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Winter 2004 week 1


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Oberon, I totally agree. I didn't mean to add my voice to a chorus of "you should have seen so-and-so. It was sooo much better!" Not only do great dancers have their own special qualities, you can't often compare performances straight up. All performers have off-nights, excerpts don't often tell the whole story, and memories are faulty. Still, with Barocco fresh in my mind, I watched the video last night with particular interest and was quite taken with not only the quality of Le Clerc and Adams, but how they really seemed to respond to one another's dancing. Like I said, it seemed to be a balancing act that appeared to be missing from last week's performance. But I still very much enjoyed it last week.

I've been meaning to get over the Museum of TV and Radio to see the Balanchine exhibit and haven't had a chance. Is it closing after this weekend, or do they showcase a particular program each week? I had assumed you could call up the videos you wanted to watch on individual monitors. I'm wondering how it works and whether I'm going to have the chance to see it.

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Oberon, I agree, which is why I still go to the ballet. However, ballets need to be cared for, cast well and coached. Tone and atmosphere are important. Dancers need to come up with their own interpretations (I love the way NYCB dancers go off and work on parts on their own, finding their own way), but they also need to be nudged in the right direction to keep the works the way they are supposed to be.

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I saw Woetzel in Prodigal Son on Friday night the 9th and was blown away. I was tearing up at the end of that ballet. His performance translated all the way up to the fourth ring. I had never seen this ballet before so I have nothing to compare Maria Kowroski's performance to. Despite a bobble (slip) on her first attitude turn, I thought she was perfect for the role of the siren physically.

When I watched the Balanchine documentary last night, I was somewhat less impressed with Baryshnikov's performance, though it was fine as well. At the end of the ballet, when he is on his knees and drags himself toward his father, it just didn't look as real and painful as Woetzel's performance.

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I am not Baryshnikov partisan, but in fairness, he had a relatively short time to learn this ballet, to really get to know it intimately. The footage of him in Prodigal was done only a few months after he joined NYCB. Damian's been doing it for many years now.

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I went to the January 11th matinee. E. Johnson and Michael have already talked about most of the ballets performed that afternoon (and far better than I ever could) so I'll be pretty brief. I too was disappointed with "Concerto Barocco" although I really love the choreography and especially Bach's music. The last time I saw it, the dancing was much better. I know I saw Wendy Whelan and I think one of the soloists - probably Abby Stafford. Whelan was just perfect and the other dancer was good too. (I could look through my programs to see who that other performer was, but I have so many programs and so little time.) And there was that balance/counterbalance between the two lead females that has already been mentioned from the American Masters program. I think Jennie Somogyi was just miscast, but Yvonne Borree was lost. Borree often seems lost when she's dancing. It's hard to believe she's a principal dancer. Although I've seen her dance Swanilda in "Coppelia" a couple of times, and she's very good in the part. Swanilda is not an easy role. It's a hard thing for me to figure out.

"Flower Festival in Genzano" was absolutely wonderful. It was great seeing Bourniville danced the way it should be. "Prodigal Son" was also great. I too was very impressed by Damian Woetzl. His acting was especially poignant. And this is a role where I think the acting is just as important as the dancing - probably even more important. James Fayette was very moving as the father. At the end of the the ballet when he took his son in his arms, I was practically in tears. I unfortunately never saw Alexopolous' Siren, but I agree with Michael that Korowski's Siren was not cold enough. I saw ABT's Michele Wiles perform the role a few years ago, and I thought she made a very promising Siren. Unfortunately her "Prodigal Son" was Ethan Stiefel whose acting was rather weak (IMO anyway).

It would be great to see Woetzl and Wiles dance "Prodigal Son" together.

The final ballet was "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" a light piece, but very enjoyable and very well danced. What a delicious dancer Sofianne Slyve is. I really want to see her dance as many roles as possible. And Philip Neal as quite good as the hoofer. I saw him dance the role a few years ago, and his tap dancing was a bit off. This time his tap dancing was much better. And he and Slyve together were a joy to see. I love all the comic touches Balanchine has included in the ballet - especially the "Three Blind Mice" policemen. And the Richard Rodgers music - absolutely unforgettable.

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