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Best and Worst of 2016


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I'll start.

 

Best of 2016:

 

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Doug Fullington’s abridged collaborative reconstruction of “Le Corsaire,” danced in March by students from the PNBS, including professional division students.   All of the students were 110% dedicated to making these performances detailed and vivid.

 

Patricia Barker snagged leads Dillon Perry and Levi Teachout for Grand Rapids Ballet -- smart woman!  Isaac Bates-Vineuza was terrific in the character role Lanquedem, and was a star in the “Next Step” program, especially in a stylist piece by Miles Pertl (“Present Company” to music by Laurie Anderson), and in Wheeldon’s “Scenes de Ballet” for the graduation show.  Alejandro Cerrudo was very smart to recruit this multi-talented and versatile dancer for Hubbard Street Dance.

 

James Moore owned the Spring 2016 as Romeo in Maillot’s “Romeo et Juliette,” in Tharp’s Cerrudo’s “Little Mortal Jump”, as the shy sailor in Robbins’ “Fancy Free,” and as the Father in “Waiting for the Station,” knocking it out of the park in each.

 

Justin Peck’s “Year of the Rabbit” showed what all the fuss is about, the dancers seemed to be having a ball, and it left me wanting more Peck.  I got a taste of that at the NYCB opener, in which he featured Sara Mearns.

 

Jessika Anspach’s retirement performance featured the "Preghiera" section of George Balanchines' “Mozartiana.”  PNB hasn’t performed the ballet in a few decades, but Peter Boal staged this section for her for the season-ending Encores program, and it was a great gift to her and the audience.  For someone for whom faith is so important — Anspach has been public about hers — the supplication and reverence she physicalized transcended steps and gesture and was very moving. 

 

Kylee Kitchens also retired in June 2016 and chose “After the Rain” Pas de Deux, which was especially meaningful to her, as she was able to perform the opener at Vail.  Seth Orza was a sensitive partner, and the work was a great reminder of her beautiful feet:  in ballet slippers, you might have sworn she was on point, her feet were so beautifully pointed and articulated.

 

Carrie Imler is back, jumping into the deep end with First Movement of Symphony in C in the opening and closing performances of the first rep; she was as authoritative as ever.

 

Benjamin Griffiths’ promotion to Principal Dancer was recognition for his plush, never-forced, exemplary dancing, from tendu to the fanciest jumps and turns.

 

The PNB orchestra’s renditions of everything, and their extraordinarily high standard of playing was featured in the new orchestration for Tharp’s "Brief Fling," after the score was researched, mined, and put back together by Emil de Cou.  With the music as a full partner, and the Colombier an equal partner with the Grainger, watching the ballet was a very different and heightened experience.

 

Michael Jinsoo Lim’s gorgeous violin solo-playing in "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" and the Act I transition scene in "The Nutcracker," deserves many bravos.

 

Alan Dameron's playing, especially the Toussaint in "Waiting at the Station," and his rendition of Beethoven's "Appassionata", was sublime.

 

Nutcracker 2016:

  • Imler as SPF:  exquisite dancing with her unmatched dramatic authority.  This is not simply a dancing role, and there is no question whose kingdom this is when she is cast.
  • Two Drosselmeiers that could not have been more different:  Ryan Cardea’s enchanting, beautifully detailed portrayal is the first I’ve seen since Francisco Moncion’s — my gold standard — with that depth of underlying warmth.  Otto Neubert's presence and authority was a perfect match for Imler’s.  As he exuded a mix of underlying energy and casual elegance, he could have been mistaken for one of those Founding Father dudes.
  • Elizabeth Murphy was a knockout as Coffee, both gentle and potent.  The little tings of her hand cymbals, with just a touch of ritenuto, were the grace notes to her phrasing and rose to the top of the theater like the scent of jasmine.
  • Ezra Thomson, both as Toy Soldier and Candy Cane, used needle-like emphases in his phrasing that were surprising, but at the same time looked inevitable.  If he were a Flamenco dancer, the theater would have been filled with “ole”s.
  • In year two, with many dancers reprising their roles, and so many of them having performed the Balanchine version before as professionals and students, they are still giving beautifully thoughtful and nuanced performances, and the orchestra is holding up fine, going into the doubleheader week.  If there is any Nutcracker fatigue, they are not showing it.

 

I’m going to pretend that Miami City Ballet visited Vancouver again in 2016.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.


 

Worst of 2016:

 

The news that Carrie Imler is retiring.  However, I insist on a full course of denial.


That “Le Corsaire” was an abridged version.  We wuzrobbed!

 

Rest in peace, Violette Verdy, Yvonne Choteau, Yvette Chauvire, Anna Lærkesen, Judith Cruickshank, and a long-time member of the Ballet Alert! and Ballet Talk for Dancers family, Giannina Mooney.

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I see a pretty limited number of performances, but...the very best of that in 2016 would be:

 

1. Mariinsky Raymonda at Kennedy Center

2. Suzanne Farrell Ballet revival of Balanchine's Gounod Symphony (also Kennedy Center)

3. Lopatkina tribute to Plisetskaya and Ulanova at BAM

 

Other highlights include:

1. Ashton La Fille Mal Gardee (ABT)

2. Ratmansky Serenade After Plato's Symposium (ABT)

3. Particularly fiery dancing from every single member of the NYCB ensemble in a performance of Martins' Hallelujah Junction! Everyone on stage danced like a superstar. I kept thinking: 'I have to remember that one's name--oh wait that one too! oh no, let's see--who is THAT?'

4. Very happy to see the Ratmansky Shostakovich Trilogy in its entirety--still sorting my response to it. Might like to see it at the Koch rather than the Met.

 

Personally moving:

1. Took a companion to see Balanchine's Serenade for the first time (NYCB) -- he got it.

 

Great news:

1. Wonderful to read that David Hallberg is back on stage!! Hope his healing continues to progress.

2. The arrival of Gennady Nedvigin in Atlanta as the new director of Atlanta Ballet and with plans to strengthen the company's (neo)classical profile. (Lots of respect is due to departing director John Mcfall, but I'm delighted by the thought of a slightly more balletic emphasis for Atlanta Ballet.)

 

Worst has some overlap with my best:

1. Danilo Korsuntsev's good looks notwithstanding would it have been too much for the Mariinsky to send one fiery, top notch, still-in-his-prime male dancer to perform as Jean de Brienne in the D.C. run of Raymonda?

2. Failure of sets and costumes to gel in Wheeldon's American Rhapsody make it hard for me to assess the success or failure of the ballet. But it certainly could use a redesign.

3. Everyone who works at BAM seems very nice, but I can't say it's my favorite venue for classical ballet. Wish the Mariinsky could find someplace more suitable for NY appearances.

 

Bad news or worst than the worst:

1. Bolshoi opening its doors to a convicted criminal involved in one of the ugliest episodes in its history. And its history sets a high bar for ugliness.

 

Still to come:

1. I usually take a pass on Nutcracker--last saw it about a decade ago at NYCB. But I plan to give Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker a go this year.

 

 

Edited by Drew
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Best:

1. NYCB: The incredible performances of Tchai PC#2 by Teresa Reichlen and Tiler Peck. Two such vastly different ballerinas tackling such a difficult role so beautifully. Tiler Peck whizzing through the role of Ballo della Regina. Wow. Ashley Bouder returning after the world's shortest maternity leave to kick ass as Liberty Bell in Stars and Stripes and Dewdrop in Nutcracker. Sterling Hyltin's Symphony in Three Movements. The return of the glorious Divertimento #15 to the repertoire.

2. ABT: Marcelo Gomes (Widow Simone), Stella Abrera and James Whiteside in a joyous, life-affirming performance of Fille mal gardee at ABT. Ratmansky's Plato's Symposium. Very enjoyable ballet.

3. MCB's visit to NYC in 2016. They really painted the town red. Dancers like Jeanette Delgado and Nathalie Arja were getting loud cheers just stepping onstage. Their Bourree Fantasque was amazing.

4. Seeing the Mariinsky's Raymonda in full. Anastasia Kolegova was a lovely Raymonda. Also, seeing Uliana Lopatkina's artistry on display in her BAM performances. 

5. David Hallberg making a return to the stage after such an excruciating rehabilitation. 

6. Seeing the complete original Apollo with the birth scene at Damian Woetzel's Vail: Remixed.

 

Worst:

1. ABT: Alessandra Ferri's return as Juliet. Her feet still look gorgeous but I didn't think her dancing was at an acceptable level anymore. I know I'm in the minority opinion on this one. Ratmansky's visually gorgeous but ultimately dull and bloated Golden Cockerel.

2. NYCB: two overbloated premieres: Christopher Wheeldon's American Rhapsody, one of the worst ballets I've ever seen, period. Managed to make Tiler Peck look like a dull, bad dancer. Justin Peck's The Most Incredible Thing, which was anything but incredible. 

3. Angel Corella's slash and burn techniques at PA Ballet which resulted in 40% turnover in one season. 

4. Wheeldon's A Winter's Tale. 

 

 

Edited by canbelto
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I really love reading everyone's list.  Here's mine but I'm sure I've forgotten some things.

 

Best in no particular order:

  1. Performances of Tchai 2 by Reichlin and Tiler Peck (I share this with canbelto)
  2. NYCB  bringing  back Divertimento #15 with divine performances
  3. Megan Fairchild turning in performances filled with freedom and joy to match her technique (Broadway seems to have brought something out in her)
  4. Along with the amazing performances by their principal women, NYCB giving me faith that a new generation of outstanding women are moving up the ranks - Unity Phelan, Indiana Woodward, Alexa Maxwell, Alston McGill to name a few.
  5. Vale Festival coming to NY with incredible dancers of all types.  I got to see the unique talent of Lil Buck, wonderful jazz and tango dancers, dancers that I thought I knew, like Isabella Boylston, out of their comfort zone.  I got a chance to see Carla Korbes once again, and got a first look at Ballet X, an incredible company that I am eager to see more of.
  6. Miami City Ballet's visit to NY

Worst

  1. Ratmansky's Golden Cockerel.  An expensive bore IMO
  2. Justin Peck's The Most Incredible Thing - Another expensive mistake
  3. ABT squandering so much of their fall NY season on instantly forgettable ballets
  4. Daniel Ulbricht having another year of few opportunities although his Oberon continues to be one of the best ever
  5. The announcement of Carrie Imler's retirement.  One of the few dancers I've always wanted to see, but when they came to NYC, PNB either didn't bring her or didn't feature her.  There is very little video of her.  My chance is gone!

Fun thing - the ballet related podcasts that have sprung up.

 

Personal worst experience as an audience member.  I was in the Joyce Theater to see a dance performance and a woman sat down next to me and set a caged dog on her lap.  The animal smelled beyond terrible.  I spoke to an usher who said the animal was a therapy dog and was allowed.  I spent the entire time almost gagging with nausea because of the odor coming from that dog.   It was truly disgusting.  I wrote a complaint to the Joyce theater about it, but never got a response.

 

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BEST.

Best of the best: SUPERB Alina Cojocaru in La Sylphide-(White NIghts)

Regal Katya Koundarova in Raymonda-(DC)

Tricia Albertson in Giselle-(MCB)

MCB's production of "A Midsummer's night dream"-(even with its controversial underwater setting)

The whole Mariinsky company in Jewels-(White Nights)

Assaf Messerer's Swan Lake production for the Mikhailovsky-(SP). One get the impression as if watching a museum specimen behind a glass. I love vintage stuff.

MCB's Nutcracker. Always a joy and a reminder of why do I love so much the art form.

The Bolshoi production of Giselle-(Moscow)

 

WORST.

A whole year without MCB's most beloved ballerina, Mary Carmen Catoya.

Ratmansky's Anna Karenina-(Mariinsky. Boring choreography revolving around endless adagios. A total waste of time and resources)

Martin's Barber Violin Concerto-(I don't have ANY recollections of it whatsoever)

Tharp's In the Upper Room-(MCB. It is not about the company, but the piece itself.  I just hate it)

 

 

 

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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In Britain, the best of the year was the Akram Khan Giselle, an astonishing work, capturing the essence of the original but with a contemporary relevance and playing to sold out houses and standing ovations the length and breadth of the country.

 

The RB's young dancers go from strength to strength with Francesca Haywood in particular set to be a home grown star and the stellar performances of Beatrix Stix-Brunell and Matthew Ball in Ashton's long absent Two Pigeons was a joy.  However performance of the year for me was Kondaurova in the Sasha Waltz Rite of Spring when the Mariinsky gave a short season in Cardiff.

 

Worst of the year for me was the RB's Frankenstein, the dancers did their best to save it, but it was awful, fortunately for the company the subject matter is pulling in the punters.

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2 hours ago, Mashinka said:

In Britain, the best of the year was the Akram Khan Giselle, an astonishing work, capturing the essence of the original but with a contemporary relevance and playing to sold out houses and standing ovations the length and breadth of the country.

 

Lucky you -- I'm hoping this will tour to the US, or get some kind of broadcast.

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BEST (in no particular order)

(1) The staying power of Ratmansky's Trilogy - so glad we got to see it all again

(2) Ratmansky's Plato's Symposium - hope they bring it back soon (fall 2017?)

(3) The youthful energy and sparkling technique of so many new principals and soloists in Corella's Don Q for the Pennsylvania Ballet (almost makes up for the blood-letting)

(4) The Vishneva-Gomes R&J - for the last time, we now know, at least at ABT

(5) Getting to see Tyukov-Mosina one last time before her retirement in Swan Lake and the Grand Pas/Nutcracker

(6) Baryshnikov in Letter to a Man - not really a ballet, but riveting and important

 

WORST

(1) Ratmansky's Golden Cockerel - what a big bore - never again

(2) Wheeldon's American Rhapsody

Edited by California
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I brought my friends' children to see the PNB (Balanchine) Nutcracker, and Alastair Willis conducted, which reminded me of another "Best of 2016":

 

In a pre-performance lecture before a performance of PNB's "Brief Fling program," Music Director and Principal Conductor Emil de Cou was as engaging in telling the story of how he tracked down the music for Tharp's ballet from Michel Colombier's widow in California as I remember from when he was at San Francisco Ballet.  He was joined by Alastair Willis, who made a great entrance in a kilt -- sadly he changed before he conducted the Britten for "Forgotten Land" that evening -- and the two of them were hysterical together, bouncing off one another verbally, with wit and humor flying everywhere.

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I forgot to add: I've now seen the NYCB's Nutcracker three times this season, with three different casts, and there wasn't a single bad performance in all three performances either among the leads or the supporting variations. There were no dropped wands, no fallen snowflakes or flowers, no tripping through the hoop. And the level of all the principal casts I saw (Hyltin/Veyette/Bouder, Peck/Fairchild/Reichlen, Laracey/Catazaro/Peck) was stellar. That level of consistency is truly impressive.

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Best:

1.  Sterling Baca first year as a principal at PAB.  Saw him in Cinderella and the Nutcracker and he was a fantastic partner (and carries himself so regally).   I enjoy watching him more than many of ABT's current principals.

2.  Mayara Piniero's Sugar Plum Fairy.  I saw her last year (2015, her debut year) and found her a bit shaky in the role, but this year (with Baca as her partner) she was fantastic.  Her Kitri in the spring was also stunning and it was Angel Corella's best move by bringing her in.  I can't wait to see her and Baca in Le Corsaire in the spring.

3.  Rebecca Krohn and Tyler Angle in Ratmansky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  .

4.  ABT in the Shostakovich Trilogy (especially Teuscher and Gomes).

5.  ABT's lack of guest artists over the last two years and finally giving some roles to some of the younger dancers (Teuscher, Brandt, Trenary).

6.  Seeing Serenade live for the first time by PAB and NYCB.  The music and the choreography are so amazing that they make me happy to be alive.

7.  Megan Fairchild and Gonzalo Garcia in Rubies.

8.  PAB's continued use of the Philly's Boy Choir for the Snow Scene.

 

Worst:

1.  Loss of half of PAB's corps dancers (even if I like a lot of the folks who were brought in, it's still hard to see that happen) and especially the loss of Lauren Fadeley to Miami City Ballet.

2.  Justin Peck's Everywhere We Go and The Most Incredible Thing.  I thought the music to Everywhere We Go was so loud and blaring that I couldn't concentrate on whether the choreography was any good.  And The Most Incredible Thing was a huge let down to me.

3.  Snow scene in PAB's Nutcracker looking horrible.  Saw it three times, all three times the same new dancer (won't name her to be nice, but she was one of the folks brought in this year) clearly could not handle the choreography and was off, throwing off the entire scene.  Why it wasn't corrected after the first performance (or why she wasn't pulled if she couldn't handle the speed of the choreography), I don't know, but it kind of ruined the magic of the snow scene for me.

 

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Best of 2016:
  • Alexei Ratmansky's reconstruction of the 1895 production of "Swan Lake" for Ballett Zurich, La Scala Ballet, Ballet Zurich's Junior Ballet & La Scala Academy, along with their
         pedagogues and coaches for their work on this project.    
  • The "Best Swansdown Award" goes to Jerome Kaplan for his costumes and designs based on the 1895 originals for the same production.
  • The " 'Pardon My French' Award" from Madame Brigitte Lefevre to Benjamin Millepied for his parting comments re the Paris Opera Ballet, and the quality of the students and faculty of Paris Academy under the direction of Elisabeth Platel.
  • Aurelie Dupont was appointed Artistic Director of the Paris Opera Ballet.
  • Paris Opera Ballet's "Giselle" marathon at Le Garnier, May 27 - June 13.
  • NYCB
  • The 40th Anniversary celebration and Gala of Washington Ballet at Kennedy Center.
  • The promotions of Taylor Stanley to Principal Dancer at NYCB, and Francesca Hayward to Principal Dancer at the Royal Ballet.
  • Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer, Simone Mesmer's Titania and MCB's aquatic-themed new production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream; and her debut in the title role of "Giselle."
  • Uliana Lopatkina
  • Victoria Tereshkina
  • Alessandra Ferri's return to Juliet vs. Herman Cornejo's Romeo at the Met this past June.
  • David Hallberg's return to the stage as Franz in the Australian Ballet's production of "Coppelia," after two years of absence to recover from injury.
  • Stella Abrerra's long overdue ABT debut as Aurora in Ratmansky's "The Sleeping Beauty," her Paris debut in the role at the Opera Bastille in September with Alexander Hammoudi, and her Lise in "La Fille Mal Gardee" at the Met last Spring.
  • The little bundles of joy born to Bolshoi ballerinas:  Principal Dancer, Evgenia Obraztsova, Leading Soloist Maria Vinogradova, wife of Ivan Vasiliev, and corps de ballet member, Alevtina Rudina, wife of Semyon Chudin, and at the Mariinsky, Principal Dancer Daria Pavlenko and her husband, 1st Soloist Alexander Sergeev, welcomed their second child.
  • "Best Salvage Operation Award" goes to Principal Dancer, Ekaterina Kondaurova and 1st Soloist Anastasia Kolegova for saving the Mariinsky Ballet's "Raymonda" engagement at Kennedy Center, Feb. 23 - 28, 2016.
  • The Mariinsky Ballet's revival of Prokofiev's "The Stone Flower," with the stellar opening night cast of Ekaterina Osmolkina as Katerina, Andrei Ermakov as Danila, Konstantin Zverev as Severin, and Victoria Tereshkina as the Mistress of the Copper Mountain.
  • World Ballet Day 2016 - Best Company Class:  The Royal Ballet; Best Rehearsals - Royal Ballet A.D. Kevin O'Hare coaching Yasmine Nahgdi & Matthew Ball in the Act 3 "Sleeping Beauty" pas de deux and Natalia Osipova's rehearsal of "Anastasia;" and the National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet & School, and Australian Ballet segments.
  • Vladimir Shklyarov & wife, 2nd Soloist Maria Shirikina for relocating to Munich - with option to return and appear at the Mariinsky, every now and then when the repertoire and schedule allows.
  • Yuri Smekalov's revival (after Rotislav Zakharov) of "The Bronze Horseman" for the Mariinsky Ballet during their annual International Ballet Festival.
  • Nadezhda Batoeva's overdue debut as Aurora in "The Sleeping Beauty" at the Mariinsky.
  • "Most Improved Reviews Honorable Mention" blue ribbon goes to Hanna Weibye.
  • "Best Review Title of the Year" Award:  It's a tie for the Gold Medal - Leigh Wichtel for "Too Many Cooks Making the Same Broth," and Ilona Llangraf for *"B.S."   *(Ms. Llangraf spelled out the word for her review of "COW," by Swedish choregrapher, Alexander Ekman for Dresden Semperoper Ballet).
  •  The "Oh Mein Gott - Drop The Mic Award" goes to the rank and file of the Berlin Staatsballett for their protest response to the dual A.D. appointment of Sasha Waltz and Johannes Ohman with this statement: "Unfortunately, the appointment has to be compared to an appointment of a tennis trainer as a football coach, or an art museum director as an orchestra director."
  • Longtime Mariinsky coryphee, Svetlana Ivanova's extremely rare appearance this year in the 11th Waltz of "Chopiniana," during the Mariinsky Ballet's Fokine Evening, in the Sping and opening night of the current season.
  • Ballet Master, Boris Akimov's 50th Anniversary Season of Creative Work Gala" on March 31 at the Bolshoi Theatre.
  • Mariinsky Principal, Kimin Kim's first Benois de la Danse award for his Solor in Nureyev's production of "La Bayadere," with POB. 
The "It Could Go Either Way" Category:   Jacopo Tissi left La Scala and joined the Bolshoi Ballet.
:offtopic:Ralph Fiennes in the title role of Rupert Gould's production of "Richard III" vs. Vanessa Redgrave's Queen Margaret at London's Almeida Theatre; the Chicago Cubs won the World Series; the numerous tributes, productions, programmes and memorials marking the 400th anniversary of the life and death of William Shakespeare, the best of which took place at the Royal Shakespeare Company's HQ in Stratford-on-Avon & the Folger Library & Museum in Washington DC.
(Back to Topic)
 
Worst of 2016:
  • "Next Time, Read The Red Carpet Comp. Package Fine Print" Award:  From France's state auditors, Cours Des Comptes to Garnier & POB's management for its 9/16/16 published report revealing expenses run up during Benji Millepied's tenure as POB A.D.  These included but were not limited to:  24/7 limo service, meals at high priced Michelin starred restaurants, and taxi cab tabs that totaled +100,000.
  • "My Checkbook Is Closed" Award - from recent longtime Munich Bayerisches Staatsballett primary donor Irene Lejeune to new A.D., Igor Zelensky, for his plans for and remarks in the German media about the Munich company.  This also resulted in the mass exodus of 27 dancers, among whom were Principals Lucia Lacarra and her husband Marlon Dino.  This segues to the next bullet point.
  • "We Need A Full-time A.D. Award:"  Presented to Laurent Hilaire, from Moscow's Stanislavsky Ballet.  Hilaire was hired as the new A.D. replacing Zelensky, and before him, for a record brief period, former Bolshoi premier danseur noble, Andrei Uvarov.
  • "The Official Reason is 'Sciatica' Award:" To Mauro Bigonzetti for his unexpected resignation announcement as A.D. of La Scala at the start of the 2016-2017 season.
  • The "Stick To Opera Award" goes to opera producer, Dmitri Tchierniakov for Paris Opera Ballet's new production of "The Nutcracker."
  • "The Worst 'Hard Nut' Imitation Award"  goes to the stagers Sidi Larvi Cherkaoui's, Eduoud Lock's and Arthur Pita for the same production.
  • "Best Soviet Cosmonaut Suits & '50s Prêt-à-Porter Award" goes to Elena Zaitseva for the same production. 
  • The "Co-Presidency Award" goes to Julie Kent & Victor Barbee for their appointments as A.D. and Asst. A.D. of Washington Ballet respectively.
  • Natalia Osipova & Sergei Polunin for the "Natalia Osipova & Guests" project at Sadlers Wells Theatre and the Edinburgh International Festival.
  • Cue Mussorgsky's "Baba Yaga" music:  Ex-convict, Pavel Dmitrichenko gets a Bolshoi Theatre pass to take company class and "possibly" resume his career there.
  • General Director Vladimir Urin & A.D. Makhar Vaziev for giving Dmitrichenko the Bolshoi Theatre pass and for entertaining the thought of re-hiring him in the first place.
  • World Ballet Day's worsts:  Facebook's coverage of this year's event, and the entire San Francisco Ballet and Bolshoi segments.
  • The perennial Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, Yuri Fateyev & Maestro Valery Gergiev
  • The Washington Post for publishing a piece on 5/3/16 titled, "Why Does The Misty Copeland Barbie Doll Look So...White?"
  • Cue Kermit: "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" Award goes to Ekaterina Chebykina who was cast as the Mistress of the Copper Mountain in the Mariinsky revival of Prokofiev's "The Stone Flower."  The libretto and Grigorovich's choreography calls for a lizard/woman.  That's phylum - chordata, super classification - tetrapoda, sub-classification - reptilian, order - squamata.  This wasn't the image nor the effect that was given, but rather that of an amphibian. 
  • The "Trois-Fois-Deux" Award goes to ABT A.D. Kevin Mackenzie for casting three couples in the leading roles for Acts 1 - 3 in one performance of Ashton's "Sylvia" at the Met.
  • Oxana Skorik's opening night rendition of "Raymonda" at Kennedy Center during the Mariinsky's February engagement. 
  • The passing of: Yvette Chauviré, Jay Fishman, Nancy Meehan, Judith Cruickshank, Raymond Stults, Violette Verdy, Anna Laerkesen, Murray Lewis; from the entertainment world - Gene Wilder, Patti Duke-Astin, Charmian Carr, Florence Henderson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Michele Morgan, and day after her daughter Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds; from the sports world - Muhammad Ali, from the pop/rock/alternative music world - David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Pete Burns, Lou Cohen, the loss of the Alexandrov Ensemble Choir & Orchestra (also known as the Red Army Chorus), their new director of just a few months, Valery Khalilov and philanthropist Elizaveta Glinka in a plane crash over the Black Sea on Christmas Day; from the classical music world - Sir Neville Marriner; from the theatre world - James Nederlander; from the fashion world - Sonia Rykiel; and John Glenn.
  • The retirement of:  Genesia Rosato, Benjamin Pech, Elisha Willis, Gudrun Bojesen & Carlos Acosta.
  • Liam Scarlett's full length "Frankenstein" for the Royal Ballet & to be co-produced with San Francisco Ballet.
  • Yuri Possukhov's   Vyacheslav Samodurov's full length "Ondine" for the Bolshoi Ballet. 
Edited by Cygnet
Choreographer name correction - Thanks Drew & Happy New year:))!
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53 minutes ago, Cygnet said:
 

 

 
Worst of 2016:

 

  • Yuri Possukhov's full length "Ondine" for the Bolshoi Ballet. 

 

I always look forward to reading these lists too. And Cygnet, yours often make me laugh . . .  But re the Bolshoi Ondine--the choreographer was Vyacheslav Samodurov . . .

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Kolegeva and Kondaurova [magic moments with Korsuntsev] as Raymonda.  Kolegeva deserves an extra special Raymonda save award for the KC 2016 Sunday matinee. 

ABT R&J- Murphy and Whiteside. They brought the magic.

 

Current peeves:  casting and cast lists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by maps
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+1. My viewing was limited to San Francisco and San Francisco Ballet so I'll list Ratmansky's "Seven (Scarlatti) Sonatas" top of the best. A small, quiet ballet with lots of combinations and variations for groups, splinter groups and soloists. very Mozartian on the whole. It’s being done again this year and hopefully Nancy Raffa will be here to set it back in perfect working order.

+2. Balanchine/Danilova PNB coproduction of "Coppelia" which always makes for a delightful evening. A nice complement to its ETA Hofmann sibling, "The Nutcracker".

-  or + 3.  Not too sure what yet I think of Justin Peck's new piece, "Countenance of Kings." It's big and raucous, like a Robbins/Bernstein musical, and one time or another the action involves every part of the canvas of the stage. Perhaps analogous to the hard-edged abstract expressionist paintings currently in vogue in NY galleries like Stuart Davis or the late Susan Jaffe at best,  or "zombie formalism" at worst. Look forward to a second viewing this year.

- 4. Despite some brilliant performances, "The Swimmer" – a pastiche of modernist “top hits” (Cheever, Salinger, Nabokov, Tom Waits, etc), each subtracting rather than adding to the whole. My own bias runs to the classics and Balanchine and Cunningham, and so I find hyperbolic “theater ballet” of Possokhov and Scarlett difficult going. Big emotions, like caulking, are used to fill in the mismatched parts; no modules, no elegant and minimal means. (Though unfortunately Scarlett’s "Frankenstein", not "Seven Sonatas", will probably be the metaphor for the coming political new year.) 

Best work not ballet seen this past year: the Frank Stella show at the deYoung museum, especially the small 16" x 20" maquettes made of scrap soda can sheet metal (Canada Dry blue, Sprite green, Adirodack root beer brown) and named after Indian birds. And the magnificent early work of 1958, the black paintings and the colored stripes – "East Broadway" and "Great Jones Street" based on Robert Motherwell’s “In a little Spanish prison” series. Simple means – stripes with gutters of raw canvas between, and a floating “door” patch. Very moving despite the fact it’s all just paint on canvas with no meaning. 

 

 

 

Edited by Quiggin
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Most memorable evenings at the ballet: (1) Cranko's Onegin, San Francisco Ballet, with Vanessa Zahorian, Davit Karapetyan, Sasha de Sola, and Myles Thatcher. (2) Forsythe Celebration, Los Angeles Music Center, with San Francisco Ballet in Pas/Parts; Pacific Northwest Ballet in The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; and, especially, Houston Ballet's glorious performances of Artifact Suite.  

 

Most memorable performance by a female dancer: the incandescent Svetlana Lunkina, National Ballet of Canada, as Paulina in Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale. 

 

Most memorable performance by a male dancer: the brilliant and mercurial Jerome Marchand, Royal Swedish Ballet, as Mercutio in Mats Ek's Juliet and Romeo.  

 

And, Quiggin, I also greatly enjoyed the Frank Stella retrospective at the deYoung Museum, which I saw last week. 

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