California

Arlene Croce complained that the 1983 ABT reconstruction lacked style, dynamics, phrasing, etc. It made you wonder how much coaching those dancers got from original cast members. Whatever it was, they needed more. Indeed, Croce added a footnote a few years later that ABT had ignored her suggestions about the need for more coaching. The SAB students would have gotten extensive coaching for their 1993 performances, and, of course, they were already immersed in Balanchine style, which would presumably make quite a difference. I'm curious if anyone who saw the 1983 version thinks ABT is doing better now along those lines, as they still have plenty of dancers who were not trained at SAB and don't have many opportunities in Balanchine ballets or with Balanchine-dancer coaching.

It's interesting to see how many people like Symphonie Concertante. That was reconstructed from notation in 1983 and performed by ABT. I saw a few performances back then at the Kennedy Center, but not since. The criticism at the time was that it seemed stiff and artificial and needed more coaching. I wish they'd do it at the Met next spring, but it's not on the agenda. http://www.abt.org/education/archive/ballets/symphonie_concertante.html After its 1947 premiere by Ballet Society, it was performed by NYCB, but it's not clear in Reynolds' Repertory in Review (pp. 82-83) for how long. The picture in that book is of LeClercq and Adams from the early 50s. But she quotes some interesting comments. Tallchief said "It was no great audience-pleaser . . . It was like taking your medicine every day." Critics were not enthusiastic either. John Martin: "Perhaps Balanchine's most boring work . . . not very rewarding to watch." You can understand why NYCB has not been eager to revive it, but ABT is so hungry for choreography, it perhaps makes sense for them.

Anybody who has seen both of these works (as, presumably, Kain has) already knows the answer...Chalk the silence up to diplomacy.

"Bolshoi in Cinema" just sent out this tweet:

I see that 50% off tickets are available at TKTS at Time Square for today's matinee: https://www.tdf.org/nyc/81/TKTS-Live

I agree that the criteria for "best" is at issue in such a question. I suspect most on this board have seen a few versions in person and many more on DVD or cable TV. (Along with others mentioned above, Ovation did a Nutcracker marathon a few years ago which included Royal, Bolshoi, SFB, and a few others.) For me, as Nutcracker is the financial lifeblood for American companies, the main issue is whether they've adapted to their locale to attract the large audiences they need to balance their budget. Sorry to sound crass, but they can't afford more interesting things during the year for serious balletomanes without that budget. By that standard, I love the SFB version set in historic San Francisco, which I've only seen on Ovation. I understand that Balanchine came up with Nutcracker as a way to shore up the NYCB budget, and if it's accomplished that in the years since, fine. Colorado Ballet's version has been almost sold out for four weeks in recent years and helps them end the year in the black (no small accomplishment these days); add to that the live orchestra, a few local touches (like cameo appearances by the governor and mayor in recent years), and some very clever adult jokes scattered throughout, and it's a winner for me. Ballet San Jose had disappointing attendance last year and had to cut way back on other performances and switch to recorded music. I don't know what the problem was, but something is awry from that standpoint alone, regardless of which version they present. But I'm grateful for the Baryshnikov/Kirkland version for a different reason: a permanent record on DVD of Baryshnikov and Kirkland in their primes, especially Kirkland, as we have so little of her available on DVD. And I'm grateful to PBS for showing it for free for so many years for people who otherwise can't afford to get to the ballet.

Arlene Croce (in Writing in the Dark), discusses Baryshnikov in Patineurs, but I don't find any clips. http://books.google.com/books?id=Unl-kVxVs3sC&pg=PT73&lpg=PT73&dq=baryshnikov+patineurs&source=bl&ots=J9h-IBO8iA&sig=yK4vD0RyL6FwgFusSDiLsWQS6qg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RzxFVMulHKnE8AGO4oHgBg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=baryshnikov%20patineurs&f=false

I didn't see the Sarasota performances, but is that the role Baryshnikov did in the 70s? Yes, Simkin would be great in that, as he would have been in Push (with some serious coaching on the acting elements, of course).

What's surprising is that Balanchine was warmly welcomed to the Soviet Union in 1962, as we saw in a clip on another thread. I would assume that Makarova was taboo after 1971, when she defected.

According to his own web site, he debuted on July 3, 2013, with Sarah Lane. Interesting that Ratmansky didn't cast him in the new production. Lane is partnered (twice) by Cornejo instead. http://www.daniilsimkin.com/photo-and-sleeping-beauty-is-overrrrrrrr-thank-you-to-my-partner-sarah-lane-and-all-of-abt-photo-by-rob-davellar-a_dancers_life-costume-onstage-abt-ohandhappy4thofjuly-thesecapesmustbehorri/

I wondered if Project Plie might have funds to bring in busloads of school kids from all over the region. They could fill the house easily that way and probably get some good press, too, for the venture.

I assume Simkin will show up on some secondary casting when that is released -- Golden Idol in Bayadere, peasant PdD in Giselle, Bluebird. But that's still not a heavy lift. If Cornejo is injured (let's hope not), can Simkin fill in with some of those short ballerinas?

Her last performance of La Fille is May 5: http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/la-fille-mal-gardee-by-frederick-ashton No casting for Woolf Works has been announced, but there's a lot of advance publicity that McGregor is making it for Ferri. There's a mixed-bill May 29-June 4, but no casting has been announced: http://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/afternoon-of-a-faun-in-the-night-song-of-the-earth She's scheduled at ABT May 28 and June 3, so we'll have to hope Royal wasn't counting on her in the mixed bill!

A few years ago, at an event at NYCB with open seating (perhaps the Friends luncheon program?), I had the good fortune to sit in the same row with Sarah Jessica Parker while she was waiting to go on-stage for her presentation about the AOL series. I was delighted to see that every time there was an opportunity for applause, she hooted and hollered with abandon. It reminded me of the scene in Pretty Woman at the polo match where Julia Roberts' character hoots and hollers. I decided: if it's good enough for SJP, it's good enough for me. For those of us who are incapable of whistling (which is also quite prominent nowadays at the ballet), it's whooping and hollering instead.

I just got back from the Manon screening -- 9 people in the theater in downtown Denver. But from the opening credits, it looks like Goldman Sachs and others are underwriting this, so perhaps the poor attendance isn't fatal to future screenings. Great performances, especially Nunez. But I also thought the camera work was terrific and I hope they release this one on DVD in the next year. I was always being shown what I wanted to see. Several sound glitches in the first act when we had long moments of silence, but no problems after that. I'm so glad they made this ballet available in the screenings, now that we know ABT isn't doing it again at the Met next year (darn).

NYCB's first-ever visit to the Soviet Union was in 1962. Judging from the hairstyles and clothes in that clip, that seems to be the date. Here's a source on the date: http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/11/entertainment/ca-31292

That's a fascinating clip. I wonder if the Bizet playing in the background was on the original tape or if that was added later. And I love seeing Kirstein sitting at that little table with the interviewer, arms folded, watching everything like a proud father. Did Kirstein understand Russian or was he just beaming with pride at the thought of bringing Balanchine home for the first time?

Mikhailovsky tickets are available at a 25% discount until November 10. It looks like it is available for all performances: http://www.nytimes.com/ads/emailads/tw/mikhailovskyballet/20141015/TicketWatch.html Interesting...even with Osipova and Vasiliev performing numerous times, they still need such a substantial discount.

Yes - thank you! She was well-received by American audiences (and critics) in her Swan Lake with the Bolshoi in NYC as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/arts/dance/bolshoi-ballets-swan-lake-at-lincoln-center-festival.html Here's the Times review of her Bayadere: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/arts/dance/in-the-temple-dancers-story-3-important-russian-debuts.html Tereshkina is another who might be brought back as a guest. Given ABT's track record, they're probably looking around as we speak!

My memory is vague on this...but didn't ABT have a one-time appearance last year at the Met by Evgenia Obraztsova? Or was it another Russian, whose name I'm forgetting? I didn't see her, but I think she filled in on La Bayadere and people spoke very highly of her. Perhaps she could be brought back for several performances.

Let me add my gratitude to Alexandra for her tireless efforts to support and promote excellent dance writing for so many decades. She gave many writers -- young and old, experienced and not-so-much -- the opportunity to explore dance with lengthy essays on sometimes very specialized topics. We all treasured the opportunities to read about companies worldwide in detail and with expertise difficult to find elsewhere. You'll be sorely missed, DanceView!

I'm glad I printed everything out! Thanks to art076 for the heads-up earlier today! I hope ABT reads the pleas to revive Push Comes to Shove. (This reminds me of the mysteriously appearing and then disappearing rep lists for NYCB for 2014-15. I worried about posting that heads-up on this site, but those are the risks, I suppose!)

I saw Rodeo by ABT at the fall 2012 season at City Center. Yes, it's a classic, but I couldn't sit through it more than once that week. Fortunately, it was programmed last, so I could slip out. The big highlight of that week was Ratmansky's then-new Symphony No. 9 and I can sit through that endlessly and never feel I've absorbed everything. I can't remember if they did Rodeo the following spring. I see in the press release on the ABT site that Push is not mentioned for the 75th anniversary year celebrations. That was a milestone for the company and I was looking forward to seeing the revival with perhaps Cornejo and Simkin in the Baryshnikov role. I suspect they would both do a great job and it's so much fun for the rest of the cast. I will be on the east coast in mid-March and was actually thinking of spending a few days in DC to see it. Scratch that!!

I just noticed a significant change in the program for the Kennedy Center in March 2015: The revival of Push Comes to Shove has disappeared, replaced by Rodeo, along with the previously announced T&V and Pillar of Fire. http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=3/1/2015 The 2015 Met season should be announced soon. Perhaps Push will be on the schedule there.

A little off-topic, but did others notice that the "prices" of the Friends levels for 2014 increased from 2013? I am sure some join just to support the company, but for others, these contributions get you into rehearsals, company class on stage, seminars, etc. I don't know when this went into effect. They've also moved a few things around by categories, but not that much. Friend: increased from $75 to $90 Contributor: increased from $150 to $180 [company class on stage instead of spotlight seminar] Affiliate: increased from $300 to $360 [added spotlight seminar] Sustainer: name changed to Supporter: increased from $500 to $600 Sponsor: increased from $750 to $900 [added fall spotlight seminar] Patron: increase from $1000 to $1200 Golden Patron: increased from $1500 to $1800 Benefactor: increased from $3,000 to $3,600 Golden Benefactor: increased from $5,000 to $6,000 The Junior Council now costs $600. I don't know what it was last year. The renewal form names the level you had a year ago, but doesn't mention that the "price" is now higher.