballerina but she is a real DANCER. Is there anything she can't do? And she exudes such a warm, bright spirit. I'm a huge fan. The whole cast was stellar. MacKay was another surprise! I've only ever seen him dance very classical ballets but he attacked the choreography with such fierce abandon and energy! It was unexpected. Oh, and Jeanette Delgado! Talk about fierceness! And the three Martha Graham men were show stoppers! I could go on and on and on My only regret is that I didn't go to an earlier performance so that I could go again. Best dance performance I've seen in years!

I was at the matinee today. I totally agree with what's been said about Phelan's performance of the 2nd Movement. She was breathtaking -- totally in command, regal, fluid, I could go on and on. I, too, got choked up during the backwards falls. Such beauty. Alec Knight was an attentive partner. I loved the costumes in Playtime, but I'm a sucker for sparkles I thought the choreography was somewhat forgettable and was overshadowed by the costumes. Loved Solange's score. I'm a big fan of Sara Mearns but I didn't feel like Justin Peck's choreography for Solo showed her to her best advantage. It was very inward and I wonder how the small contemplative movements played to the 4th ring? (I was in the orchestra section.) I kept wanting Sara to bust out and do her "Sara thing" -- big passionate sweeping movements -- but the choreography mostly didn't allow for that. I think she did the best she could with what she was given. I didn't love the costume. I have mixed feelings about Love Letter (on Shuffle). I thought it was too long and that there were too many sections. I wish it had been edited down by about 10 minutes. That said, there were sections that I really enjoyed --Tiler Peck's solos (she was doing her "Tiler thing" and it was amazing), Villarini-Velez's solo (he killed it), Kikta and Walker's first duet (I wonder if we really needed a second one?), and Ball and Fahoury's duet was very moving. Ruby Lister stood out as did the blond dancer who did a duet Cainan Weber. Such fun to go to the ballet on a Sunday afternoon with such an enthusiastic engaged audience! I'm so glad snagged a ticket at the last minute.

I agree that Trenary has the making of one of the best Juliet's ever (with Ferri being the high-water mark for me). Cassie's technique is so solid that she was able to "make classical ballet look completely natural." (Stealing this phrase from Peter Wright speaking of Osipova dancing Giselle in a youtube clip.) Of course, Trenary has aspects of her characterization she'd probably want to further flesh out, as all great artists do. Here's hoping she gets many more opportunities to do just that (certainly more chances than she got this season 😏). I thought Trenary and Royal had beautiful chemistry. They had the same energy level -- both young, exhuberant and lively. I'm big fan of Royal. For me it goes beyond just technique. I've seen so many dancers with perfect technique and very little heart. Calvin has heart and warmth and beauty to spare, and his movement quality is so grand and sweeping and elegant. I'll pretty much watch him in anything at this point. I agree. I thought this was a really smart and moving choice. It fit with the highly naturalistic approach Cassie brought to the role. A young girl who knows she's dying would most likely curl up like a baby, reaching for her beloved. The pose on the back has always seemed a bit theatrical to me, probably just not my cup of tea. I wholeheartedly agree!!! Klein has never before been on my radar and when he started dancing I said to myself, "Who is this guy??" He was amazing. He should be promoted today. I would buy a ticket just to see him. Usually I can't stand anything that goes longer than two hours (yes, I have a very short attention span), but I found myself riveted from start to finish during this performance. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and didn't want it to end.

I thought Russell was a great partner, as always, to Sara. She obviously loves dancing with him. I thought he wasn't ideally suited to the allegro demands of his solos. He was able to execute the very quick small jumps, but for me, his tall stature somehow distracted for the overall effect, if that makes sense. I wanted him to jump higher, but the tempo made that impossible. This was my first time ever seeing Mozartiana, so it was a lot to take in all at once. I might have a different opinion after seeing it again.

I agree. I left after Rubies feeling kind of low, which is not how I usually feel after a night at NYCB. The energy was off. This was the high point of the evening. Sara Mearns was transcendent.

I saw Tiler last night. She is one of my all time favs but, in my opinion, she had a rare off-night. She didn't hit everything with ease the way she usually does, and was uncharacteristically off on a few of her turns (although she nailed the double piques in the last section). I didn't think the partnership with Huxley was ideal. She is such a powerhouse that she really needs a very strong, confident partner like Tyler Angle, and it seemed to me Huxley wasn't the best match. (He was wonderful during his solo moments -- eating up space effortlessly.) This role also calls for a high level of flexibility and elasticity on the part of the ballerina -- not Tiler's strong-suit -- so a lot of the dramatic moments lost some of their excitement and impact as a result. All in all, I think the wobbles could be chalked up to first-time nerves, and I have no doubt Tiler will conquer Rubies after a few more tries. (And maybe a different partner?) LaFreniere was fantastic as the Tall girl. Her opening montage moving forward was as good as Reichlen's, in my opinion, and she seemed completely at ease in everything. My only quibble was that she smiled throughout, which seemed a bit off, but it appeared that she was just so happy to be there, doing that role.

I do, too, but how long will she have to wait -- too long?

San Francisco Ballet would be a great company for Brandt and/or Lane -- SFB does all of the classics, plus lots of new works, plus Balanchine, plus they dance a lot. Great company, great city!

I think what Brandt is experiencing at ABT is what a lot of dancers experience during their careers. It's a subjective art and ADs are super subjective -- sometimes a dancer is going to be in favor and sometimes, or for some dancers, most times, they're not going to be the favorite, ever. I think Brandt shows a lot of character and grit by going after a role she wants and one that she thinks she can do well. More power to her! I hope her performance goes so well that she gets more Giselle performances in the future. She's taking an active role in her professional and artistic growth and not passively sitting back waiting for the powers that be to grant her opportunities. So many dancers end their careers deeply frustrated and resentful because they feel they didn't achieve their potential or weren't recognized for what they have to offer. No matter what, at least Brandt will know she stood up for herself.

Yes, Zimmi has the bright red hair.

I agree with many of the comments regarding Saturday evening's T&V. I was sitting very close and Lane seemed quite nervous and defeated throughout the performance. It was really sad to witness. Her technique is gorgeous and she is such a beautiful dancer, but T&V is such a difficult role for a ballerina and to pair her with a partner not up to the task is unforgivable. As others have noted, Gorak has beautiful lines and feet, but his partnering is so, so weak -- no wonder Lane seemed nervous -- who wouldn't be!? He barely got her on his shoulder at the end (she really wasn't all the way up) and then he was literally holding on for dear life as the curtain closed. I didn't mind the Tharp piece -- loved the music and Cornejo is always thrilling. I did not like the costumes at all. They look like something a high school dance troupe would pull together from old halloween costumes found in the back of their closets and the Goodwill. Just ugh. I loved Seasons but felt it was too long. Hurlin's whirling-dervish entrance in the Winter section was a real crowd-pleaser. What a force of nature she is! Zimmi Coker is a star in the making. I remember noticing her in the corps last year and was not surprised she had two featured roles last night. She has a beautiful, light, expansive quality and seemed very confident and entirely comfortable in everything she danced. She's definitely one to watch.