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The recent SFB Carmen did not receive across-the-board "very good reviews." It was panned by some. I sat through it twice. It was choreographically uneven and boring, and had a trite plot with a ridiculous ending. You can read Balletalert comments under the subject, San Francisco Ballet (including mine). The set and Carmen's red dress were very good; Joseph Walsh stole the show; the dancers did their best with what they were given, but it was a washout, especially when compared with Ochoa's Broken Wings, which is an exceptional, brilliant work.

I saw Mearns and Angle Thursday evening and thought that their performance of the second movement was sublime. I was mesmerized for every second. There was depth to that relationship. In contrast, when Unity and Alec did it, it was just a bunch of steps - a very superficial reading of the pas.

Artistry and musicality has to be a priority in a student's life, for those aspects of dance to develop. When I watch competition performances I get board, because everyone is so heavily coached. These competitions lead to scholarships and opportunities. ABT's Studio company, for example, has a number of competition winners. At the same time, Susan Jaffe seems to be moving the company towards contemporary narrative works that require acting and maturity. This seems to be something of a mismatch unless dancers in the studio company are pushed to develop artistry, musicality and imagination in their post competition days.

To a large extent this has been the case for a long time. One of my earliest frustrations as a ballet-goer was the "wrong" (i.e., showy) variations being interrupted with applause. But YAGP exaggerated the tendency and normalized whooping and hollering at the ballet, giving it the tenor of a sporting event.

Artistry! Exactly what I was thinking! YAGP is looking more like America's Got Talent these days, I am sorry if this offends anyone but this competition circuit has become such a money-maker that I can't help but feel it is a bit of exploitation for young dancers. IMHO if someone loves to dance and wants to dance, perhaps they should be allowed to enjoy dancing vs the pressure of being a better turner or jumper than the next person, just to prove they love this art form. The problem too is that the audience, as I can see from the YAGP gala goes wild over a dancer who can do 62 fouettés vs a dancer who shows artistry over technique.

I agree - perhaps she just hasn’t had enough coaching, but she can certainly tell a story, unlike some of the others.

I agree with the point re artistry and the YAGP effect. However, while many are complaining about Trenary's lack of classical technique, I would argue that she has the best artistry and port de bras in the company. The issue more so seems that it's harder to find a dancer with the complete package.

Makarova compressed the first two acts into one. She also eliminated a number of dances. Years ago I watched a television interview with Nina Ananiashvili and remember her describing Makarova's production as "compact." Yes.

What a great pairing! This is exactly what ABT needs to get better at - shot program curation. This isn't a Jaffe problem as much as it's just been an ABT problem for a long time. SFB just did a Carmen pairing too with the new Frida Kahlo Dos Mujeres ballet. Received very good reviews and is something I'd absolutely buy tickets for. I wasn't able to see it but most reports mention how it feels fresh, relevant, and layered while still using traditionally-inspired ballet choreography. LWFC looks a bit old fashioned by comparison. Totally agree about the YAGP effect. A young dancer filming themselves doing 32 spectacular fouttees with extra flair or octuple pirouettes doesn't get me excited at all, because it doesn't necessarily translate to a magnetic dancer who can carry a ballet on her shoulders.

It appears there is inconsistent Act numbering for Bayadere. Boston is calling Kingdom of the Shades Act 3. Makarova calls it Act 2. https://www.abt.org/ballet/la-bayadere/ Makarova's Act III at the Temple is omitted from some versions at other companies. Boston does have some explanation on their web site for why they are only doing that one act: https://www.bostonballet.org/performances/carmen/ I could watch it all day. Some might remember David Gordon's take on Act II. He loved the repetition. He found it fascinating that he loved it and so did classical dance lovers. There was a PBS show about 1980 on Postmoderns that included some of this.

Boston has Carmen and Shades. Compare Boston and Phila rep to Jaffe's Pickett Crime and Punishment at the Koch and the Kennedy Center. The KC ABT is unusual with flat pricing for 7 shows and a Sunday evening. Segerstrom reduced 2024 Woolf Works to 5 shows from 6 2023 LWFC. Typical Pickett v Possokhov narrative? : 2023 KC Eisenhower [cap 1164]- note corps Scottish Ballet: The Crucible | May 24 - 28, 2023 (youtube.com) 2023 KC OH [cap 2198] The Joffrey Ballet: "Anna Karenina" | Apr. 5 - 9, 2023 (youtube.com) Emma Bovary Trailer | The National Ballet of Canada (youtube.com) Anonomalies in the KC programming: Coppelia-NYCB. How did Stafford manage to get a full length after Petipa programmed at the KC? No mention of what will be performed in World Premieres & More Set for 2024-25 Kennedy Center Dance Season (broadwayworld.com) I'd prefer a 3/4 Program A [ie Errante, Solitude, Sym in C, Tch pdd] plus Program B Coppelia: [weekend matinees for families]. Balanchine Nut- Phila

Yes! The Shades scene can be done at the Koch with minimal scenery for the Fall season.

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well. While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued.

Agreed. Even though full length ABT comedy ballets sell abysmally, one acts like Rodeo paired with some other ABT midcentury classics would get an immediate purchase from me. Or another women choreographers program - Helen Pickett did a one-act version of The Crucible, another American-themed piece choreographed by a women for example. idk it's easy for me or us to put together spec programs but I'm sure there is some weird blockage in terms of budget / rights / the board. But bottom line is yes, a sense of excitement or delight is really missing here. I realllllly really wish they dipped into their wonderful heritage pieces more and mixed them with modern choreographers so that in one night, you get more range.

Completely agree, adding IMHO many have been promoted based on their excellence in technique, and some are indeed very good turners or jumpers, yet I feel perhaps they need more experience in the roles within the ABT rep. or just the classics overall! I recall a ballet master once told my niece who was at the summer intensive there that technique can be taught but mime and what is within can't. In addition, this season feels more like an American Ballet "Tragedy" and selfishly I wish there was a Rodeo or something fun for the entire family to enjoy! There are enough tragedies outside and would love to go into the theatre to see something without someone dying: LWFC, Swan Lake, R&J, WW I know most classics have this ending and I am guessing many won't agree with what I am saying here but one can dream of happiness vs sadness can't one?

Another thing I noticed is how often and how HIGH the men throw the women. Gilbert Bolden gave Gerrity serious air time in the 2nd movement of Bourree. Roman Mejia threw von Enck so high in the Bizet that one of his hands caught the underside of her tutu and flipped it up as he caught her. (Why oh why don't they reinstate the Karinska tutus??) Tyler Angle, from Row F of the orchestra, seemed to be doing a disappearing act with Mearns. She was downstage right next to us one second, and 40 feet upstage the next. He just dragged her, running at quite a clip, time and time again.

A few thoughts on tonight’s performance: 1) BF: the more I see Alexa dance, the more I like her — and MT as well. 2) STS: for some reason — perhaps because Huxley doesn’t ham it up — he won me over with his understatement. It’s a short ballet, quickly over — innocuous really — but there was a sweetness. 3] Errante: can see a progression of Mira making this dance her own — she’s looser and freer with every performance — it’s as if Suzanne told her — do you — and yes Aaron comes in later as well as 4 couples, but really I don’t notice them… 4) the Bizet: I wasn’t taken as I usually am — perhaps I was in a mood — I don’t know, but why did I find Megan’s dancing more than usual clipped and abbreviated — nothing full out. (Now if Alexa were cast in the first movement…) And Sara seemed to be moving as if embalmed and I wondered if she’d asked the conductor to slow the tempo down. And Alston’s lower body seemed relatively inflexible — there appeared to be no stretch in her line.

Mira was breathtaking in Errante tonight. The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a bit too cutesy for my taste and doesn’t have much substance. Still deciding how I feel about Bourree and would like to see it again. Symphony in C is always a crowd pleaser. All four movement principals seemed on tonight. Emma and Alston both looked especially good - such energy and joy. I think Alston will settle in some as she dances more principal roles (keep them coming!). I find her so fresh and love the quality of her movement. I agree with Vipa above. Think Alston and Emma are on track for promotions.

I love Jeffrey Cirio and enjoyed Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker, so I have high hopes.

The tempo is super fast and there are a LOT of jumps and turns. I'm surprised all of the men's hair isn't blown back into an aerodynamic afro by the end! Kikta and Takahashi were fabulous tonight. Very funny, well (mis)matched. I saw him do it with Mira last fall, and Kikta is better in Bourree, she works the comedy more seriously, more realistically. I LOVE this program. And I think I'm seeing it again. Mearns and Angle are literally breathtaking in the second movement of the Bizet, strong performances from Fairchild & Gordon and von Enck & Mejia in the Bizet. Mira Nadon is amazing in Errante. Well worth seeing. There was a lot of role/cast shuffling in the demi's in the Bizet. Alexa Maxwell was in for Alston Macgill when she got bumped up. I didn't enjoy Macgill in this quite as much as in 4T over the winter. Macgill is so quick it verges on brittle or clipped, at times. Savannah Durham danced in the corps of Errante, uncredited. I couldn't figure out who was out of that ballet, but it was definitely Savannah Durham onstage.

Just back from tonight's show. Had a wonderful time. I enjoyed Bouree Fantasque more on this, my second viewing, than I did last season on my first. It has something of a 1940's musical sensibility in terms of the costumes, color scheme and overall look. This time as I watched I was taken with the formations and the way large groups of people were moved around. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it a third time, but I wouldn't avoid it if it was on a strong program. Steadfast Tin Soldier was done by Pereira and Huxley. IMO it doesn't matter much who does it. There's not much to it. Errante is a great vehicle for Mira Nadon. She knows how to hold the stage and create an atmosphere. Aaron Sanz was fine, but lacked the weight and substance in his movements that Peter Martins brought to the role. If you've ever seen the video, Martins was a match for Farrell. Sanz was no where near a match for Nadon. I think this piece is worth keeping in the rep, now that it's been brought back. Symphony in C is pure joy. Mearns and Angle were wonderful in the second movement, and Tyler Angle's solo dancing was the best I've seen from him in a while. Fairchild and Gordon were crisp and joyful in the first movement and Emma Von Enck and Mejia sailed through the third. In the fourth movement Alston Macgill looked like she was having the time of her life. Great dancing all around. If I had to guess I'd say Macgill was a strong candidate for promotion to soloist and Emma VE for principal What a great company!

I'd be happy with Kingdom of the Shades. Interestingly, on the ABT site, they list Makarova's full-length Bayadere, which premiered in 1980. No mention of Act II alone. I'm sure I saw that at ABT in the 70s. And note that the opening scene of Turning Point (filmed in fall 1976) is the Shades entrance. https://www.abt.org/ballet/la-bayadere/ According to this Post review, Makarova staged Kingdom of the Shades for ABT in 1974. That explains why they could include it in Turning Point. But I wonder if Makarova would agree to that. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/12/20/spectacular-skimpy-la-bayadere/40f0ca8e-638e-49fa-9854-35645ad963cb/

So just do the Kingdom of the Shades section. I don't think that's completely off the table as an isolated 1-act. Jaffe may have been talking about the entire ballet - the offensive acts are 1 and 3. Most of us go to LB to see this at primarily anyway.

Very interesting! Their Swan Lake is by Mikko Nissinen, their artistic director. https://www.bostonballet.org/performances/swan-lake/

Swan Lake is coming to Los Angeles after a long absence. LA Music Center's 2024/2025 Dance Season, aka Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, is announced: Urban Bush Women Nov. 22-24, 2024 Batsheva Dance Company Feb. 14-16, 2025 Alvin Ailey Dance Theater March 2-6, 2025 Grupo Corpo May 2-4, 2025 Swan Lake - Boston Ballet June 26-29, 2025