Farrell Fan Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 Maria Kowroski was in four of the five works on the program -- Monumentum/Movements, Them Twos, and I'm Old Fashioned. It was great to see Monumentum/Movements with the same ballerina in both parts again. I think even Jennifer Homans might have approved. There's no doubt that in her versatility and charm, Kowroski is the closest today's NYCB comes to Farrell. In Them Twos, she and Charles Askegard (also her partner in M&M) danced the "Horror" movement of Wynton Marsalis's score -- the one with the police whistles. She wears that black Morticia Addams dress which happily shows off her long and glorious legs. In I'm Old Fashioned, which I thought was given a somewhat tepid performance, she was the girl who leaves Philip Neal and then comes back. The one Kowroskiless piece was the Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux, danced by Wendy Whelan and Albert Evans. They looked extremely fetching in their matching Gianni Versace miniskirts. Link to comment
Morris Neighbor Posted June 1, 2002 Share Posted June 1, 2002 Like you, I agree that Kowroski -- slender, blond, long-limbed and enormously flexible -- is the company's obvious heir to the title "Archetypal Balanchine Ballerina." The most encouraging news I've read in the media, however, is that her head is not turned by all this attention. A daughter of Detroit, she has a down-to-earth midwestern attitude. If she approaches each new part with the same sense of mortality, she will only grow as an artist. But I will still applaud! MN Link to comment
glebb Posted June 1, 2002 Share Posted June 1, 2002 I love the way her body can be angular and yet romantic. She's got it! She's beautiful!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
Guest Portia Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 I agree! She is SO gorgeous and seems really sweet natured (she was in a class i took last week) - plus she is so amazing technically! Link to comment
LEX Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 Just a clarification, Morris--Maria is a Grand Rapids daughter, not a Detroit daughter. We danced together in the Grand Rapids Ballet for several years and she was just as awe-inspiring then as she is now! One of those rare talents that, even at nine years old, you knew this gal was somethin' else. Link to comment
Guest Annika Fidelle Posted June 25, 2002 Share Posted June 25, 2002 Lex, I dance with the grand rapids ballet company now! It is pretty small, and not well known at all, but hopefully people associate it with maria, so we can become well known. when were you there? I'm now in the senior trainee comapany. Last year for nutcracker, maria and charles came and were our guest sugarplum and prince, they are beautiful, truly amazing. Link to comment
LEX Posted June 25, 2002 Share Posted June 25, 2002 Annika, I was with GRB when it was still Grand Rapids Civic Ballet, when I was 9, up until I graduated in 1994. She and I are the same age, and both of us were in the Company at the same time. She left for SAB at 16 or so, and the rest is NYCB history. I had a love/hate relationship with my experience at GRB, but I will say it was some of the finest training around. It seems a lot different now. How long have you been there? Link to comment
Guest Annika Fidelle Posted June 25, 2002 Share Posted June 25, 2002 Many people have a love hate feeling about grb. But, yes it is the best training available in michigan,. I have been at grb for 4 years, 2 of which I have been in company. Did you know amanda smith and sarah wepman? Link to comment
LEX Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Yes, both are a few years older than me. I remember sarah made a fetching Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. David Braciak was a young little pipsqueak back when; sounds like he did pretty well before returning to GRB. I know Gordon is the director now, but without being "gossipy" do you know what lead up to Charthel Arthur leaving and going back to Joffery? Its funny...I'm getting married at the Women's City Club directly across the street from the old studio on Fulton. I spent many hours looking out the windows at that place, mostly facing the barre doing releves or degages. Plus my fiance, before I knew him, used to walk by the studio and mock us by twirling and leaping outside. So GRB is forever etched into both my conscious and my subconscious, and creeps into my dreams on a regular basis. Link to comment
Guest Annika Fidelle Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Congratulations on your engagement! Anyhow, yes, david has done very well and is now back at grb as a professional, and sarah teaches classes rarely. I don't really know what happened with mrs arthur, but I do know she came to nutcracker last year, and it was one of our worst shows yet. How do you keep up with all the ballet news still? Link to comment
LEX Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Thanks! How was the show bad? Did Ms. Arthur come backstage and talk to everyone she knew? I keep up with the news by doing google searches and stuff like that, plus through the grapevine. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Whoops! I missed this thread -- Annika and LEX, could I ask you to continue this conversation in email? (Annika, if you're over 18 and want to post your email address, that's fine.) We try to keep away from "chat" type -- how are you? what are you doing now? -- posts that are just of interest to the two people involved. Members that have more than 30 posts can use Private Messages to keep in touch! Thanks. Back to Ms. Kowroski at NYCB! Link to comment
Guest Annika Fidelle Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 oops, sorry, I'm not eighteen yet, so I guess I can't talk to lex anymore, sorry Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Annika and Lex, just email me at my .sig line below and I'll put you in touch so you can continue your conversation. It's just better that threads not devolve into "chat", but I'm happy to help you two get in touch. Link to comment
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