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Wish List for Next Spring-Summer Season


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I, in no way meant or implied that ABT should become a second home for Balanchine. But he is considered by many to be the finest choreographer of the 20th Century, and most classical companies, both domestic and foreign dance his works on a regular basis. And in New York City whenever companies come to visit. (MIami City Ballet, SF Ballet, the Mariinsky, etc. etc.)

And this is precisely why ABT should not take on more Balanchine. When everyone and their brother is performing the same Balanchine works over and over again, why follow the herd?

Balanchine should be included on a regular basis. As should Tudor.

I believe reinvigorating its Tudor repertory should take top priority for ABT.

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How is "Armand and Marguerite" different from "Lady of the Camillas?"

Marguerite and Armand is a one-act ballet by Frederick Ashton for Fonteyn and Nureyev (until a few years ago they were the only ones to ever perform it--now the Royal is back to dancing it as well as Nina Ananiashvili's company). Music is a piano sonata by Liszt. I believe the whole thing is on youtube with both Fonteyn/Nureyev and Sylvie Guillem/Nicholas Le Riche or Massimo Murru, if you wanted to take a look.

Lady of the Camillias is the full length ballet of the story by John Neumeier, that is now performed by ABT to piano music by Chopin. The stories of Manon and Des Grieux are included in this ballet.

Same-ish story, very different presentations!

Helen and ksk04 - Thank you for the explanation. I thought, from the titles, that "The Dream" and "M and A" might be snippets of the originals, such as when a gala program shows the black pdd from "Swan Lake" or "Lady of the Camellias". From your explanations, I understand that the entire stories are told, but in abbreviated forms, to different music (at times), and with different interpretations.

ksk04- I wish I had the time to watch everything on youtube.com!

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I would too like to see ABT do theater ballet ( dramatic work)...it seems close to its soul and one reason why Ratmansky is a good fit... Would it not be possible to do one act theatrical sketches again? Is it so much easier to raise money for big full evening works? Is there no way to frame an evening of one acts that would appeal to the large donors?

annamicro - Did Italian tv or theater recently have a version of R&J with dialogue?

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annamicro - Did Italian tv or theater recently have a version of R&J with dialogue?

Do you mean Amedeo Amodio's Romeo e Giulietta with Berlioz music? The most recent performances were at end of March in San Carlo Theatre in Naples. Lacarra was guesting...I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to see her: I was there for business in those days, but couldn't arrange it!

I don't think it has ever been televised.

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I believe reinvigorating its Tudor repertory should take top priority for ABT.

I'm totally with you on that one!

I don't disagree, but I don't see it happening. This season, a decision was made to present a lesser Tudor work (Shadowplay) with 3 new works. The new works were not successful, and ranged IMO from really bad to maybe worth sitting though again if other good things are on the program.

Tudor had a major place in ABT, and some pieces are masterworks. Ballet Theater should never let Lilac Garden, Dark Elegies or Pillar of Fire out of the rep. I would love to see Cojocaru in Leaves are Fading. What other works would be in the mix? Kevin M has said R&J would be too expensive. Judgement is Paris (not really a rep piece), Gala Performance (could be fun).

Tudor was a genius, but not prolific so while a staple of Ballet Theater never had enough works to fill in a lot of gaps.

By the way, NY Theater Ballet does a pretty good job of presenting Tudor. Of course it doesn't have the audience of ABT but at least the works get preserved and performed.

I would also love to see some of those early Eliot Feld works again. A forgotten choreographer who did some nice things for ABT (better than he did for his own co. later on). I'm thinking of Intermezzo, Harbinger and At Midnight. I remember those works fondly, although I was pretty young when I saw them, and don't know what I'd think now.

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I believe reinvigorating its Tudor repertory should take top priority for ABT.

I'm totally with you on that one!

I don't disagree, but I don't see it happening. This season, a decision was made to present a lesser Tudor work (Shadowplay) with 3 new works. The new works were not successful, and ranged IMO from really bad to maybe worth sitting though again if other good things are on the program.

Tudor had a major place in ABT, and some pieces are masterworks. Ballet Theater should never let Lilac Garden, Dark Elegies or Pillar of Fire out of the rep. I would love to see Cojocaru in Leaves are Fading. What other works would be in the mix? Kevin M has said R&J would be too expensive. Judgement is Paris (not really a rep piece), Gala Performance (could be fun).

Tudor was a genius, but not prolific so while a staple of Ballet Theater never had enough works to fill in a lot of gaps.

I agree with you that Tudor was never a monster of creativity like Balanchine or even Ashton. There are only so many top drawer Tudor pieces ready to be revived. But what doesn't help is scheduling one Tudor piece per year (Shadowplay in the Spring) and expect both the dancers and the audience to "buy into" Tudor. Lilac Garden should be done every year -- no exceptions. It's as central to ABT's identity as Revelations is to Ailey's and The Moor's Pavane is to Limon's. It should be a piece that the ranking ballerinas want to dance. From there, ABT should cycle the remaining pieces in and out over the course of several seasons so that people get in the habit of seeing and understanding Tudor.

By the way, NY Theater Ballet does a pretty good job of presenting Tudor. Of course it doesn't have the audience of ABT but at least the works get preserved and performed.

I actually think NYTB is the true spiritual home of Tudor right now.

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Speaking of Antony Tudor...

Can someone explain to me why ABT hasn't performed Echoing of Trumpets since the mid 90's? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that ballet generally regarded as one of Tudor's greatest masterpieces? I've never seen the ballet live, but I've seen clips of it and base on that, I would pay top dollar to see it perform live on stage. It seems to be a great work of dance theater. But I'm not an expert. So I asking: Is this ballet worth reviving, and if it is, who could you see dancing it?

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Speaking of Balanchine...

I completely understand the idea of NOT wanting to see ABT become the second version of NYCB, but I think there's enough ballets in Balanchine's canon in which ABT can borrow from it without the chance of ABT transforming themselves in a second version of Balanchine's company. Select correctly, Balanchine's ballets could be extremely beneficial as well as challenging for the dancers as well as the audience who get to see Balanchine perform in a different house, with a different sensibility at approaching his work. I would love to see ABT take on the huge challenge at performing Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer.

The first time I saw that ballet I wasn't impress. In fact I was bored. But on second veiwing, I totally fell in love with it and have been every since. And from that moment on I couldn't help but wonder how the dancers of ABT would perform this exquisite ballet? ABT could invite Karin von Aroldington to stage it and work with the dancers and just thinking on who the eight dancers could possibly be is actually endless.

David Hallberg, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Marcelo Gomes, Jared Matthews would be wonderful - I think - as the gentlemen. Julie Kent, Irina Dvorovenko, Diana Vishneva {guest}, Alina Cojocaru {guest} would be enchanting as the ladies. Not to mention all the wonderful female soloists: Stella Abrera, Isabella Boylston, Maria Riccetto, Yuriko Kajiya who could possibility dance the roles. As I said just thinking on the casting itself is endless.

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But what doesn't help is scheduling one Tudor piece per year (Shadowplay in the Spring) and expect both the dancers and the audience to "buy into" Tudor. Lilac Garden should be done every year -- no exceptions. It's as central to ABT's identity as Revelations is to Ailey's and The Moor's Pavane is to Limon's. It should be a piece that the ranking ballerinas want to dance.

I'm glad I found an echoing posting regarding the effectiveness of presenting some ballets in a continuous , non stopping cycle, so the final result after many years is a knowledgeable audience that's able to challenge the dancers into tuning their performance to perfection. Sometimes when I see those expensive "revivals" done here and there I can't really see the sense of it when then the work doesn't get to be repeated. Also-(and to support the loud cries for the disappearance of Tudor's works)-I think it is really a crime that whole generations of dancers and audience members are getting more and more aliens to the very basis of the art...namely "Giselle", "La Sylphide", "Coppelia", "La Fille Mal Gardee", "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake" or "La Bayadere". For instance...from the given list...in which ballets will I ever be able to see Jeannette Delgado dance, or which of this ballets will she be able to offer to her newly list of fans...? No more that one or two, and probably with many years in between...IF she gets to dance in them ever again. Going back to the Tudor issue...I'm glad that all the rules and regulations of the Powers that Be and Trusts and Licensing Comittees and the like are not being followed by Alonso's company, for which this way she's been able to maintain an AGGRESSIVE educational system for her audience AND dancers in works like Dollar's "Le Combat", Tudor's "Lilac Garden", Balanchine's "T&V" or his older version of "Apollo", Robbins' "Fancy Free" and even more important...the classics. Just as an example...there hasn't been ONE YEAR since the creation of the company in 1948 in which Giselle hasn't been presented. The ultimate result...? The dancers know that there's no way to trick the audience, who by now know the choreography like the palms of their hands, so they better work their rear ends off up until perfection. Eventually this bilateral feeding process has amazing, beautiful results for both sides.

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Speaking of Balanchine...

I completely understand the idea of NOT wanting to see ABT become the second version of NYCB, but I think there's enough ballets in Balanchine's canon in which ABT can borrow from it without the chance of ABT transforming themselves in a second version of Balanchine's company. Select correctly, Balanchine's ballets could be extremely beneficial as well as challenging for the dancers as well as the audience who get to see Balanchine perform in a different house, with a different sensibility at approaching his work. I would love to see ABT take on the huge challenge at performing Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer.

The first time I saw that ballet I wasn't impress. In fact I was bored. But on second veiwing, I totally fell in love with it and have been every since. And from that moment on I couldn't help but wonder how the dancers of ABT would perform this exquisite ballet? ABT could invite Karin von Aroldington to stage it and work with the dancers and just thinking on who the eight dancers could possibly be is actually endless.

David Hallberg, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Marcelo Gomes, Jared Matthews would be wonderful - I think - as the gentlemen. Julie Kent, Irina Dvorovenko, Diana Vishneva {guest}, Alina Cojocaru {guest} would be enchanting as the ladies. Not to mention all the wonderful female soloists: Stella Abrera, Isabella Boylston, Maria Riccetto, Yuriko Kajiya who could possibility dance the roles. As I said just thinking on the casting itself is endless.

Totally agree that the Balanchine canon is so large and varied as to not seem repetitive to NYCB and yet still give ABT dancers an opportunity to dance a bit of Mr. B's exciting works. " Liebeslieder Waltzer" would be wonderful!!! I'd also vote for "La Sonnambula" (which I believe ABT has done in the past). What about "Danses Concertante"? Or if there's anyone still alive and around who remembers "The Card Game" . What about "Ballet Imperial"? Just a few thoughts

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I completely understand the idea of NOT wanting to see ABT become the second version of NYCB, but I think there's enough ballets in Balanchine's canon in which ABT can borrow from it without the chance of ABT transforming themselves in a second version of Balanchine's company. Select correctly, Balanchine's ballets could be extremely beneficial as well as challenging for the dancers as well as the audience who get to see Balanchine perform in a different house, with a different sensibility at approaching his work.

If I may go slightly off topic for a moment, the Balanchine ballet I'd like to see ABT do - not at the big Met, but at City Center where it was first performed - is Orpheus. I've only seen it once, at the State Theater where the stage is said to be too large for it. ABT certainly has the personalities for it.

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I wish they would perform the entire Tchaikovsky Suite 3 - the 1st 3 movements are a lovely

progression to T&V. It would add about 20 minutes and 3 more principal couples.

What about Robbin's In the Night - think of the casting possibilities.

In addition to the Tudor works, NY Theatre Ballet also performs Agnes de Mille, also neglected

in recent years. Remember The Informer with Victor Barbee and Kathleen Moore? Maybe the

powers that be don't think today's audience is interested in historical themes. ABT has a

rich heritage of one act ballets that could be enjoyed and appreciated today alongside

the swans, shades, and wilis.

My fantasy wish for full lengths are Farrell Ballet's DonQ, Wheeldon's Alice, and

POB's La Petite Danseuse. Dream casting would include Hallberg and Sara Mearns in Swan Lake.

I'm suffering from withdrawal already.

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Does no one want to see Wheeldon's Alice or are we just hoping Royal Ballet or Canada tours it?

I've seen it in London twice and I'm not willing to see it again. It was badly recieved by British critics and by large part of the audience, and with plenty of reasons in my opinion.

An incredibly expensive show with a poor choreography: I hope ABT is looking for something better if they want to add something to its repertoire.

It could be good for Broadway though.

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If I may go slightly off topic for a moment, the Balanchine ballet I'd like to see ABT do - not at the big Met, but at City Center where it was first performed - is Orpheus. I've only seen it once, at the State Theater where the stage is said to be too large for it. ABT certainly has the personalities for it.

I haven't joined the nostalgia trip. but this one wakes me up....a perfect fit for the city center. :thumbsup:

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i would love to see symphony concertante Bal/Mozart-- I saw Hamel and Gregory : viola and violin--so many wonderful dancers to dance it now. why doesn't NYCB do it anymore? Anyone know?

Don't really know but suspect it is a matter of just only so much time available. A lot of time that would have gone to Balanchine is diverted to newer works. In theory, I agree with this but in practice it means that a lot of time and money (both finite resources) go to such junk as the Martin and Millepied pieces.

This to me is the real downer of the Martins era at NYCB. so much time and money is spent putting on material that just doesn't merit the effort. But who is going to tell MArtins that he can't "create" (ha!) at least one "new" ballet each season?

And this could conceivably go on for another twenty years, a depressing thought.

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i would love to see symphony concertante Bal/Mozart-- I saw Hamel and Gregory : viola and violin--so many wonderful dancers to dance it now. why doesn't NYCB do it anymore? Anyone know?

Don't really know but suspect it is a matter of just only so much time available. A lot of time that would have gone to Balanchine is diverted to newer works. In theory, I agree with this but in practice it means that a lot of time and money (both finite resources) go to such junk as the Martin and Millepied pieces.

I don't remember Symphonie Concertante having been done at NYCB for some years before Balanchine's death...certainly if it was done, it was not done at all frequently.

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I don't remember Symphonie Concertante having been done at NYCB for some years before Balanchine's death...certainly if it was done, it was not done at all frequently.

They danced it during the Balanchine Celebration in 1993, although the dancers were all SAB students.

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