California

Is anybody seeing any of the four performances of the mixed bill this weekend? Some puzzles: Cornejo is doing three back-to-back performances, with Single Eye on Thursday and T&V Friday and Saturday. Yikes! Nobody could take Single Eye and give him a little respite? Shevchenko and Bell are each performing in pieces in the mixed bill and I'm not seeing anything at all on social media about injuries. Their disappearance from T&V is a mystery.

This report on Murphy's fouettes is so sad. I can imagine how painful this must have been for her, not to mention her long-time fans. I wish they would find an appropriate retirement performance for her, but nothing seems to be scheduled. Thanks, as always, for these detailed reports on the SLs this season. Very informative and interesting to read.

No offense intended with the term "cheerleader"! Apologies! Pre-covid we had a situation with a group of very noisy young audience fans cheering a now-absent principal. Some people here refer to Russian cheering groups as claques - not sure of the term actually. Whatever... I was startled at the standing ovation after the Don Q Act III PdD a few weeks ago and what seemed organized fandom throughout. It's great, as others have noted, to have young, enthusiastic fans in the audience and if they are there because of cheap seats, fine. The applause and cheering at what seem inappropriate times to more seasoned ballet lovers is striking, but overall it's probably better to welcome young fans for the future of classical ballet.

ABT just posted instructions for RUSH tickets on their Facebook page: Get RUSH TICKETS for ABT at the Metropolitan Opera House to experience more of the magic Rush tickets often sell out within minutes, especially for high demand performances! #ABTMet22 WHEN: Rush tickets are available for select performances and go on sale for Monday through Friday evening performances at Noon, for matinees four hours before curtain, and for Saturday evenings at 2:00pm. WHO: Everyone is welcome! Customers are allowed to purchase up to two tickets for one performance every seven days. HOW: These tickets are only available online and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. You may print your tickets at home, download e-tickets to your phone, or pick them up at the box office window. Learn more: https://bit.ly/ABTSummerSeason22_RushTickets

I am sorry I couldn't see any SLs this year and have enjoyed reading your reports. A few quick questions/puzzles: Calvin Royal's sloppy feet: This problem goes back years and is regularly noted here and elsewhere. Is there no coaching at ABT to focus on improving this glaring weakness? Heo Seo's fouette problems: Sounds almost as bad as the disastrous sequence at the Kennedy Center that I saw this spring. I recently saw an old recording of Makarova in SL and she doesn't even try the fouettes, instead substituting a fast series of pique and chaine turns. If that substitution was good enough for her, why not contemporary dancers who mangle these so badly? Do they need company permission? Shevchenko cheerleaders: I'm wondering if there is a contingent of Ukrainians who might be cheering her on for their own reasons. Male soloists who are never promoted to principal: Concern about Gabe Sawyer's future is interesting. It made me think back to the many men who never made it to principal at this company: Shasha Radetsky, Sterling Baca (who made principal at Philadelphia Ballet), Matthew Golding (who found success with Royal and the Dutch National), Jared Matthews (who went to Houston and then Estonia), others I can't remember.

If you follow Aran_Bell on Instagram, look at the two new images on his Stories of that jump: a still and one in slow motion. Wow!

Jennifer Homans, Director of the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, interviewed Bentley in May of this year. The entire interview is on YouTube:

We have been wondering about the rights to the Bolshoi reconstruction that Ratmansky made. The language of this announcement is interesting: "A new interpretation specially created for the company by Alexei Ratmansky."

United Ukrainian Ballet will perform Alexei Ratmansky’s Giselle in London to support Ukraine. Tuesday 13th – Saturday 17th September 2022 London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES All profits from ticket sales will go to support the people and culture of Ukraine Public booking opens Monday 11th July 2022 at 10am No details on what counts as Ratmansky's Giselle -- the Bolshoi reconstruction shown in 2020?? The Willis Fugue? http://www.colinscolumn.com/new-united-ukrainian-ballet-takes-interpretation-of-giselle-to-londons-coliseum-september-2022/

I'm sure this was a NYC debut for Brandt, but she performed it in May 2021 with Boca Ballet Theatre, partnered by Aran Bell. I watched it on a livestream. Not the nerve-wracking setting of the Met, but it did break the ice for her. Here's a news release from the company: https://www.bocaballet.org/news/bbt-to-welcome-abt-principal-skylar-brandt-for-swan-lake She posted some YouTube clips:

15% off? Even ABT recognized before the opening they needed 50% off! What an embarrassment! Do they have student/elderly/veteran rush?

It's true that ABT is known for full-length classics, but in the seventies and eighties it also programmed amazing mixed bills that we can't even dream of today. Yes, they had star power, too, but can you imagine seeing this offered today? https://www.amazon.com/American-Ballet-Theatre-Met-Mixed/dp/B00008AORF/ref=sr_1_1?: from the mid-80s: Les Sylphides, PdDs from Sylvia and Paquita, MacMillan's Triad https://www.amazon.com/ABT-Francisco-American-Ballet-Theatre/dp/B0007TFID8/ref=sr_1_7?: from the 80s again: Airs, Jardin Aux Lilas, The Black Swan, Romeo and Juliet PdD, Great Galloping Gottschalk The Live from Lincoln Center in spring 1978 that they finally released during the COVID lockdown: Les Sylphides, Don Q PdD, T&V, Firebird Those mixed bills were not at all unusual in that era: one or two PdD, and a couple of excellent one-acts.

For the now-defunct summer dance festival at Lincoln Center, companies like Paris and the Bolshoi performed at the Koch/State Theatre. Should be good enough for ABT!

I never saw Ratmansky's Nutcracker until it moved to Segerstrom. As I remember discussions here from long ago, one big problem was competition with the gold standard Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. If a family wants to go to one very expensive Nutcracker each year, then Balanchine wins. I saw it at Segerstrom on long weekends in 2015 and 2021 and remember this selling very well. The main competition is all the little ballet school productions around southern California, but nothing comes close to the stature of ABT's. (PS. I love the bees -- and a lot more.)

I'm looking at the summer schedule at Koch. Is it really dark most of the summer? https://www.davidhkochtheater.com/ Why couldn't they take it over in June as soon as NYCB is done? It's the perfect theater for dance. Are there other opera-house-style theaters in Manhattan that would work? We have no idea how far into the future ABT has a commitment at the Met, of course.

Interesting costume detail: In March 2020 at Segerstrom, Bell was all in white, like Hurlin: https://www.scfta.org/events/2020/american-ballet-theatre Last night he had wine pants, varied colors for the tunic. At one point in Act II, it looked like that one-armed tunic was going to fall off entirely - very distracting for us and probably him. https://www.balletherald.com/event/american-ballet-theatre-of-love-and-rage-june-2022/?occurrence=2022-06-20 I know the corps women were supposed to look like a Greek vase, but I kept thinking of Steve Martin's Walk Like an Egyptian in the 70s.

I went to the Friends dress rehearsal Monday afternoon with Tuesday's cast (Shevchenko and Forster) and then read the long, detailed synopsis, so I had a better idea what to expect Monday night. Very long, complicated plot, to put it mildly. One performance was enough for me. As a Ratmansky fan, I was mainly interested in the choreography but suspect that won't sell tickets for most. Some complicated, interesting partnering for Bell/Hurlin. E.g., not one but two torch lifts, one in each act. [This is the monster lift that so many had trouble with in his Nutcracker but finally seem to be getting the hang of. I remember a rehearsal clip when Ratmansky is heard saying: I knew if you worked at it, you could eventually get this lift (or some such). ] He also included a throw double twist lift in Act I of the sort MacMillan loved in the final PdD of Manon. Ratmansky seems to favor Bell, as we saw in Bernstein in a Bubble during COVID, which is fine. Bell had several flashy solo variations and it was nice that he could show off. But otherwise...nothing I really want to see again. Ratmansky has had his share of clunkers. I saw Tempest twice and completely understood why Canada opted out. The restoration of Coq d'Or was a big (and probably very expensive) bore. Songs of Bukovina wore thin in a hurry. Bright Stream was a cute novelty not worth seeing again and again. Of course, he's had many great works, too. Symphony #9 from the Trilogy remains one of my favorites. Note that this era of Greek literature (400 BCE) is the same one that produced Plato, the inspiration for his Serenade after Plato's Symposium.

Just a few more details I really liked: In Act III, Cornejo turned Brandt around in attitude, then let go while she balanced They lasted so long, he actually pulled his arm back both times as she didn't need to grab him. Amazing. Boylston also held those for a long time, but was very wobbly trying to stay on pointe - the struggle was painfully obvious. EDITED TO ADD: This morning, Brandt has added a huge number of images and video clips in her Instagram Stories. Toward the end there's video of both of these turns and balances: skylarbrandt I was also impressed by Magbitang, who threw in two 540s across the front of the stage.

Just a few things I'd add about the evening program: for the two one-armed lifts in Act I, Simkin ended both by going up on the balls of his feet - the only Basilio to do that all week. At the start of the first one, he had a tiny wobbly moment getting the position, but it worked out beautifully and they held it for a long time. When he did the three 540s across the front of the stage, it almost looked like he would end up too far forward onto the stage edge. Simkin really seemed to be enjoying himself. I so hope they can bring him back next season as a guest!

Yes -- in the fine print in the box: 50% Off Tickets in Orchestra Prime and Side

50% off for every performance except the opening Monday, Wednesday matinee, and the Saturday matinee! Special Offer for ABT Members Get 50% Off Tickets for Alexei Ratmansky's Of Love and Rage We are excited to offer ABT Members a special discount on select performances to celebrate the New York Premiere of ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky's Of Love and Rage! Of Love and Rage 50% Off Tickets in Orchestra Prime and Side Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30pm Wednesday, June 22 at 7:30pm Thursday, June 23 at 7:30pm Friday, June 24 at 7:30pm Saturday, June 25 at 8:00pm Code: ABTMEMBER Offer available until Saturday, June 25 *Subject to availability, limit of four (4) tickets per performance Get 50% Off Tickets Special support for Of Love and Rage, part of the Ratmansky Project, has been generously provided by Elizabeth Segerstrom, John Rallis and Mary Lynn Bergman-Rallis, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Leadership for the Ratmansky Project has been provided by Avery and Andrew F. Barth, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton E. James, and the Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.

I remember an incident at Nutcracker in 2015 at Segerstrom. I had never seen it in Brooklyn and went to see several casts over the first weekend, including Gorak as Nutcracker Prince. On opening day, they had a Friends dress rehearsal with printed programs listing Gorak as the Prince. During the intermission, they announced that Whitehead would be substituting for Gorak. Whitehead came out in practice clothes and people wondered if Gorak had been injured or freaked out at the complicated choreography, including that super-difficult torch lift. We were never told anything officially, but Gorak performed several other roles that weekend -- but not the Prince. That lift was a problem for most of the men, but they figured something out to get through and when I saw it again in 2021 at Segerstrom, most had mastered it.

According to Simkin's Instagram stories, he's headed next week to Australia for their production of Harlequinade! His home company in Berlin might look more attractive to KenCen if the Russian companies are out for the foreseeable future due to boycotts and loss of oligarch subsidies. Berlin has T&V, a Sleeping Beauty by Marcia Haydee, Onegin, Ratmansky's reconstruction of Bayadere, plenty that would be welcome to American audiences (although Bayadere does have some controversy emerging).

They don't have a lot of options for Basilio this season, with both Whitehead and Stearns out. Ahn was scheduled for Friday and putting him on as a sub Thursday would be too much for anybody. As a Wednesday sub, he has a little time to rest/recuperate. Cornejo is pushing the envelope already with two performances at his age, and Simkin is a guest. So moving Ahn to Wednesday and Bell to Thursday makes sense. If Stearn was able to return for Thursday, Bell would have a little more rest time for Monday. At least, that's how it appears to this outsider! Let me add: I guess it couldn't be avoided, but it's too bad Bell couldn't do Wednesday, for Hurlin's NYC debut. They did this at KenCen and his partnership would have really pushed her performance to even greater heights. Too bad!

I wasn't planning to go to this performance (I couldn't stomach Stearns after his hugely disappointing KenCen performance a couple of months ago). I decided to go when Bell was announced and I'm glad I did. Thanks for the heads-up, everybody. I'm a huge Aran Bell fan and he didn't disappoint. He's only 23 and already has so much to offer -- technique, charm, presence, acting, the real deal. I did sense that he held off from super-pyrotechnics tonight (no revoltade 540s, e.g.) -- perhaps just being safe because of the big premiere Monday in Ratmansky's Of Love and Rage. I don't think these two have performed this ballet together, so the partnering must have been a special challenge. The one-armed lifts in Act I were brief and seemed strangely crooked to me - she was more at an angle than overhead - but they did two more in Act III which were a little better. Still, overall the partnering seemed solid and attentive. Shevchenko was excellent. Solid fouettes, turns, hops. No complaints.