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PNB Coming to NY City Center in Feb 2016


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I don't understand why these visiting companies always bring Balanchine. I know they want to prove that they can do it too, but surely people in NY have seen “Stravinsky Violin Concerto,” “Prodigal Son” and “Square Dance,” plenty and would like to see something else?

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here's the detailed program info:

New York City Center Theatre

New York City Center Tour
February 24-27, 2016

Program Information

PNB’s program 1: Balanchine Program (Wed/Thurs, February 24 & 25 at 7:30 PM)
Square Dance George Balanchine
Prodigal Son George Balanchine Stravinsky
Violin Concerto George Balanchine
PNB’s program 2: Contemporary Program (Fri/Sat February 26 & 27 at 8:00PM)
A Million Kisses to my Skin David Dawson
The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude William Forsythe
Emergence Crystal Pite (performed to recorded music)

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The last time PNB went to City Center, they did one Balanchine program performance and several performances of Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette." The general consensus was that the ratio should have been reversed, if they had to do the Maillot at all. PNB, like MCB, is known as a Balanchine company, so they bring another flavor of Balanchine. (I would have cast the last Balanchine program almost completely differently, but that's another story, and with Korbes gone, it will be interesting to see how ex-NYCB-centric the 2016 casting will be.) If people didn't like the Maillot, they're not likely going to embrace the new choreography that many people were unimpressed by when PNB brought it to the Joyce. It's not like PNB needs to show the ubiquitous "Petite Mort," and Stowell's "Carmina Burana" wouldn't show well, if it even the set fits into City Center. Bringing Ratmansky, Wheldon, or Peck to NYC is another alternative (if they the rights and there isn't geographic exclusivity in play), but NYC already sees those choreographers, too.

I don't know which NYC/East Coast companies, if any, perform the Dawson, which is a high-energy work that the company is brilliant in, but everyone and his mother seems to do "Vertiginous": even the Mariinsky brought it to City Center. It's a great piece, though, and fits energy- and influence-wise, with Forsythe being the anchor. The treat should be Crystal Pite's "Emergence" which takes the entire company to perform, and the only work I've seen in years in which ballet and contemporary/modern exist side-by-side in mutual respect. It was made for NBoC, and I don't know of another company that performs it (although I could have missed the news). The program itself should be a visual and visceral thrill.

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It would be great if PNB could end the Seattle season with its "Giselle" and pack it up to perform it at Lincoln Center, now that NYCB finishes up its Spring season earlier than PNB. There could be a "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcast and a DVD (as I dream on...)

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It would be great if PNB could end the Seattle season with its "Giselle" and pack it up to perform it at Lincoln Center, now that NYCB finishes up its Spring season earlier than PNB. There could be a "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcast and a DVD (as I dream on...)

Oh Helene, now I'm consumed with unbearable longing!

Granted, the new "Lincoln Center at the Movies" series includes performances that weren't filmed at Lincoln Center, so I vote for the inclusion of PNB's Giselle in a future season, since apparently it wouldn't even have to leave Seattle to qualify.

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Alas, I have a feeling that, even if the Lincoln Center at the Movies is showing work that isn't filmed on the property, the companies have to be NY-centric in some fashion. But yes, wouldn't it be fabulous to get a sample of work from Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, you name it...

Re the Balanchine program -- every time the company performs in NYC, the Balanchine programs sell better than anything else, and get the most positive press. Even if Boal were not ex-NYCB he'd be foolish not to take that part of the repertory along.

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Alas, I have a feeling that, even if the Lincoln Center at the Movies is showing work that isn't filmed on the property, the companies have to be NY-centric in some fashion. But yes, wouldn't it be fabulous to get a sample of work from Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, you name it...

I would submit that the claim of Peter Boal and PNB is as strong as that of Helgi Tomasson and SFB, who are going to be first out of the gate. Fingers crossed. beg.gif

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I think a lot of people attended New York City PNB performances in the recent past, in part, to see Korbes. She was beloved by many NYC balletomanes. Now that she is gone, I have to wonder whether there will be an impact on box office receipts for this upcoming engagement.

In addition to conflicting with the Mother Ship and the Mariinsky Raymonda in nearby Washington DC, this engagement also conflicts with the annual visit of the esteemed Vienna Philharmonic to Carnegie Hall, with Gergiev conducting.

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There's certainly no way that Maillot's R&J would have sold as many tickets had she not done two of three shows.

Balanchine and Forsythe are a lot less dependent on casting. PNB sold well in the '90's at City Center with a couple of mixed bill programs, with the Balanchine ballets distributed, and with works as diverse as Ton Simons new work for PNB, "Paquita" excerpts, a Stowell one-act, and "Jardi Tancat." If Korbes was in NYC at the time, she was still new enough to be learning English.

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The last time PNB did "Square Dance," Imler was unbelievable, just out of this world, one of her best roles.

I don't remember her being cast in "Violin Concerto,"* and as far as I know, she's never danced "Siren." She's done the leads in "Vertiginous" and "Emergence" (pas de deux), and she's danced in the Dawson.

*Edited to add: my faulty memory: she danced Aria I with Paul Gibson, another one of my favorite PNB dancers of yore.

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... PNB, like MCB, is known as a Balanchine company, so they bring another flavor of Balanchine. ...

This is an important point, well worth making. For another company to show "another flavor" of Balanchine in New York, alongside NYCB and ABT (and the SAB Workshops, let's not forget) can help to sensitize ballet-watchers to different ways of performing and so, enrich their experience, whether or not they prefer the visitors' "flavor" to the established local ones. It's a good reason for PNB to do it. That Balanchine may have become a salable trademark doesn't hurt anything either, as long as the merchandise being sold is genuine...

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It would be great if PNB could end the Seattle season with its "Giselle" and pack it up to perform it at Lincoln Center, now that NYCB finishes up its Spring season earlier than PNB. There could be a "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcast and a DVD (as I dream on...)

That plus a mixed reps that includes the reconstructed Jardin Animé. I can only dream.

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The last time PNB did "Square Dance," Imler was unbelievable, just out of this world, one of her best roles.

I don't remember her being cast in "Violin Concerto," and as far as I know, she's never danced "Siren." She's done the leads in "Vertiginous" and "Emergence" (pas de deux), and she's danced in the Dawson.

Well if Imler is cast I'll be there. I got the impression last time that Boal wanted to show off his younger dancers but I really have nothing to base that on. If Imler has a lead in any program I'll buy a ticket.

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Casting is going to be interesting this year -- all the women who were out for maternity leave are back, and Korbes is gone. Pantastico comes back with Nutcracker (and I'm sure will lead off the Maillot R&J performances in the new year) but otherwise I think things may shake up a bit.

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It sure will. Here are the dancers who've been cast in the roles in the past:

"Square Dance", last performed April, 2010:

  • Carrie Imler/Lucien Postlewaite (now with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo). This was ballet Nirvana.
  • Rachel Foster/Benjamin Griffiths
  • Mara Vinson (retired, co-AD of Olympic Ballet Theatre and school with husband Oleg Gorboulev)/Seth Orza
  • Kaori Nakamura (retired, faculty PNBS)/Jonathan Porretta
In 2007, Nakamura danced with Griffiths, and Imler, who was prepping for Ballet Imperial, took over partway through the ballet after Nakamura had a freak fall in one performance.

"Stravinsky Violin Concerto", premiered at PNB in 1986. I saw it in 1996 and 2001 (staged by Bart Cook and Karin von Aroldingen). I don't think Boal has programmed it before City Center. BA! didn't exist in 1996, and there is no other casting info in the 2001 thread other than the casts I saw.

I saw Ariana Lallone (Teatro Zinzanni)/Ulrik Wivel (filmmaker) in Aria I and Barker (AD, Grand Rapids Ballet)/Stanton (Ballet Master, Oregon Ballet Theatre) in Aria II in 1996 and Imler/Paul Gibson (Ballet Master, PNB) in Aria I and Nadeau (faculty PNB)/Wevers (AD Whim W'him) in Aria II in 2001.

Imler is the only one still in the company from those productions. I would not be surprised to see Laura Tisserand and Lindsi Dec cast in Aria I, Rachel Foster and Maria Chapman cast in Aria II, and Lesley Raush cast in either.

"Prodigal Son", premiered at PNB in 1984. I saw PNB perform it in 2004 and 2007.

  • Jonathan Porretta/Patricia Barker (2004)
  • Jonathan Porretta/Lindsi Dec (2007)
  • Jonathan Porretta/Laura Tisserand (2007)
  • Lucien Postlewaite/Ariana Lallone (2004, 2007)
  • James Moore/Carla Korbes (Associate AD, LA Dance Project and freelancer) (2007)
Le Yin (faculty, International Ballet Theatre) was scheduled to perform the role, but needed knee surgery, per a Q&A reported by sandik on BA!. I don't know if he performed it in week one. It was a huge break for Postlewaite at the time. I loved Le Yin's dancing, and it was sad when injury cut short his career, although he does perform occasionally.)

"Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude," PNB premiere 2015:

  • Leta Biasucci/Margaret Mullen/Carrie Imler/Jonathan Porretta/Benjamin Griffiths
  • Angelica Generosa/Rachel Foster/Chelsea Adomaitis/Kyle Davis/Price Suddarth
  • Jahna Frantziskonis (now San Francisco Ballet)/Carli Samuelson/Elizabeth Murphy/Raphael Bouchard (now Les Ballet Canadiens)/Dylan Wald
Edited to Add: The cast for Season Encore was Adomaitis/Foster/Frantziskonis/Bouchard/Suddarth. It was Frantziskonis and Bouchard's last performance with the company.

"A Million Kisses to My Skin," PNB Premiere 2012, also performed 2014-15:

Multiple casts, including:

Brittany Reid (retired)/, Elizabeth Murphy, Kylee Kitchens, Laura (Gilbreath) Tisserand, Carrie Imler, Margaret Mullin, Andrew Bartee (Ballet BC), Joshua Grant, Jerome Tisserand, Sarah Ricard Orza, Carla Korbes (LA Dance Project), Lindsi Dec, Maria Chapman/Lesley Rausch/Lucien Postlewaite (Les Ballets de Monte Carlo)/Seth Orza/Jonathan Porretta, Batkhurel Bold, Leta Biasucci, Elle Macy, Amanda Clark, Sarah Pasch, Emma Love Suddarth, William Lin-Yee, Charles McCall (left PNB at season end).

"Emergence," PNB Premiere 2013, also performed for Season Encores in June 2014. It uses the whole company. There are five featured roles/groups in the casting sheet, but, annoyingly, although thematically sound, these are not listed in the programs. The three most prominent parts/sections are:

  • Prologue:
    • Rachel Foster/Joshua Grant
    • Margaret Mullin/William Lin-Yee
    • Elizabeth Murphy/Seth Orza
    • Leah Merchant/Joshua Grant
  • Grand Pas
    • Lindsi Dec/Batkhurel Bold
    • Carrie Imler/Jonathan Porretta
  • Bee Man
    • Andrew Bartee (Ballet BC)
    • Kiyon Gaines (faculty, PNB, Next Step coordinator, choreographer, Renaissance Man)
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Woah -- that's a great breakdown!

I had forgotten that Imler was a replacement in Square Dance -- she certainly performed as if she was born to do it. Her phrasing was astonishing. Ben Griffiths did a phenomenal job with the solo in that run as well.

I saw Postelwaite's debut in Prodigal - he was like a California surfer boy in the first section, all self-assured defiance. But the higher you go, the further you drop, so it was a stunning transformation at the end.

And I'm wondering who will learn the Bee Man for the Pite...

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She was a replacement just in that performance: she was cast in the others. I'm pretty sure Nakamura was back later in the run.

Ideally we'd see Bouchard as Bee Man, but he's gone sad.png Maybe Renko, especially after "Carmina."

I would love to see Benjamin Griffiths dance Prodigal Son, especially after seeing his Chicken Man in "Carmina." Sarah Ricard Orza and Jerome Tisserand were smoking in "Don Quixote" as Mercedes and Espada: I'd love to see them as Prodigal Son/Siren I suspect that Seth Orza may be cast, although bigger men usually aren't.

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