California

Thanks for these reports on the Segerstrom engagement. Wish I could have attended myself! Ratmansky has several photos on his Facebook page today and says that the run was sold out. From the glimpses of the audience I saw on Instagram, it does look like the entire theater was opened up. What's impressive about the Fugue: as I understand it, there's no record of the original choreography, so Ratmansky made that in the style of the ballet. It's impressive! I especially like the end, where Albrecht "flies" Giselle across the entire front of the stage. Long ago, I saw a clip of David Hallberg watching that and gasping!

I've been looking at the Segerstrom web site the last few days. It did list Gogidze for the first three with Shevchenko Sunday, although I don't know when they made that change. But I agree that they should have made some announcements when things differed from the print program. Some of the things that seem odd were in the original 1841 production, at least according to Ratmansky interviews last year. The ending where she sinks into the ground was reportedly a special effect the original producers loved, but has been understandably difficult to reproduce in later productions. I do like bringing Bathilde back on at the end and Giselle saying it was okay - something that wouldn't work well without that sinking ground. The passage for Albrecht with something other than the entrechats or brises is supposedly also from the original or at least early versionns. I wouldn't be surprised if the overall cast at Segerstrom varies somewhat from the cast at Kennedy Center in February or London last September. At least a few seem to have landed full-time positions at western companies. And we can't imagine the personal struggles many are going through right now.

Has anyone attended the UKB Giselle? Looks like Schevchenko is doing the Sunday matinee. Elizaveta Gogidze seems to have done the first three with different Albrecht's. I'm not sure, but it looks like they opened up all the tiers except the very top balcony. The Instagram postings are as moving as ever, singing the Ukrainian anthem with their flags at the end.

Just posted on Facebook: Join ABT on the Fourth of July at our 2 PM matinee performance of GISELLE at the Metropolitan Opera House! Purchase tickets using the promo code ABTFOURTH for 50% off select orchestra tickets. Limit of 4 tickets per order available through phone, web, or at the box office.

Yes -- great fun to see. Worth following both Ratmansky and UKB on social media. He has personally attended all their performances in London and the Kennedy Center, as busy as he is. His heart is clearly breaking over the continuing tragedy in Ukraine. He also regularly posts pictures of the devastation in the country, including the devastation to the cultural heritage. For anybody in southern California: go see this company. Definitely worthwhile.

Colorado Ballet just announced that they have commissioned a new ballet by Lauren Lovette for their Masterworks program in April 2024: Colorado Ballet’s 63rd Season concludes with Ballet MasterWorks. Audiences will see the return of George Balanchine’s scintillating masterpiece Rubies, choreographed to the music of Igor Stravinsky, Yoshihisa Arai’s Boléro, set to the infamous score by Maurice Ravel. The 2023/2024 Season’s annual repertory production will also feature a new commission choreographed by Lauren Lovette, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet. https://tickets.coloradoballet.org/events?view=list

Roster changes have been announced on their web site for 2023-24: https://coloradoballet.org/Dancers 35 dancers, including 7 apprentices Principal Retirements: Dana Benton, Yosvani Ramos Newly promoted from soloist: Christopher Moulton Soloist: Departure from the company: Nicolas Pelletier Demi-Soloist: Departure from the company: Melissa Zoebisch Corps: Promoted from Apprentice: Kenny Allen, Alexandra Gilliom Departure from the company: Francesca Martoccio Apprentices: New: Lily Bines, Mylie Buck, Leopold Foster, Tate Ryner, Lili Travaglia

On his Instagram in the comments, Peck says this ballet is coming to Chicago and maybe New York. Did anybody see it? https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct_z9Par_OR/

Did anybody see Peck's new ballet "Illinois" at Bard College last week? On Peck's Instagram stories, Baryshnikov attended opening night. The New York Times doesn't seem to have sent a critic. https://fishercenter.bard.edu/events/illinois/

Julie Kent has staged Swan Lake for the Washington Ballet. I wonder how long before she is able to make revisions in this one or do a new version entirely. No doubt Welch has some contractual rights, but still...

I decided long ago that I wouldn't bother travelling to NYC to see Like Water for Chocolate -- just too high-risk! I did watch the entire ballet on the Royal Ballet stream a few weeks ago and have to agree with the complexity of the plot, especially if you haven't read the book. But I'm very hopeful that the fall season at the State Theatre will be worthwhile, from the hints we've picked up from Instagram! And I'll be very interested in reports from the New Yorkers about the performances in LWFC.

Ha! Compared to Kirkland, all the other cancellations pale in comparison! I too consider her my all-time favorite ballerina. I wish we had more recordings of her in her prime.

Alas, in the ballet world, we all have our share of memories of painful last-minute cancellations. I saw Baryshnikov and McBride do Coppelia at the Kennedy Center on October 6, 1979. But I went back on Tuesday, October 9 expecting to see him in Dances at a Gathering. In those pre-internet days, we dreaded the pre-curtain announcement as they too often announced last-minute cancellations and Baryshnikov did cancel that night. Reports at the time were tendonitis. A few days later, the news came out that he was resigning from the company, although he did do a few more performances with them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/10/16/baryshnikov-bows-out-early/e15c5798-f297-4ba5-8a57-29f8be39e0c4/ Those of us old enough to remember Gelsey Kirkland in her prime lived through many agonizing cancellation announcements, especially after she was fired by Baryshnikov. Many of us drove up to Baltimore to see her do some pas de deux from Giselle with Patrick Bissell, only to learn she had cancelled at the last minute. He danced. Kirkland was the worst, by far, in that generation, but last-minute cancellations due to illness/injury are a sad fact of life with this artform. More recently, I can remember cancellations due to injury by Simkin, Cornejo, Hallberg, so many, alas. And there are a few bright spots: Stella Abrera's long-awaited debut in Giselle at the Met came after a cancellation just a few weeks (days?) earlier.

I hope nobody on this site is flying to Houston, hoping to see Sarah Lane in Swan Lake on Sunday. She just cancelled, as per Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/sarahlaneofficial

I had the same reaction. Ballet Colorado and Opera Colorado have done well since reopening in fall 2021, as have the NYC performances I've been able to attend since NYCB reopened in September 2021. It was very difficult to get tickets for Hamilton and Les Mis in Denver in the past year. What audience data is Jaffe looking at?

Ratmansky posted a picture of that bomb with the inscription in Russian on his Instagram account - sickening: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtS7vksNkF5/

They're also offering $30 for anybody under 30 for much of the season. This appeared on Facebook. The code: ABT30 https://www.metopera.org/season/tickets/check-promo-page/?promo=ABT30&utm_source=meta&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=MET23&fbclid=IwAR199ONWWs13GZ5rghqsXbCxUs1Bx-hCN-RmBYD0eXR1KJHzdv_-fB_Vj9w

This does not bode well for the Met season: ABT just sent email to Friends with an offer of 50% off for orchestra prime and sides for June 23-30 -- looks like everything except opening night.

Gottlieb was one of my favorite dance writers. He will be missed! I remember reading that in the 50s he actually did programming for NYCB! They could use him now.

Yikes is right! But when there's a change at the very top of a big organization, it's not unusual for there to be a string of departures. There has been enough time for her to get to know Jaffe and her vision and perhaps conclude...well...conclude that leaving might be a good idea. It does seem odd that Jaffe will be interim ED -- isn't there an administrator somewhere in the top ranks who could handle that, especially with the new season upon them?

What a treat to be able to take a second look. I especially enjoyed the film near the end with glimpses of her many roles - a reminder of the very rich and diverse rep of this company. Finishing with Act II of Swan Lake struck me at first as an odd choice, but that ballet is such a touchstone for so many of us, I liked it. It also brought in many company members, which was nice.

Although I usually get a flex subscription, I didn't get the 75th anniversary packet you cite. Any info on how to get tickets for October 11? I saw a hint that preference will go to subscribers, and I wonder if they'll prioritize somehow or also give some preference to donors (perhaps above a certain level). They don't seem to have designated that performance as a gala, but it will be in such demand that I'm guessing prices will be higher than usual.

Sad to see all the discounting at the Kennedy Center! Joseph Gordon made his debut in Square Dance Tuesday, after four days learning the role (as per his social media). Did anybody see it?

Dance Magazine ran a story on this. He wanted to perform more contemporary works, among other things: https://www.dancemagazine.com/daniil-simkin-staatsballett-berlin-principal-dancer/

Daniil Simkin has been taunting us for days with photos of Manhattan on Instagram stories. Today, a shot of the ABT studios on Broadway. Is he in town for photo shots and rehearsals for fall? Subbing for something at the Met this summer? Let's hope he's guesting with ABT now and in the future, now that he's completed his stint with Berlin.