12 replies to this topic

[Helene]

I know "Swan Lake" isn't over yet, but PNB just published the trailer for the "Director's Choice" program, the last rep of the season, which runs from 31 May-1 June and second weekend 6 June-9 June.

The three ballets on the program are:

• "Agon" (Balanchine/Stravinsky)
  
• New Christopher Wheeldon Ballet with music by Jody Talbot
  
• "Diamonds" (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky)

Here is the video:


The "Diamonds" clips feature Carla Korbes and Stanko Milov.  I'm not sure who the man is in the first Pas de trois from "Agon"; the women are Maria Chapman and Lesley Rausch.  In the second Pas de trois, I'm fairly certain it's Mara Vinson with Batkhurel Bold and Karel Cruz.  In the "After the Rain 'Pas de deux'" shots, Wheeldon works with Maria Chapman and Karel Cruz, with Kaori Nakamura in the background to the left and Paul Gibson taking notes on the right.  The still at the end is Batkhurel Bold and Lesley Rausch in the "Agon" Pas de deux.

[SandyMcKean]

I have a hard time watching Agon to that music!!

[sandik]

It is an odd fit!

Nicholas Ade?  I might have programs, but they're in the files...

[doug]

It's Benjamin Griffiths in the First Pas de Trois.

[sandik]

Good to know -- many thanks!

[Helene]

Thank you so much, doug!  I thought it might be Ade, too:  I didn't recognize Griffiths.

[Helene]

I just received an email that PNB is offering a 25% Mother's Day sale discount for up to four tickets per household on all Director's Choice performances.  (This doesn't apply to the least expensive tickets or to previously purchased tickets.)  Website prices reflect the discount; the discount code for phone sales is "Glow."

https://www.pnb.org/...d5b7c-291617869

I don't see a deadline.

[Helene]

Peter Boal just tweeted some info on the new Wheeldon work:

@wheeldondance arriving Monday to start choreographing a new piece for four couples to #Jobytalbot's Tide Harmonic

PNB published a new video of Peter Boal talking about the program:

[Helene]

PNB posted a video of Francia Russell rehearsing the first Pas de Trois from "Agon" with two casts.  Allan Dameron is the pianist.

The first cast is Jonathan Poretta with Elizabeth Murphy (light leotard) and Kylee Kitchens (black leotard).

The second cast is Benjamin Griffiths with Brittany Reid (aqua leotard and print skirt) and Chelsea Adomaitis (dark blue leotard).

I'm not having much luck identifying the other people in the studio.  Maybe Ezra Thomson (unless another man also has creative facial hair) and Jessika Anspach (in gray over white).

[Helene]

Casting's up for the first week of "Director's Choice," and, as always, it is subject to change.  It should be published to the website soon at this link:
http://www.pnb.org/S...oice/#Castingin

In the meantime, here is the spreadsheet, which includes corps casting for "Diamonds."
 Rep 6 performance casting week 1.xls   38.5K   4 downloads

Principal Casting:

Agon
Friday, 31 May:  PDD-Rausch/Cruz; 1st PDT-Poretta/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Chapman/Tisserand/Bartee
Saturday, 1 June matinee:  PDD-Rausch/Cruz; 1st PDT-Poretta/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Griffiths/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Dec/Gaines/Thomson
Saturday, 1 June evening:  PDD-Gilbreath/Grant; 1st PDT-Griffiths/Kithens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Dec/Gains/Thomson

New Wheeldon
All performances:  Dec/Tisserand, Foster/Moore, Gilbreath/Bold, Korbes/Grant

Diamonds:
Friday, 31 May:  Korbes/Cruz
Saturday, 1 June matinee:  Nakamura/Orza
Saturday, 1 June evening:  Korbes/Cruz

I'm looking forward to seeing a Rausch/Cruz pairing in "Agon":  (Rausch has danced it before with Bold.)

Of the partnerships in the new Wheeldon, only a Foster/Moore pairing was at all predictable.

Orza's partner for "Diamonds" in the last run was Mara Vinson.

[tutu]

Noticed a "Hipolito, En" among the corps for Diamonds—do we have a younger Hipolito on the rise?

[Helene]

Yes, that's Enrico Hipolito, who's in the Professional Division and was in the "Swan Lake" corps just last month.

[sandik]

Enrico went to Copenhagen last summer, as part of a joint scholarship program PNB has with the RDB.