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No, Bolle didn't dance Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake, and after Legris took over at La Scala, it wasn't remotely surprising that the Nureyev productions returned. (Makarova's Bayadère was replaced by Nureyev's version also, and after flirting briefly with Balanchine's Nutcracker, the company reverted to the Nureyev production.) In the case of Sleeping Beauty the change was even justifiable, because for all its peculiarities, Nureyev first staged his version in Milan, before mounting it in Toronto and only much later in Paris. It played an important role in the company's history. P.S. I don't think either Ratmansky production was filmed professionally. Maybe there is a single-camera film in HD resolution, but not the multi-camera RAI treatment. At the time the imperative was to film productions starring Bolle for television broadcast.

I just saw Ratmansky's SL in FT Lauderdale and while I loved it I agree - it's not a good fit for NYCB. It's very old fashioned and its extremely mime heavy. More mime than I have seen in any SL production. Very much not NYCB's aesthetic. If they were to redo the sets and costumes I would be perfectly happy with the Martins SL On the other hand, I don't think there's anything they can do to make their R+J palatable.

I, too, am very grateful that I saw the Ratmansky reconstruction of Swan Lake in Milan several years ago and I'm sorry I couldn't get to Miami to see them restage it. But note that La Scala has now returned to Nureyev's version: https://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2022-2023/ballet/swan-lake.html I'm pretty sure that Bolle never performed the Ratmansky reconstruction. And I don't think Zurich (which co-produced with La Scala) has done the Ratmansky again. If theater performances are off the table, I wish Ratmansky would release a stream to Medici or Marquee so others could see it. I'm guessing there might be problems with the unions involved, but I would hate to see it lost forever - again! I sat through Martins' version once right before the COVID lock-down and don't care to see it again. Others here are more familiar with it and perhaps rethinking sets/costumes would help, as some suggest.

Not sure about R&J, but I think the Martins Swan Lake would be perfectly fine with a full visual makeover. Of course, Martins would have to agree to that. And it would be expensive, but cheaper than creating an entirely new version. Martins' staging on its own is OK and probably better suited to the NYCB dancers (and to commercial tastes) than Ratmansky's. (I'm not one of the people who thinks NYCB needs to distance itself as much as possible from Martins.)

Not a fan of NYCB's Swan Lake (it is painfully ugly) and would love them to have a different one, but I'm not sure Ratmansky's SL is a good fit for this company. It's very much a reconstruction, and while I loved it when I saw it at La Scala, and would be thrilled to see it done locally, its aesthetic seems entirely unlike NYCB except perhaps in some sections being taken at a faster tempo than the modern norm.

I'm wondering whether NYCB will acquire the rights to either the Ratmansky SL or his R&J. I think the company realizes that these ballets bring in a lot of audience members. Even if the sets and costumes of the Per Kirkby SL are hideous, the Martins SL always sells out. Less enthusiasm for the Martins R&J. I'm glad that the company is allowing him to bring dances from Paquita to NYCB.

Much as I dislike both of these productions, they do seem to sell very well. More support for Balanchine's suggestion that "all ballets should be called Swan Lake."

Never has Renaissance Italy looked more dinky.

Now that Alexei Ratmansky is a resident choreographer at NYCB, perhaps he can create his own versions for the company. The crayola Per Kirkeby sets and costumes could be sent to the New Jersey landfill.

Here's a video about the creation of the costumes—which are very different at the beginning of the ballet—featuring designer Rosie Assoulin, choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Marc Happel. The costumes for Paul Taylor's Brief Encounters have a similar vibe, although the dancers are dressed that way right from the start. The Taylor dancers really do look like they're dancing in their (very utilitarian) underwear. Assoulin's costumes, with their white waistbands, look a bit more like athletic attire to me—especially the women's, which aren't all that dissimilar from what elite marathon runners wear. I'm less troubled by them than by the babydoll is-it-a-nightie-or-is-it-a-slip that Martins' Juliet has to skitter around in while everyone else remains fully clothed. Hmmm ... now that I think about it, I may need to add Martins' Swan Lake and Romeo+Juliet to the list of NYCB art crimes.

I was thinking of Unframed! Choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. I think it’s the two piece attire that embarrassed me and the hair down. It’s really like underwear, not dance clothing Unframed Though I like the ad you posted, @Kathleen O'Connell Lots of dancing and swirly costumes.

There were three works in Twyla Tharp's program at the Joyce this past February: Ocean's Motion, from 1975, and two new pieces—Brel, and The Ballet Master. Every major point expressed in the posts above about this program is valid. Ocean's Motion was interesting since it evoked the atmosphere of a relatively recent period in American history that increasingly appears distant in time. And, as danced by either Herman Cornejo or Daniel Ulbricht, Brel was superb. The Ballet Master, however, had a notable impact and made a sweeping difference for me. Although John Selya, Ulbricht, Cassandra Trenary, and the other dancers in the cast were excellent in their respective roles, strangely enough, it was not on the surface a particularly beautiful work. Nevertheless, it led to essential reflection and greater insight about what makes Don Quixote such a priceless classical ballet. While this show was presented at the Joyce, one of the programs offered by New York City Ballet consisted of Rotunda, Concerto for Two Pianos, and Odesa. Given a choice, I would opt for the latter every time, since I find greater overt beauty in Concerto for Two Pianos and Odesa. Undoubtedly, however, it was consequential to view The Ballet Master at this time. Alexei Ratmansky's Solitude is a ballet that leads to earnest contemplation of the art form and its purpose. Odesa is a splendid work, which I am eager and willing to view many times. Paradoxical as it may seem, nonetheless, Don Quixote—not Odesa—provides the searing contrast for proper consideration of the issues about life and art that Solitude raises.

I don't remember an actual ballet like that, but there was a video campaign featuring Calvin Klein designs that I might classify as athleisure wear.

Thanks for the correction. I would not want to be her, especially juggling two demanding roles. Some of those dancers need to retire altogether.

I think I'll reserve the top honor for Boris Eifman's Musagète . Call Me Ben was bad, but misguided bad, not diseased-at-its-core bad. I happen to like all of the Tanowitz works in NYCB's rep and buy tickets to see them whenever they're programed. I vastly prefer them to any Peter Martins ballet, all of which could be scrubbed from the rep without undue effect, IMO. I agree about liking Tanowitz and wishing NYCB would divest of all Martins’ ballets. Which ballet was it where they wore Calvin Klein underwear and all the women had their hair down? I’m not sure that is my ultimate clinker, but I found it embarrassing to watch. Like I’d wandered into someone’s room while they were getting dressed.

I just listened to the episode and heard Jaffe say those programs will be for the 2025 "Koch Season," not the Met. I think full-length ballets will continue to be prioritized at the Met. Jaffe sounds overall intelligent and empathetic and like she knows what she's doing, even if I'm not necessarily excited about all of her programming choices. Playing the role of AD and ED simultaneously sounds like a nightmare. And the company's financial situation sounds challenging to say the least. I would also love to hear more about those "difficult conversations" with dancers 🤔 Some of the principals and soloists are beyond the point of "stepping it up" at this point and would be better off retiring difficult classical roles altogether.

Just an FYI on Tharp….This is part of Northrop’s 2024-25 season here in Minnesota! (Jan 2025) Twyla Tharp celebrates her 60th anniversary with a groundbreaking evening of stellar dancing and phenomenal musicianship—including the world premiere of a new work that marks her six decades as a choreographer. An innovative dance set to Philip Glass’s Aguas da Amazonia, the new work has music arranged in close collaboration with Tharp and performed live by Third Coast Percussion on a unique collection of custom-designed percussion instruments. In addition, her Diabelli Variations, set to Beethoven’s intensely demanding masterpiece, reveals its elegant humor and commands technical prowess—and energy—as performers change effortlessly from ballet, to jazz, to modern, with bits of social and street dance.

Thank you, Drew!

Welcome JGoldberg999 -- I look forward to reading your thoughts re the performances you attend and other ballet-dance issues. (It has been a long time since I lived in New York, but I try to see ballet there now and then.)

An all-Tharp program would be very welcome in 2025: https://www.abt.org/people/twyla-tharp/?type=archive I vote for In the Upper Room and Bach Partita. Deuce Coupe was a great success a few years ago, too. I suppose we are long past the possibility of a revival of Push Comes to Shove, although I long thought Daniil Simkin would have been great. Kimin Kim did it at the Mariinsky some years ago (presumably with Tharp's approval), but I've never seen notice of any other revivals.

Thank you for flagging this. I always forget to check that podcast for their latest episode. I think everyone who loves (or loves to hate) ABT should listen to this. One comment I didn't love, or have mixed feelings on, was when Jaffe said that the new contract that was finally agreed upon for the dancers would be very hard on the organization. I feel like that comment could be interpreted a few different ways. Jaffe spoke at length about repertoire and that she was trying to find ways to bring some classics back without the troublesome narratives for today's audience (that's not verbatim, I don't recall her language but that's the gist of it). So, I'm hopeful she's working on La Bayadere and Le Corsaire. She addressed some of the criticism for LWFC and Woolf Works and why she programmed last Fall as she did. Next year is the company's 85th anniversary, so the Met 2025 season will feature one program that will be like "stepping back into the ABT of 1940's". So, I'm hopeful that will include Tudor, DeMille, maybe Dark Elegies, Les Sylphides, Theme and Variations, and some other classics not seen in years. Please not Fancy Free. Another program will be all Tharp. She mentioned having to have some tough conversations with a few dancers who needed to step it up a notch (boy, was my curiosity peaked) and she gave a lengthy shout-out to Sascha Radetsky, AD of the studio company, for his talent sourcing and steadfast leadership. I loved that part.

You're correct that the first Shade variation should travel on the relevé arabesques, although in the notated version we used for the choreography the relevés are broken up by a bourrée upstage. Likewise, few steps are notated as being performed en face, and epaulement is something we worked on at length. The drum dance (Bayadère's Hindu dance or Danse Infernale) is performed as notated for the 1900 revival and as captured on film by Alexander Shiryaev with the exception of a few arm positions and movements for the ensemble as they pose in the diagonal on stage right when the principals make their entrance. I can assure you that my work on the choreography had nothing to do with any so-called "woke ideology." Steps were simplified only for the youngest dancers of the affiliated Jacobs Academy and based on the limitations of their age and training. Working with the students and faculty of IU Ballet Theater was a delightful and rewarding experience. I hope you might read my essay on our approach to the choreography that is included in the playbill, available at the IU streaming site, or on my website at https://www.dougfullington.com/star-on-the-rise.

I think I'll reserve the top honor for Boris Eifman's Musagète . Call Me Ben was bad, but misguided bad, not diseased-at-its-core bad. I happen to like all of the Tanowitz works in NYCB's rep and buy tickets to see them whenever they're programed. I vastly prefer them to any Peter Martins ballet, all of which could be scrubbed from the rep without undue effect, IMO.

A few thoughts on last night’s performance: 1) Interplay: the energy emanating from these 8 dancers was pulsating. The dance begins with the 4 male dancers — all young bucks — bounding across the stage, all seemingly moving for the joy of it — and to see these 4 young men dance with such elan — is to see them coming into their own — especially Victor - who has been maturing before our eyes this past year. Then comes the 4 women led (in a way) by Alston — the fire cracker, the hummingbird — and they dance as if this were for Olympic gold. It was interesting to see these 8 dancers (7 corp and 1 soloist) as it mirrored In Creases, which also had 7 corp and 1 soloist — and how hungry these young dancers are for opportunity, and how each rises to the occasion in this hyper competitive world of ballet — and the audience is the winner. After tonight, I think Interplay should only be cast with corp dancers — it’s in the spirit of the choreography. After the end of the ballet, when all 8 are standing gasping for breath — a sweet moment happens — Victor crosses the stage to shake hands and thank Clotilde — and he has the biggest smile on his face — he just beams. 2) Other Dances: Oddly, the weak link in this was Tiler Peck (gasp! — I know). At first, she’s looking at the top of her game, playing with the music as is her wont — but it didn’t build further — and I wondered if it was the choreography’s doing, that it doesn’t give her enough. Also, a tad annoying — there’s a bit of the Bolshoi in Interplay — the dancers bow after every solo. 3)Year of the Rabbit: I loved this ballet when it premiered in 2012 — and am I huge Peck fan — but it honestly felt like a new different ballet to me — the music seemed new — as well as most of the choreography (of course I remember the sliding women across the stage). And what an interesting ballet it happens to be — and to think Peck was 25 when he did this! Emma and Miriam and Chan and Takahashi shine — but the surprise eye opener was the pas de deux with Alexa and Harrison — an unexpected level of sublime beauty.

I think Rabbit was so successful in terms of the quality of choreography because Peck had a lot of time to work on it and revise it, if I remember correctly. As he became more popular, it seems like he has less time to devote to each work. That may be a big part of the problem.