California

Sorry -- I should have included that from the email: Donors Circle members enjoy Advanced Ticketing starting at the end of March. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in mid-April. If you would like early ticketing access, please make an additional gift to upgrade your membership to Donors Circle level today online or contact Michelle Palmour, Director of Individual Giving (212-769-6611 or mpalmour@sab.org).

The School of American Ballet has just announced the program for the 2023 Workshop (apologies for the sloppy copy-paste from their e-mail): https://sab.org/workshop-performances/ La Source Music By Léo Delibes Choreography by George Balanchine Coppélia (Excerpts from Act III) Music by Léo Delibes Choreography by George Balanchine & Alexandra Danilova Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (3rd Movement Only) Music by Johannes Brahms Choreography by George Balanchine Napoli (Pas de Six and Tarantella) Music by Holger Simon Paulli Choreography by August Bournonville Workshop Performances will take place on: Saturday, June 3rd, at 2 PM & 8 PM and Monday, June 5th, at 7 PM (Benefit Performance) at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center

Shocking! Somebody must be losing sleep over the 12 performances at the Met! Do any old-timers remember late schedule revisions for something like this? Maybe a few more Giselle's, which is scheduled for the next week? https://www.abt.org/performances/master-calendar/?start=2023-03-22

Normally, all companies use a pick-up/local orchestra at Kennedy with the home company's own conductor(s). When Bolshoi played Lincoln Center several years ago at the State Theater, they insisted on bringing all their own Bolshoi musicians. I don't know if they had to pay the local musicians or not, but wouldn't be surprised if they did. The Musicians' Union has historically been one of the strongest of the performing arts unions. EDITED TO CORRECT: As @volcanohunter points out, their correct name is the Kennedy Center Opera House orchestra. They are not a pick-up orchestra and I apologize if I offended them. I gloomed onto that jargon long ago when my late aunt, who played the viola in the (unionized) orchestra in a midwestern city, was hired for the orchestra used for the one-time visit of the Moody Blues. The local Musicians' union dictated who could play in what was truly a pick-up orchestra -- performances which she thoroughly enjoyed and loved to talk about until her death many years later.

Something I'm glad to see and would recommend to others, whether in person or on the digital option: Rep 1 Petite MortMusic: Wolfgang Amadeus MozartChoreography: Jiri Kylian Sechs Tänze (Six Dances)Music: Wolfgang Amadeus MozartChoreography: Jiri Kylian Many companies do Petite Mort (including Colorado Ballet) but this is the only company that does both of the Mozart ballets that I have noticed. I saw PNB do this in the theater about a decade ago and plan to watch it again on their digital streaming. They really work well together and it's a puzzle why more companies don't do both paired. (Cost, perhaps?) PS. It's too bad more companies don't have this option of digital streaming -- the technology, the agreements with unions, whatever it takes. It's a great offering by PNB,

I don't see many major motion pictures and have only seen one on the list of nominees-- All Quiet on the Western Front, which I've watched several times on Netflix. Extraordinary work. I'm glad it at least won for best foreign feature film. In showing the horrible reality of war, it reminded me of Platoon. There's an American-made version from 1979 free on Amazon Prime (with ads), starring Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine. Nowhere near the impact for me.

The schedule has been announced for the 2023 Vail Dance Festival July 28-August 7: https://vaildance.org/

Ballet Arizona has announced their 2023-2024 season: https://balletaz.org/2023-2024-season/

I'm sorry I can't find the social media posting where I saw this -- I vaguely remember that Sarah's husband Luis Riborgado took a leave of absence to sell real estate and then returned to ABT, all while she was in the company. Can anybody confirm? More importantly, there are other companies in the west where he might have found work. He was never a high-priced principal.

Bell is partnering Brandt in these rehearsal shots of Like Water For Chocolate: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpqb5vcAYv9/

Huge disappointment! Nothing worth travelling to see. I understand why the Russians won't be coming back for a long time (if ever). But I was hoping for a return visit from the United Ukrainians, as we know they are working on a mixed bill to show in Europe. Perhaps if they find an underwriter it will be added!

Bell is doing Giselle July 4 (with Teuscher), Swan Lake July 11 and 15 (with Seo), and R&J July 18 (with Teuscher).

The English National Ballet announced their 2023-2024 season a few days ago. Two Giselles -- Khan and Skeaping, Swan Lake (in the Round), Carmen. I'm guessing Rojo programmed this before she left. Pretty disappointing. No Raymonda (which I hope Rojo brings to San Francisco) https://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/ Our Voices THU 21 – SAT 30 SEP 2023 Three works showcasing the vast possibilities of ballet Giselle THU 19 – SAT 28 OCT 2023 National Tour The iconic ballet, reimagined. Nutcracker WED 29 NOV 2023 – SUN 7 JAN 2024 The magical Christmas tradition for all the family Giselle THU 11 – SUN 21 JAN 2024 A celebrated production of one of the greatest Romantic ballets Emerging Dancer 2024 THU 1 FEB 2024 – WED 31 MAY 2023 Further details to be announced Celebrating the talent of tomorrow’s stars Carmen WED 27 MAR – SAT 6 APR 2024 Sadler's Wells, London Johan Inger's fresh take on the classic tale of seduction and obsession Swan Lake THU 4 – SUN 14 APR 2024 Peacock Theatre, London A first introduction to the magical world of ballet Swan Lake in-the-round WED 12 – SUN 23 JUN 2024 Royal Albert Hall, London The splendour of ballet on a grand scale.

Thank you. Interesting modification of the Peasant PdD - one element of Giselle that wouldn't trigger complaints for a major change from the standard version. It sounds like there were no significant modifications for Giselle, Albrecht, or Myrtha, which I had wondered about.

A few of you have mentioned that Tomasson plays to dancers' strengths. Could you elaborate or give an example? Did he modify/omit/add to the standard choreography?

For the 2022 Met Season, Friends at or above the Affiliate level ($480) got access to single tickets one week ahead of the regular single ticket sales. This year that would be April 17. I have not seen any announcement about this for 2023. Someone asked about time. I believe the box office and on-line sales start at 12 noon EDT.

If you are a member of the PBS Passport (which I think is a $60 minimum donation to your local affiliate) you can watch the entire Nashville Ballet on-line. https://www.pbs.org/video/lucy-negro-redux-nashville-ballet-ri5xn6/ The book: LUCY NEGRO, REDUX: The Bard, a Book, and a Ballet by Caroline Randall Williams https://www.amazon.com/LUCY-NEGRO-REDUX-Bard-Ballet/dp/0997457821/

Colorado Ballet just announced that Chris Moulton is being promoted to Principal for 2023-24. I approve! With the retirement of Yosvani Ramos and Dana Benton this spring, that will leave two female and three male principals. So I'm wondering if a female soloist will be promoted soon. In some recent rehearsal clips, Chris can be spotted practicing a torchlift with his wife, Asuka Sasaki (already a principal), so maybe we'll see that again next year after a long absence. Asuka used to do the torchlift with the sorely-missed Fran Estevez. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDOeQSgeZ0/

I thought it was interesting that Murphy and Cornejo are scheduled for the last two days of the Met season - Murphy on the 21st and Cornejo on the 22nd. If anybody is about to retire, that's the time and place to do it. Cornejo has been looking so strong lately, I wonder if he'll hang on for another year. Murphy seems most likely to retire, to me.

I did not realize that OLAR was a co-production! Interesting...https://fr.national.ballet.ca/Media-Room/News/2020-21/Alexei-Ratmanskys-Of-Love-and-Rage You might remember that Ratmansky's disastrous Tempest was also a co-production by these two companies, but it never appeared in Canada. Instead, they staged some of his Trilogy. I actually thought OLAR was more of a success -- certainly than Tempest!

National Ballet of Canada just announced their 2023-2024 season: https://national.ballet.ca/Tickets/Next-Season (Onegin - I'm so jealous!) Emma Bovary & Passion November 11 – 18, 2023 Onegin November 22 – 26, 2023 The Nutcracker December 8 – 30, 2023 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland March 6 – 17, 2024 New William Yong & islands & Suite en Blanc March 20 – 24, 2024 Don Quixote June 1 – 9, 2024 Jewels June 15 – 22, 2024

Years ago there was a discussion here about Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto, which premiered in 1987. Something about Kevin and the stager. But Colorado Ballet does it every few years and will do it again this April. The artistic director here is Gil Boggs; he had been a principal in the 80s so I assume that's why he likes it and presents it. Jaffe was in the original cast - perhaps she'll revive it? https://www.abt.org/ballet/bruch-violin-concerto-no-1/ EDITED TO ADD: Note that Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner were also in the original production. Both are now "Director of Repertoire" at ABT. There is a tiny clip of the ending of Etudes in The Turning Point (1977). ABT premiered it in 1961. I don't remember seeing it on ABT's schedule in the past decade (at least), but San Francisco did it in 2019. It's a killer ballet and very exciting. Are the current ABT principals up to it? https://www.abt.org/ballet/etudes/

I have no idea where that came from! But people seem to know what I'm talking about!

Glad to see they are rehearsing the table top lift, which PNB included and Ratmansky omitted (as it wasn't in the original...)

Joseph Gordon's Instagram Stories has two fish dives with Fairchild. Those only stay on-line for 24 hours (I think), so look fast. They seemed okay to me.