Farrell Fan

Yes they have -- for quite a few years. As I remember though, when the New York State Theater was new, there were few, if any, such complaints. Could it be that people were slimmer then and they were able to navigate the rows without making contact with the knees or feet of the seated? Or perhaps they had fewer appendages with them -- no coats, which were usually checked, phones, laptops, or bottles of water. My wife and I had subscription seats in row G for years and we got to recognize the dancers and formed a lasting attachment to NYCB. After a while though (It may have been "Union Jack" that finally did it) we realized that we were missing a lot of the choreography by sitting in the orchestra. So we acquired subscriptions in the rings, where we could see the dancing from above and where, incidentally, there have always been side aisles. Currently I have two subscriptions in the second ring, which I think is the best part of the theater to sit in. I trust it will continue to be so in the remodeled theater.

Carpeting is being removed from the auditorium? To be replaced with acoustically enhanced linoleum?

Perhaps I'm missing something.

I wonder what he would have thought of "Ballet Master in Chief?" Sorry.

Just want to add my thanks for the article. I like "8 1/2" better than "La Dolce Vita," but the fact is I admire all of Maestro Fellini's films, even those that aren't so memorable.

I saw the "Short Stories" program Friday night, February 27, and absolutely loved it over and above any other program I saw this winter season (there were seven others). It was also the best attended one I saw. From my second ring seat it seemed that all the other second ring seats were taken. I get annoyed with NYCB from time to time, but this evening did my heart good. In addition to the great "Swan Lake" and "Slaughter," Yvonne Borree gave a beautiful performance as Juliet! Yes! Erica Pereira and Danny Ulbrict were wonderful together in "Steadfast in Soldier," and music director Karoui conducted it all with great verve and spirit. At long last, this was NYCB at its best.

Thirty or forty years ago, my wife and I observed a class at SAB taught by Alexandra Danilova. Talk about glamour! (or glamor), she was its epitome, not to mention having gorgeous legs. And she was most gracious to us, because, as she reminded her students, "this is your public."

I agree with Natalia that the program was heavily weighted in favor of Broadway -- ballet was made to seem a sideline for Robbins. During the ballet portions I was glad that the "talking heads" went beyond the usual suspects. I especially appreciated Bart Cook and Maria Calegari.

I'm glad you had such a high old time, bobbi, however heretical. Your contrasting the hot sexy Maria vs. the cool sexy Suzanne makes a lot of sense. More surprising is your enjoyment of the Steadfast Tin Soldier now more than in Patty's day, because I know that for you Patty remains incomparable. Be that as it may, it's always a pleasure reading your posts. An even greater pleasure would be to see you at the theater. Don't you frequent the second ring anymore?

Darci was seriously injured early in her career and one might even say she never quite lived up to her dazzling youthful promise. She missed many weeks and months in her early years. I for one think she still graces the stage.

This is terribly sad. Deepest condolences to her family.

This is a great shock. He was my favorite writer and we were the same age. Long ago, he and I used to get published in "The Phoenix Nest" in Saturday Review. He went on to bigger and better things. Now he is in an even bigger, better place. He was a deeply religious man. May he rest in peace -- although I wish he could send back a report.

Then there are dancers who retire and continue dancing as "guest artists"with the company they've retired from. Robert La Fosse at NYCB is one example.

Perhaps a larger audience than Volynsky has heretofore enjoyed.

I had never heard of Volynsky, but Toni Bentley says "don't worry, nobody has heard of him." This is the first English-language edition of his dance writings and accordng to Bentley he is one of the greatest writers in the history of ballet. The book covers the period from 1911 to 1925 and Bentley's review is both erudite and extremely entertaining. I trust someone who knows how will post a link. It sounds great.

We don't know for a fact whether the young women were dancers, students, or just good-looking. What has led me to post again on this less than cataclysmic subject is the extraordinary explanation of the remedy by Cristian, which amounts to "YOU ARE BEING WATCHED!" Is this the atmosphere we want to encourage at the ballet?

I'm puzzled by the incident related by erpollock. There's no mention of any behavior that caused discomfort or annoyance to others. Apparently the only sin of the beautiful ballerinas was discarding wrappers onto the floor. While that's not something I would do, it seems relatively harmless. I thought this was going to be a complaint about talking during the performance, as some dancers or would-be dancers are wont to do. As for the remedy applied, it seems to me weird. I can't imagine what message the recipients are supposed to derive from seeing their discarded wrappers on a ledge before them. And how long did they hold onto them? What finally happened?

He might start by singing "Cool" in West S ide Story Suite, as he did at NYCB

Thanks so much for the info (including the spelling of her name) on June Christy. One of the greats.

I loved June Christie in the fifties, when Stan Kenton was my favorite band. Anita O'Day (Gene Krupa) in the forties and fifties was another favorite. ("He's got a face like a fish, shape like a frog, when he loves me I holler ooh hot dog!") I identified with that lucky guy. What can you tell me about June Christie?

Bravo, rg. Happy holidays.

I have no idea what a beige ballet is. "Beige" suggests to me something inoffensive and forgettable, yet the first time I saw "beige" used in a pejorative sense on Ballet Talk was years ago in a post by the estimable Manhattnik. He conflated "beige art" with Bejart, thus dismissing a choreographer who, whatever one may have thought of him. was difficult to ignore. Similarly, "Barber Violin Concerto" seems to me one Peter Martins ballet which is NOT forgettable and nobody who saw the original cast of Merrill Ashley, Adam Luders, David Parsons, and the equisitely gnat-like Kate Johnson will ever forget it. So what are we talking about? Are you out there Manhattnik? If so, please explain, and season's greetings.

Great goofy-looking photograph just in time for Christmas! Thanks, rg and mel.

Balanchinette is talking about Maria Kowroski and Charles Askegard.

Casanova was no Don Juan. For one thing, he was real. For another, he really loved women, as an earlier biography stated in its subtitle. Of this one, "Casanova: Actor Lover, Priest, Spy,"by Ian Kelly, Bentley writes, "One feels the force of the sheer energy of this man -- as did perhaps his lovers -- catapulting him through history and onto our doorstep. I, for one, will invite him in."