44 replies to this topic

[Patricia]

Ballet Tech's revival of AT MIDNIGHT made me very happy.  I love that ballet.  The company is coming along very nicely indeed.  In the Spring, Feld is continuing his exploration of Conlon Nancarrow's avant-garde music - hopefully with the same four ballerinas who were exceptional in PIANOLA.

Both of Christopher Wheeldon's new Lyigeti (sp.?) ballets are incredible.  Wouldn't it be fun if all three were danced on the same program?  It was great seeing the San Francisco Ballet back in NYC.  DAMEND was a shocking, surprising look at the Medea legend.  It's powerful stuff.  The other new work that made me  

was Mark Morris's V.

While not strickly dance, the best night I spent at any theatre this year was for Mary Zimmerman's METAMORPHOSIS.  It's beautiful.  Her "take" on Orpheus will look familiar to Balanchine acolytes.

A healthy, happy New Year to everyone!

[2 Left Feet]

The Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet in Los Angeles, especially the opening night rep.  This company is equally at ease with classics and contemporary.

The Ailey II in their Cal State Northridge dates.  

Also ABT's "Corsaire" at the Dorothy Chandler.  Not for the production, but for the dancers taking liberties and trying to out-do each other as they traded roles throghout the run.  It made for an especially zesty series of performances.

[BW]

The best ballet for me was seeing Serenade at SPAC in Saratoga Springs this past summer. I think there is something magical about that place.

[BW]

The best ballet for me was seeing Serenade at SPAC in Saratoga Springs this past summer. I think there is something magical about that place.

[Estelle]

Manuel Legris in Petit's "L'Arlésienne". Not a great ballet, but what a great dancer!

Seeing Isabelle Guérin on the POB stage again (in Robbins' "Other dances").

Getting to see the Kirov ballet for the first time (and with their magnificent orchestra).

The POB school program ("La fille mal gardée" and "Scotch symphony").

Seeing two of the only remaining real ballet companies in France: the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse in a Balanchine mixed bill on tour, and the Ballet National de Bordeaux (especially their "The Four Temperaments", and what a joy to see Charles Jude on stage again!)

"Swan lake" at the Opéra Bastille, not so much for the ballet itself, but because I saw it with (and thanks to) Giannina

[Farrell Fan]

This newspaper, the first to carry the thrilling news of Peter Martins' elevation to Living Landmark status, today has the year's best picks of its critic, Pia Catton Nordlinger.

Choreography --

David Parsons, "My Sweet Land." which Nordlinger declares "the best piece of the year." Her other choices, she says, are "in no particular order."
Peter Martins, "Hellelujah Junction." (I note that I liked this piece very much myself.)
Twyla Tharp, "Movin' Out."
Helgi Tomasson, "Chi-Lin."

Dance Performances --

Julie Kent and Angel Corella in ABT's "The Merry Widow."
Renee Robinson in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's "Sweet Bitter Love."
Jose Manuel Carreno, Angel Corella, and Ethan Stiefel in ABT's "Fancy Free."
Lorena Feijoo in San Francisco Ballet's "Damned"
Kirov Ballet corps de ballet in "La Bayadere."
Amanda McKerrow and Vladimir Malakhov in ABT's "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux."

[lil lindsay]

Seeing ABT perform for the first time, performing Giselle.  I loved it.  
NYCB this past summer in Saratoga Springs.....Serenade was amazing, and I'm glad I got to see it three times.  The new diamond pieces, especially Haiku, choreographed by Albert Evans....incredible piece.  Vienna Waltzes...gorgeous.  I love seeing NYCB perform.  Meeting Maria Kowroski was a treat, too.

Moscow Festival Ballet performing Swan Lake last spring.  

Lots of personal accomplishments this past year for me as well regarding dance.  What a great year, and I look forward to an even better 2003!!!

[Giannina]

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Ohmygosh, that is a dream performance!

[Manhattnik]

Well, it wasn't a dance performance, and it just came in under the wire a couple of hours before the end of 2002, but my favorite Guilty Pleasure of the year was hearing Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the Metropolitan Opera's New Year's Eve Gala, singing the most over-the-top rendition I've ever heard of "O Sole Mio." At the instrumental interludes between each verse he was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and seemed to be on the verge of cracking himself up at the silliness of it all. If the opera thing doesn't work out, he can always get a job as a singing waiter.

[Giannina]

I'm still drooling over that Fancy Free cast.  Farrell Fan, who danced the rhumba (I'm guessing Corella) and who had the pas de deux?

[Manhattnik]

First (Athletic) Sailor: Corella
Second (Dreamy) Sailor and Pdd: Steifel
Third (Rhumba) Sailor: Carreno (and he really brought the house down)

The guys were indeed great, but I thought the women left a bit to be desired. Kent's girl in purple was too pretty and one-dimensional.

[Farrell Fan]

I wish I'd seen that "Fancy Free" cast too, Giannina, but I didn't. And the NY Sun critic, who chose it as one of the year's best performances, wasn't specific. All she said in explaining her choice was "Talk about an all-star team. This trio had a boyish and buoyant camaraderie on stage. Each was perfectly selected for his solo, and the execution was flawless. Their treatment of this 1944 Robbins work was a triumph." That leaves us more than a little frustrated as to who danced what. Maybe another Ballet Alerter saw it?

[Giannina]

Sigh.

[carbro]

This was an example of the whole being even greater than the sum of its mind-boggling parts.  What was amazing, though, was the balance of the cast:  Each sailor outshone the others equally.  ;)  Just incredible fun.

Anyone who can, go see this cast!  (Actually, I liked Julie in the pas.  But if I hadn't, I don't think I would have minded.)

[Katja]

Vladimir Malakhov's staging of "La Bayadere" and his partnership with Diana Vishnyeva.  Also, Zakharova with Malakhov in "Diamonds".

Merkuriev in "Manon".

Ruzimatov (though ageing and not as powerful as before) in "Scheherezade".