Nutcracker Season

[drb]

Opening Night at The House of BALANCHINE!

At last some real choreography... and some great Balanchine dancing by (biases clearly stated) Prima Ballerina Sofiane Sylve as The Sugarplum Fairy and America's Assoluta Ashley Bouder as Dewdrop. Bouder dancing with that wonderful abandon so characteristic of Mr. B's era. La Sylve, with those dancing eyes and everything else, ably partnered by Charles Askegard. Bravo to Peter Martins for hiring, and keeping, one of the great Balanchine Ballerinas. Bravi too, to Coffee Tess Reichlen and Tea Daniel Ulbricht.

Welcome home, Mr. B.

[zerbinetta]

A very special Nutcracker indeed.

Sylve was a marvel. That "presentation of the foot" gets me every time .. & what gorgeous feet they are, strong, pliant & expressive.

Kyra was perhaps a more beautiful Dewdrop & Merrill perhaps more brilliant, but when Bouder appears onstage, the lights seem to become twice as bright. Her last turn in attitude seemed to last a week. Her use of rubato & witty musicality is thrilling.

Reichlen disappointed in Coffee. She did the steps well .. mostly .. but where were the perfumes of Araby? She was more like the best girl in yoga class. It will probably come; she's cast a lot in the role, but at the moment, not a clue.

Maries usually don't knock me out, but Isabella De Vivo is something special. A tall brunette Marie, unusual in itself, with long beautifully arched feet, exquisit epaulement & an innate musicality.

The Fritz, Sebastien Peskind, was not the usual manic pest but rather sweet, with a face straight off a Botticelli poster.

Amar was Mother Ginger in Little Richard mode. Very funny. Tinsley was a rather subdued Marzipan.

[oberon]

December 4 @ 5:00

Great to see Jennie Somogyi after her long injury layoff giving a wonderfully fluent and technically assured Sugar Plum. Stephen Hanna might be a bit too tall for her but they got on well for the most part; I would expect that after they've done this together a few more times they'll bring a bit more flash to it; still, it was quite a beautiful pas de deux.

In Act I, Saskia Beskow was a particularly attractive Frau Stahlbaum and Kyle Froman a very good Soldier. Austin Bachman, profiled in the NY TIMES, was a notably balletic Prince, already showing a very nice line; his mime sequence at the beginning of Act II was impressive.

In Act II, the procession of treats was kicked off by Glenn Keenan (she of the dazzling smile) and Jon Stafford in a lively Spanish Dance; Ellen Bar then seemed to totally captivate the audience with her lithe, exotic Arabian. Antonio Carmena (Tea) had to deal with a slightly fast tempo but he pulled it off. Daniel Ulbricht was splendid in Candy Cane, Amar Ramasar is the funniest Mother Ginger, and Amanda Edge a luscious & charming Marzipan. Sarah Ricard & Kristen Sloan (leading Flowers) were both so pretty and dancing so nicely that my opera glasses were swinging wildly from one side of the stage to the other to try to watch them both...and among the Flowers, Kaitlyn Gilliland made a vivid impression. Teresa Reichlin was an electrifying Dewdrop; her mesmerizing legs and astonishingly stretched out jumps alternated with spot-on attitude turns of gyroscopic precision. Then to cap it all off, she took this balance near the end of the Waltz and stayed there, not just rock-steady but displaying a gorgeous line into the bargain, for an eternity. Amazing.

[SingerWhoMoves]

I so wanted to see this evening's performance, and the way you describe it, I'm really sad I didn't get to.

Thanks for the review!

[carbro]

Yes indeedy, Somogyi's back! I found her exactly where she was the last time I saw her dance -- in her SPF costume! And coming back to a ballet she'd starred in as a child, the thought of poetic cycles kept coming to mind.

Her performance had a regal reserve, and Stephen met her on that level. I don't think he is too tall to partner her, but there were a couple of slight misgaugings of timing and spacing. The dancing of the three principals was terrific.

Teresa's Dewdrop was much as Oberon described it, but I'd love to see her start paying more attention to what is going on in the pit. She is so tall and willowy that when she takes the dancing to the very edge of control without losing it, I can only wonder, How is this possible? And yes, Kaitlin does draw the eye.

However, I found the Party Scene disappointingly flat.

Singer, Somogyi and Hanna repeat their roles this coming Friday, with Bouder as Dewdrop.

[flipsy]

Kyra was perhaps a more beautiful Dewdrop & Merrill perhaps more brilliant, but when Bouder appears onstage, the lights seem to become twice as bright. Her last turn in attitude seemed to last a week. Her use of rubato & witty musicality is thrilling.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw Bouder as Dewdrop last night, and I must say I'm tired of her rubato and witty musicality. It strikes me as a gimmick -- playing with the music for effect, rather than exploring its emotional qualities. "Waltz of the Flowers" has musical depth, not flash.

Sorry to be a pill, but I do think this brilliant dancer is in danger of developing a shtick rather than an art.

Among the artists last night: Giovanni Villalobos as the head hoopster, with effortless electricity. Melissa Barak as a seductive coffee -- not spectacular but sinuous and warm. And most of all, Jennie Somogyi as a radiant Sugarplum -- once again, not dazzling, but supremely centered, cool and sweet.

[socalgal]

I saw Bouder as Dewdrop last night, and I must say I'm tired of her rubato and witty musicality.  It strikes me as a gimmick -- playing with the music for effect, rather than exploring its emotional qualities.  "Waltz of the Flowers" has musical depth, not flash.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can totally understand your impression of Bouder's performances. She tires me after awhile as well. Hopefully, maturity will strengthen the depth of her artistry. More poetry, less flash.

[zerbinetta]

Bouder is quite capable of poetry, as evidenced by her Emeralds last spring.

[oberon]

I agree, zerbinetta...in both EMERALDS & B-S Q Bouder showed she has a lovely romantic/poetic aspect; I think Peter is casting her in those types of roles to bring out different facets of her dance personality. In Albert Evans BROKEN PROMISE she was something else yet again, darker & deadly serious.

Actually, a Dewdrop full of "rubato and witty musicality" sounds like fun to me...

[bobbi]

I'm with you, Oberon, on this one. I've seen three of Ashley's Dewdrops so far this season, and I have been delighted and thrilled by her musicality and rubato, and am looking forward to her Sugar Plums. Quite frankly, I am absolutely amazed that this is something that anyone would complain about!!

Did anyone go to -- and can report on -- yesterday matinee's many debuts (Reichlin as Sugar Plum, Ask as Cavalier, and Peck as Dewdrop)?

[AmandaNYC]

I'm with you, Oberon, on this one.  I've seen three of Ashley's Dewdrops so far this season, and I have been delighted and thrilled by her musicality and rubato, and am looking forward to her Sugar Plums.  Quite frankly, I am absolutely amazed that this is something that anyone would complain about!! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For all my love of Bouder, when she first did Dewdrop a few years ago, I felt she was pushing the timing too much. I felt she was concentrating too much on showing that she could hold positions than on being true to the music (as I felt Nichols did too much, as well). That, however, was a few years ago. Now, I think she has one of the most beautiful Dewdrops. In the coda on Friday, everytime she lifted her leg back out in arabesque it sang with the flute (or whatever instrument does that little flurry).

-amanda

[Michael]

Tuesday -- Dec. 13th

I vote for Bouder. The Queen is Dead. Long live the Queen. Her dewdrop was extraordinary tonight. I don't think there is another dancer in the world who can do what she does with this role. The Freedom of it -- the rhythmic sense. Some of the jumps seemed like dance phrases in themselves. You feel that the arch and timing and breath in the air is in a sense a musical "phrase" in the same way that, in another dancer, an extension into arasbesque or a gesture of the hand would be.

In general, tonight was one of the strongest Nutcrackers I've seen in years. Some particulars:

1. Andrea Quinn conducted beautifully. It seems that people really can change. Where she used to finish a Nutcracker a good ten minutes faster than Maurice Kaplow did, tonight she had beautiful and sensitive tempi and a great sense of orchestral dynamics. She listened and she watched. Her communication with the violinist during the panorama, and her command of the rest of the orchestra and the orchestrations, were lovely.

2. The divertissements were all beautifully cast and performed.

Seth Orza and Rachel Rutherford are the best of casts in the Spanish Dance. I've long thought him one of the best of the boys. Lovely placement, shoulders down, chest up. Rachel has always been superb in this.

3. I run out of superlatives for Teresa Reichlen's Arabian dance -- perhaps today, after her debut this weekend as Sugarplum (see the picture in today's Times) a few words may be appropriate --

I think that in five years time we will look back with astonishment on this period when she was not yet fully recognized as one of the biggest talents on the international ballet scene. It is coming.

The face and the figure are perfect. The beauty is out of Fragonard or Boucher. The physical facility is also extraordinary. She jumps and turns (in both directions) and has a flexibility not only astonishing for a girl her size -- but for a girl any size. She could dance demi caracter if she weren't so big. The range of her emploi extends across the board, she can do both first and second ballerina in Piano Concerto Number 2, big girl in Rubies, Titania or Hypollita in Midsummer -- the range is enormous. The physical facility right now is in the class of Diana Visnyeva. And the amazing thing, this year, is that she is suddenly developing presence. She's taking over the stage now in a totally different and mature fashion. The command of the stage and the sex appeal have just made this quantum leap.

As I say, her Arabian dance is memorable. Who would have thunk it. My only criticism is that she consistently eliminates the pirouettes on the bent knee in the coda, doing a series of alongee poses insteade. Why cut them? She can do them and they're an integral part of the role.

4. Adam Hendrickson was lovely as Candy Cane. Great elevation, a sense of ease, that great puckish stage presence he has always had. Though no one is lineing up to interview him for Ballet Review, he's by far the best in the company in this role.

5. Also great to see both Ellen Ostrom and Amanda Hankes back on stage, if only as party guests in Act I.

[drb]

Re Reichlen: "And the amazing thing, this year, is that she is suddenly developing presence. She's taking over the stage now in a totally different and mature fashion. The command of the stage and the sex appeal have just made this quantum leap."

I absolutely agree, Michael. Tess finally found "expression" worthy of her technique, perhaps last January/February. She and Ashley are the big draws for me at City Ballet. If there were a Guide Michelin for ballet, they'd both worth a detour! Like your technical comparison to Vishneva too.

[Helene]

Thank you, Michael, for making me feel like I was there. I saw Reichlen a couple of years ago as the Lilac Fairy and thought there was something special, if yet unformed, about her. I'm so glad to see that she is blossoming.

[drb]

Thank you, Michael, for making me feel like I was there.  I saw Reichlen a couple of years ago as the Lilac Fairy and thought there was something special, if yet unformed, about her.  I'm so glad to see that she is blossoming.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Paul Kolnick does a great job capturing the "compleat" Reichlen in this photo in the Times, especially with the detail gained when clicked to enlarge:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/13/arts/dance/13nutc.html

Hopefully you'll be visiting NYC someday soon to experience some of these magical golden days! A Rubies without Tess is like a necklace with lab-created stones.

[sz]

>...Paul Kolnick does a great job capturing the "compleat" Reichlen in this photo in the Times, especially with the detail gained when clicked to enlarge:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/13/arts/dance/13nutc.html

I was there!! Dunning's review of Tess Reichlen's Sugar Plum debut barely covers her astonishingly gorgeous dancing and physical presence, beauty. Whomever wrote that Tess has a Grace Kelly alure describes her well. Michael's review here is also without exaggeration. A stunning, stunning debut. She absolutely took my breath away many times. The audience had a similar response in gasping at Tess's entrance for the pas de deux, her technical accomplishments, and most of all her overall regal, cool (but not cold) elegant style with huge lines.

Paul's photo for the Times, btw, was Tess's second grande jete, to the left. Her first one, to the right, was the most beautiful, expansive, effortless, graciously wonderful grand jete I've ever seen!!! And especially so on a "big girl." One expects a short female to lift off well. But to see Tess's long limbs in such ease of execution, and fullness, was amazing. Her pirouettes in the Sugar Plum solo were also calm, smooth, balanced turns. No rushing, faking, nervousness for Tess. It absolutely amazes me that such a long-limbed, tall, young ballerina can move so well, so quickly and without the usual heaviness or loose-limbed weakness of taller females. I think Tess is either 5'8" or 5'9" -- not on pointe!!!. Again, a stunning debut for her! Brava!!!!!

[Helene]

Robert Gottlieb weighed in on Somogyi, Reichlen, and Bouder in The Observer, originally posted in Today's Links:

http://www.observer.com/printpage.asp?iid=...ttlieb%3A+Dance

(scroll down to the Nutcracker section.)

[oberon]

Thank you, Michael, for the superb report...be sure to see Reichlen as Dewdrop!

I keep clicking on that SPF photo of her from the TIMES, I can't get over how lovely she looks...and then sz tells us her earlier jetee was even lovelier! Massive star quality!

[sz]

...be sure to see Reichlen as Dewdrop!

I keep clicking on that SPF photo of her from the TIMES, I can't get over how lovely she looks...and then sz tells us her earlier jetee was even lovelier! Massive star quality!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's a brief but nice interview in "Time Out" this week of Tess by Gia.

Yes, definitely see Tess in Dewdrop too if you get the chance. There are lots of grande jetes!!! Who said she's not a turner???!!! You'll see plenty of Tess's beautifully calm, elegant turns in Dewdrop, as well as in Sugar Plum... This is a big girl who doesn't struggle with the usual technical difficulties of being a tall female dancer. Very unique. I can't wait to see what else Tess will be cast in soon...

I was very surprised, ok disappointed, not to see Tess cast again for the *plum* role this week, and the next week... Are they nuts (tee hee) over there??!!

[oberon]

Thursday 12/15 @ 6:00

Tonight's party scene was a bit more lively than last week's. Abergel & Jon Stafford made a handsome Stahlbaum couple and Dena was wonderful in the mimed sequence with her hair down. I always like seeing Nicholas Fokine among the children: a link to NYCB's past. Maybe next year he will be cast as the Prince.

It was good to see Ellen Ostrom back among the guests; I looked in vain for Amanda Hankes but she was replaced by the very pretty Katie Bergstrom. Sarah Mearns and Ashley Laracey also graced the party, and William Lin-Yee has embarked on the traditional first-year corps boy's gig: PMS (parents/mice/Spanish). Sterling Hyltin was a very appealing Columbine. Even after dozens of NUTCRACKERs, the cat in the window and the adorable kid with the bunny ears continue to be endearing.

I trained my opera glasses perfectly to see Elizabeth Walker come on as 1st snowflake, but Sterling Hyltin popped out instead. Walker was absent, but Sterling did a lovely job. Among the Snowflakes, and later as a Flower, Kaitlyn Gilliland struck me as quite Farrellesque. The snow scene was very well danced tonight.

Ellen Bar & Ask LaCour made an impressive Spanish couple - LaCour really covers a lot of space with his dancing. Melissa Barak gave an interestingly dark version of Arabian; she has the technique in spades and played it not as a sultry nightclub act but with a slightly predatory edge...she really drew me in. Adam Hendrickson is always a sheer joy to watch and he was again tonight in Tea, and Tom Gold had a grand time jumping through his hoop. Alina Dronova was a vivacious Marzipan. I was dazzled by Ana Sophia Scheller's Dewdrop. What a smile, and what a jewel-like little dancer! Each solo passage was beautifully articulated, all the turns and jumps and fancy footwork spun off with multi-faceted brilliance. And did she ever have fun doing it! I don't often use "smilies" but here's one for Scheller: :blush: Her presence might ease some of the regret over Ansanelli's departure; Swanhilda & Columbine belong in Scheller's future as does BALLO and - eventually - Aurora.

It's been almost two years since we saw Abi Stafford in a major role; her performances with Benjamin Millepied in TWILIGHT COURANTE and VALSE-FANTAISIE prior to her injury showed her developing a very interesting stage personality as well as a very sturdy technique. Then the long layoff; she danced a few times in smaller roles but mostly she has been absent. Tonight she was back as Sugar Plum Fairy and her opening solo made me realize how much I've missed watching her. If a girl was coming back after an absence in a very tricky pas de deux, she couldn't ask for a better cavalier than Charles Askegard. If Abi was the least bit nervous, Chuck must have immediately put her at ease because her dancing was expansive and secure, and she took risks. He was calmly there for her at every moment, and the hurtling flights of the ballerina onto the man's shoulder were fearlessly handled, esp. the second one. The adagio was really beautiful tonight and both dancers made it happen. Welcome back, Abi!

[Lana]

Ana Sophia Scheller was simply brilliant as Dewdrop. Not as brilliant and quite

disappointing was Yvonne Boree as Sugarplum. Her first solo was wonderful but

it was obvious as she came downstage in the pique turns that she was a bit off.

The pas de deux had rough moments....the tricky step up turn to arabesque required her cavalier to step in and grab her wrists sooner than the choreography calls for. After that, she couldn't

get back on track and the final promenade caused everyone in the audience to get worried at once when she couldn't hold the balance. Guess she had an off night; I usually enjoy her dancing. But that Dewdrop.........ballerina in the making for sure. What a turner! Absolutely

no fear whatsoever in her dancing.

Quinn was brilliant as the conductor; the orchestra sounded beautiful. The corps was neat,

sharp, and together.

[carbro]

Thanks for that, Lana. I saw Ana Sophia's DewDrop last year and agree that she has a wonderful attack combined with apparent delicacy.

Glad to have you here at BalletTalk. Please tell us a bit about yourself on our Welcome Page.

[oberon]

December 23 @ 2:00

Good to see Amanda Hankes onstage among the party guests; Lauren King & Rachel Piskin were charming dolls and Kyle Froman always nails the soldier doll's solo. Andre Kramarevsky is a flamboyant, old-school Drosselmeier and I liked his interpretation very much. Austin Bachman is a teriffic Nutcracker prince; the snow scene was beautifully danced this afternoon with Elizabeth Walker in the opening solo passage setting the tone.

Ashley Bouder was just a delight in the opening SPF solo, her dancing light & brilliant and with much eye contact and benevolent smiles to the angel-attendants who frame the dance. Austin B's mime passage was beautifully delivered. Saskia Beskow & Henry Seth were a bravura Spanish couple and Teresa Reichlin a cool & self-contained Arabian with her endless legs and supple upper body. Austin Laurent (Tea) and Aaron Severini (Candy Cane) both danced well, and Alina Dronova was a lithe and fluent Marzipan. Adrian Danchig-Waring was a low-key Mother Ginger. Sterling Hyltin took a spill early in the Waltz of the Flowers; dancers falling is not a big deal, in my view; it happens to the best of dancers. For a moment I thought she might be seriously hurt but she went on and her dancing thereafter had the luminous quality I have noticed from her in other roles.

Bouder and Amar Ramasar then delivered a very exciting adagio; they seem to have worked out all the partnering "hot spots" (to me, this is a VERY tricky pas de deux) but also to have coordinated their interpretation which had a sort of courtly elegance in the opening passages and then proceeded to such unabashed shoulder lifts and supported turns that had the audience cheering them on. Their gestures were beautifully meshed, adding a sort of polish to the performance that was quite exciting. Bouder - young dancer that she is - knows that the ballerina in the tutu has to deliver something special; she's got the technique (and then some!) but also the sheer daring to capitalize on it. Amar - handsome devil that he is - managed to both show Bouder off and also make you look at him. As he brought her down to the footlights for the final promenade there was a surge of excitement building and Bouder capped the whole thing off with a superb balance.

In the coda, Amar showed that he's not really a virtuoso; he had a go at the turns and travelling jetees but they aren't his forte. Bouder polished off the piece with a stunning diagonal of whiplash turns and they whirled unabashedly into Amar's arms.

Bouder struck me today as both the most modern and the most old-fashioned of ballerinas. She is young, fresh & fast but she also gives the feeling that she knows she must give that extra something to crown the performance that only a great ballerina can give. And she does it. Her work with Amar today, the obvious time they had put into working on the adagio to give it that added dimension, as well as all of Bouder's solo dancing, left me in a state of exhilirated admiration.

[Helene]

Ashley Bouder was just a delight in the opening SPF solo, her dancing light & brilliant and with much eye contact and benevolent smiles to the angel-attendants who frame the dance.

I remember how when I saw Darci Kistler do the role, she could have sat out the rest of the ballet after that solo, from all the goodwill she created by her glowing, warm smile to all of the angels. It's wonderful to hear that the next generation hasn't forgotten how magical this is.

Thank you for describing so well what makes Bouder magic, too.

[Jacqueline]

Thank you all for these wonderful reports.

Did anyone see Andrew Veyette's debut as Cavalier? It would be nice for us folks back home in Southern California who remember him dancing here with his brothers to know how it went!

Jacqueline