52 replies to this topic

[SandyMcKean]

Has anyone reading this thread, who lives in or near NYC, seen PNB in Seattle at our opera house (McCaw Hall) in the last 3 years?  What was your reaction (therefore taking Joyce Theater and this particular program out of the equation)?  It would be particularly interesting if someone, who normally sees several companies in NYC (certainly the NYC based companies), has seen PNB in Seattle during the last 3 years, and saw the performance at Joyce recently.

[Helene]

richard53dog, on Jan 11 2010, 10:55 AM, said:

Helene, on Jan 11 2010, 06:18 PM, said:

I've been thinking a lot about this, not knowing the issues about rights i.e., whether there is a ban on performing it within X miles of the Koch Theatre, a

But Ballanchine is done regularly at City Center (by ABT, and recently The MT ) which is much closer to Lincoln Center than the Joyce.

I was thinking of the Robbins, because I know little of how the Robbins Foundation handles rights.  I know there was some problem with a visiting company performing "Les Sylphides".  

PNB often performs versions of Balanchine ballets that are not seen in NYC, but "Apollo" isn't one of them, because they do the abridged version, not the full.  But there are enough companies that perform Balanchine in the area that I don't think there's a rights issues with his ballets.  For his, I think it may have been the issue over taped music  

[miliosr]

Reading this thread, I can't help but think that Peter Boal achieved the perfect storm of "negative crossover" -- the Balanchine/City Ballet lovers found the program too "contemporary dance" by half and the Cedar Lake crowd found the program too "classical dance" by half (if they even showed up at all.)

In Peter Boal's defense, I give him credit for at least trying to present the classical ballet as a forward-looking art form.  This is not a program I would ever pay money to see but I respect him for the attempt.

[kfw]

Helene, on Jan 11 2010, 04:03 PM, said:

richard53dog, on Jan 11 2010, 10:55 AM, said:

Helene, on Jan 11 2010, 06:18 PM, said:

I've been thinking a lot about this, not knowing the issues about rights i.e., whether there is a ban on performing it within X miles of the Koch Theatre, a

But Ballanchine is done regularly at City Center (by ABT, and recently The MT ) which is much closer to Lincoln Center than the Joyce.

I was thinking of the Robbins, because I know little of how the Robbins Foundation handles rights.

For what it's worth, the program for the Baryshnikov Arts Center's Grand Opening of the Jerome Robbins Theater on 2/16 will include "Sarabande" from A Suite of Dances and "Grand Waltz" from Dances at a Gathering. Of course the foundation may have made an exception because of the theater's name.

[Jayne]

Sorry if this is a little off topic - I would like to see a larger scale Balanchine festival of some sort in NYC- invite the full troupes that perform it best into the city for a great 2 weeks of dancing in January.   Miami, PNB, NYCB, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Dutch National, etc.  

Maybe do it once every 4 years (like the Olympics).  I think of NYCB as the original tree trunk, and the original dancers have branched off into other cities to form troupes that honor Balanchine, but also try new things.   It would be a fantastic tourist draw in January for balletomines to visit the city, traditionally a slow time of the year.  I would love to see a few of the midsize troups combine to perform Viennese Waltzes with the NYCB sets and costumes!

I know they have an occasional festival to invite a few principals from other companies, but I am thinking on a grander scale....

[Helene]

That would be wonderful, Jayne!

Francia Russell spoke in a Q&A about an idea to bring San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet together to produce and perform "Vienna Waltzes", but the companies couldn't get the financing together.

[SandyMcKean]

Quote

larger scale Balanchine festival of some sort in NYC- invite the full troupes that perform it best into the city for a great 2 weeks of dancing in January. Miami, PNB, NYCB, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Dutch National, etc.

What a great thing that would be.  I suppose it could represent a big financial risk -- of course, it could also earn companies money if it were successful enough, but which ADs would be willing to take the risk?  It would also need a single company to sort of honcho the event and preparations (someone has to make the decisions)......NYCB is the natural candidate, but could the Balanchine Trust take on that coordinating role and perhaps even the financial risk by underwriting the event such that each company were guaranteed to at least break even?  Balanchine himself took on risk with his Stravinsky Festival.....I believe that worked financially, so in many ways the Trust would be true to his ideals if they took on something like this.

[Jayne]

I have no idea how to finance it, but I would assume if it was once every 4 years, the companies could fundraise in advance, the venues could be reserved, and the tourism board might be willing to kick in some $$$ (ok, not this year, but when they are on better financial footing) to make it work, and find some NYC corporate underwriters.  I doubt all the companies could bring their own musicians, would need to use local orchestras, but I still think it would be wonderful to pull it all together.  

Also, maybe not the same companies every single time - maybe limit to 6-8 companies invited, with performances running over about a 10 day period (bookend 2 weekends).  

Example - 1st Quaddrennial Festival:

New York City Ballet
American Ballet Theatre
Pacific Northwest Ballet
San Francisco Ballet
Miami City Ballet
Houston Ballet
Dutch National Ballet

That would be one hellova draw from around the world.  This event could turn into a "Rings" Opera type of draw - with balletomines traveling from around the world to see it.  

Switch out the invitations each quaddrenial - invite the Maryiinsky, Royal Danish, etc in different years, and some up and coming ballet theatres as well from Europe and South America, Asia and the US (Tulsa Ballet, etc).