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Apollo to return for 2011 Spring Season


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I was going to list Adrian Danchig-Waring too -- but I've only seen him in videos. However I'd like to see a less blond and less solemn Apollo, more in character with the original, which may have had more turns of mood. The Eglevsky clip suggests something different, and Eglevsky seems to have been able to modulate character quickly. Gonzalo Garcia's counterpoint solos were very unusual. A little more interiority to the part, at least here and there, would be an interesting change.

Another problem with Apollo is that it always seems to get lost on a big stage (the Koch/State as opposed to the City Center or the Joyce or Yuerba Buena Center here in San Francisco). The same with Petroushka, both of them originally designed for smaller spaces and more intimate scale.

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Adrian is a beautiful dancer, but I feel that most of the "Apollos" I have seen were more broad shouldered and chested than he is. I know that I have watched City Ballet's male dancers develop their upper bodies -- Damian Woetzel [forgive my spelling if it's wrong] for example, so it could happen. I can't think of who I would like to see in this role right now, but I have a question: what, where and how offensive is Crag Hall's tattoo? I have never noticed it.

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... what, where and how offensive is Crag Hall's tattoo? I have never noticed it.

It's a sunburst around one of his nipples. Offensive? That's a pretty harsh word, and in any context except ballet I would reject its application to Craig's tattoo. I just think any visible tattoo is inappropriate for many roles in ballet, Apollo being a prime example.

I'm not sure, but if it's on the nipple that's hidden under the sash, then I retract my objection. :)

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... what, where and how offensive is Crag Hall's tattoo? I have never noticed it.

It's a sunburst around one of his nipples. Offensive? That's a pretty harsh word, and in any context except ballet I would reject its application to Craig's tattoo. I just think any visible tattoo is inappropriate for many roles in ballet, Apollo being a prime example.

I'm not sure, but if it's on the nipple that's hidden under the sash, then I retract my objection. :)

It's on his right nipple. Scroll down in this post on Evan Namerow's blog Dancing Perfectly Free to see what it looks like. I think it looks fine, but your mileage may vary. (I live where the East Village meets Union Square. In my neighborhood, Hall's tattoo would be considered a nice start.)

A quick scan of the images that come up if you google "Apollo" and "Balanchine" show sashes covering either the right or the left side -- and a few barely covering anything at all. If the tattoo's the only thing that disqualifies Hall from being cast as Apollo, just flip the sash.

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... what, where and how offensive is Crag Hall's tattoo? I have never noticed it.

It's a sunburst around one of his nipples. Offensive? That's a pretty harsh word, and in any context except ballet I would reject its application to Craig's tattoo. I just think any visible tattoo is inappropriate for many roles in ballet, Apollo being a prime example.

I'm not sure, but if it's on the nipple that's hidden under the sash, then I retract my objection. :)

Well, though I agree about visible tattoos being inadvisable - especially in classical ballets - this one may work in "Apollo". Apollo was not only the god of the arts but also the sun god. So a sunburst on the nipple may work very well. I think that Craig Hall's classical handsome features would work well too. Bring it on!

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It's on his right nipple. Scroll down in this post on Evan Namerow's blog Dancing Perfectly Free to see what it looks like. I think it looks fine, but your mileage may vary. (I live where the East Village meets Union Square. In my neighborhood, Hall's tattoo would be considered a nice start.)

Now that I finally saw the tattoo - oh yes - he could EASILY dance the role of Apollo. The top of his costume - the sash - would easily cover that up. Add a little flesh colored make-up for safe guarding and you wouldn't even notice it was there. And even if NYCB was still performing the "Birth of Apollo" prologue the design of the tattoo is actually appropriate. Not only is it tastefully and elegantly design it depicts the sun and of course Apollo is the Sun God. Yes he has my permission to dance the role. LOL.:clapping:

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I would LOVE to see Hall do Apollo - tattoo covered or showing. Actually, I think the sunburst tattoo is a perfect fit for the role! I'd also like to see Robbie Fairchild tackle it. But we'll probably get Marcovicci.

Would also love to see Janie Taylor as Terpischore.

I'm ready for the season to start...

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For everyone who said "Marcovicci" - good guess!

From Marcovicci's page on NYCB's "Get to Know Our Principals" minisite:

Q: What are you most looking forward to dancing this upcoming year?

A: Apollo

The site is a bit awkwardly designed. You have to click through each dancer's page in order - no jumping ahead allowed - and the dancers are listed alphabetically by first name.

Some interesting tidbits: Megan Fairchild would love to be a math teacher and Theresa Reichlen is a biology major looking forward to a second career in the sciences.

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Scroll down in this post on Evan Namerow's blog Dancing Perfectly Free to see what it looks like.
What a striking photo by Matthew Murphy! Thanks for linking it, Kathleen!

(I live where the East Village meets Union Square. In my neighborhood, Hall's tattoo would be considered a nice start.)

LOL!
Apollo was not only the god of the arts but also the sun god. So a sunburst on the nipple may work very well. I think that Craig Hall's classical handsome features would work well too.
Well, that certainly throws a different light on it (no pun intended)! Thanks for broadening the context, FauxPas! And yes, his handsome appearance suits the role very well.

For everyone who said "Marcovicci" - good guess!

From Marcovicci's page on NYCB's "Get to Know Our Principals" minisite:

Q: What are you most looking forward to dancing this upcoming year?

A: Apollo

Oh, dear! I was afraid of that.
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There are many ways of dancing Apollo -- not just the noble one.

Villella was rather a rascal, but he was thrilling and it worked, by all accounts.

Henning Kronstam was very exciting, really edgy, for a big dark Dane.

When Gonzalo Garcia danced it in SF, he was not my favorite -- but he WAS first cast, and he looked amazingly like d"Amboise, who'd set it. He was extremely eciting, and several peopl whom I respect a lot -- Leigh witchell in particular -- felt like they'd seen a revelation.

Me I preferred the noble style of vadim Solomakha, who was sweet-tempered and so beautiful in the role I could barely contain myself. The closest comparison I could make would be to say that he put me in mind of Anthony Dowell.

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'the noble one', as many times discussed before on Ballet Talk and elsewhere, is completely wrong for Balanchine's intentions;

Balanchine himself said (verbatim) that Apollo was a 'devil' and a 'rascal', and it is transparently clear from the iconic and

amazingly innovative man's choreography that this is not intended to be the Apollo Belvedere.

That said, Bouder or Scheller as Polyhymnia, and how about Morgan as Terpsichore?

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Roberto Bolle and Peter Martins are the Bruce Weber mild & noble Apollos (albeit with lovely presence even when they were doing nothing) whereas the scampish Apollos are Andersen, Garcia Portero and maybe Lifar (because of his slightness), and Eglevsky had his devilish side. (William Klein would be their official photographer.) I always vote for the scamps. Delos itself where Apollo was born is uninhabited (the lake drained "for sanitary reasons") but the men of Mykonos, the next island over, tend to be rascals. The original set:

4994596647

Where Apollo was born

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