18 replies to this topic

[bart]

From the MCB blog:  news of a new ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, scheduled for a March 12 premiere and to be included in the regular 2012-13 season.  The March performance will be a one-night-only presentation at the Adrienne Arsht Center, with the participation of the Cleveland Orchestra.

:thumbsup:

http://www.miamicity...exei-ratmansky/

The photo shows Ratmansky with several women who are circling a man.  I can identify Callie Manning and Jeanette (?) Delgado.  Is the man Kleber Rebello?

Jeanette D. writes something that is quite moving to someone who remembers the days when Balanchine was alive, well, and working constantly with dancers:

Quote

The two weeks we recently spent working with Mr. Ratmansky felt like a  glimpse into what the dancers who worked for George Balanchine must have  felt! To be a part of someone’s creative process has been amazing! He  pushed us to move in ways we’ve never moved nor ever thought of moving  before. It is super challenging but he knows exactly how to ask for what  he wants and shows it in the most inspiring way! It is a lot of work to  really grasp the movement but it’s work that I can’t wait to continue!

[richard53dog]

bart, on 09 June 2011 - 09:44 AM, said:

From the MCB blog:  news of a new ballet by Alexei Ratmansky, scheduled for a March 12 premiere and to be included in the regular 2012-13 season.  The March performance will be a one-night-only presentation at the Adrienne Arsht Center, with the participation of the Cleveland Orchestra.

:thumbsup:

http://www.miamicity...exei-ratmansky/

The photo shows Ratmansky with several women who are circling a man.  I can identify Callie Manning and Jeanette (?) Delgado.  Is the man Kleber Rebello?

This looks very intriguing. Hopefully it will turn out to be a winner. If a had to pick any name of a choreographer that I'd be interested in seeing a new work by, it would be Ratmansky. Fortunately for us, he seems to have taken on a long term relationship with ABT.

You have no idea how lucky you are in Florida to get all the Balanchine ballets and NOT have the relentless procession of "new Martins ballet"  sprinkled in all the programs that we experience here in NY.

[bart]

Today, on MCB's Facebook page, we get another snippet of information:

Quote

Alexei Ratmansky is back! Full day of Symphonic Dances rehearsal today!

So the ballet now has a name. "Symphonic Dances."  Rachmaninoff's?

[bart]

From the MCB Blog -- a few minutes of Ratmanstky talking about his new ballet.

http://www.miamicity...exei-ratmansky/

Ratmansky talks about his interest recently in mixing narrative and abstract, which may include a hint about what the work will be be like.   I

Ratmansky originally decided to work with MCB, a company he had not seen, because Edward Villella invited him.  

Quote

I was of course very excited because he is a legend.

Is anyone on the MCB Board listening to comments like this?

There's only one performance, at the Arsht Center in Miami on March 1.  I assume (or hope) that Symphonic Variations will be included in the regular season next year.

http://www.miamicity...onic_dances.php

[Birdsall]

bart, on 07 February 2012 - 05:12 PM, said:

From the MCB Blog -- a few minutes of Ratmanstky talking about his new ballet.

http://www.miamicity...exei-ratmansky/

Ratmansky talks about his interest recently in mixing narrative and abstract, which may include a hint about what the work will be be like.   I

Ratmansky originally decided to work with MCB, a company he had not seen, because Edward Villella invited him.  

Quote

I was of course very excited because he is a legend.

Is anyone on the MCB Board listening to comments like this?

There's only one performance, at the Arsht Center in Miami on March 1.  I assume (or hope) that Symphonic Variations will be included in the regular season next year.

http://www.miamicity...onic_dances.php

I remember reading somewhere that the Symphonic Dances will be included in next season's offerings. However, March 1, 2012 (the world premiere) will be with the Cleveland Orchestra (as opposed to the Opus One Orchestra) which is one of the Big 5 orchestras in the U.S. It should be great to see a top notch orchestra perform with MCB.  It will be interesting to compare the world premiere with the later performances next season too.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Bart Birdsall, on 07 February 2012 - 06:03 PM, said:

March 1, 2012 (the world premiere) will be with the Cleveland Orchestra (as opposed to the Opus One Orchestra) which is one of the Big 5 orchestras in the U.S. It should be great to see a top notch orchestra perform with MCB.

I never miss a performance by the Cleveland, now in full residence here in Miami.  They joined forces in the past with MCB performing Symphony in Three Movements, and the audience response was amazing. (I must confess I'm partial to this work, so I can't really say I was ecstatic...)

[Birdsall]

I hope Ratmansky is on his game. I watched excerpts of his Humpbacked Horse on YouTube, and it seemed like very little actual dancing!!! But that was because there was so much mime and narrative. So hopefully, Symphonic Dances ("dances" being in the title) will have lots of actual dancing!!!! LOL

[esperanto]

I find Ratmansky to be uneven. I think his best is Bright Stream; it was a hit when the Bolshoi presented it in London. It's full of good dancing and lots of humor. some of it is out-right funny.
His Bolt is a very strange ballet.  One has to see it more than once to understand what's going on,
especially the last act which doesn't really seem to make much sense.

His Flames of Paris has wonderful dancing. It's vigerous and must take a lot out of the dancers.
But actually the old F.o.P. as seen in Stars of the Russian Ballet is a better story, (in my humble opinion.)
The scenes in the court of Louis XVI are much better in the old version. In Ratmansky's Louis has some silly steps it seems to me. In the film I mentioned before you could see the history of what went on in the Court, including the "abdication" of the King,.  
all in all lots of it reminded me of character dances rather than a coherent story ballet.

I also saw his Lost Illusions. I was very disappointed with it. the pictures I had seen posted before it was shown on Mezzo looked like a Bournonville ballet. But the music!! It didn't at all fit the ballet. They just didn't go together.  By the way, others I've spoken with have said the same.

I'd still go to see a Ratmansky ballet.

Hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes.

[esperanto]

Re previous remarks about Bright Stream I found the following and thought it would be of interest:

“It’s good to see it once; it’s better—and funnier—to see it twice.”

—The New York Times

A laugh-out-loud comical ballet in two act

s

BART:   His Little Humpbacked  Horse is uneven.  There is a lot of , simplified and explicit mime.  It takes time to understand what is going on. There seems to be an extra  horse among the horses.  The best part is the ending with Leonind Serafanov starting his final dance, only to stop and winking to the audience, starting over again - with some spectacular dancing.  It's a fun and surprising ending to the opera, amounting to their curtain call.

--------------------------

[Birdsall]

esperanto, on 08 February 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

I find Ratmansky to be uneven. I think his best is Bright Stream; it was a hit when the Bolshoi presented it in London. It's full of good dancing and lots of humor. some of it is out-right funny.
His Bolt is a very strange ballet.  One has to see it more than once to understand what's going on,
especially the last act which doesn't really seem to make much sense.

His Flames of Paris has wonderful dancing. It's vigerous and must take a lot out of the dancers.
But actually the old F.o.P. as seen in Stars of the Russian Ballet is a better story, (in my humble opinion.)
The scenes in the court of Louis XVI are much better in the old version. In Ratmansky's Louis has some silly steps it seems to me. In the film I mentioned before you could see the history of what went on in the Court, including the "abdication" of the King,.  
all in all lots of it reminded me of character dances rather than a coherent story ballet.

I also saw his Lost Illusions. I was very disappointed with it. the pictures I had seen posted before it was shown on Mezzo looked like a Bournonville ballet. But the music!! It didn't at all fit the ballet. They just didn't go together.  By the way, others I've spoken with have said the same.

I'd still go to see a Ratmansky ballet.

Hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes.

I forgot he did Flames of Paris. I have that dvd with Osipova and Vasiliev. Will have to watch it again. Thanks for the reminder! I enjoyed that!

[cubanmiamiboy]

Going tonight to Ratmansky's premiere with Bart Birsdall, whom I'm currently hosting...

Will report back...

[Sonora]

Ratmansky's new ballet premiered last night on the wings of the great Cleveland Orchestra. It was wonderful: rich, lushly romantic, complex and evocative. Ratmansky is quoted in the program notes as saying: "There is no real story. I want the audience to leave with the images and feelings that the movement gives them," and in that he succeeded - the ballet left my companions and me marveling, questioning, wondering. I didn't love the work completely,  but can't wait to see it again. Its very imperfections seemed to me to contribute to its beauty and interest. The costumes were fascinating - thin, flowing shifts in shades of tan and cream; ethereal masses of brilliant colored tulle (?) suggesting ball gowns, draped to reveal the dancers' forms beneath; hooded tunics for the men...strange and provocative. What was the red splatter on Nathalia Arja's costume - ? Fascinating. The costume designers rightly took a bow with Ratmansky, the dancers, and the conductor.

[cubanmiamiboy]

So Ratmansky's Symphonic Dances premiere took place last night. The Arsht Center was full of socialites and a gala was to happen post performance. The program consisted in Dvorák's Carnival Overture, Balanchine's "La Valse" and Ratmansky's work.  La Valse is definitely one of my favorite Balanchine ballets. The intriguing movements of the three opening ballerinas, with their mysterious aloofness and hand gestures paired with the 1947 Christian Dior/New Look/Couturier Parfumeur-inspired costume designs always makes for a wonderful ballet night opening. I really like this work. It talks to me of many things. I always see a hidden message in there on people's needs to overcome tragedy and keep waltzing and living despite loss and death. What a wonderful ballet. Villella's favorite couple Kronenberg/Guerra did the honors, and this is a ballet that Miss Kronenberg can really execute. Not too much technical demands but a real need to look glamorous and tragic onstage. The Angel of Death was Reyneris Reyes, which with his full head of black hair and handsome muscular carriage was perfect for the role.
Ratmansky's "Symphonic Dances" is set to Rachmaninoff's same title work. Lots of great music, unremarkable choreography. The Cleveland Orchestra did a terrific job, and the costume designs for the second movement was really pretty, with multi colored Greek tunic-inspired outfits for the women and some sort of tuxedos for the men. For the very final accord of music Ratmansky devised a Lepeshinskaya era inspired self throw of the ballerina-(Miss Nathalia Arja)-on her back to her partner's arms, to which the audience went crazy. The troupe received lots of applauses, and Ratmansky went onstage to take his bows, along with costume designer Adeline Andre and the orchestra conductor Giancarlo Guerrero.

Afterward my guest Bart Birsdall and I went to have Cuban food at Versailles.

[California]

Did anybody notice if Villella was in attendance and, if so, where he sat and whether he stayed for the entire program?

[cubanmiamiboy]

Villella sat at the "Imperial Box" with his wife.  I did not see him post performance and he did not go onstage.