What Balanchine ballet ABT should dance next?

[carbro]

What? You mean, like, ABT should restage a little more Tudor? Maybe a deMille now and then? Wow! There's a thought!

[Rachel]

Sorry Balanchine fans! 

I would say that in general the Balanchine fans would prefer ABT to stick to the non-Balanchine or unperformed-Balanchine rep, rather than see them "over done" as the ABT reviews seemed to imply. A Balanchine fan appreciates the Balanchine performance style in addition to his choreography. While many appreciated how ABT seemed to treasure the works on their tribute as if they were true gems, that doesn't necessairlly mean that fans want this eagerness over style. That is untill ABT is able to not "over do" a Balanchine ballet one night, and then go and dance Corsaire the next night.

Rachel

[nysusan]

I don't think ABT should take any more Balanchine into its repertory.  It has plenty already that it doesn't dance (Symphonie Concertante, Stravinsky Vioin Concerto), and I think the blurring of repertories between our two major companies is not a healthy thing.  I'd like to see them have separate identities.  It wouldn't bother me as much if ABT really performed their Balanchine rep on the road, that is, places where NYCB doesn't go.  Then it would be worthwhile, to bring Bizet and Mozartiana and other jewels to audiences that otherwise wouldn't be able to see them.  But they don't program them on tour, sticking w ith full-lengths like Giselle and Corsaire.  I think they should stick to the Balanchine rep that NYCB doesn't do, like Symphonie Concertante (which they took the trouble of resurrecting) and Bouree Fantasque.

Rachel

Posted on Jul 1 2004, 01:02 AM

I would say that in general the Balanchine fans would prefer ABT to stick to the non-Balanchine or unperformed-Balanchine rep, rather than see them "over done" as the ABT reviews seemed to imply. A Balanchine fan appreciates the Balanchine performance style in addition to his choreography. While many appreciated how ABT seemed to treasure the works on their tribute as if they were true gems, that doesn't necessairlly mean that fans want this eagerness over style. That is untill ABT is able to not "over do" a Balanchine ballet one night, and then go and dance Corsaire the next night.

Certainly, there is room for more than one point of view in the ballet world, but IMO the last think ABT should consider in deciding which Balanchine ballets to dance is whether or where NYCB performs them. Their only considerations should be which Balanchine ballets they think their audiences want to see, what they think will suit their dancers and what the Balanchine foundation will allow them to perform.

I agree that it would be nice if ABT were to present more of the jewels of it’s heritage on a regular basis - the Tudor, deMille, Robbins, Fokine, Ashton and Balanchine that they already have in their repertory. But I think it’s important to emphasize that Balanchine is as much a part of ABT’s heritage as any of the other choreopgraphers whose works are included in their repertory (after all, he did create T&V on Ballet Theatre).

ABT has just as much right to pick and choose their Balanchine, and present their versions of his ballets as the Paris Opera Ballet, the Kirov, MCB or any other company. Just because they perform in the same city as NYCB doesn’t mean that ABT should defer to their artistic vision, or choose their productions to fill in the blanks in NYCB’s rep. One of the hallmarks of masterpieces is that they stand up to many different visions, and that different interpretations reveal different aspects of the work. I think it's amazing that in the past few months, in the same city, I was able to see performances of both Tchaikovsky Concerto # 2 and Ballet Imperial. I really appreciate having the opportunity to see and contrast different interpretations of great works. I only wish that my schedule had allowed me to see more of what both of these wonderful companies had to offer.