California

I saw it on Instagram Stories, which are only up for 24 hours. I don't see it on their regular Instagram sites.

This afternoon I saw the seventh and final performance of Jekyll & Hyde, Val Caniparoli's new ballet. Originally made for the Finnish Ballet in 2020, it was performed last fall by the Kansas City Ballet (which often shares productions with Colorado Ballet). It is an intense work worth seeing at least once, a fascinating and ambitious undertaking. I confess that I have never read the Stevenson novella, but wondered how this kind of story would translate to ballet. Quite successfully, I think. It is easy to understand the dramatic developments and it has a wealth of interesting choreography. The music arranged by Ramona Pansegrau is a mix of Chopin, Penderecki, Gorecki, Kilar, and Wieniawski, which effectively underscored and helped drive the narrative. I was especially impressed with the set design by David Israel Reynoso. With no fewer than 17 scenes in two acts, the minimalist/spare sets shifted easily and unobtrusively, from insane asylum to laboratory, ballroom, tavern, city street, and back to the asylum. The dramatic lighting design by Jim French helped, as did hazy mirror reflections in many of the scenes. As artistic relief from the intense drama, Caniparoli included some interesting and challenging partnering, especially between the young Nellie (Asuka Sasaki) and the threatening Hyde (Jeremy Studinski), as well as Rowena the prostitute (Jennifer Grace). Jonnathan Ramirez as Dr. Jekyll showed his strong acting chops along with a forceful presence in his technique. The work uses a huge cast, with nice solo bits for many soloists and corps members. When I looked at the ticketing site last week, sales seemed to be pretty good for a piece of this sort. Yesterday, they announced on Facebook that all remaining seats for today's Super Bowl matinee were "pay what you want." Those seemed to disappear quickly and it was nice to have a full house for the final performance. (Caniparoli made In Pieces for the Colorado Ballet in 2013 to a contemporary score by Poul Ruders and it's been repeated very successfully since. It was an early commentary on male-female roles, a point made effectively through the choreography. My main complaint is the silly tutu-like costumes for both males and females. But I digress...I'd love to see this one again. I'm not sure I have the emotional energy to see J&H again!)

I'm not clear on how PBS shows are distributed nowadays. Some national programs end up on-line in their Passport program for members. The Colorado Ballet programs were not available that way. I don't know how all the various streaming services work now in terms of access to public television in other regions. Is anybody familiar with this?

I'm still hoping Daniil does Lensky in their Onegin in June, but he does have other interests in New York. Can they afford him? Would he sell tickets? On his own Instagram, it appears he is in NYC for his new film: Excited for @studiosimkin’s cinematic dance experience, “one” to have its NY premiere tonight at the Dance on Camera Film Festival (@dancefilms) at Film at Lincoln Center (@filmlinc). Shown today at 6pm at the “Classical Combinations” showing. Created and Produced by @studiosimkin Directed by @matt_bussmann Choreography by @therealdaviddawson Music by @petergregson Costume by @leonemanuelblanck Production Company @dance_masterclass

Colorado Ballet did Petite Mort in spring 2022 and I'm not thrilled they are doing it again. I also saw ABT do this last year. The dancers seem to enjoy performing it, but I'm tired of it. I'd much rather see a repeat of Kylian's Sinfonietta, which Colorado did in 2023, and ABT did in 2022. Webre's Alice is performed by several regional companies (Kansas City, Cincinnati). It's a good one for attracting families and has interesting choreography for the adults. They showed a tape of an earlier performance on public television during the lock-down. This company does one Balanchine ballet every year and Serenade never gets old. They alternate T&V, Concerto Barocco, Rubies, and Prodigal.

Colorado Ballet just announced its 2024-2025 season. In the Upper Room had been scheduled before, but was cancelled because of the COVID shut-down. Artistic Director Gil Boggs was in the original cast with ABT and I've been hoping they would reschedule. October 4–13, 2024 Step into a dreamland where classical sensibility meets storybook magic as Colorado Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty. A fairy tale romance that culminates in the power of true love's kiss, this iconic masterpiece dazzles with breathtaking variations, sumptuous sets and costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score performed live by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. November 30–December 29, 2024 Embark on a journey into a winter wonderland where the magic of the holidays takes center stage. Colorado Ballet’s The Nutcracker returns to delight audiences of all ages with this timeless tradition that captures the festive spirit of the season, replete with mischievous dancing mice, sweet Sugar Plums, and a symphony of swirling snowflakes. January 31–February 9, 2025 Indulge in the scandalous allure of Giacomo Casanova's legendary escapades in Kenneth Tindall’s new ballet, Casanova. A Rocky Mountain regional premiere, Casanova explores the decadent proclivities of the infamous, fabled romantic through bold choreography, iconic Venetian masquerades, and a passionate narrative set to the music of Kerry Muzzey. May contain mature content. March 7–16, 2025 Follow Colorado Ballet down the rabbit hole for Septime Webre’s acclaimed ballet, ALICE (in wonderland). Infused with humor, whimsy, and athleticism, ALICE (in wonderland) promises an extraordinary journey that reimagines Lewis Carroll's classic tale in a way that is as enchanting as it is exhilarating—complete with composer Matthew Pierce’s buoyant score, larger-than-life sets and costumes, and a host of magical characters. April 11–20, 2025 Colorado Ballet’s annual repertory production returns with a captivating trio of powerhouse masterpieces that put artistic excellence and innovation on full display—George Balanchine’s Serenade, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room.

Along with names of donors, printed programs typically also include a lot of full-color advertising, both for local companies and future offerings by the company, its academy. and related performing arts.

I was curious about this. Toward the end of the opening pas, there is a very awkward overhead lift. The rest of his partnering seemed okay. In his first variation, he struck some overly mannered "Spanish" poses that were overwrought and unnecessary. He threw in a fair share of pizzazz in his variations that was fine. Toward the very end, he seemed to lose his place turning and ended rather awkwardly. Have others looked at this? The YouTube:

Yikes! The Colorado Ballet (with 30 dancers on contract) has a 34-week contract. https://coloradoballet.org/Audition-Information#. Here are the terms of their 2022 3-year AGMA contract: https://www.musicalartists.org/agma-ratifies-3-year-agreement-with-colorado-ballet/

Here's some data on a living wage in NYC -- but I'm quite sure ABT dancers are not on 52-week contracts. Does anybody know how long their contract is? https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/36061 https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/01/fewer-40-new-yorkers-earn-living-wage

As so many (all?) of the teachers were members of the AGMA while dancers at NYCB, they might have felt most comfortable with this union and its understanding of the artform. https://www.musicalartists.org/agma-nycb-reach-new-3-year-agreement/

Faculty at the School of American Ballet have taken the first steps toward forming a union: https://www.musicalartists.org/faculty-from-the-school-of-american-ballet-take-history-making-steps-to-unionize/ (Let me also note that the 250 employees of the Denver Art Museum are also voting to unionize: https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/31/denver-art-museum-workers-united/) Part of a national trend toward unionizing, but it's interesting to see it take hold in the arts.

I saw Jaffe's debut with Godunov! It was at the Kennedy Center in December 1980. Kirkland and Bissell had just been fired by Baryshnikov, then brand-new as artistic director. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/12/12/susan-jaffes-dream-debut/fa16a829-c923-4761-a089-cb793e4b1de6/

Yes. And on Instagram Stories, Chloe had some that included Aran Bell. Anybody on this site see the performance?

Please give us a full report on Chloe's Friday matinee debut. She has the best possible partner for her debut (Aran Bell). Rehearsal clips this morning on Instagram. So wish I could be there!

The National Endowment for the Arts has just announced 81 grants, totaling $2,280,000, for dance. The complete list, by discipline: https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/FY24-RoundOne-DisciplineListReport-updated.pdf The list by state: https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/FY24_RoundOne_StateListReport_updated2.pdf If you have personally benefitted in some way from a grant from NEA, please write to your representatives in Congress, to let them know how important this funding is. I was intrigued by a $20,000 grant to NYCB to support creation of new work by Tiler Peck and Amy Hall Gardner.

I didn't see the movie presentation, but I wish these broadcasts could be distributed in additional ways -- for sale as a download, or a rental on Amazon Prime, or an addition to Medici or Marquee. I assume the problem is licensing and union restrictions, but it's a shame something couldn't be worked out

A favorite memory from about 10 years ago with ABT at the Met: a "double-header" on a Saturday with Cojocaru at the matinee and Osipova in the evening in the pre-Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty. Such a treat! I saw Cojocaru again last January in London in the United Ukrainian Ballet's Giselle. Her technique has declined, but not her artistry. I hope she can bring her new work to North America.

As per Instagram Stories, after several months in Australia, Simkin is now on his way to Tbilisi, Georgia, where Maria Kochetkova has been performing for some time.

New York Review of Books has posted an archive of her writing. I think this is all public access: https://www.nybooks.com/contributors/joan-acocella/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYR-01-09-23-Acocella_theme&utm_content=NYR-01-09-23-Acocella_theme+CID_3938b533263c2bc7a8d444ed3df92d63&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_term=the%20full%20archive%20may%20be%20found%20here

The Baryshnikov version was performed at the Met in May 1977: https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/20/archives/new-jersey-weekly-ballet-grownup-nutcracker.html It was shown again with Gelsey Kirkland at the Met in September 1977: https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/24/archives/gelsey-kirkland-is-a-joy-in-the-nutcracker.html It was performed annually at the Kennedy Center (where it premiered in December 1976), for many years. I don't know if it was ever performed again in New York. I also don't know if the McKenzie version was every performed in New York: https://www.abt.org/ballet/the-nutcracker-mckenzie/

The Ratmansky version premiered at BAM in 2010. I assume they thought they had a good venue and were disappointed after a few years at the drop-off in ticket sales. https://www.abt.org/ballet/the-nutcracker/ Before that, they had a version by McKenzie: https://www.abt.org/ballet/the-nutcracker-mckenzie/ and another by Baryshnikov: https://www.abt.org/ballet/the-nutcracker-baryshnikov/

If you follow Ratmansky on Instagram and Facebook, he seems devastated by the carnage in Ukraine and often posts shots of the bombardments. I'm glad I have tickets to see the new one and wish I had seen the one he did for PNB, Wartime Elegy. https://www.pnb.org/repertory/wartime-elegy/ Interesting that Symphony in 3 Movements, with its allusions to WWII, is show on the same program. This would be a great time for ABT to revive Tudor's Echoing of Trumpets, his tribute to the Czech town of Lidice that was destroyed by the Nazis in 1942. It was shown by Colorado Ballet in 2010 by McKerrow and Gardner, who now work for ABT. It would work for the State Theatre this fall. https://www.antonytudor.org/ballets/echoing-of-trumpets

Don't overlook the importance of major local supporters at Segerstrom, starting with the Segerstrom family and William J. Gillespie at their school. They also hold a big fund-raiser in Beverly Hills while they are at Segerstrom. Could they find replacements for all of that in NYC? Doesn't seem likely! https://www.scfta.org/education-community-programs/camps-classes/abt-william-gillespie-school

They seem to have performed in four different theaters in December, but had a live orchestra at only one (Dolby). I saw them many, many years ago when Colleen Neary was the artistic director and they were performing Kammermusik to recorded music. Melissa "Call Me Ben" Barak is the new director. LA is a very tough town for ballet!