50 replies to this topic

[Krystin]

City Ballet has uploaded three new videos to their Youtube channel, and they are very well done.  They have created videos for Jewels, West Side Story Suite and Mercurial Manoeuvres.  These are probably the most appealing,and even endearing promotional dance videos I have ever seen.  Hearing Sara Mearns talk about performing Diamonds was very insightful, and Tyler Angle comes across as a very intelligent and nice person.  Kudos to City Ballet's digital marketing team on pulling off some top notch work.  If I had never been to the ballet I think these videos would pique my interest, and isn't that the goal?

Link to New York City Ballet's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.c...wyorkcityballet

[Eileen]

Thank you, thank you Krystin, for drawing my attention to these videos! I've been waiting and hoping for new videos and these are superb. The dancers' explanations add so much. I never realized that the cast of West Side Story is actually singing. I wish Georgina Pazcoguin would be promoted to soloist - she has such pizzazz and charm and she really works. I've noticed her since she was the enveloped nurse in Romeo and Juliet. She has what I call watchability.

[Helene]

Thank you for posting, Krystin!

Can anyone identify the male dancer in red and Tyler Angle's partner in "Mercurial Maneuvers"?

http://www.youtube.c...u/1/aW9rr1Xa41w

[abatt]

I think the dancer in red is Daniel Ulbricht, and Tyler's partner is Abi Stafford.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

Helene, on 11 August 2011 - 10:22 AM, said:

Thank you for posting, Krystin!

Can anyone identify the male dancer in red and Tyler Angle's partner in "Mercurial Maneuvers"?

http://www.youtube.c...u/1/aW9rr1Xa41w

I think the other male dancer is Gonzalo Garcia. Angle's partner is Abi Stafford.

[abatt]

Oops. You're right.  That is Gonzalo Garcia in red.  My bad.

[christine174]

Has anyone been to Swan Lake yet? I would love to hear reports on Reichlen and Bouder.

[Eileen]

christine174, on 14 September 2011 - 07:47 PM, said:

Has anyone been to Swan Lake yet? I would love to hear reports on Reichlen and Bouder.

See my separate topic on Swan Lake.
http://balletalert.i...34419-swan-lake

[BocaBallerina]

What are we expecting from Millepied? After seeing some of his previous works and Black Swan who knows what he will come up with!

Maybe a cameo appearance by Natalie Portman? (Hopefully, she will just be in the audience)

[abatt]

I attended last night's performance.  I usually find 2 & 3 Part Inventions a bit tedious.  However, last night's cast was so good that I was engrossed by the performance. Particularly, I thought Lauren Lovette was mesmerizing.  She is  a lyrical, expressive dancer.  Chase Finlay was last night's Apollo.  I think he is even better this year than last.  He is much more confident,and his performance last night did not suffer from the little mistakes that occurred last year.  I saw Robbie Fairchild's Apollo last week.  I liked it, but I prefer Finlay a little more.  There is a youthful exuberance and wildness that is so fresh in Finlay's performance. (By the way, Finlay also did much better in the 3rd Act Pas De Quatre in Swan Lake.  Last year he could barely keep up.  This year he significantly improved.) Last night was a repeat of Muses Hyltin and Scheller.  The new muse in town was Ashley Isaacs.  I think she needs a more straighforward approach to the role. There was too much coy smiling at the audience and at Apollo.  Tiler and Tyler were breathtaking in Mercurial Maneuvers.  There were scattered empty seats throughout the orchestra, first and second rings.  The 3rd ring was approximately 25 percent full, and the fourth ring was closed.  Not a great turn out for such a wonderful evening of dance.

[ViolinConcerto]

BocaBallerina, on 18 September 2011 - 05:19 AM, said:

What are we expecting from Millepied? After seeing some of his previous works and Black Swan who knows what he will come up with!

Maybe a cameo appearance by Natalie Portman? (Hopefully, she will just be in the audience)

The Evening Standard in London has an article with photos about Mr. Millepied and his discomfort with fame.

[ViolinConcerto]

abatt, on 22 September 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

I attended last night's performance.  I usually find 2 & 3 Part Inventions a bit tedious.  However, last night's cast was so good that I was engrossed by the performance. Particularly, I thought Lauren Lovette was mesmerizing.  She is  a lyrical, expressive dancer.  Chase Finlay was last night's Apollo.  I think he is even better this year than last.  He is much more confident,and his performance last night did not suffer from the little mistakes that occurred last year.  I saw Robbie Fairchild's Apollo last week.  I liked it, but I prefer Finlay a little more.  There is a youthful exuberance and wildness that is so fresh in Finlay's performance. (By the way, Finlay also did much better in the 3rd Act Pas De Quatre in Swan Lake.  Last year he could barely keep up.  This year he significantly improved.) Last night was a repeat of Muses Hyltin and Scheller.  The new muse in town was Ashley Isaacs.  I think she needs a more straighforward approach to the role. There was too much coy smiling at the audience and at Apollo.  Tiler and Tyler were breathtaking in Mercurial Maneuvers.  There were scattered empty seats throughout the orchestra, first and second rings.  The 3rd ring was approximately 25 percent full, and the fourth ring was closed.  Not a great turn out for such a wonderful evening of dance.

I saw the two Apollo's back to back, so to speak, on Tues and Wed.  I had also seen Finlay twice last season.  I like them both, but I very much enjoyed Fairchild's energy and sweep.  He is so much bigger than Finlay that his movements take more space and he covers more territory.  That made it a bit more exciting.   Finlay is more dispassionate and Fairchild seems very intense, with more changes of facial expression -- which seems to be his natural manner.  I preferred that.  Don't know what Mr. B. would say... but I liked that sense of involvement.  (When Rasta Thomas performed for the Balanchine 100 celebration at Symphony Space, his face was very expressive.  I was told that he had been coached by d'Amboise,  and I felt that I was watching the struggle into manhood.)  

Sterling Hyltin does not look comfortable (to me) as Terpsichore.  I feel her movement of the horse pawing the ground at her solo entrance, is too big.    

The Wheeldon was stunning, and sitting in the 2nd ring gave it more dimension:  when the thin scrims were down, I could see the dancers through them in a way I couldn't when in the 4th ring.  The work develops and grows deeper each time I see it.

[abatt]

I attended last night's performance.  R. Fairchild was riveting as Apollo.  I thought his performance last night was much better than the prior week's performance.  I also thought that Gonzalo Garcia was enthralling in the 4T's last night.  Reichlin was electrifying as Choleric.  I have avoided Union Jack for a few years because I find it tedious.  I stayed for last night's performance of the work.  DeLuz tore up the stage in his variation.  Askegard looked underpowered in his.  It was amusing seeing one of tallest guys in the company dancing side by side with one of the shortest.  Wendy Whelan was excellent in her variation.  Sadly, the youngsters in her regiment could not keep up with the tempo, resulting in a sloppy performance where the corps of that regiment completely lost the element of unison.  Time for that regiment to head back to the rehearal studio. Maria Kowrowski was sexy and fun as leader of the Wrens. Ringer and Ramasar were delightful in their section of the ballet.  Once again, there were many scattered empty seats in the orchestra, first and second rings.  The third ring was 20 percent sold.  Fourth ring was not for sale.

[miliosr]

abatt, on 24 September 2011 - 08:06 AM, said:

Once again, there were many scattered empty seats in the orchestra, first and second rings.  The third ring was 20 percent sold.  Fourth ring was not for sale.

Interesting.  Your report about attendance at the Robbins-Balanchine-Wheeldon triple bill didn't surprise me (I question how much of a draw Wheeldon really is.)  But I'm surprised that an all-Balanchine bill sold modestly.

[vipa]

miliosr, on 24 September 2011 - 02:05 PM, said:

abatt, on 24 September 2011 - 08:06 AM, said:

Once again, there were many scattered empty seats in the orchestra, first and second rings.  The third ring was 20 percent sold.  Fourth ring was not for sale.

Interesting.  Your report about attendance at the Robbins-Balanchine-Wheeldon triple bill didn't surprise me (I question how much of a draw Wheeldon really is.)  But I'm surprised that an all-Balanchine bill sold modestly.

Part of the sales problem might because of the new pricing structure and the fact that  the 4th ring is not for sale a lot of the time.  It used to be that you could get decent, inexpensive seats in the 4th ring.  Maybe I'm wrong about this as a factor, but personally I'm going to NYCB a lot less this season because I can't afford to sit in decent seats.  I'm going on Thursday so see the Ocean thing, along with Sonnambula & West Side Story Suite.  4th ring row B cost $89 per ticket plus fees, so it cost me close to $200 for 2 tickets.  

I'm going to try to see Jewels once, but I'm going to be very picky about casting.

I'm glad my kids are grown, because I used to take them to the ballet when they were kids - 4th ring all the way.  I could never afford to take kids to the ballet now.