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I don't have an answer as to why NYCB hasn't been doing Sylvia pdd, but it was in the ABT rep for a while. Patrick Bissell and Martine Van Hamel on youtube.

Thanks @nanushka, I should have studied the casting list more closely. I see Woodward is replaced in Symphony in C both weeks, but is still doing Dances at a Gathering.

Woodward is still listed for this weekend (in Dances at a Gathering), at least in the cast list on the NYCB website. Are people seeing something different elsewhere?

Agree, I look forward to seeing Alston Macgill blaze ahead. On the down side, it's discouraging to see both Indiana Woodward and David Gabriel replaced for the opening two weeks. Hope both of them recover quickly!

Looks like a big opening week for A. Macgill- not only dancing in “Dances at a Gathering,” but now replacing Woodword in fourth movement Symphony in C. Super excited for us & for her!

For those who aren’t subscribers, single tickets are on sale.

The Washington Ballet just announced their 2024-25 season via email. I don't yet see it on their web site, but assume it will appear soon. EDITED TO ADD: This is now also on their web site: https://www.washingtonballet.org/2024-25-season-home/ THE WAIT IS OVER! Announcing our 2024.25 Season We are thrilled to unveil our captivating 2024.25 Season, meticulously curated by Artistic Director, Edwaard Liang. This season promises to be a mesmerizing journey through the artistry of dance, blending classical elegance with contemporary innovation. Keep scrolling for details on our transformational ballets that will move and inspire you in new ways. It is a monumental time to be a part of The Washington Ballet, and we invite you to join us as a Season Subscriber and get early access to seats, plus even more perks. Becoming a TWB subscriber isn’t just the best way to experience ballet – it’s a powerful declaration of your support for the performing arts in our city. Join Us Today! when WE take flight October 24-27, 2024 The Warner Theatre A soaring journey through emotive solos, celebratory rhythms, and starling-inspired movement. From the innovative choreography of George Balanchine's "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" to the thought-provoking narrative of Gustavo Ramirez Sansano's "18 + 1," and the breathtaking imagery of Edwaard Liang's "Murmuration," this mixed repertoire production is a celebration of artistic intersectionality and creative synergy. The Nutcracker November 30–December 29, 2024 The Warner Theatre The 20th Anniversary of a charmingly DC version of a holiday classic! Set in the heart of DC, this reimagined ballet features a George Washington Nutcracker who leads a heroic battle against the evil Mouse King. Amidst the charming streets of Georgetown and cherry blossom trees, stunning dance performances and nods to DC's rich history make this an unforgettable experience for all ages. Plus, don't miss the return of Septime Weber this season as he adds his artistic touch to modernize this beloved production.  transcenDANCE February 20-23, 2025 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts A genre and artform bending trio of thrilling, emotional ballet works. Experience the raw emotion and timeless beauty of Ulysses Dove’s Vespers, a work that explores the powerful spiritual movement of both the living & lost. Delve into the innovative fusion of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop with a live DJ in Jennifer Archibald’s groundbreaking world premiere. Plus, take a journey with Artistic Director Edwaard Liang’s evocative exploration of time in his original work titled Seasons. A truly unique and inspiring evening celebrating the transcendent power of dance. transcenDANCE is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center. ALICE April 24 – 27, 2025 Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner Magic, Laughter, and Dancing Rabbits: ‘ALICE’ for the Whole Family! Take an enchanting and captivating journey alongside Alice as she tumbles into the whimsical wonderland, encountering curious creatures, magical transformations, and the elusive White Rabbit. With stunning choreography, evocative music, and mesmerizing visuals, this production promises an unforgettable escape into a world where imagination knows no bounds. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary adventure! Sign Me Up For A Subscription

Oh my goodness, thanks @volcanohunter! I look forward to this program. They never seem to do Sylvia pdd, do they? I wonder why not!

Personally, I think it would be helpful if the all-Balanchine programs in the spring of 2025 were numbered III and IV, so as not to confuse them with the all-Balanchine programs from winter 2025.

Officially it's called All Balanchine II. https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/winter-2025/all-balanchine-ii/

I was just taking another look at next year's programming. Someone tell me I'm not going crazy. Wasn't there a "Tallchief Centennial" program on for next Winter? I don't see it there now.

THE STUTTGART BALLET MOURNS THE PASSING OF DIETER GRAEFE Dieter Graefe, former Administrator of the Stuttgart Ballet and holder of the rights to John Cranko’s ballets, passed away in Stuttgart on Saturday, April 20. As Cranko's heir, he ensured that, after the South African-British choreographer’s unexpected early death, his works were performed by companies worldwide and became classics of the international ballet repertoire. Thanks to Graefe, Cranko's masterpiece Onegin, for example, is one of the most popular ballets in the world today. https://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/the-stuttgart-ballet-mourns-dieter-graefe/

I stand corrected. I did some digging around on the company's web site. They did Rubies in February 2004 when Martin Feldman was the Artistic Director. It was on a triple bill with Rodeo and A Little Love, performed at the Paramount Theater. But it doesn't appear on their rep list again until this year.

Smirnova has not been denied a visa at any time since 2022. She and her partner were denied visas to dance at a YAGP gala back in 2018 because--at least according to the state department-- YAGP applied for the wrong kind of visa. (At the time many of us though this was silly and were quick to assume Trumpian craziness.) It is extremely unfortunate that a misunderstanding concerning Smirnova has been perpetuated by our discussion here. Edited to add: I see that @volcanohunter addressed the 2018 visa denial above giving more background as to the issues. .

It's possible they did it in the early 2000s. Gil Boggs has been artistic director since 2006. I have been attending their shows for 15+ years and they haven't done it in that time period.

Can you get much ‘Cooler!’ than this ? A little more work on the port de bras, maybe ? 😊 Sesame Street: "A New Way to Walk" with Destiny's Child (Beyoncé on our right) And here's this, as well. Added: This video clip continues to 'amaze' me. Where did it come from at the Bolshoi ? What was it a part of ? And, yes, I do think that it’s very ‘Cool!’.

I believe Colorado Ballet danced Rubies in the early 2000s if not since.

This afternoon I saw the seventh and final performance of Masterworks, the final program of the season by Colorado Ballet. They always end their season with Masterworks, three ballets that are by far the best for serious ballet lovers -- and the most poorly attended. A few days ago, they advertised on Facebook: "all remaining tickets: pay your age." Yet they still had many, many empty seats and very few younger people. I chalk this up to Denver not being a "ballet city." Kudos to the company for trying to raise the taste level of Denver audiences. Three Views of a Mountain was made last fall for this company by Lauren Lovette. It's described as ". . . three movements that all represent a different perspective of what the mountain represents depending on one's state of mind." The movements were called "The Climb," "The Clearing," and "The Descent." Denverites see the glorious tableau of the Rockies every day, and I suppose everyone has a different sense of their meaning, especially non-residents like Lovette. It's not fair to jump to conclusions on one performance and I might see more connection between the labels and the choreography on more viewing. So I'll just note that Lovette came up with some very imaginative lifts, especially in the first movement, and provided some thrilling opportunities for many of the men in the company to show off their technical prowess. Of special note was Kenny Allen, a new corps member, who proved a powerful, technically astonishing soloist in the final movement. Rubies opened the program. As far as I know, this was a company debut, nicely executed in style and technique. Ariel McCarty was a not-so-tall Tall Girl. Artistic Director Gil Boggs seems to enjoy giving promising junior members of the company (like McCarty and Allen) great roles to see how they work out and she was just fine. Principals Jennifer Grace and Jonnathan Ramirez were the leads, aptly capturing Balanchine's style. This company does one Balanchine each season and it's nice to see this addition to their collection. (The others are Prodigal Son, Serenade, Concerto Barocco, and Theme and Variations.) Bolero by Yoshihisa Arai was performed for the first time outside of Chicago. You knew it was going to be different from the strange opening. The orchestra seemed to tune up, then tune again, then tune again. The curtain goes up on a lone dancer (Jennifer Grace) in a silky white shirt and soft shoes. A row of low lights lines the back of the stage. Four men appear from the back curtains, bare chested with billowing black pants/skirts. Another four men joined later and then six women. As the pulse of the movement swells inexorably, the ensemble pursues energized and usually interesting patterns. Then Grace seems to start having a nervous breakdown, in her contorted expressions and anguished movements. That threw me for a loop -- is this a nightmare? an insane asylum? an emotional collapse? I have no idea, but I think I would have preferred a non-narrative finale.

I feel that the Israel-Gaza war has muddied the waters with respect to cultural boycotts of individuals, and this may have played into the YAGP gala issue. Israel is most definitely not sanctioned by the US and in fact has received a huge amount of aid and support from the US. However increasingly Israeli art and artists are being "cancelled" or have to fight to be shown or perform. The current Israeli government is proudly anti-intellectual. Many Israeli artists (probably the majority) oppose the Netanyahu regime and may very well be part of the wide-spread protest movement against the government, so boycotting them has no influence over Israeli policy, is more virtue-signaling than anything else and harms the very people who should be encouraged to speak their mind.

Visa applications aren't an exact science. According to press coverage at the time, YAGP had been applying successfully for a certain type of visa for years, but in 2018 a consular official decided that the applications didn't fit the criteria. I recall that on one occasion Edward Watson wasn't able to participate in performances in the United States because of visa problems. Watson, like Jacopo Tissi, would not have required a visa to enter the country as a tourist, but performances are an entirely different thing. Even opera companies, which apply for large numbers of visas routinely, have run into problems from time to time. As for protests, there is a tipping point, and there isn't an available prison cell for every single Russian citizen. But to be successful, a protest movement would have to be on a very large scale. Not necessarily everywhere, but certainly in Moscow.

Criticizing the war lands you in jail for 15 years in Russia, somewhere in the region of 300,000 mostly young people have fled Russia since the war began and not just draft dodgers. I personally know a dancer who for many years was posting anti Putin views on social media, before the war he had ambitions to go into opposition politics. He has now moved to Germany. Many dancers have family commitments that mean they can't even consider leaving, others are enthusiastic supporters of the war and Putin's regime. Poor Smirnova, in February she danced in London in one of Ivan Putrov's Ukrainian fundraisers. She deserves credit for her beliefs and certainly should never have been denied a US entry visa.

Yuna Yamada of Japan is a winner at the Youth America Grand Prix. Related.

preview of New York City Ballet's new season by Rachel Sherman in The New York Times.

Yuna Yamada of Japan is a winner at the Youth America Grand Prix.

Dancers of the Mariinsky are disinvited from the Youth America Grand Prix gala.