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bcash

Senior Member
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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    Balletgoer
  • City**
    Portland
  • State (US only)**, Country (Outside US only)**
    ME

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  1. I saw that Jewels opened this edition of the ballet festival, with guest stars. Anybody saw it? The website gave a 24 hour window to see it for free but I missed it.
  2. Interesting. I do think he's perhaps well suited to those non-Balanchine roles. Not quite sure he has the power for Spartacus but he could leverage his looks...
  3. Thank you for this clip! The most intriguing sequence originally danced by McBride. I was looking for clips to share with friends but found most to be from the first half.
  4. I think for Spring performances other than SB, the fourth ring was just closed for tickets. I remember looking to buy individual tickets but the fourth ring was faded out on the website, hence not for selection. I'm not sure if this was the best strategy. They must have felt the pull of certain ballets during this time of year wouldn't be large enough? But I for one would have bought a few more tickets if they had opened up the fourth ring, considering the pricing.
  5. Agreed on the pianists and the singers. They brought much poetry and drama. I only saw the Sat. one so couldn't compare. But a friend who saw both said she thought this "new" cast was the best. I thought Tiler was fantastic, Sarah quite good and all four men danced elegantly.
  6. The best thing in this mini-program was Huxley's Melancholic. Lovely to see the 4Ts upclose. CB looked okay danced in this setting (imagine a rehearsal space surrounded by crowds). Farley was very articulate and had great bearing as a presenter. I just found his style to be too earnest. Frankly I was a little surprised that the dancers would agree to this, six performances of the same excerpts over three days. (And Farley had to repeat what he said with the same enthusiasm and projection six times, and conduct an interview with one of the curators who did the same thing. Gotta feel a little mechanical at the end.)
  7. I think it would have been much wiser and tactful if Bouder had refrained from "giving a reason" as to why Hyltin was put in the first cast instead of her, which is essentially what her comment did. She could put across her point that she was being retaliated against quite forcefully without putting Hyltin in a compromised position. I agree this article is quite confusing and alarming as to the internal tensions currently present. Martin's move seems petty and vengeful, given Bouder never directly criticized him in public and that he had always championed her career. Bounder speaking to the NYT this way seems to suggest there's no internal channels to address her concerns, which doesn't speak well of the running of the company now (and her remark about Hyltin implies division among the dancers). Stafford's comment is unexpectedly direct and angry, which is weird in itself since he seems to have attained his current positions under the guidance and support of Martins. Also, can Martins change cast without going through Stafford? If he can, why does Stafford promise to keep Bouder as first cast going forwad? If he can't, which means Stafford must approve final decisions, why is Stafford acting so blindsided and upset? Is he putting on a show for someone?
  8. The partnering was surprisingly well done, but of course Mozartiana isn't particularly heavy on partnering. And I was so glad to see Huxley dance that part! Really the cleanest technique and execution. The last Tchaikovsky program last night was probably one of the flattest evenings I've witnessed at NYCB. Everything was done with competency but no spark, aura, fragrance. Orchestra sounded tired throughout. Much of Serenade looked like a student work; The male solo role in Mozartiana felt so sleeply (and with that awful period costume), Sara Mearns was all steps and no interior depth, and the use of children just puzzling. Piano Concerto, with the reliably reticent and cold Reichlen felt like it dragged on forever. Three men were the stars Huxley--never a foot wrong plus the partnering, Sanz--noble and elegant line adding much needed poetry to Serenade, TAngle--although he's losing hair and can look out of shape sometimes, his beats were clear and jumps had ample elevation last night, with his usual reliable, self-effacing partnering. First time seeing this "new" Serenade costumes. They look like they have two stripes of yellow stain in the front. New costumes for Piano Concertno No.2 don't work. They look muted and dusty as if they've been used for ten years. Awful, shallow art installation in the hall---silly messages and the white surface already showing tracks of people's winter boots.
  9. I'm a little worried about that too, because I remember Craig Hall coached/talked about a Balanchine role (maybe Apollo) at one of those rehearsal/demonstration events last year, and a long-time City Ballet goers who attended later said to me, referring to Hall: "He had no idea what he was talking about."
  10. Sebastian Villarini-Velez and a new corps member Davide Ricardo.
  11. I definitely found that worrying too, although I think the reasoning Taylor gave for his consideration of leaving didn't point to lack of clarity in the artistic direction as the main element. It sounds to me his internal probing has more to do with ballet itself. It would be a major loss (graver than the loss of Finlay of late, Catazaro, on par with Ramasar) if he leaves. He's certainly the most well-rounded and articulate dancer among the male principals of now.
  12. Laracey in CB last spring was very beautiful and sweet but I'm not sure there was enough depth or expansiveness. But then again, I was sitting in the fourth ring and maybe from that distance very few can project expansiveness. I mean it was certainly a much better performance than the frustratingly reserved and flat one Reichlen gave in the Fall. I was more struck by her dancing in Emeralds in the Fall, which I thought was superior to Unity Phelan's.
  13. From what I know, Stafford was (and likely still is) in the running. He was, to a certain extent, groomed by Martins, yet during the interim team's tenure has shown openness to new approaches, including bringing in more past Balanchine dancers for coaching. That might be the incremental mindset that this board is most comfortable with. As for the type of conflict touched on in the 1985 NYT article, I think the overall funding structure/culture for the arts in America (especially beginning from the Reagan era) created this unavoidable conflict. I'm curious if there was another route not taken back in the day, in terms of governance and operation of arts organizations.
  14. I saw him a couple nights ago as the host of a talk/screening series on Robbins. No visible hindrance or extra care in his movement---he even danced some steps from NY Jazz Export on stage in his regular pants and boots. I guess it wasn't healed in time for rehearsal. And he may still be going through PT now. though probably at a late stage.
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