6 replies to this topic

[richard53dog]

I received my Spring 2005 Events at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

From April 5-9, the National Ballet of Canada will bring their production of Kudelka's The Contract for NYC area ballet goers

Tickets are $20-70.

Also programmed will be BAMdialogue with Kudelka and Torke following the Apr 7
performance

[Leigh Witchel]

I haven't yet seen the production, but Martine Lamy, who created the role, is a very fine dance actress. She made me like "Onegin", a ballet that to that point I had no love for. This is her last season before being retired from the company; I would recommend seeing her.

[richard53dog]

I haven't yet seen the production, but Martine Lamy, who created the role, is a very fine dance actress.  She made me like "Onegin", a ballet that to that point I had no love for.  This is her last season before being retired from the company; I would recommend seeing her.

Leigh ,

The brochure gives no casting but has two photos of Lamy.

Richard

[Leigh Witchel]

Richard - this is Lamy's retirement season and she created the role. If she doesn't get opening night I'll be stunned. I'd guess she'll get most performances with Jennifer Fournier getting a few.

[Paquita]

Just to second Leigh's post, I also think Lamy will perform most of the shows. "The Contract" is really her ballet, and a large part of why they chose to bring it back so soon was to celebrate her 23 (I *think*) years with the company. It was created on her in 2002 for the NBoC's 50th anniversary season. It will be hard to imagine the ballet without her, and I wonder how long it will stay in the active repertoire.
From what I observed, "The Contract" received a lukewarm response here in Toronto (it's more that some people really loved it and other detested it, so that the mean is something in between). I can't say I was very impressed when I saw it in 2002, but to be fair, it did look tighter overall during the second run (fall 2004) and Lamy really makes the most of the role of Eva. The ballet is somewhere between 80-90 mins.- no intermession.
Richard, if you decide to go, please make sure to post about it here! I'd be really interested to read others' opinions. The talk with Kudelka and Torke should be interesting also...

[studio company]

Yes Martine did perform opening night at BAM in New York. Unfortunately it was a rather small audience. Lamy was wonderful but The Contract is a ballet that a lot of people do not like because of the mature issue.

I feel that The Contract was very under appreciated and deserved a much greater applause and audience then what it received in New York.

[Leigh Witchel]

I'd say most people don't like it because the libretto is poorly plotted and confusing.