California

15 minutes ago, tutu said:

@abatt @California , do either of you know who the male soloist was in the piece d’occasion with the school/studio company?  Extraordinary talent.

He is actually featured in a rehearsal clip on Facebook but they don't identify him there either! They should!

1 hour ago, Helene said:

Thank you, @volcanohunter!  That must have been the tour that Kirkland was on.  She left for ABT a couple of years later.

I would have trouble tracking down the source, but Baryshnikov reportedly spotted Kirkland on that 1972 tour and asked for her when he defected in 1974,.

A few more thoughts on the Gala performances:

• Sleeping Beauty (Teuscher-Forster): A reminder that they apparently haven't performed this in a long time, if ever. The three fish dives were painfully slow, two-handed, cautious. 
• Romeo & Juliet (Trenary-Royal): It looked like he had serious trouble getting her into the lift where she's parallel to the floor behind his head and shoulders. 
• Swan Lake (Shevchenko-Whiteside): They did White Swan PdD, flanked by corps members. A reminder that he is a very good partner. Good to see him back.
• Leaves are Fading (Brandt-Ahn): I do wish they would revive this entire ballet. Memories of Gelsey, for whom it was made in 1977, especially with the slightly crooked arms at her side.
• Danzon No. 2 (Boylston-Bell): He is a great partner for the flamboyant choreography and also did a few turns and jumps. Nothing too strenuous. Whitehead, the choreographer, took a bow and seemed quite happy about it.
• Concerto (Seo and Stearns): Another great partner. She was lovely.
• Don Quixote (Hurlin and Camargo): He threw in several revoltades 540. She knocked out the fouettes with ease.
• Etudes (Murphy, Ahn, Cornejo): They did just the very end, so not much opportunity to show off. Too bad we didn't see Roxander at all this evening, but I suppose they needed something for two long-time stars to appear in.

On that medical emergency: I was surprised a theater of this size didn't have some sort of emergency procedure in place - wheelchair, stretcher, some way to get him to the lobby and get medical help. The man seemed to be lying on the floor for a very long time in the aisle in the orchestra, surrounded by friends/family. Then they helped him down the aisle and he collapsed again. I couldn't believe the announcer actually said "Is there a doctor in the house?" I assume it's expensive to keep medical staff on site, but with all the theaters at Lincoln Center, nothing?

12 hours ago, aurora said:

There are many favored brands. Freed is used by NYCB as their main shoe though--at least that used to be the case (and I think still is?)

"Nearly all NYCB dancers wear Freeds."  I don't remember the source, but Balanchine reportedly visited their workshop long ago and decided they were the best for his dancers.

https://dancespirit.com/the-secrets-of-new-york-city-ballets-pointe-shoe-room/

18 hours ago, vagansmom said:

I wonder how many dancers are wearing Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. They are a lot noisier than the others. 

Murphy definitely wears Gaynor Mindens. But (judging from some Instagram stories today), Brandt wears Capezio, Boylston Blochs. I think Shevchenko also wears Blochs. 

1 hour ago, stuben said:

It would definitely be interesting to see what management wages are compared to the artists. 

You can look up compensation of top individuals on this ProPublica site, although 2021 is the most recent year:

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131882106

Kansas City Ballet performed this October 13-22: https://kcballet.org/events/jekyll-hyde/

Colorado Ballet is doing it February 2-11: https://coloradoballet.org/Jekyll-Hyde

Another example of smaller companies working together to share production expenses.

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

One who is kind of right there like low hanging fruit is Daniil Simkin who is now a freelancer.

I don't know if his break with ABT was due to his accepting a position in Berlin and either party were either unwilling or unable to facilitate a dual affiliation regarding scheduling, availability, etc.

I also don't know if Daniil finds it more financially profitable being a star guest artist around the world or whether he even wants to settle back with ABT in New York.

A compromise or reconciliation could be reached though.  From his social media posts it looks like Daniil would like to come back to New York.

When Simkin left ABT (in 2017) he said he wanted to perform more contemporary works. He left Berlin as soon as they announced a new director. It would be wonderful if he would rejoin ABT, even if it's only for the NYC engagements. Many of us would love to see him return!

https://pointemagazine.com/abts-daniil-simkin-to-join-staatsballett-berlin/

42 minutes ago, canbelto said:

I am surprised with the reports about Murphy because I saw her last night and thought she was quite wonderful still.

 Murphy left the stage at 10 pm Saturday and was back on stage 17 hours later for the matinee. Camargo had the same schedule, but he's 32 and she's 44. Brutal.

6 minutes ago, Papagena said:

She's dancing Etudes in the Fall gala which is a bold choice.

Murphy also did Etudes on Thursday night. Grouped with Cornejo and Ahn, she was showing her age, but nobody outshone her overall that night.

Just a few small things to add to the many insightful comments on Sunday's matinee:

• Elwince Magbitang was a perfectly good Puck, but it's difficult to overcome the standard set by Roxander the night before. 
• Daniel Camargo was superb and a good actor/comedian. Beautiful long lines.
• Chloe Misseldine: can't disagree with the praise for the technique, but her facial expressions became annoying: too-big smile alternating with open-mouthed fish gulping for air. 
• Gillian Murphy: yes, please retire. It's painful to watch.
• Aran Bell is in an Instagram story today in a small company class taught by Craig Salstein. Fingers crossed we get to see him Tuesday!

Some trivia for the musicians in the audience: I sat down in front Saturday night and again Sunday near the pianist for the Tchaikovsky. On Saturday her page turner turned two pages at once, quickly saw his mistake and flipped back one page. She scowled and he seemed to be apologizing.  When you're a page turner, YOU HAVE ONE JOB. He seemed to be extra-careful on Sunday!

Jack Anderson, longtime dance critic, has died: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/arts/dance/jack-anderson-dead.html

8 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Thank you, and thanks to MRR and Rick for your thoughts on Roxander's Puck. No surprises, just wish I could see it! 😩

What is next for him - great question - and agree he needs more roles that require partnering. They're doing Giselle in China in a few weeks where I'm sure he'll reprise the peasant pas a few times. He's only done Harlequin in Nutcracker and he could easily do the Chinese dance which has some partnering. Swan Lake is coming up in February and I hope he'll get a Benno debut. He will need experience in roles such as these, though less glamorous than Etudes and Puck. From there we'll have to see what Jaffe programs for the next Met season. I wonder if she'll dust off more classics or bring back some ballets that we haven't seen in years. Besides the obvious (Basilio, Albrecht - in the future...) I can easily see him in Cinderella, La Fille, even T&V. He's killing everything that's being thrown at him now so I wouldn't be surprised if we see another big debut then.

I'm hoping for Onegin or Manon next summer at the Met. The secondary roles of Lensky or Lescaut might be possibilities for Roxander. Simkin also does Lensky and would be very welcome as a guest. I wonder how much partnering he learned in the studio company.

12 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

How was Roxander’s Puck tonight? 

Roxander's Puck was everything you'd expect, and more. His height, extension, speed, versatility, presence - stunning throughout. I'm sure all would agree who saw him.

I'm starting to wonder what's next -- he hasn't shown us much partnering yet, a skill he will obviously need to carry the full-length ballets.  But it's thrilling to have somebody we can't wait to see again, no matter what it is.

Let me add that James Whiteside had a very good day - Petite Mort at the matinee and Ballet Imperial in the evening, partnering Boylston. He looks confident, strong, and happy. I hope he has several good years left after his horrible on-stage accident in December 2021.

Ballet Imperial looks stuffy and old-fashioned after seeing NYCB's Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 -- you can see why Balanchine wanted to update it. Still, it's full of regal, challenging choreography to a great piece of music and very much worth seeing. 

7 hours ago, cobweb said:

Looking at ticket availability for next week, I wonder, does ABT ever do like NYCB does and open the 4th ring if sales are sufficient? One of the nights I'm looking at is pretty well sold, and I'm wondering if it's worth waiting to see if the 4th ring opens up, with its presumably more affordable tickets. 

Lots of people in the 4th ring Saturday night.

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

I have not seen Philadelphia Ballet in several years, but my interest in Jake got me interested in Ashton, which got me to the Philadelphia Ballet website, and now I envision a ballet day trip or two this year! 

Please give us a full report on Ashton. I have to assume Corella is paying attention to the buzz! I haven't visited recently, but saw several programs in Philadelphia pre-COVID and the company is definitely worth seeing. Full-out productions of the classics. 

9 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

A nice bonus: I was seated directly behind Roxander's parents, younger brother and extended family (they all look alike!) and it was so wonderful to see (and hear!) their excitement!

Has anyone seen Jake's brother, Ashton Roxander, a principal at Philadelphia Ballet? https://philadelphiaballet.org/dancers/ashton-roxander/

I'm wondering if this would be worth a trip to Philadelphia while we wait for the Met 2024 season!

14 hours ago, lmspear said:

For history, nostalgia, comments, whatever here's the finale danced by ABT for a 1973 PBS special:

https://youtu.be/P1Bxh4vcmzk?si=OOch5bRxn0xySDDJ

Thanks for posting this! Today's corps is better than this one, which was sloppy, out-of-sync, etc. This was just one year before Baryshnikov defected in June 1974. I remember in the years following that we groaned when we saw that D'Antuono or Kivitt were cast in principal roles. Everyone wanted to see Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Makarova! But I also remember that ABT visits to the Kennedy Center (twice a year, for several weeks at a time) sold out before casting was even announced -- everyone was so eager to see Baryshnikov! Hard to imagine a "ballet boom" like that again our lifetimes. 

Just a few quick comments on the Thursday night performances of the same program:

Piano Concerto No. 1: The principals (Seo-Forster and Hurlin-Curley) were fine. [Some time ago, somebody asked on this site why Hurlin and Bell were not being cast together. In the original casting announcements, they were cast for two performances of this one and one of Etudes, so it doesn't seem that ABT had some kind of bias against this pairing. Too bad we won't be able to see it this week.]

Petite Mort: The highlight was Whiteside's strong and seemingly happy performance, after his long, well-publicized serious injury and recovery. (I like this ballet less and less every time I see it...)

Etudes: As Cornejo has noted in his social media, this was his debut as a principal in this ballet, after 20 years as an ABT principal. His turning sequences were remarkable, but the height and other details in jumps, etc. were not as impressive - as you might expect from a 42-year-old! Gillian Murphy is showing her age, too -- fast chaine turns but not knock-outs, etc., etc. Ahn seemed a little stronger tonight, perhaps after last night's embarassingly stark contrast with Roxander.

Roxander posted a rehearsal clip of one of his solos in Etudes. He no doubt knows he's being taped, so it's full out. But for those who haven't seen him yet, you do see his power and presence in this. (At the very end, over on the right, is a glimpse of Bell watching. I do hope we get to see him in this role someday! )

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

40 minutes ago, nysusan said:

. . . video of the Mariinsky ( I particularly remember Sarafanov in it). 

Here's the Etude final with Tereshkina, Sarafanov, and Skylarov (very poor quality, alas). The lift where Roxander almost dropped Teuscher is at 3:15.

No real disagreements. Roxander was the star of the evening and I can't wait to see him again in the same roles Friday. He commands the stage whenever he appears. Head-to-toe presence in everything he does. You can't look away (which gave me memories of what it was like when Baryshnikov appeared on-stage). I almost felt sorry for Ahn when they were on-stage at the same time in Etudes. Ahn does the steps (not always competently) but you never feel any dynamism or presence. Roxander has been in the corps for one year! I can't imagine he'll be overlooked for a promotion. Ahn is on-stage tonight with Murphy and Cornejo and I imagine he'll look as disappointing as he was Wednesday. On Friday Roxander is back with Hurlin and Han. 

I love Etudes -- guilty pleasures with so many technical demands as the ballet progresses. All the dancers seem exhilarated trying to meet the challenges. 

I remember Piano Concerto No. 1 well from the premiere in 2013 as part of Ratmansky's Trilogy (with Vishneva and Osipova! - those were the days). He never helps us understand all the subtle symbolism and apparent story telling that I guess only people who grew up in the Soviet Union would fully grasp. No real hints in program notes or interviews. Why does the Shevchenko dancer shelter and protect the Brandt dancer? Sheltered from what? What is the meaning of all the red symbols hanging from the ceiling? Other than the Soviet star, what are they? But as with Ratmansky's other ballets in this "genre," we are left to just grasp what we can and focus on the movements, which are daring, imaginative, risky, exciting to watch. I yearn for a gifted dance writer to give us more of a roadmap to what it all means. And I wish someone would revive the first one, Symphony #9. 

I'm tired of Petite Mort. Colorado Ballet has done it twice in the past decade and is bringing it back next spring. It seems the dancers love to perform this, but it's tiring to sit through the gimmicks with the swords and black "dresses" when you know what's coming.  PNB does this with the companion piece (Six Dances), also to Mozart and with the black dresses, but other North American companies don't, for whatever reason. The abrupt ending with the dresses pushed back on stage is disappointing. I really loved Kylian's Sinfonietta last year (and which was also performed in spring 2023 by Colorado) and hope they bring that one back.

6 minutes ago, Becki Lee said:

James just posted on his Instagram story…

 

“New Choreography Alert!

COME SEE MY NEW BALLET

"DANZÓN NO. 2" AT ABT'S FALL GALA OCTOBER 24TH STARRING

ISABELLA BOYLSTON &

ARAN BELL“

Yes - and it's great to see Aran practicing with Boylston! Fingers crossed!

I think Daniil Simkin is taunting us! His Instagram stories today says to expect a big announcement next month. Is it a coincidence that we are expecting ABT to announce its Met 2024 season in a few weeks? If they need another male principal who can sell tickets and who is available, hard to think of a better choice!

3 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Curley has now replaced Bell in Piano Concerto on the China tour. That doesn't bode well for his Albrecht with Teuscher, and I suspect we'll see the rest of his fall shows (the gala and Dnipro) be substituted as well. I hope he'll be ok.

On Instagram stories yesterday, a flurry of ABT members posted the same notice about union negotiations. One was posted by Bell, so we know he's alive -- wish he would let us know if he's also well! He was extremely busy in August -- galas in Japan and Australia and, in between, performances at the Hamptons dance festival. Plenty of news on social media. Since then, nothing. Disappointing.