Lillian

or Heather!

I think Fedorova was in the original cast of Mozartiana. It's in Balanchine's 'Mozartiana': The Making of a Masterpiece by Robert Maiorano. Balanchine was fond of her and in the book there's a nice bit about him complimenting her on her attitude turn and marking her name on the score at that point in the pas de quatre. I always thought of Fedorova as the blonde Suzanne Farrell. What ever happened to her?

You really have to wonder why dancers like Borree and Kistler are still on stage. It must drive the talented younger dancers nuts. When you think of the money people dole out for tickets to these performances, it seems irresponsible of Martins to have these ladies in top roles. Maybe Kistler's name fills the seats, but it sounds like people are attending just to see if she makes it through in one piece. And Borree I've never understood (well maybe just once with the televised Swan Lake pas de trois). She's obviously talented but her stage fright takes everything away from her performance. I know the feeling on this site is to be aware of people's feelings when posting, BUT these dancers are professionals and admission to the NYCB isn't free. The fact that Martins continues to cast his wife and son in top roles (is Yvonne Borre a niece?) when it sounds like they are fudging their way through ballets, is really quite shocking.

I'm always surprised when they schedule ballets that they don't consider the number of repeat performances people coming in for a week or a long weekend have to put up with. I used to go to Saratogo, but in the past few years, I just couldn't face sitting through so many of the same ballets. One year I saw three Agons, which was fine. But three performances of the same Peter Martins ballet will hold me back every year.

Wow, I quite enjoyed that.

Hmm...I think you could be right. My English sources seem confused. They mentioned new cartoonish sets and that does sound like the ENB from the articles Brenda posted. I'm taking along two little girls (one six and one eight-year old) and was hoping the production would be entertaining for them as well as for a die hard balletomane like me . I took one of them to see The Royal's Giselle last year and she held up quite well until the end. As we only have time for one of these companies, which do you think I should spring for (I'm up against their mother who thinks they should see My Fair Lady instead). Also, I would probably be smart to purchase tickets ASAP no?

I'm going to be in London over the Christmas holidays and I was wondering if the new RB Nutcracker would be worth checking out? Has anyone heard anything about this new production? Casting's not up yet on the site.

I always liked Concerto for Two Solo Pianos, but probably only because of Heather Watts' fierce performance. I heard that Wendy Whelan danced it later. Anyone catch that performance? The worst Martin's ballet I ever saw was Poulenc Sonata, or wait ... was it Ecstatic Orange? Choices, choices...:rolleyes:

I hate to say this, but I was bored stiff most of the time. I found myself more interested in a Martha Stewart segment on how to make a sand box on another channel than the ballet. There's too much partnering in these modern ballets, not enough solo work. I thought Them Twos was the biggest yawn; that section with Borre was such a missed opportunity. I liked the Wheeldon best because of Jennifer Ringer's posture and class. Wendy Whelan is nice to watch because she's such a unique talent. The rest was all legs, elbows and a sweaty Jock Soto. And sorry Peter, but Maria Korowski is no Suzanne Farrell.

Found it! Wow, wow, wow, what a treat to read all those reviews at once! Thanks to all who wrote for us.

Has no one been recently? Please, us poor fans stuck in ballet-starved cities are dying for a review.

Leigh, I'll tell you, that night, exept for an obvious problem with flexibility (similar to Farrell in her last years), she was amazing: quick, sharp, and, as always with Ashley, exquisite pointe work. I had seen Kyra Nichols earlier that week in the same ballet and I far preferred Ashley. Also, she apparently only found out she was dancing late in the afternoon. I believe she was standing in for an injured Nichols.

Leigh, I'll tell you, that night, exept for an obvious problem with flexibility (similar to Farrell in her last years), she was amazing: quick, sharp, and, as always with Ashley, exquisite pointe work. I had seen Kyra Nichols earlier that week in the same ballet and I far preferred Ashley. Also, she apparently only found out she was dancing late in the afternoon. I believe she was standing in for an injured Nichols.

I had another experience, similar to this, seeing Karen Kain dance Juliet two years before she retired. I had never been a Kain fan before but that night she was so beautiful, I found myself weeping more than once. Again, she just poured her heart into it, and, what an actress! I walked away from that performance angry...angry at myself for having ignored this lovely dancer over the years (Kirkland and Makarova were far more glamourous than a fellow Canadian). Funnily enough, seeing Nureyev at the end of his career did not offer the same impression. He danced Apollo and Flower Festival during one of those Nureyev and Friends tours and it was awful. At times, I actually I hid my eyes. Ditto for Heather Watts, who I saw in her pre-retirement year on a Stars of New York City Ballet tour. At the end of a little Who Cares number they pasted together, Watts (costumed in a too-small, sparkly black outfit with hair loose) hit the final kneeling pose, and, during the black out, put her head down, both hands flat on the floor and slowly struggled into a standing postion, while the other dancers quickly and gracefully took their places to bow. I had always been a Watts fan, but that night she was just winging it, offering the bare minimum. She's another dancer who hung in there WAY too long.

I had another experience, similar to this, seeing Karen Kain dance Juliet two years before she retired. I had never been a Kain fan before but that night she was so beautiful, I found myself weeping more than once. Again, she just poured her heart into it, and, what an actress! I walked away from that performance angry...angry at myself for having ignored this lovely dancer over the years (Kirkland and Makarova were far more glamourous than a fellow Canadian). Funnily enough, seeing Nureyev at the end of his career did not offer the same impression. He danced Apollo and Flower Festival during one of those Nureyev and Friends tours and it was awful. At times, I actually I hid my eyes. Ditto for Heather Watts, who I saw in her pre-retirement year on a Stars of New York City Ballet tour. At the end of a little Who Cares number they pasted together, Watts (costumed in a too-small, sparkly black outfit with hair loose) hit the final kneeling pose, and, during the black out, put her head down, both hands flat on the floor and slowly struggled into a standing postion, while the other dancers quickly and gracefully took their places to bow. I had always been a Watts fan, but that night she was just winging it, offering the bare minimum. She's another dancer who hung in there WAY too long.