12 replies to this topic

[BW]

Just wondering what plans anyone had for summer performances?

In NYC, we have the Kirov in town and I believe their curtain rises on Monday. Is anyone planning to attend any of their performances? We'll be there on July 17th at 8pm for Don Quixote. La Bayadere was tempting to me - because I love the Kingdom of the Shades but on the advice of a learned friend , we chose the fun of Don Q. instead - plus I've never seen it besides on a video.

If any other Ballet Alertniks decide to attend, perhaps we could meet between Acts?  It can be fun to put some faces to the cyber names.;)

[bobbi]

I will be at the Kirov, in the Dress Circle, on the following dates:  La Bayadere on Wednesday, July 10; Swan Lake matinee on Saturday, July l3; Jewels on Thursday, July 18; and closing night Jewels, Saturday night, July 20.

My suggestion for a meeting place/time is the "Kneeling Lady" statue on the Grand Tier level (just at the head of the stairs) at the first intermission.  However, I am open to other suggested meeting places/times, and would very much like to meet other Ballet Alertniks.

[rkoretzky]

Well, now I am going to sound like a broken record...but the best place in the USA to come for ballet in the summer is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center for NYCB's three week season. My daughter (who lurks here) and I both work there and we look forward to welcoming any Ballet Alerters to our lovely town and our magnificent outdoor theater.

So if you are coming here, meet me at the first intermission in the upper corner of house right--at the sign that says "14". Meet me there at any performance--I am always there. Except--this year I am unfortunately having surgery at the very end of the season. So I won't be there after July 25, however my daughter will. And we'd both love to meet any of you.

6 more days!

[BW]

Thanks rkoretzky, we'll be there on the night of the 13th. I'm a little confused at your description of where to look for you and/or your daughter...Upper corner of the house, right? Maybe it will make more sense to me once I am there. Looking forward to our first visit to SPAC. Saratoga Springs is very pretty - just dropped off our daughter at Skidmore for NYSSSA's ballet program and had a chance to wonder around a little bit on Broadway. Love those huge houses with the wrap around front porches!

[rkoretzky]

Dear BW:

I would LOVE to meet you on the 13th. Specifically--as you come down the hill and face the stage, look to the extreme right for a number "14" on the back of a chair. That is where I will find you, at the first intermission.

Your daughter will adore the NYSSA program. My daughter has many friends who went through the ballet program, she herself did the orchestral program for three years. It is the best training, wonderful instruction, great kids...I can't say enough good things about this.

So glad you enjoyed your mini-trip to Saratoga. We'll make more suggestions when we see you....and I notice that you are just outside of NY. My daughter is starting college in the fall--at Barnard. We are so excited for her!!

See you on the 13th.

[Farrell Fan]

I love your enthusiasm, rkoretzky, and your town. Years ago, when my wife and I started going there for NYCB weekends, we'd have lunch at Lou's and dinner at Mother Goldsmith's -- both unfortunately gone now, as is, alas, my wife. I still look forward to my yearly visit though. I'll be there this year for the second week of the NYCB season and expect to be at all performances from July 16 through the Gala on July 20. I will look for you and your daughter. And I wish you all the best on your forthcoming surgery.

[BW]

Bobbi, sounds as though you are going to have quite a time with the Kirov! Sadly, I will not be there on those dates, but I bet there are some others from here who will. Let us know how the performances are, OK?

rkoretzky and Farrell Fan, I envy you for your time up there...of course, rhkoretzky you actually live in that lovely area!

Maybe next year, we can plan ahead for a nice gathering of the clan.;)

[rkoretzky]

I look forward to meeting you, expecially since I have enjoyed reading your posts on these boards so very much.

I too mourn the loss of Lou's and Mother's (both owned by the Goldsmith family--did you know that?), but breakfast at Compton's (Lou's replacement) is pretty decent and everyone goes there.

In a more serious vein, I am so sorry for the passing of your wife.

I'll be at every performance that week (gotta go when I can since I'll miss the tail end of the season) and we'll have some great chats I'm sure. You know where to find me.....right?

I'll also be at the Kirov on July 15 (dark day at SPAC) if anyone else will be???

and thanks for the good wishes, FF.. I will be just fine, but I admit I'm nervous.

[rkoretzky]

You have picked a wonderful program for your first SPAC evening. Or I guess it picked you--but no matter. It is wonderfully varied and I think you will thoroughly enjoy it. Do you already have your tickets? If so, where are you sitting? My daughter will be working that night--I so wish I could be there. I am kicking myself for scheduling this surgery at this time, but there are reasons to do it then.

I'm not sure that the new ballet you will see will be "Haiku" however. The numbers that are assigned to "NEW BALLET" are different in NY and Saratoga. I will find out what is on the program that night and post it here. (Something tells me it is the Mahdaviani piece, "In the Mi(d)st" which I have not yet seen.)

As for the others--I'm Old Fashioned is a Robbins piece which takes off on the partnership between Astaire and Rogers. It took me a long time to really enjoy this one because I wanted to see "ballet". But it is clever and it has a magnificent finale and the last few times I have seen it I have LOVED it.

Symphony in C. Whole threads have been devoted to individual movements in the choreography--not musical movements, but one MOVE. It is one of my favorites in the repertory. I cannot see it enough times. To me it has everything--lightning speed and precision (hopefully), a blindingly beautiful adagio in the second movements, jumps, turns, a dazzling finale with what looks like the entire company of corps women in white tutus all doing the same move. I've probably seen it close to a hundred times, and I am still heartbroken to miss three of the four performances at SPAC.

I could go on and on but maybe I'll give someone else a chance to expand? And I'll reiterate--I think NYSSA is the greatest! My husband and I are both close to tone deaf--although we love music dearly we have zero talent, and yet we have produced a daughter who went to the orchestra school for three summers and loved every minute. So I know what you mean when you say that you are learning about your daughter's passion. Enjoy it!


PS Yes-- "In the Mi(d)st".

[rkoretzky]

You have picked a wonderful program for your first SPAC evening. Or I guess it picked you--but no matter. It is wonderfully varied and I think you will thoroughly enjoy it. Do you already have your tickets? If so, where are you sitting? My daughter will be working that night--I so wish I could be there. I am kicking myself for scheduling this surgery at this time, but there are reasons to do it then.

I'm not sure that the new ballet you will see will be "Haiku" however. The numbers that are assigned to "NEW BALLET" are different in NY and Saratoga. I will find out what is on the program that night and post it here. (Something tells me it is the Mahdaviani piece, "In the Mi(d)st" which I have not yet seen.)

As for the others--I'm Old Fashioned is a Robbins piece which takes off on the partnership between Astaire and Rogers. It took me a long time to really enjoy this one because I wanted to see "ballet". But it is clever and it has a magnificent finale and the last few times I have seen it I have LOVED it.

Symphony in C. Whole threads have been devoted to individual movements in the choreography--not musical movements, but one MOVE. It is one of my favorites in the repertory. I cannot see it enough times. To me it has everything--lightning speed and precision (hopefully), a blindingly beautiful adagio in the second movements, jumps, turns, a dazzling finale with what looks like the entire company of corps women in white tutus all doing the same move. I've probably seen it close to a hundred times, and I am still heartbroken to miss three of the four performances at SPAC.

I could go on and on but maybe I'll give someone else a chance to expand? And I'll reiterate--I think NYSSA is the greatest! My husband and I are both close to tone deaf--although we love music dearly we have zero talent, and yet we have produced a daughter who went to the orchestra school for three summers and loved every minute. So I know what you mean when you say that you are learning about your daughter's passion. Enjoy it!


PS Yes-- "In the Mi(d)st".

[Farrell Fan]

To second one of rkoretzky's points about "Symphony in C," I quote Nancy Reynolds: "For the last few minutes, up to the final pose, the entire cast performs the same complicated beaten jumping steps, moving in a bloc. The impact of so many, in unison, really dancing, has a tremendous excitement that builds and builds."

Robbins's "I'm Old-Fashioned begins and ends with a clip from the film "You were never Lovelier," with Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire dancing to the song, "I'm Old-Fashioned." After the opening film sequence, NYCB dancers perform to musical variations on that tune, by Morton Gould. It's a ballet that captures the sophistication and romance of the big city, along with nostalgia for Fred Astaire, the man Balanchine called "the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our time."

I'm the one who went by the New York City numbers and assumed "Ballet No. 3" would be "Haiku." Apologies. I should have realized the Diamond Project numbers would be different in Saratoga, simply because they don't do them all there. Anyhow, I did see "In the Mi(d)st." I said at the time that it left me in a fog, and others said the company hadn't had enough rehearsal time. So it will probably look better at SPAC.  

Anyhow, it's a great program. Enjoy!

[BW]

hermom,

We'll be there on the 26th too and it is a great choice to attend! As our daughter is also attending NYSSSA this summer, if you'd like to meet at SPAC please let me know by posting here.   By the way, it's never too late to enjoy ballet! I had only seen one, before our daughter was born and began to dance and now I'm hooked!