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Balanchine Triple Bill, Nov. 2004


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I just returned from my trip to Philly where I was fortunate to take in four performances of this Balanchine series (and saw both casts) I have to say this was certainly PABallet at its finest. After seeing Swan Lake at the end of last season, I did not think the company could look any better...but they proved me wrong. They were so amazing in the three pieces. I have to agree with the others Phillip and Julie were both amazing in Slaugther (Julie reminded me so much of Suzanne Farrell in this role and I found myself totally captivated by her) Amy Aldridge was also exceptional in the part. In regards to Agon, I have to say I think this was Arancha at her best...she totally amazed me.....Last but not least, Balo was fabulous and the corps really shined in this piece. .....Thanks PABallet for some of the best dancing I have seen in years. With the latest additions both Zach Hench and Julie Diana it is obvious that PABallet is making it move up the ladder to be noted as one of the finest companies in the country. Kudos to the entire company and artistic staff. :D

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Finally back and catching up .......

PABallet's opening program was great fun. I enjoyed all three ballets which were certainly an entertaining mix of Balanchine and his unique multiple talents. I have never seen any of these ballets 'live' so it was an extra thrill for me this time around.

:grinning-smiley-001:

Ballo Della Regina was brightly danced by a radiant corps that kept perfect time. Lovely ports de bras and clear clean footwork. Soloists Keating, Amiss, Cruz and Smith did a nice job at their solo roles. Amy Aldridge and Zach Hench captured the mood with inspiring performances. I also liked Arantxa Ochoa and James Ady in the lead roles as well. This piece served the company well and I thnk it is a nice addition to their rep. It is not a big important work, but serves as a wonderful diversement .......a juicy morsel to whet the appetite for what is to follow!

Agon is a brilliant work. I love the way Balanchine works with this score which is complex. But he seems to break it down to seem simple and fun with unexpecting twists. Arantxa Ochoa and Meredith Rainey did delight in their duet. You could sense a relationship between them that became taut and competitive with sensual undertones. The entire cast was engaging to watch......I really loved this ballet :thumbsup:

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue was a great romp and the dancers seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. I guess I am a sucker for vaudevillian humor like the sweeping up the slain mobster or the bartenders' cigarette routine. Both Julie Diana and Amy Aldridge alternated the role of the Strip Tease Girl and each had the gams and the moves for the part. Phil Coluci brilliant as the Hoofer. A very talented young man. Jonathan Stiles also did a good job alternating with Phil in the Hoofer role. This ballet certainly shows another side of Balanchine that kept me smiling and tapping out of the theatre!

It was a good night at the ballet. I not only look forward to see them dance La Fille later in March but also Robbin's The Concert (April), after watching the humorous personalities in Slaughter. :hyper:

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[PB: I deleted your post above that was just a quote - Alexandra]

I think I hit the wrong button on my last reply, but in any event, SoCalGal, I could not agree with you more.....PABallet was fantastic in this series. I can not wait to see their upcoming productions. The rep seems to be very diverse so I think all in all it should be a very enjoyable year for the PABallet patrons.

Edited by Alexandra
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I had the privilege of seeing the 2 matinee performances. I think what struck me the most was the corps. Often companies focus on their principals and the corps looks poorly rehearsed. This is not the case with PA Ballet. The corps looked wonderful. They worked well together and looked very comfortable with the choreography. The principals were wonderful also, so a very exciting ballet package.

I have seen Ballo before and it is not as exciting a number as many other Balanchine numbers. My impression this time was that it is a "pretty"ballet. The dancing was lovely and the costumes seemed to work well with the number.

Agon has always been one of my favorites, especially the Pas de deux. I had never seen Arantxa or Meredith dance before. They did a wonderful job, very enjoyable to watch.

I am not a great fan of Slaughter. I guess that it is not dancy enough for me, but it was fun and I left humming the songs. I look forward to seeing more of this wonderful company. I'm hoping for a trip east to see Nutcracker.

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Lillianna, I second your comments on the corps both with regard to this year's Ballo and last year's Concerto Barocco, especially as it seems to be a very young corps. I assumed that some were trainees or students as not all the dancers in the program are on the company list.

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I agree with you both. I was so impressed with the PABallet corps during Swan Lake (this past season) that I was anxious to see them in this Balanchine series. I have to say, after seeing many other companies corps dance this year, PABallet's corp has been my favorite. As GWTW said, even though they appear to be on the young side, they are very well rehearsed and totally together. KUDOS to both the dancers and the artistic staff for putting together such a wonderfully talented group of dancers. I can't wait to see these young dancers as they mature over the next few years...it appears we will have many exciting dance performances to look forward to at PABallet.

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