NYCB Week 5: Jan 30-Feb 4

[carbro]

Saturday night: Serenade and Dybbuk.

Curious whether my ability to become engaged in The Dybbuk since its premiere. No. Obviously given plenty of rehearsal, so the dancing was well done, but the ballet is every bit as boring -- no, even more boring -- than it was in my memory. Ringer was gorgeous to look at in the white Juliet-sleeved dress (which were new to this production, if I'm not mistaken), but Helgi was sorely missed.

Dybbuk was such a powerful soporific, I couldn't bear the thought of staying for Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Second intermission ended around 10:15.

Serenade looked lovely. Maria Calegari remains my gold standard for the Angel, but the younger Maria (Kowroski) -- more lyrical and softer -- found her own moments to stamp as her own. In the first movement's pivots from one fourth position to the other (facing one wing, then the other), her arms scooped luscious arcs of air.

After a signature fall in her first movement entrance circling the corps in a series of grands jetes, Bouder recovered to capture all the sweep necessary for the Russian Girl. It's hard to fault her for breaking the somber mood of the last movement by flashing a huge smile at Maria as, supported by the man, the three leads join hands, but she was so on, and her sublime pleasure in the moment was so obviously heartfelt, it was more endearing than offputting.

It's the rare dancer who can get away with that. But only once. And only because she's Bouder.

I think Bouder is still developing... at least I hope so....

Me, too. Because her imagination is at work in every performance, I think she will still be developing even as a "fully mature" dancer, even 20 years hence. I hope so, and I hope I'm still able to schlep up to the Fourth Ring to see her.

[allegromezzo18]

No one mentioned how Maria K compares with Bouder or Sylve. How does she compare?

I am not an expert, but I think she is very good.

[sz]

No one mentioned how Maria K compares with Bouder or Sylve. How does she compare?

I am not an expert, but I think she is very good.

Ok, I'll go for it....

Maria is far weaker technically and artistically than Sylve or Bouder so her roles are limited with NYCB.

Longer version....

Maria has an amazingly beautiful tall body with long, hyper-extended everything (limbs)! I find she uses those assets well in the more cold, modern pieces, especially those newly created on her such as In Vento. I also liked her a lot in Dick Tanner's Sonatas and Interludes with Jock Soto - again a modern ballet and she's wearing a white body suit that clings to every inch of her gorgeous body. Very striking to watch from the fifth row of Orchestra!!!

Maria also did an excellent job with Mr. B's Squeaky Door (aka Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir) during City Center's Fall Festival (there's a wonderful pic of her in that on NYCB's website). Maria can act.... in the right ballet. In Robbins' The Concert, she was a fabulous sexy kitten, flakey beauty. Also in Robbins' Cage, Maria is a terrific but scarey queen/mother bug with movements that could cut a wandering creature. But neither of those ballets require a lot of demanding technique and/or stamina.

When Maria first debut'd as Tatiana in A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Siren in Prodigal Son, I couldn't believe my eyes.... So pretty to look at, and mature, and musical. Sadly though, she hasn't grown very much, in my view, since then... though she has gotten a little stronger over the years.

If Peter Martins had any choreographic genius, he would have created works to bring out Maria's best qualities and / or those we've not seen yet.....

[Michael]

Bouder and Kowroski are not really comparable. They're two different physical types suited to dancing two different groups of roles in the repertory. It's comparing apples and oranges. Kowroski is very beautiful, about the tallest woman in the company. You'd never in your right mind cast her in "Theme," "Piano Concerto," "Ballo," "Square Dance," "Allegro Brilliante," etc. -- the core, gut wrenching, allegro-tutu roles in the repertory.

Those were the roles sz and I were talking about I believe. Weese used to dance them but she's leaving. Sylve and Bouder can dance them right now at a very high professional level, whatever you think about the artistic expression. I do not see anyone else in the company right now whose skills are quite on their level. For those on the other side: who else specifically do you suggest? What's the standard of comparison? Sure, if you could bring an Aurelie Dupont in and teach them to her -- Bang, you'd have no problem. But that's the point. That Sylve and Bouder are the two women at NYCB at the moment in that class and on that level.

[zerbinetta]

Let's not forget that Kowroski is also a wonderful comedienne.

[jeff-sh]

I love Maria. Only reservation I have is her wrists. She tends to keep them at almost 90 degrees to her arms most of the time and look a little stiff. She did a wonderful Agon on Jan. 28 Matinee. the extension of the raised leg! amazing

[Abby918]

I miss Kowroski in Jewels. Her Rubies performance was my favorite!

[allegromezzo18]

How do you think Darci Bussell or Gillian Murphy compare with Bouder or Sylvie?

Would they be able to do NYCB/Balanchine ballets?

[vipa]

How do you think Darci Bussell or Gillian Murphy compare with Bouder or Sylvie?

Would they be able to do NYCB/Balanchine ballets?

I saw Darci Bussell in NYCB doing Tatania in Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream. She was wonderful. Her amplitute and generosity of movement were very enjoyable. I don't know how her technique would measure up to Bouder or Sylvie (by the way, speaking just technique I think Sylvie is far more accomplished than Bouder)

I think Gillian Murphy would measure up well at NYCB. She was trained by Melissa Haydn and seems very adaptable.

On the other hand I'm sure Sylvie could handle the ABT rep but I'm not as sure that Bouder could (don't get me wrong, I am a big Bouder fan and look for her when casting goes up).

[drb]

Darcey Bussell is one of the greatest Balanchine ballerinas I've seen in the post-Farrell era, and in her rep. I seem to remember Midsummer Night's Dreams with her and our Darci together, alternating the two lead roles. On certain occasions while she guested at NYCB it would be fair to say she was the most glittering ballerina on stage.

She recently danced Balanchine's 4 T's at The Royal, I believe. Here's an old Times review to make one wish she were guesting this season:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...fRoyal%20Ballet

I think most BT people see Darcey's Balanchine roles more appropriate to Sylve than to Bouder. (My own bias is that there is no good ballet I would not want to see Bouder in.) While each of the three is in a different stage of her career, it would be hard to quantify serious differences in greatness among them.

[sz]

I saw Darci Bussell in NYCB doing Tatania in Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream. She was wonderful. Her amplitute and generosity of movement were very enjoyable. I don't know how her technique would measure up to Bouder or Sylvie (by the way, speaking just technique I think Sylvie is far more accomplished than Bouder)

I think Gillian Murphy would measure up well at NYCB. She was trained by Melissa Haydn and seems very adaptable.

On the other hand I'm sure Sylvie could handle the ABT rep but I'm not as sure that Bouder could (don't get me wrong, I am a big Bouder fan and look for her when casting goes up).

I've not seen a lot of Bussell, but I can well imagine her in Tatania. Bussell also did a wonderful Agon pas de deux for/with NYCB years ago. I think the main reason she looked so amazing in both was because of the (and hers) beautiful, stunning adagio technique involved. Plus Bussell is a tall lady with an earthy, womanly and sexy style which would add interesting ingredients to either role.

I don't know if Bussell would be up to Bouder's (or Sylve's) level in a role such as Ballo though.... Vive la difference!! (As in I wouldn't want to see Bouder in the main Agon pas de deux either!!!). Interesting though that Sylve would dance both types of ballets very well.... And that's what I *love* about her -- Sylve's large range.... agreeing completely with you re ABT....

Speaking of ABT, yes I also think Gillian, if she wanted to, would have had a wonderful career at NYCB.

[drb]

When Wheeldon announced he was going to establish his own company both Darcey Bussell and Sofiane Sylve were mentioned in the Times article as members. Darcey, 37, has worked with him frequently and danced in a number of his ballets. In an extended interview with Zoe Anderson last November 24 in The Independent some mention of her, NYCB, and Balanchine:

Bussell is at a physical peak, dancing with unshadowed splendour. This season, her Royal Ballet repertory is hugely demanding. It's dominated by Balanchine ballets: plotless works that need speed, clean line and strong feet. "Well, I still want to be challenged," she says. "It's not as if I just want easy work."

In The Four Temperaments, her dancing is gloriously bold. Fast steps have a glinting precision. In one series of jumps, the ballerina kicks up her legs as she leaves the ground, arches her back as she lands. Bussell flies through it. She moves with complete abandon, but every step is given full weight, every pose fully stretched. "It's one of the best scores out there, the music is fabulous," she says. "The steps are very challenging. And I've never done it before. Even though I guested for three years at New York City Ballet ... I didn't do some of those signature pieces. For me, that style is very natural, very comfortable."

Regarding Wheeldon:

Christopher Wheeldon has put her at the centre of several ballets. In DGV (Danse à Grande Vitesse), his latest work for the Royal Ballet, he has her carried in on high, in a duet that celebrates her beauty of line. Bussell had told him she wished she could do more new work. "He said, 'Don't worry, Darcey, I'll put you in mine,'" she remembers. That sounds casual, but his ballet clears a worshipful space around her.

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre...icle2008024.ece

[sz]

When Wheeldon announced he was going to establish his own company both Darcey Bussell and Sofiane Sylve were mentioned in the Times article as members. .....

In The Four Temperaments, her dancing is gloriously bold. Bussell flies through it....

Oooh, 4Ts.... It's a great score with brilliant choreography. Can't imagine anybody but Mr. B creating as much as he did with that music (ditto a Webern score for Episodes). I'm guessing that Bussell danced Sanguinic in 4Ts rather than any of the other parts...(?) Not sure she has the off balance training needed but.... she might have surprised me.... How long ago did Bussell dance 4Ts? Recently?

[Leigh Witchel]

She danced it in London in the Wheeldon/Balanchine/MacGregor triple bill. I've never liked Bussell in Balanchine, she's way too on balance and ladylike. In her Agon at the Balanchine Centennial she tried to do the whole pas de deux herself, her Symphony in C at the RB in June '05 was block-like and her Sanguinic is OK, but not off-balance, and unfortunately she's losing her form at this point.

She's no Balanchine ballerina but that's no sin, nor is she the worst in the RB at it. You haven't quite seen 4Ts until you've seen Edward Watson's Psycho Killer Phlegmatic. Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa fa fa fa. . .

[drb]

Next month Darcey will be dancing Terpsicore to Carlos Acosta's Apollo, as well as Theme and Variations with him. Hopefully some of our London members will tell us about the performances.

[bobbi]

Like SZ, I too remember a Darcy Bussell Agon years ago. What was so startling about it was that after the famous pas, there was a burst of applause the likes of which hadn't been heard in the State Theater since Suzanne and Peter did it (and quite frankly hasn't been heard since).

[ViolinConcerto]

I saw 4 performances that week, and haven't had the time to post since then. I felt the first cast of Liebeslieder on Thursday was the best and most moving I'd seen since the casts of the 80's, after the 85 revival. Nichols - Weese - Kistler. Sad that they'll soon be gone. Whelan was also excellent.

I agree with most of the other posters in saying that M. Fairchild was miscast in Square Dance and Veyette/Bouder in S&Swere tremendous fun and beautifully danced -- Veyette did wonderful things with his solo. Which brings me to Sylve and Askegard...... I really enjoy watching her flawless technique, but she never seems to "give" emotionally. But the real flaw in that pairing is "Chuck." He's too weak, flabby and just plain absent. That lift (in the poster out front, don't know what it's called) -- she's supposed to really fly, but he couldn't "send" her to the skies. His variations were pedestrian. So despite Sylve, it fell flat for me.

I'm surprised no one has spoken about Tribute. I enjoyed everything about this ballet, especially the return of footwork to new choreography. I was multi-layered, well constructed and for me, had significance. The "quotes" were well chosen and well used; the stage images were lovely and the choreography strong, including the Pd2. The cast was excellent (among other things, Devin Alberda has beautiful feet). It was fittingly dignified, yet had moments of lightness and humor. I really feel Chris accomplished his goal of creating a beautiful and deeply felt tribute to Mr. B and Mr. K, and more.

[Old Fashioned]

Veyette/Bouder in S&Swere tremendous fun and beautifully danced -- Veyette did wonderful things with his solo. Which brings me to Sylve and Askegard...... I really enjoy watching her flawless technique, but she never seems to "give" emotionally. But the real flaw in that pairing is "Chuck." He's too weak, flabby and just plain absent. That lift (in the poster out front, don't know what it's called) -- she's supposed to really fly, but he couldn't "send" her to the skies. His variations were pedestrian. So despite Sylve, it fell flat for me.

I can buy the argument that Sylve can be a bit expressionless at times, but for a ballet like Stars & Stripes? The performance I saw she gave just enough exuberance, and I'm glad she didn't make it too campy the way some dancers in this ballet are prone to doing. Besides, how patriotic can she be?

[carbro]

At a recent studio talk, the dancers (Abi Stafford, Tyler Angle and Ellen Bar), were asked whether dancing in Stars inspired patriotic feelings. They all seemed reluctant to say No outright, but they definitely didn't say yes, until TAngle finally said that he felt Balanchine was not trying to arouse patriotism with the ballet but rather to take an affectionate jab at American rah-rahism.

Taking into consideration that S&S was born at the height of the Cold War, as McCarthyism was waning, I'm not sure it's as clearcut as Tyler said, but I think the ballet leans more towards those playful values.

With that in mind, I should point to the great success some non-American dancers have enjoyed in Western Symphony; viz. Zelensky, N. Martins, Kozlov (for whom it was his very best role at NYCB, IMO) and yes, Sylve. Sometimes, the outsider can have a clearer view of the fun being made of the indigenous.

I still intend to transcribe my notes from the Studio Talk, btw. I hope I can make sense of them.

[Helene]

Stars and Stripes premiered in January 1958. That would have been after Balanchine was summoned by HUAC, and, while technically post-McCarthy, well within the shadow of McCarthyism. I wouldn't be surprised if Balanchine's motivations for creating the ballet were dual, at least.

[ViolinConcerto]

It also premiered in the very productive period that yielded Square Dance, Agon and Gounod Symphony in addition to S&S. This followed the long break when he cared for Tanaquil LeClerq after she contracted polio.