California

4 hours ago, Tapfan said:

Since ABT hightailed it to SoCal, I wondered why can't a city the size of New York support two Nutcrackers?  Both ABT's and NYCB's productions are critically acclaimed. And the Los Angeles area now has two Nutcrackers.  Is it the same reason that New York couldn't support two opera companies?

I never saw the Ratmansky Nutcracker on the east coast, but remember concerns about ticket sales. If you are taking your family to one Nutcracker, at great expense, for the holidays, you'll likely choose Balanchine and Lincoln Center. I have made two trips (2019 and 2021) to Segerstrom to see the Ratmansky, the only version of Nutcracker I truly enjoy and a chance to see a lot of favorite principals. With the skimpy offerings at the Met this summer and who-knows-what in the fall, I might go again some day!

There are dozens of Nutcrackers in Southern California, but they are  mainly local/school-related. Is there another one of the caliber of ABT's? I think this was a smart move by ABT.

https://socalfieldtrips.com/50-nutcracker-performances-in-southern-california/

1 hour ago, uptowner said:

The "art series" tickets go on sale Friday January 5 at noon-- all tickets in the house are $40. 

Performances are Feb 3 (Wheeldon, Martins, Peck), 8 (New Combinations) and 23 (Innovators and Icons). 

https://www.nycballet.com/discover/nycb-art-series/davidmichalek/

Thank you! I'm in town for the 23rd and have been wondering how to get a ticket. I wonder how they publicize the $40 tickets and who gets first dibs.

Graham McFee, a noted dance scholar/philosopher, has died.

https://british-aesthetics.org/resources/obituaries/graham-mcfee/

https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/alumni/2023/11/08/professor-graham-mcfee-1951-2023/

On 12/22/2023 at 5:18 PM, volcanohunter said:

On Wednesday, December 27, at 19:00 CET/1:00 pm Eastern, the Vienna State Ballet will livestream Van Manen's Concertante and Balanchine's Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. (The program also includes Forsythe's In the middle, somewhat elevated, which, apparently, won't be streamed.)

These streams are available on demand for 72 hours. The stream is free of charge, but logging in is required; registration requires only a name and email address.

https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/b1a1d6a0-266e-47ea-ab76-e47e347991c6

Casting for the program:

https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/season-tickets/detail/event/1002773622-shifting-symmetries/ 

Thanks for posting this. Excellent video quality and streaming reception. I am not a van Manen fan, so I skipped that. As for the Balanchine, I LOVE the final movement -- Balanchine-does-Slavic (sorry!) and the upbeat, joyous music. 

Has anyone seen Ashton Roxander with Philadelphia Ballet this month? He's doing Cavalier, Tea, and Candy Cane.

https://philadelphiaballet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Nutcracker-Casting-2023-Dec-20-30.pdf

1 hour ago, On Pointe said:

There is an excerpt from Fancy Free,  staged by Justin Peck,  assisted by Craig Salstein,  and danced by NYCB's Sebastian Villarini-Velez,  Harrison Coll,  and freelance dancers,  including Jeannette Delgado.  The ballet materializes in an empty theater,  then expands to a fantasy that includes Lenny and Felicia in the ensemble.  That's the only dance in the film.  Bernstein's great success West Side Story is barely mentioned.  But I did enjoy Michael Urie as Jerome Robbins,  or "Jerry" as they call him.  He only has a couple of lines,  but Urie brilliantly conveys Robbins' prickly personality and kinetic energy.

I had to dig through the IMdB listing to find Peck's credit.  Choreographers used to get more respect in Hollywood.  I beieve Balanchine introduced the term when he worked in the movies.  Before him they were called dance directors.

 

I watched Maestro on Netflix and found it interesting. I turned on captioning so all the musical snippets throughout were identified. (Were those visible in the theater?) The Fancy Free excerpts are great fun and the lengthy Mahler performance near the end was quite extraordinary. I was disappointed that West Side Story didn't get much attention. 

I slogged through the credits at the end to find Peck's listing as the choreographer. The credits run over a complete performance of Overture to Candide, one of my all-time Bernstein favorites, so it ends on a high note. But I didn't feel much incentive to watch this one again.

1 hour ago, Jayne said:

Maybe he could be the new AD?  And if he has a good experience with Sarah guesting, perhaps he would offer a 1 year contract to see if she can finally settle well at WB?  
 

I genuinely hope for both dancers to finish strong in their careers.  

Edwaard Liang has already been named the new AD of the Washington Ballet, arriving in spring 2024. We don't know what relationship he has had with Mack or Lane, but it would be nice to bring in both of them, even as guests.

https://www.washingtonballet.org/leadership/

Sarah Lane is performing Nutcracker with Brooklyn Mack at Festival Ballet Theatre in southern California. I've also been wondering what happened to him and whether he'd consider rejoining Washington Ballet with a new artistic director. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C09nr7DJ4hd/

Teuscher just posted in Instagram stories that she can't dance Nutcracker Saturday night due to a "health issue," but Boylston-Whitehead will sub. I don't see that change on either the ABT or Segerstrom site. 

2 hours ago, abatt said:

Not even a celebration of Cornejo could get me to purchase a ticket to LWFC again.  

You have to wonder if scheduling the Cornejo event at LWFC was an attempt at shoring up attendance! Doesn't seem to be working on this site! I watched the Royal Ballet stream last year and decided not to bother seeing it in the theater. 

1 hour ago, ABT Fan said:

Gosh California, I thought of Nureyev as well while reading this report (I saw Nureyev when he was in his late 40’s and it was so bittersweet- beyond painful yet exciting to see Nureyev!). I think Cornejo being able to leave on a high note has come and gone. 

Interesting documentary with clips of Nureyev in his last decade. It would be exciting to see his charisma, even with the technical decline.

But I think Baryshnikov had the right idea. Word would get out that he was doing his last performance of ballet X or Y. After his ugly departure from ABT in 1989, he moved over to contemporary things choreographed for him with his middle-age abilities. 

5 hours ago, Caballetfan said:

I saw the Brandt/Cornejo matinee performance earlier today. I saw them in 2021 (Brandt’s “Adult Clara” debut?) and ideally wanted to see a different principal pairing, but this afternoon was the only time my family could make it to the show. Still, I enjoyed their performance - it felt very much like a repeat of 2021. Brandt was pretty good, she excels at showcasing both energy and control in her dancing…but Cornejo was less stellar (even compared to the 2021performance). His feet looked floppy and he seemed to run out of steam in his Act 2 solo. I noticed some partnering wobbles during the Snow pas and Skylar fell out of one of her turns in the Grand pas and as a result had to sort of improvise the choreography for a few seconds. I doubt it was too noticeable to the average theatergoer and it happened super fast so I’m not sure who to attribute the stumble to. The corps looked strong today, dancing-wise, but wish they would work a bit on keeping in line with one another (when the choreography calls for it, of course), particularly during Flowers and Snow. I’ve noticed this exact same thing for the past few years I’ve been watching the show live. Also, the theater was packed!! No concern over ticket sales here. It was actually quite fun and festive going to a daytime performance. In recent years I’ve gone at night. 

Thank you for this report on the Brandt-Cornejo performance. It's not surprising that Cornejo is slipping technically.   People saw the same thing in his Etudes and Dream performances this fall. This isn't in a league with Nureyev's painfully visible deterioration when he refused to leave the stage, but I hope Cornejo is realistic about his strengths and increasing weaknesses and retires on a high note.

Did anybody see the Bell-Hurlin performance Saturday night? Kicking myself that I didn't make plans to see them at Segerstrom this year. 

44 minutes ago, TheAccidentalBalletomane said:

HI, with ABT? Can you give us the details of that?

Not with ABT. Skylar and Daniil are performing with a Minnesota company, the Metropolitan Ballet, at the University.

https://metroballetacademy.org/ballet-performances-events-twin-cities/2024/3/16/giselle-dx6kj

Medici.tv is going to show Ratmansky's new Coppelia for La Scala on Sunday, December 17:

https://www.medici.tv/en/ballets/coppelia-delibes-alexei-ratmansky-la-scala-world-premiere

I can't tell from their announcement if you can only see the premiere or if the recording will remain available to Medici.tv subscribers later.

1 hour ago, bingham said:

What was the gist of the Pointe Magazine article on Cornejo?

https://pointemagazine.com/sarah-lane-abt/

Here's the money quote: 

What were the circumstances that led you to leave ABT?

After the 2019 season ended, for the first time in my career I asked Kevin very respectfully to not pair me with one particular partner ever again. He was consistently injured and calling out of rehearsals, and never in class. It made it hard for me to perform my best.

Soon afterwards, my casting changed—I only had three shows for the following Met season. Kevin had been happy with my performances initially, but shortly after I made this request he backtracked and said that my partner gave an amazing show and I didn’t. I felt disposable, like as a woman I had no voice. But I knew in my heart that I had done the best season that I could do.

29 minutes ago, AB'sMom said:

How much longer is the commitment at Segerstrom? I can’t imagine bringing the sets back and forth between New York and California. It used to be a full house every year in California but I confess I’ve skipped it the last couple of years. 

Looks like they have a three-year commitment, starting in December 2021. There is some serious money in southern California, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's extended.

https://www.ladancechronicle.com/american-ballet-theatre-named-the-official-company-of-the-segerstrom-center/

11 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I was surprised that ABT couldn't make a go of The Nutcracker in Brooklyn. But those NEA surveys do show that proportional rates of audience participation are higher in North Dakota than they are in New York State. There are a ton of shows on offer in New York, but it's entirely possible, that a smaller percentage of the population actually partakes. The cost of living is very high, the commutes can be hellish. So perhaps NYCB's 47 shows × 2,586 seats = 121,542 tickets actually saturate the Nutcracker market.

ABT performed Baryshnikov's Nutcracker at the Met in May 1977, but that was an extraordinary situation. It had debuted at the Kennedy Center in December 1976 and New Yorkers were anxious to see it. I somehow doubt it would make sense to do Ratmansky's Nutcracker now in June.

https://gazette.com/news/nutcracker-baryshnikov-1977/image_443fd955-14e5-5476-9889-9fe72c41576d.html

I had forgotten about this, but Gelsey made her debut in this Nutcracker in September 1977, again at the Met. And, again, an extraordinary situation, welcoming Gelsey back after a year away due to illness.

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/24/archives/gelsey-kirkland-is-a-joy-in-the-nutcracker.html

If I had known how few opportunities we'll have to see Bell at the Met next summer, I would have planned to make a trip to Segerstrom to see it this month. I never saw it at BAM, but did go to Segerstrom in 2019 and again in 2021 to see it. It's the only Nutcracker I actually enjoy, mainly because there is so much bravura choreography! And I do love those bees!

8 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

That was an absolute WOW!

I love the way Hurlin takes a little jete BEFORE leaping into position for the lift. She just exudes confidence. And the applause and cheers from the other dancers is great, too!

That clip makes me remember all the mangled versions of that move we've seen from ABT over the years. Painful!

I hope during the performance that somebody is filming from the wings so we can see it in costume.

I just have to share this gorgeous torch lift by Bell and Hurlin in Ratmansky's Nutcracker. Wish I could see it in the theater next week!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0eo_RigmDt/

Live Stream Today from New York City Center: YouTube at 6:30 EST: Balanchine's Nutcracker

Here's the live link to YouTube: 

Studio 5  NEW YORK CITY BALLET AT 75 | GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER® Mon Dec 4 at 6:30pm  Free Livestream The livestream starts in one hour, so tune in on YouTube!   Join the conversation with panelists Sara Mearns, Jonathan Stafford, and Wendy Whelan as they discuss New York City Ballet's 75th anniversary season.    The evening features live performances from the holiday classic George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.   Can’t make the livestream? Watch on demand through December 17. FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE

Looks like things didn't work out in Rhode Island. Sarah Lane just posted this on Facebook:

The circumstances @schoolofballet.ri did not work out. I have given the organization my utmost care, and I wanted so much to nurture the students through their educational journey. I am saddened to leave every single one of them. Of course, I gave the organization my indefinite dedication until they find a new school director, but that option was not taken. I only wish them the best. Sending love to the company members with whom I had the pleasure of working, as well.

 

Same thing in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ci0VAOrtf/

1 hour ago, Becki Lee said:

Skylar and Daniil are dancing a Giselle in Minnesota in March!!

Where did you see the announcement? Is that ABT?

EDITED TO ADD: It's the Metropolitan Ballet: March 23-24

https://metroballetacademy.org/ballet-performances-events-twin-cities/2024/3/16/giselle-dx6kj

https://www.tickets.umn.edu/northrop/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=MetropolitanBallet&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=

Other Dances is scheduled for May 8, 9, 11  eve, 18 mat. Difficult for out-of-towners like me to plan! I'd like to think Bell would do all four, but with so many able to perform that piece, that would be risky!

ABT has what everybody recognizes as a big star at a young age, yet hardly any opportunities to see him. I'm guessing he'll be in Like Water for Chocolate again, but I have no interest in seeing that. Might he be Lensky in Onegin? Maybe. A role in Woolf Works? Maybe, but I have no interest in seeing that either!!

If Bell jumps to NYCB, that's where I'll be headed most of the time, unless I see Roxander in an interesting piece at ABT. 

Note that Murphy and Bell did Other Dances at that summer outdoor festival, so perhaps this has been in the works for a long time.

If you're wondering about dates for this show at the Morgan: June 28 - September 22, 2024.

https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/ballets-russes

On 11/16/2023 at 4:20 PM, Golden Idol said:

Can you just imagine Roxander as Ali?  If only Jaffe weren't so stupidly PC. I am already in Bayadere and Corsaire withdrawal.

Philadelphia Ballet did Corsaire in 2017. They renamed Aili as a "servant" instead of a slave. At one of their Q&As before a performance, I asked whose idea that was -- the marketing manager.  That's as far as they went in modifying for contemporary sensibilities. 

https://philadelphiaballet.org/past-performances/le-corsaire/

They were planning to do Bayadere in March 2020. I can't remember if the entire run was cancelled because of COVID or whether they were able to perform it. In any event, if they reschedule for the 24-25 season, I'll be there!

https://philadelphiaballet.org/past-performances/la-bayadere/

When Opera Colorado performed Turandot in May 2023, they included a long statement in the program explaining why the depictions of Chinese culture were harmful and offensive. It ended: "How do we preserve these musical masterpieces while embracing our commitment to social responsibility?" I hope we'll get to see Tamara Rojo's take on Raymonda in North America. Is a drastic retelling of the story the answer? Is it enough to include the extensive acknowledgement of problems that Opera Colorado pursued?