Farrell Fan

Thanks, BW. Balanchine and Robbins were both "Ballet Masters." Balanchine disliked the term "Artistic Director." I don't know why when Robbins and Martins took the the helm they both became known as "Ballet Master in Chief." Ridiculous, isn't it? Balanchine was never that. If they'd remained simply as Ballet Masters, there would have been no problem naming Suzanne as one too. But that presupposes good will on everyone's part. As for Susanne's wanting to become "Associate Artistic Director," I must reiterate that's Peter Martins's account of what happened, not hers.

Well, Martins not only didn't accept the offer, he fired her. It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to her. But with goodwill and understanding on both sides, an "Associate Artistic Director" need not be any more unworkable than having two "Ballet Masters in Chief."

PetipaFan -- according to Martins's account (reported by Deborah Weisgall, New York Times Magazine, April 21, 1996), Farrell asked to be his "associate artistic director." He took umbrage and refused.

Could you be more specific, Oberon?

You've posed a key question, GeorgeB fan. I suspect only Peter Martins himself can answer it.

"Insidiously vicious?" Agon? Please. My favorite erotic ballet is Balanchine's "Bugaku." I also like "Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir."

That's no magic wand. Suzanne achieves her results through dedication and hard work. She's able to bring out the best in her dancers precisely because for her, Balanchine IS still standing in the wing.

I agree with your sensible solution, perky. Unfortunately, the Ballet Master in Chief would never go for it.

I noticed yet another new byline today: Claudia La Rocco. Also today, in John Rockwell's Critic's Notebook he refers to Roslyn Sulcas "who now writes about dance for the New York Times." Since Rockwell's advent as chief Times dance critic, the ranks of Times reviewers seem to expand almost on a daily basis. This is a good thing. Isn't it?

Merrill Ashley had to change from her real name, Linda Merrill, when she joined NYCB because another NYCB dancer was using it as a stage name.

I miss Suki Schorer's commercials. For a while after they went off, Fosamax continued to use the dance studio setting, with a different "teacher," Ms.Dolly Dinkle, I believe. That was irksome. Not to take anything away from the SAB dancers, but for some years now, my favorite moment in the annual workshop performances is when Suki, as pert and pretty as ever, comes out for a bow. Suki's father, Mark Schorer, was a novelist, story-writer, and biographer of Sinclair Lewis and D. H. Lawrence, who was a long-time professor of English at Berkeley. The jacket copy of what may have been his last book, "Pieces of Life," concludes, "He is currently at work on his biography of George Balanchine."

I like "Fearful Symmetries" as well, and look forward to Albert Evans's new ballet. But in recent years, opening night has become a largely ceremonial, symbolic occasion which leads not into a week or two of repertory, but into weeks on end of "Nutcracker." (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Last year's opening night program, "Ballet Four Ways," reduced Balanchine to one of a choreographic quartet. This year he's gone altogether. Despite season statistics, the symbolism of this is terrible.

Along with my opening night tickets in today's mail, there was this notice: "Dear Patron, Please note that New York City Ballet's Opening Night 2005 program will not include George Balanchine's Tarantella as listed on your Guild invitation. The prgram for that evening will include Fearful Symmetries choreographed by Peter Martins, the world premiere of a New Ballet choreographed by Albert Evans (only performance this season), and N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz choreographed by Jerome Robbins." I suppose something like this was inevitable sooner or later, but I am nevertheless very angry and very sad that Mr. B is being dispensed with on opening night. Shame on you, Peter Martins!

The "crossover" phenomenon and resultant snobbery go back to Enrico Caruso.

A week or so ago I received a beautiful color postcard advertising this concert. It showed a slim, glamorous Aprile Millo, and there was no hint of any "crossover" programming. So I was surprised by the Times story and even more by the photo of la Millo which accompanied it.

It's hard to know what to think of this without actually seeing it. But it's curious that there's no mention of Ashton's "Dream."

Yes, I'm thrilled at the prospect. Although I see by "Repertory in Review" that not everyone was happy at the premiere in 1964, despite Benny Goodman playing the clarinet. It was the first ballet staged in the New York State Theater, and Suzanne danced the pas de deux ("Contrapuntal Blues") with Anthony Blum. Gloria Govrin and Arthur Mitchell were also in the cast. It's too bad the Farrell season coincides with Thanksgiving Week, carbro. Nevertheless, I'll be there for the weekend performances. However, I automatically sent for opening night tickets (Nov. 22) to NYCB, as I do every year, forgetting that it was also opening night for the Farrell company. I had my chance to show Peter Martins where to get off, and blew it.

Those who were displeased about the Bejart programming can stop complaining. As now constituted, the program is all Balanchine and no Bejart: La Source, Duo Concertant, the pas de deux from Clarinade (music by Morton Gould), and La Valse.

Not to take anything away from your point, canbelto, which is a good one, but I remember movies from before the production code. There was considerably more nudity, for one thing. With the code, Tarzan and Jane, who'd been wearing the scantiest of costumes when I first saw them, turned boringly modest.

I defer to Solor and Hans in their expressions of the dancers' point-of-view. But from the point-of-view of an audience member who sees more than fifty ballet performances a year, and has been doing so for forty years, I can honestly say I never would have become this addicted if all I'd heard was the music of Minkus, Pugni, and Drigo.

Solor says the music of Pugni is great -- it's not classical music, it's ballet music." (My emphasis). Solor probably didn't mean it that way, but I remember when the term "ballet music" came with a built-in sneer, as something unworthy of serious consideration. No serious musician would play it, or sensitive listener waste time hearing it. Balanchine, more than anyone, helped erase the distinction between "music" and "ballet music" by using classical music as ballet music.

You weren't the only one, Old Fashioned. I have a ticket for Wednesday.

At long last, Suzanne Farrell is part of the Kennedy Center honors list. (There's a Kennedy Center link. Can someone please post it?) It's a stellar list this year. Other honorees are Julie Harris, Tony Bennett, Tina Turner, and Robert Redford.

Thanks for spotting this, bobbi. I'm due to see it on September 14. This calls for my first smilie in a long time.

All my life I've enjoyed looking at women's legs; at the ballet I can even do it through binoculars. :blush: