California

Only three of us on this board have apparently ever seen Maria and Alexei in the theater, but here's a nice little video clip of their final bows in Swan Lake, ending the run, Sunday afternoon:

Dana Benton had a dream debut this afternoon in Swan Lake. Technique, interpretation -- it was all quite wonderful. I'm glad she was partnered by such an experienced, seasoned Siegfried, Alexei Tyukov, who usually partners Maria Mosina. Dana seemed to take chances that she might not have taken otherwise. She has a killer bouree and her beating steps are hummingbird-blur-fast. She stayed with singles on the fouettes and made it to 29. The audience was almost too enthusiastic, applauding at all sorts of places where it's not expected. Let me also single out Tracy Jones, a corps member who joined the company just a few years ago after dancing with Corella/Barcelona. She's doing several roles in this production of Swan Lake - the pas de trois, big swan, Czardas, Spanish. (The corps and soloists do earn their keep in a big production like this!) She has a presence that stands out no matter the role and is fully invested throughout.

From the news release, it sounds like Vishneva is only doing two performances, both in Onegin, June 19 and 23: http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=560 I think she only did four performances in 2016. And she is retiring from ABT - doesn't sound like she is retiring entirely from performing, at least from the wording of that news release. I would guess her final performances will be with her home company in Russia. I would love, love, love to see Manon again, but after a flurry of performances around the world in 2014 (its 40th anniversary), I don't see it anywhere on the schedules of companies capable of producing it.

Sharon also nailed them at the Saturday matinee last weekend -- all the more amazing since she did two matinees last weekend! I have a hunch she'll do fine Saturday night. Here she is at the August 2016 Arvada outdoor performance - she's smart to stay with singles and just do 32 nice clean fouettes. (Her partner there is Yosvani Ramos.) And she's 40 years old!

Now that casting for the weekend is public (posted at the theater): Saturday, October 15-eve: Sharon Wehner and Yosvani Ramos Sunday, October 16-matinee: Dana Benton and Alexei Tyukov This will be Dana's debut in the role and with the best partner in the company. I am really looking forward to it. It's almost sold out, but I'd recommend it for anybody in driving distance of Denver this weekend. Maria is not dancing this weekend and next weekend's casting has not been announced. She had foot surgery last summer (as reported in the news stories about her retirement), so it's possible they're saving her in her last season. Friday night: the main treat for me was Francisco Estevez as Benno. He has dramatically improved from last season. Higher, faster, cleaner. He's a soloist and I can see the company's future there, too. Chandra Kuykendall was Odette. After a sensational unsupported arabesque in the Black Swan PdD that went on forever, she fell apart in the fouettes, doing only 12 and then shifting to pique turns.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Maria in Swan Lake last Friday with Alexei Tyukov. Just exquisite. Fortunately, he has not announced retirement plans, so I hope he's around for at least a few more years. This has been an amazing partnership that I have enjoyed seeing at every opportunity since moving to Denver five years ago. (Let me add: toward the end of the Black Swan PdD, they turned an overhead lift into a one-armed lift. You could hear the audience gasp. I will miss those surprises!) I have high hopes for Dana Benton, recently promoted to principal. She is often partnered by Yosvani Ramos, a great addition to the company (formerly of ENB and Australian), although Yosvani did Swan Lake with Sharon last weekend (and both were very much worth seeing). I hope Dana is partnered with Alexei next year. But I certainly agree with you that Maria is irreplaceable in so many ways.

Note that there are live streams from two classes at the SAB. This was just sent out by e-mail: Breaking News! Don't Miss Lincoln Center's First Ever Day in the Life Facebook Live Broadcast This Friday! On Friday, October 7, 2016, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will pull back the curtain with a special Facebook Live broadcast, A Day in the Life at Lincoln Center. From sun up to curtain down, arts fans will be able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s leading cultural campus including the School of American Ballet. Tune in to listen to SAB faculty member Suki Schorer at 10:15, take a look inside D girls technique class taught by Suki Schorer and Advanced Men's technique class taught by Jonathan Stafford between 10:35-11:15, and follow SAB alumna Megan Fairchild throughout her day at NYCB. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity! Go to Facebook.com/LincolnCenterNYC for more details and day of times and locations.

Let me put in a plug for a new book of photography by Francisco Estevez, Athletes of Colorado Ballet http://www.franciscoestevezphotography.com/athletes-of-colorado-ballet-book/ He has carved out an impressive side career as a dance photographer since joining the company in 2013, and much of his work can be seen on the Ballet company's web site and publicity materials. He himself is a soloist and wife Tracy Jones (on the cover) is a corps member with the ballet. They previously danced with the Barcelona (Corella) company. If you follow him on Instagram, you have seen much of his work: https://www.instagram.com/ciscoestevez/

I've been trying to find other performances of the Ratmansky Swan Lake in the next year. La Scala is presenting it in Paris November 5-13, 2016 http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2015-2016/tournee/france/il-lago-dei-cigni.html Zurich Ballet will present it March 18-28, 2017 https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/schwanensee-18-03-2017-18646/ As noted earlier, La Scala is doing it at home next July 9-21, 2017 http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2016-2017/ballet/swan-lake.html Despite serious googling, I can't find any hints of other companies staging it or other performances. If anyone sees notice somewhere, please let us know.

Several people have mentioned the Milan performances of Ratmansky. On their current web site, it's scheduled for July 11-21, 2017: http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2016-2017/ballet/swan-lake.html Does La Scala have any sort of Friends program that gets to buy tickets earlier? If you pounce on the day single tickets go on sale on line, is there a reasonable selection of seats? Other than the Paris performances noted above, have any other tour visits been announced anywhere? I would really like to see this and perhaps this is the time to visit Milan. But it would be great to know where/when it's touring, if there are plans. No hints that I've seen of a US visit or staging on a US company.

Her many devoted fans (including me) have been dreading this, but Maria Mosina has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2016-17 season: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/16/famed-colorado-ballet-dancer-maria-mosina-retires/ As most of you have never seen her, a few clips: Don Quixote, Act I & III (partnered by Igor Vassine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJgYfCBwCOw Nutcracker (Grigorovitch lift at 1:22) (with Alexei Tyukov); Sleeping Beauty - Rose Adagio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFtPLTfjxU Sleeping Beauty - wedding pas de deux (partnered by Alexei Tyukov):

Gorak was a last-minute cancellation at the friends dress rehearsal on the day of the opening. Whiteside (in practice clothes) partnered Boylston instead. I don't recall when Part cancelled, but Gomes and Murphy did opening and Murphy and Seo filled in for other Part scheduling, as I remember.

But I would assume Festival management had some say in the rep. Maybe they think the guest artists will sell tickets as a novelty item.

If you Google Coppelia-sets-costumes-rent, it turns out there are companies all over the continent with things they're happy to rent. The best guess for the cancellation is a shortage of money - for costume-set rentals, rehearsals, stagers, dancers, whatever. We know from experts like Michael Kaiser that ticket revenues bring in only about 50% of the operating budget of a typical ballet company, with the rest coming from donors and grants. If their budget is coming up short, something had to go and perhaps maintaining their Balanchine legacy (which is considerable) was more important than staging a generic version of Coppelia.

I found an unaltered PDF announcement of their season still on-line. It doesn't say anything about Balanchine in the paragraph on Coppelia, although he is credited in two other programs. Although this is not decisive, it does imply that this was not his version. http://losangelesballet.org/pdf/Los Angeles Ballet Presents Season 11.pdf

See p. 58 of this season announcement from the Bolshoi: http://bolshoi.ru/upload/medialibrary/20c/20c115ae3172aeea15884a1c15359cbc.pdf Koch Theater July 20, 21, 22 (mat & eve), 23: Jewels (with artists from POB and NYCB) July 26-30: Taming of the Shrew Given the location and dates, I assume this will be part of next year's Lincoln Center Summer Festival. I wonder if they've worked out the kinks in their ticketing system! Seems like a very strange rep to bring to New York. I was hoping to see their Don Q again - the best production out there, I think. What can people tell us about Shrew?

I think this mystery is solved. The Sarah Smith who just joined Kansas City Ballet is now using her middle name (Joan). Her bio, just posted, shows no previous connection with ABT: https://www.kcballet.org/dancer/sarah-smith/

I just saw the touring company for Phantom in Denver this afternoon, presumably the same company that presented at the Kennedy Center. I had seen Phantom on Broadway about five years ago and don't remember enough about the production to give a detailed comparison. The chandelier went up and down in Denver, but never swung across the orchestra heading for the balcony. The grand staircase was missing from the masquerade ball. The boat scenes were unimpressive, moving across a flat surface. But considering that it's designed for touring, the production overall was impressive. They have a circular set on a carousel on two levels that changes frequently and effectively conveyed many different environments. Flashing lights, flames, etc. kept up the surprise. Phantom is in Denver for 2-1/2 weeks at the Buell Theatre, part of the Denver Performing Arts Center downtown. It seats almost 3000 and was sold out today, although I still see ads for the rest of the run. I haven't spotted any discounts on Goldstar. The amplification system in Buell always bothers me and it did again today -- at high volume, I hear a buzz-back raspy sound from some of the speakers, although that was infrequent. On the bright side, we paid only $55/ticket (list price) for excellent seats - 2/3 back in the orchestra but the house has a steep slope and fabulous sight lines. I don't know why tickets were so well-priced -- the extra-large house? the subsidies the DPAC gets from the regional performing arts sales tax? (1/10 of 1% of sales tax: http://scfd.org/) I can understand why YouOverThere is bothered by plot mysteries, but overall you can see why this is such a long-running hit. Familiar and truly gorgeous songs, lots of action, opportunities for great singers, humor, colorful sets and costumes. My 10-year-old great-niece was with us today and she was entranced.

Many thanks to Helene and all who helped with the upgrade. After a little trial and error, it is easy to find what I want. It works just fine on my Windows laptop and Android Smartphone and tablet.

It's listed in the company repertory, but their web site doesn't say how recently it's been performed: http://www.bostonballet.org/Reps/Prodigal_Son.html In his ABT bio, they list his rep with other companies, including Boston, but Prodigal is not listed: http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=365

An impressive fall schedule, for those of you in New York: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2016/08/09/nyus-center-for-ballet-and-the-arts-announces-fall-events.html

He just posted on his Twitter feed: "Act II," with a partial photograph. Has anybody seen any announcements of what he's doing next?

Ellen Pullen Shaker, according to this NY Times story from 2012: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/arts/dance/following-moms-footsteps-and-her-toe-work.html

I'm reminded of a quote from Balanchine: "I'm not looking for people who want to dance. I'm looking for people who have to dance." If Pullen misses ballet, there are several small groups in LA where she might find work -- Barack Ballet, LA Ballet, LA Dance Project. Looking at some old programs, it appears she was an apprentice for one year at ABT and then a corps member for one year.

Interesting -- I printed out the 2016-17 roster on 7/1/2016 and she was still listed. But now on the web site I see she's gone and an apprentice (Fernanda Oliveira) has been moved up to the corps.