California

The Mercury News just posted information on the 2017-18 season. I can't find anything on the SFB web site and they earlier had said they'd announce on April 13: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/12/san-francisco-ballet-announces-ambitious-2017-18-season/

If any Ballet Alerters are travelling to Vienna to see opera or ballet, let me suggest you take a look at the schedule for the Slovak National Ballet. It's an easy one-hour train ride to Bratislava. They have two lovely opera houses. (The historic building was designed by the same architects as the Vienna State Opera. The new one, a few blocks away, was built post-Communism on the site of Hitler's Apollo oil refinery, bombed into oblivion by the Allies.) Prices are embarrassingly cheap (8-22 Euros). And as I have often said, people in that part of the world have the classical arts in their bloodstream - it's just amazing how much talent you'll see and hear. They've announced their schedule through May 2018: http://www.snd.sk/?program-8&sezona=2017&mesiac=9

A very interesting program on Copyright, Dance, and Choreography, in New York City, April 24, sponsored by the Copyright Society of the USA http://www.csusa.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=952338&group=&mc_cid=fa2debcba5&mc_eid=44d69701bc Speakers Barbara Horgan, a member of the administrative staff of the New York City Ballet since 1953, she then served as George Balanchine's personal assistant from 1963 until his death in 1983. Ms. Horgan was executor of George Balanchine's estate until 1987, when she established with extraordinary assistance from her friend and attorney, Paul Epstein, The George Balanchine Trust. The GBT is responsible for coordinating, licensing and disseminating the Intellectual Properties of the choreographies of Mr. Balanchine. She remains with the GBTrust as Founding and Managing Trustee. Jennifer Homans is the author of Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet and is currently writing a biography of George Balanchine. She is the Founder and Director of The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University, where she is also a Distinguished Scholar in Residence. Homans holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History; before becoming a writer and scholar, she was a professional dancer. Kim Landsman, a graduate of Yale Law School, has advised on and litigated copyright issues for over thirty years. He has litigated, written and spoken extensively about fair use issues. After spending most of his career in private practice, he recently joined Two Sigma Investments, LP to be in charge of its litigation and intellectual property enforcement. And he has been a balletomane since watching the Ed Sullivan show as a kid. Elena M. Paul, Esq., is the Director of Legal & Business Affairs at the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation who furthers the pioneering vision of Alvin Ailey through the activities of two dance companies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, The Ailey School, Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs and the activities of The Ailey Extension. In addition to her role as General Counsel and Secretary, she manages Ailey’s Human Resources Department. Prior to joining Ailey, Ms. Paul was the Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Executive Director of Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, University Counsel in the the University of Maryland, College Park Office of the President, and an attorney at two major national law firms, where she practiced corporate and real estate law. Ms. Paul received her BA in Economics from Davidson College, phi beta kappa, and her JD from Harvard Law School. Ms. Paul serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Producing and Documentary Programs at the New York Film Academy and taught at the Fordham Law School Fashion Law Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Pratt Institute of Art & Design and Brooklyn Law School.

Actually, almost that strange. They fall off a cliff, separately. We never see a lake. I thought they would reappear silhouetted in front of the giant moon in the afterlife. Instead, a stage elevator brings them back to the top of the cliff, he in his prince's outfit, she in the Juliette dress. Are they reincarnated? Were they just fooling Rothbart by pretending to die? Who knows! Very anticlimactic. The swimming caps were okay. And I did love the huge corps (30) in the white acts.

I'm passing through San Francisco on a quick trip and squeezed in one performance of their Swan Lake Friday night. I had heard it was an unorthodox production and it certainly was. They have a prologue for Odette in a white Juliette gown and long hair captured by Rothbart, which told newcomers the story, I suppose, not unlike McKenzie's prologue.The first act seemed hugely revised - with a segment for six young dancers, what seems to be a new slavic corps celebration near the end, and regal gates for entering a magical kingdom (that reminded me of Sleeping Beauty). It seemed longer than usual and there's an intermission after act I. Act II seems intact. The ballroom scene was very truncated, with brief character dances, almost non-existent princesses, but a huge staircase in the middle of the stage that looked just like the promenade stairs at the Met. No intermission between III and IV. A leap off a cliff that was utterly unimpressive - they just disappeared and re-emerged in her human dress. I was actually pleased to see Kochetkova in this, as I've been disappointed in her Met performances in other ballets. The local audiences just love her and she seemed at her best. Many details pushed the envelope and I enjoyed seeing that. Her fouettes were neat and clean -- single-double -- through most of the sequence. Now that I've seen it, I'm not sure I'd bother again -- change for the sake of change, for the most part, without adding anything exciting that I'd want to see again. But I'd love to hear from San Francisco regulars who have seen more in this than I did.

The caps remind me of the swimming caps women were required to wear in the 50s and 60s. The explanation: women's hair of any length clogs the pool filters, but the men's didn't.

Tomasson just reported by e-mail that they will announce their 2017-18 season on Thursday, April 13 on their web page.

What a treat. Thanks for that link. I just watched it in Denver. Perfect transmission. I can't tell how long this will be on-line, but would recommend it. Most striking: the minimalist-abstract-modern sets in both acts. Very different and interesting. The costumes (especially bodices) are also sleek and modern, a different twist. Minor details: Near the end when some Albrecht's do flying brises on the diagonal (a la Baryshnikov) and others do multiple entrechants (Nureyev, Gomes, Hallberg), this Albrecht did both, although nothing was particularly thrilling. I don't get the red flower at the very end, but maybe I missed something early on that would explain it.

I just found it interesting that this children's story hadn't sold well in DC, but apparently they have a "grown-up" version that doesn't appeal directly to kids. The Colorado Ballet version this coming weekend actually sold out last October!

In the spring 2017 round of grants, the National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded $6,000 for a Summer Stipend to Clare Croft at the University of Michigan for "A Biography of American Dance Critic Jill Johnston (1929-2010)." This is yet another reminder that NEH matters to dance, along with NEA. For the complete list of grants in this round: https://www.neh.gov/files/press-release/march17_grant_list.pdf

An announcement was made in the company's e-newsletter, so it's now public: Alexei Tyukov is also retiring at the end of this season. He was Maria Mosina's regular partner. Devastating to lose both of them. I've posted several video clips of them, especially their spectacular torchlift, which I doubt I will ever see again in the theater.

Informative news report about the financial recovery of the Colorado Ballet in recent years. It provides a lot of insight into the life of a smaller regional company: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/28/colorado-ballet-box-office-records-2017-season/

Interesting that this isn't selling. Colorado Ballet is finishing its season this weekend with the version by ". . .Lynne Taylor-Corbett and original music by composer Michael Moricz. The score includes narration and lyrics with the music to enhance the telling of the story. Carolina Ballet premiered this version of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story in 2012." They originally had four performances scheduled, but they sold out right away and added a fifth Sunday night, which also sold out quickly. They have also added some clever embellishments -- a program for the Junior group with a scientist, followed by a rehearsal at the black box theater, and a brunch for kids and parents Sunday before the matinee. I suppose this is a good example of the programming needed for smaller regional companies, but if it means they end the year in black and attract some new audiences to ballet, that's fine with me. Fortunately, it's paired with Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto, which I enjoy.

I've been to quite a few and always enjoy them. Although you won't see that night's cast (as Olga notes), you might see several from later in the week. It's very unpredictable. At last year's Romeo & Juliet rehearsal, we got four casts, although most only did one act or part of an act. Some are in costume, some not. One scary moment last year was seeing Ferri fall when she ran back up the stairs at the end of the balcony scene, and I found myself watching that carefully in performances later in the week.

Keep us posted on your plans!

Thank you! I've seen a lot of "Bournonville" by other companies over the years. It would be such a treat to see the "real thing" in their home theater. I'll keep hoping and watching their schedule.

Any word on when they will announce their 2017-18 season? I can't find any hints on their web site. Years ago there were rumors they hoped to do another Bournonville festival, but I haven't seen anything on that either. Any new on that front?

I just finished buying tickets on-line for the Met season. Whew! The site has been so sluggish that it took me over an hour to buy roughly two weeks worth of tickets, given the time-out feature. The site is also very user unfriendly. After you pick a seat and add it to your cart, it's ridiculously complicated getting back to shopping to pick another. My sense is that a lot more tickets have sold and many fewer good seats were available, compared to other years, although I haven't attempted anything like a serious count of availability.

There is an aesthetics blog, Aesthetics for Birds: https://aestheticsforbirds.com/ The American Society for Aesthetics maintains a Facebook group which mainly features announcements from members about events concerning all the arts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7399905817/

I complain a lot about the Lincoln Center Festival, so I should report that an e-mail announcing the season with information on pre-sale just arrived Wednesday afternoon. Better late than never!

Typical of Lincoln Center Festival: I am a member of Friends of Lincoln Center and re-sign up each year to be on the Festival e-mailing list. But the first I'm hearing about this year's festival is a NY times article and the web page. No email to Friends... http://www.lincolncenter.org/lc-festival/

Some consolation, but still far from what other companies offer. Pennsylvania, San Francisco, and Colorado all let subscribers and friends pick their own seats from seating charts before the general public, using a code they are sent to log in or by logging into your friends account first. I, for one, like to see what's available in several sections I prefer and pick my favorite option for each, for about a dozen programs during the two-week season.

But you can't pick out your own seat, unless they just changed that from previous years.

The company just posted this obituary on their web site: http://www.trishabrowncompany.org/index.php

Friends of Covent Garden just sent out e-mail that they will announce the 2017-18 season on April 5. I'm hoping for good scheduling for the new Twyla Tharp to Haydn, shown on a Steve McCrae Instagram: https://twitter.com/_stevenmcrae/status/835212979071221761/photo/1