Winter 2018

[BalanchineFan]

On 2/26/2018 at 10:31 AM, jessa_sissonne said:

I agree with jerryb. It was a long and grueling show. When did they do away from the plastic looking costumes from Neverwhere? The dancing was a little sloppy and with the practice clothes I felt like I was watching a rehearsal. I'm failing to see the allure with Namouna. I was really excited by what I thought was the finale and then it dragged on for another 10 minutes. I was at the Sunday matinee.

I was at that performance and I don't remember a thing about Neverwhere. Just sayin.

[canbelto]

59 minutes ago, abatt said:

Finlay couldn't keep up with the music so it was almost like he was marking the steps during his solo.   He couldn't articulate all the details of the steps because of this problem. He looks to be in great shape.  There is no extra weight on that frame.  Not sure what the source of his problem is, but it's not the first time I've observed it.

Finlay really has not been very technically reliable, ever. I remember those fabled first Apollos he had some stumbles too. But back then the deficiencies weren't as noticeable because he didn't have a principal's workload and he also didn't have a series of injuries. But now with several injuries/absences/departures on the male principal roster he's being asked to take on more and more roles and the lack of consistency is more apparent. Don't get me wrong -- he is a beautiful dancer and can be great. But the day-in-day-out technical consistency is not his forte. 

[vipa]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Finlay couldn't keep up with the music so it was almost like he was marking the steps during his solo.   He couldn't articulate all the details of the steps because of this problem. He looks to be in great shape.  There is no extra weight on that frame.  Not sure what the source of his problem is, but it's not the first time I've observed it.

Finley is not short and doesn't have a compact body. Moving that quickly, cleanly and seemingly effortlessly would be difficult for him and it seems he wasn't up to the challenge. Peter Martins was amazing in the role (it was created on him) but it's unusual for a man of Martins' height and build to be able to move so quickly and cleanly. Maybe that's what Mr. B. saw and enjoyed in Martins when he choreographed it!

[vipa]

44 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

I think Tiler has great chemistry with Amar. They brought me to tears a few times in Liebeslieder Waltzer. She's such a brilliant technician I think she dances better when the choreography is difficult. She understands what to do. When I saw her in SL it was a bit like, bourrees (check) swan arms (check), fouetteés (double check!) but the story didn't sing. The audience loves her though. And rightly so.

Her debut in Piano Concerto #2 was a thing of historic beauty. The woman doesn't have many shortcomings.

Her chemistry with Robert Fairchild in "The Man I Love" was amazing. I guess there were obvious reasons for that but "real couples" don't always have stage connection. I too have seen her have great chemistry with Ramasar, and also with DeLuz. Funny with a dancer like Tiler Peck, we almost have to look for flaws!

[fondoffouettes]

7 minutes ago, vipa said:

Finley is not short and doesn't have a compact body. Moving that quickly, cleanly and seemingly effortlessly would be difficult for him and it seems he wasn't up to the challenge. Peter Martins was amazing in the role (it was created on him) but it's unusual for a man of Martins' height and build to be able to move so quickly and cleanly. Maybe that's what Mr. B. saw and enjoyed in Martins when he choreographed it!

1

I think this role is completely within the realm of what a taller dancer should be able to execute. Finlay is six feet tall. If he doesn't have the agility for this role, then he shouldn't have been cast, but I don't think it has anything to do with his height. 

10 minutes ago, vipa said:

Her chemistry with Robert Fairchild in "The Man I Love" was amazing. I guess there were obvious reasons for that but "real couples" don't always have stage connection. I too have seen her have great chemistry with Ramasar, and also with DeLuz. Funny with a dancer like Tiler Peck, we almost have to look for flaws!

 

I adore Tiler Peck, but I don't go to her performances expecting emotional depth (and I don't need that in pure dance pieces). Her persona is sunny "girl next door" for the most part. I find her to be a moving, illuminating artist because of her technical brilliance and musicality. But she's not some great tragedienne who is going to move you to tears in Swan Lake.

[alexL]

Russell Janzen executed those steps way better than Finlay last week and he is taller than him. Also, I've seen Finlay heavily panting in the middle of the performance in several occasions. Maybe he just needs to learn how to distribute his stamina as a principal dancer. 

I for one would love to see Sonatine instead of 5 Duo Concertante! It's only 12-13 minutes long as well.

[abatt]

I've seen Robbie Fairchild execute the allegro solo much better than  Finlay in Duo, so this is not an issue of height.(I have not yet seen R. Janzen in the role.).

Edited March 1, 2018 by abatt

[Kathleen O'Connell]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

I've seen Robbie Fairchild execute the allegro solo much better than Finlay in Duo, so this is not an issue of height.

Ditto Nikolaj Hübbe, who is also about six feet tall and blew through Duo Concertant like a whirlwind.

I did see Finlay perform Duo Concertant early-ish in his career, and while he was no R. Fairchild, he was OK. Injury may have taken its toll in the interim.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Kathleen O'Connell

[vipa]

12 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Ditto Nikolaj Hübbe, who is also about six feet tall and blew through Duo Concertant like a whirlwind.

I did see Finlay perform Duo Concertant early-ish in his career, and while he was no R. Fairchild, he was OK. Injury may have taken its toll in the interim.

I do believe size is a factor. That doesn't mean that a tall/big man can move fast but it is usually not a strength. Nikolaj Hübbe and Martins had Bournonville training which probably helped with this aspect of their dancing. 

[nanushka]

Duo was cast tall last time they did it at ABT as well, at least in the case of James Whiteside, who danced it with Paloma Herrera. I can't say I recall very much about his particular performance, though. (Mostly I remember he was wearing too much makeup.) It was my first time seeing the piece and I rather disliked it based on that performance, though I've since come to appreciate it more (with certain definite reservations — and it'll never be a favorite, I'm sure).

[vipa]

11 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

 

I adore Tiler Peck, but I don't go to her performances expecting emotional depth (and I don't need that in pure dance pieces). Her persona is sunny "girl next door" for the most part. I find her to be a moving, illuminating artist because of her technical brilliance and musicality. But she's not some great tragedienne who is going to move you to tears in Swan Lake.

I haven't seen Tiler Peck in SL or R+J so I can't speak to her acting ability in those roles. There have been times, however, when she's touch and moved me by virtue of her artistry and musicality, as in the Divertissement pas in Midsummer Night' Dream.  I am not a bit fan of "story" ballets and often find greater emotional depth in pure dance works - meaning without story.

[fondoffouettes]

3 minutes ago, vipa said:

I haven't seen Tiler Peck in SL or R+J so I can't speak to her acting ability in those roles. There have been times, however, when she's touch and moved me by virtue of her artistry and musicality, as in the Divertissement pas in Midsummer Night' Dream.  I am not a bit fan of "story" ballets and often find greater emotional depth in pure dance works - meaning without story.

You make a really important point. I should have differentiated between being moved by a story ballet versus plotless works. The visceral and emotional thrill of seeing Peck in Allegro Brillante was unique and can't really be compared to a story ballet role (it made by heart beat in a way that, maybe, the most exciting of Rose Adagios has in the past). 

[Kathleen O'Connell]

18 minutes ago, vipa said:

I do believe size is a factor. That doesn't mean that a tall/big man can move fast but it is usually not a strength. Nikolaj Hübbe and Martins had Bournonville training which probably helped with this aspect of their dancing. 

If Finlay can't dance the role with the requisite speed and elan, then he shouldn't be cast in it, irrespective of how much his appearance may evoke the role's originator.  NYCB has plenty of men on its roster — short and tall — who can do Duo Concertant justice. 

I mean this as no disrespect to Finlay. 

[abatt]

Add me to the group that thinks Maria K. is in stunning form.  She was incredible in Agon.  There was a minor partnering issue, but it didn't diminish the ballet.  (Adrian DW failed to grab hold of Maria's hand during their pdd).  I thought Maria's timing in the opening of the pdd when she wraps her leg behind her partner's head was perfect.  In the right roles, Maria is still at her peak.  I also thought Huxley was superb in Agon.

 

[AmandaNYC]

On 2/27/2018 at 7:24 PM, yukionna4869 said:

That has been my experience with this ballet as well. I have only ever seen shorter girls that get cast in this ballet (Hilton, M Fairchild, Bouder). Suzanne Farrell danced the role, but she seems to be the exception. 

I don't think someone mentioned this already-- but Darci Kistler was the primary person to do the female role for many years and did so beautifully, and she was a taller dancer.

[abatt]

31 minutes ago, AmandaNYC said:

I don't think someone mentioned this already-- but Darci Kistler was the primary person to do the female role for many years and did so beautifully, and she was a taller dancer.

It was only when Sterling Hyltin first got the lead in Duo several years ago that I realized how many  marvelous steps were part of the choreography.  In retrospect, it became clear to me that Darci, who was dancing the role very late in her career, had essentially glossed over or fudged a lot of the steps.

[E Johnson]

1 minute ago, abatt said:

It was only when Sterling Hyltin first got the lead in Duo several years ago that I realized how many  marvelous steps were part of the choreography.  In retrospect, it became clear to me that Darci, who was dancing the role very late in her career, had essentially glossed over or fudged a lot of the steps.

and between sterling and darci were years of yvonne borree (which i sat through because boal was partnering her, or hubbe). I agree, seeing sterling do it was a revelation. 

[canbelto]

I think Hyltin was a revelation in the role (and several other roles) because unlike so many of her predecessors she doesn't go for the Goddess approach. I think at NYCB the idea of muses and goddesses are so wrapped up in the company history (maybe culminating in Balanchine's ballets for Suzanne Farrell and also in her many other roles which she turned into Goddess roles) that sometimes people forget that Balanchine also choreographed roles that were meant to be danced as mortals, and not goddesses. Duo Concertant is definitely one role where that faraway, aloof, chin to the sky approach is not ideal.

[nanushka]

1 minute ago, canbelto said:

I think Hyltin was a revelation in the role (and several other roles) because unlike so many of her predecessors she doesn't go for the Goddess approach. I think at NYCB the idea of muses and goddesses are so wrapped up in the company history (maybe culminating in Balanchine's ballets for Suzanne Farrell and also in her many other roles which she turned into Goddess roles) that sometimes people forget that Balanchine also choreographed roles that were meant to be danced as mortals, and not goddesses. Duo Concertant is definitely one role where that faraway, aloof, chin to the sky approach is not ideal.

Great point. The Hugo Niebeling film of Mazzo and Martins really reflects this — for instance in its opening sequence.

[Royal Blue]

3 hours ago, abatt said:

Add me to the group that thinks Maria K. is in stunning form.  She was incredible in Agon.  There was a minor partnering issue, but it didn't diminish the ballet.  (Adrian DW failed to grab hold of Maria's hand during their pdd).  I thought Maria's timing in the opening of the pdd when she wraps her leg behind her partner's head was perfect.  In the right roles, Maria is still at her peak.  I also thought Huxley was superb in Agon.

 

I couldn’t agree more with these comments about Maria Kowroski! In this sort of context, the partnering issue was insignificant. Along with the length of Schubert’s late musical compositions or Namouna, Kowroski’s extensions can be described as “heavenly.”

Anthony Huxley and Lauren King were excellent in the “First Pas de Trois.” However, my attention was focused on Ashley Laracey who I also view as being “in stunning form.”

Edited March 1, 2018 by Royal Blue

[fondoffouettes]

These posts seem to confirm that De Luz is planning for his retirement. I guess we should expect an announcement that a performance this spring will be his farewell?

 

Edited March 2, 2018 by fondoffouettes

[ABT Fan]

I just listened to his podcast interview on Conversations on Dance from last April, and he said that he'd be retiring soon (I don't remember his exact words). I sure hope he'll stay with the company in some capacity. Wonder what his last ballet will be. Tarantella?

[nanushka]

From recent reports (I haven’t seen him since Rubies in July), it sounds like he could go out in excellent form in pretty much anything in his rep. That’s great!

[canbelto]

Coppelia in Franz is one of his trademark roles and that's programmed in the spring season.

Edited March 2, 2018 by canbelto

[yukionna4869]

In the comments on her Instagram post, Megan said he’s retiring in the fall. I’m gonna miss him.