California

Still nothing on their web site as of Sunday morning. I'm wondering if Bolle will join the La Scala engagement. His retirement from ABT will be a year earlier, but that's not a retirement from dancing, apparently.

I can't find this yet on the Segerstrom web site, but it just appeared on the OC Register: https://www.ocregister.com/2019/04/20/segerstrom-center-announces-2019-20-international-dance-series/ “La Bayadère”: Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra under Artistic Director Valery Gergiev will perform Marius Petipa’s iconic ballet with revised choreography by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vahtang Chabukiani with dances by Konstantin Sergeyev and Nikolai Zubkovsky. The Mariinsky Orchestra will perform the music, composed by Ludwig Minkus. Oct. 16-20. Alexei Ratmansky world premiere: American Ballet Theatre will debut choreographer Ratmansky’s as yet untitled work, based on the ancient Greek novel “Callirhoe.” The Pacific Symphony will play the score, written by Aram Khachaturian and arranged by Philip Feeney. March 5-8. “Onegin”: John Cranko’s three-act ballet, based on the novel by Alexsandr Puškin, will be staged by Teatro Alla Scala Ballet Company under Ballet Director Frédéric Olivieri. The score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, will be performed by the Mikhailovsky Orchestra. July 31-Aug. 2, 2020. Plus ABT's Nutcracker December 13-22

A very interesting season for Ballet Arizona, including Napoli October 24-27. https://balletaz.org/next-season-performances/

Ramasar is not yet listed on the roster of dancers at NYCB: https://www.nycballet.com/Discover/Dancers.aspx#name I heard him give a talk to friends a few years ago. I wanted to check this on the NYCB bio, but can't. I'm pretty sure he grew up in NYC and was recruited from one of their outreach programs. Many dancers talk about NYCB being their "home" but NYC really is his home. He probably wants to find a way to return home with his head high, even if it's difficult to re-adjust. EDITED TO ADD: I don't normally consider Wikipedia a reliable source, but it does appear he was born and raised in the Bronx and entered ballet through some outreach programs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Ramasar

Dance Magazine just posted on-line that both have been offered reinstatement and Ramasar will be returning to NYCB: https://www.dancemagazine.com/zachary-catazaro-amar-ramasar-firing-determined-wrongful-2635059461.html

Click "learn more" and it tells you composer: https://www.sfballet.org/season/2020-repertory/2020-Program-3 McIntyre is using Leroy Anderson, although it doesn't say what piece.

I found this one interesting. I don't remember seeing any advance blurbs from ABT. Perhaps this will be a premiere at the ABT fall season? It appears to be a one-act, sharing the program with two other ballets March 26-April 5. (There was a blurb about a new full-length Ratmansky, which apparently was planned for spring 2020 by ABT.) THE SEASONS — San Francisco Ballet Premiere Composer: Alexander Glazunov Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky Co-commissioned with American Ballet Theatre, this anticipated premiere will be the seventh work by celebrated choreographer Alexei Ratmansky to join the SF Ballet repertoire.

I had the privilege of hearing Colleen Neary give a brief lecture on the creation of this ballet when LA Ballet performed it at UCLA (at least 10 years ago). She was in the original cast, along with Karin von Aroldingen. She said that Balanchine choreographed the opening for the two "in sync" and once they had the movements down, he announced that Colleen would actually start the sequence one count after Karin, which was startling but brilliant. I am guessing he had planned that all along. It's a favorite of mine, perhaps because of this, as well as the unusual presence of a male corps. You might call it "late Balanchine" (1978), as it was one of the last new works he was able to create.

The complete calendar just appeared at 12 noon EDT. Look for "calendar" on the menu.

Here's a public post on Instagram from Megan Fairchild congratulating de Luz:

The new list of grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities includes several with research on dance. Naomi Bragin, University of Washington, Bothell: "An Ethnographic Cultural History of Streetdance since 1970": Summer Stipend-$6,000 Nicole Svobodny, Washington University in St. Louis: "The Feeling Mind: A Study of Russian Dancer Vaslav Nijinsky's St. Moritz Notebooks (1917-1919): Summer Stipend-$6,000 Robin Pike, University of Maryland, College Park: "Preserving and Presenting the Past, Present, and Future of Dance History: Digitizing the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Archives: $313,753 The complete list: https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/NEH March 2019 grants_1.pdf

Unexpectedly, I was able to squeeze in a couple of days in Philadelphia en route to a meeting. On the second weekend, I saw Friday with Torriente and Baca, the Saturday matinee Hughes and Hussey, and the Saturday evening with Maslova and Soca. Orchestra: as others have noted, really awful, amateurish even. I thought by the second weekend, it would have improved. Nope! The tempo seemed much too fast in some places, especially in sections for the peasants in Act I. A distinctive flute solo for Giselle in I was a disaster at the matinee. The flute just vanished and then seemed to be struggling to find a place to jump in. The trumpet blew some very exposed wrong notes. Torriente-Baca: I've never been a Baca fan, so I was very pleasantly surprised at the Friday night performance (3/15). His acting was effective throughout. The partnering was superb. On Facebook, the company has been running several rehearsal video clips, including Corella demonstrating for the men the tabletop lift in Act II. Torriente-Baca seemed so secure throughout, that I kept thinking: this is what great coaching can do. Baca did the 30+ entrechats in Act II to well-deserved applause. Leaps and jumps were high and well-landed. She was very good throughout -- not a knock-out, no surprises at extending anything beyond expectations. But a performance worth seeing. Yuka Iseda did Peasant -- she does stand out. Presence, charisma. One to watch. Hughes-Hussey: Huge disappointment. I understand he's retiring, which seems overdue. He seemed exhausted (and not in a good way), especially in Act II. Low jumps, sloppy form. The worst embarrassment: he does the Baryshnikov flying brises on the diagonal instead of the entrechats in II. He only did about four of them both times. Very low. Awful positions. Not a hint of applause for any of them. I don't think tall men do well in that move anyway, but I am guessing he knew the entrechats would be even worse. She was acceptable, but nothing special. The partnering made me nervous. The tabletops seemed shaky and he let her down quickly. Maslova-Soca: They opened the run last week and deserve being considered the leads. Both were apparently hired by Corella, judging from recent dates joining this company. Very confident, polished, impressive. Gorgeous partnering. I was surprised Soca did the brises. They just don't look good with tall men, but at least he had a polished position. Hussey was Hilarion (a downside at a smaller company -- you might do Albrecht at the matinee and return a few hours later as Hilarion). Trivia: As noted, the production is sponsored by the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, which gets a laugh. The vice chair of the Trustees appeared before the curtain at all of these performances to push their fund-raising this month. He explained that a woman named Mary Ann Lee was born in Philadelphia in 1823 and was the first American to perform Giselle (in Boston in the late 1840s). She's buried at West Laurel Hill. Production: This is not the ABT sets and costumes, but they were very similar. Corella reportedly added some choreography, especially for the peasants in Act I in some nice formations. The corps was great -- especially their unison in formations and chugs in II. I was puzzled by some minor (okay, trivial) details. In some productions, the Wilis already have a crown of flowers (or some such), showing that they have been "inducted" into the cult. Giselle doesn't and escapes the cult without one. Nobody in this production had a crown of any kind, which seemed odd.

Was it Cornejo?

ENB has announced their 2019-20 season: https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/2019-2020-season-announcement/ Brooklyn Mack will be a guest artist.

She was a guest at ABT in one performance of Giselle several years ago. Not positive, but I think she was partnered by Cornejo. (Please correct me if somebody has a better memory.) But I've always thought: wow, I would just love to see her again.

Thank you! That reconstruction is on my to-do list. I have a hunch they won't bring it to North America. Has that company ever been to North America?

I'm eagerly awaiting the Berlin State Opera Ballet schedule for 2019-20. Simkin did Ratmansky's Bayadere reconstruction and I hope he'll do it again next year. Kochetkova is also guesting with them this year, judging from her very active Instagram.

Thank you - announcement Thursday!

I can't find those images on the KC site or any hint about when we can expect an announcement of the dance season. Any links or info about that?

Ah, but here's the real test: which companies? NYCB for Scottish Symphony? Mariinsky for Swan Lake? ABT for Sleeping Beauty? Cuba for something? I hope they make an announcement soon! I need to plan my schedule. I'd also like to see what Washington Ballet is doing next year. No hints there!

I just checked the casting list. You saw Yuka Iseda in her only performance of Giselle this season! I'm so jealous. I saw her only Swan Lake with them last year and was just blown away. She was just promoted from corps to soloist for this season. Someone to watch, for sure!

Unfortunately, hardly anybody who reads this site can get to a performance this weekend of Tour de Force, an imaginative collaboration of three local companies in Denver. Too bad! The MOVE/ment: world premiere, choreographed by Cleo Parker Robinson. Dancers from both Robinson's company and the Colorado Ballet. Set to a medley of recorded music of spirituals, voice-overs, and other contemporary songs, this one featured a series of duets, solos, and ensemble pieces. She moves groups around in intriguing, complex ways that reminded me of Justin Peck's talent in that regard. All in barefeet and all seemed to be having a great time. Traveling Alone: Amy Seiwert did this a few year ago for Colorado Ballet. Music by Max Richter (recorded). Very serious contemporary ballet. Three couples framed Dana Benton, partnered by Francisco Estevez. Creatures of Promethus: another world premiere, choreographed by Garrett Ammon, director of the local Wonderbound company of contemporary ballet. Set to excerpts from Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus. My favorite, by a mile. Ten couples, all in soft ballet shoes, half from Wonderbound and the rest from Colorado Ballet. This reminded me so much of the style of Jiri Kylian's Six Dances to Mozart. Not in the sense of plagiarism! But in the sense of a light-hearted, funny, surprising, movement-packed whirlwind to serious classical music. This clip of the opening immediately reminded me of a Kylian tableau: I wish there were more opportunities to see Kylian's Six Dances. I saw it paired with Petite Mort at Pacific Northwest in 2010, but most companies in recent years only seem to do the latter. Both to Mozart. Similar costumes. Overlapping ideas. Very funny deadpan comedy. A few short clips on YouTube.

Homans has founded a major center at NYU, to her credit. One interesting thing to watch: will she cover all genres in dance with the kind of interest and expertise she has in ballet? https://balletcenter.nyu.edu/ Acocella has wide-ranging interests. I wish she had written more on dance for New Yorker, though: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/joan-acocella

Goldner's books are the first place many of us turn to for better understanding/seeing Balanchine's ballets. Worth the investment.

It seems clearly to recognize that an effective artistic director need not be a choreographer. Thus, Peck, which I'm very pleased to see. Also seems to recognize that managerial experience counts. Something Stafford demonstrated in the last year, but seemed (at least to many) to be lacking for Whelan. And in the "me too" era, they really needed a female in a position of leadership somewhere. Looks to me like wise decisions, at least from what we know now.