Slant
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Posts posted by Slant
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Nice to see Russell Janzen get another featured role, building on Les Carillons from this past spring. This time to open the season the first week in Orpheus.
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A well deserved and well overdue recognition for Justin. i expect great things from him.
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Abatt. In your opinion, does this work have legs (in the sense of remaining in the repertory after the publicity has passed)? Will new audiences, attracted to a pleasant McCartney score and elaborate costuming, stick around to experience more serious work?
I ask partly because I am still befuddled by Miami City Ballet's investment a few years in a costly, elaborate and much-hyped Elvis Costello/ Twyla Tharp work which went nowhere and which, it's my guess, will not return.
I saw the gala performance, and without new choreography or changes to the current, it probably doesn't have legs.
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I went the Gala performance too. Ocean's Kingdom - one word. Dud!
The music was unsuited for a ballet. I echo the comments that it sounded most like a music score, like something scored by Jerry Goldsmith. This music was not suited well for ballet choreography, and there was nothing in the music that sounded original in structure or tone. It was bland. This music was over-hyped and under-delivered, much like another Sir Paul's foray into classical music, Liverpool Oratorio. He should stick to pop music and stop the pretense of making significant contributions to the classical idiom.
As for the choreography, I am not a Martin's fan, but the music made Peter's task difficult. That said, the ballet was also bland, the several pas de deux were wasted opportunities for flashes of invention. The movements lacked dramatic crescendo in the right places. It was just always at one level of emotional intensity, save for the finale when Scala reemerges. Overall, you developed no connection with the characters or their plight.
The ballet was also visually unappealing, such a mess, and quite visually intrusive. The costumes prints and colors clashed when the corps and principals were on stage in numbers - which was often. The visual stimuli overwhelmed the senses to the point that one could get induced into vertigo. It was almost nauseating. I was not impressed by Stella McCartney's work. She made Robbie Fairchild look so unappealing with his make-up and hair - this from a dancer with a natural sympathetic looking persona. How she could screw that up....
So Sir Paul got his way on this, in every element of the production, for the control freak he is. Banishing "Union Jack" from the original program lineup because he "doesn't open up for any one." This comment was confirmed by numerous members of the company. He dictated everything, all the way down to the all-vegan menu for the supper ball. True egoism.
For the McCartney and Beatle groupies, they will see no wrong in this. For the A lusters who attended, they will not speak I'll of this work. But if you are true lover of City Ballet like me, you just shake your head at how bad it was.
There is a silver lining. The gala raised $4 million, compared to last Year's fall gala which raised 2.2 million. That's a nice hefty cut into the $6 million deficit.
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I think from this clip that the score sounds better than a lot of "serious contemporary classical" that's being commissioned these days. It also sounds to me like Sir Paul's been listening to a lot of neo-classical Stravinsky.
Sounds more like film music to me. Something like Jerry Goldsmith. Also, I am disappointed they have now dropped the performance of Union Jack from the Gala.
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How disappointing that Sara Mearns is not dancing Swan Lake. Hopefully she is not injured. I suspect that they are "saving" her for the Ocean's Kingdom run, where she has a lead role.
Yes, she is focusing on Ocean's. Will be nice to see Tess doing Odette/Odile.
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Casting is up for the first week of the fall season! I see David LaMarche of the ABT is doing some conducting.
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
CASTING SEPTEMBER 13 - 18, 2011
TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 13, 7:30 PM (Conductor: Karoui)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Bouder; SIEGFRIED: Veyette; , VON ROTBART: Evans+; QUEEN: Muller; JESTER: Ulbricht; BENNO: Huxley; PAS DE TROIS: Pereira, Scheller; PAS DE QUATRE: M. Fairchild, A. Stafford, T. Peck, De Luz; HUNGARIAN: Lowery, la Cour; RUSSIAN: Somogyi, Askegard; SPANISH: LeCrone, Hall, Krohn, Suozzi; NEAPOLITAN: Dronova, Carmena; PRINCESSES: King, Sell, Hankes, Brown, Pazcoguin, Bachman
WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 14, 7:30 PM (Conductor: LaMarche+)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Reichlen; SIEGFRIED: T. Angle; VON ROTBART: la Cour; QUEEN: *Anderson; JESTER: Hendrickson; BENNO: Carmena; PAS DE TROIS: *Pollack, Isaacs; PAS DE QUATRE: Laracey, Scheller, Pereira, Garcia; HUNGARIAN: Pazcoguin, Hall; RUSSIAN: Krohn, Ramasar; SPANISH: Lowery, Stanley, Hankes, Tworzyanski; NEAPOLITAN: Lovette, Peiffer; PRINCESSES: King, Muller, Mann, Collins, Adams, Bachman
THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 15, 7:30 PM (Conductor: LaMarche+)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Hyltin; SIEGFRIED: *J. Stafford; VON ROTBART: Evans+; QUEEN: Anderson; JESTER: Schumacher; BENNO: Tworzyanski; PAS DE TROIS: Laracey, King; PAS DE QUATRE: LeCrone, Lowery, Krohn, Finlay; HUNGARIAN: Gilliland, J. Peck; RUSSIAN: Taylor, la Cour; SPANISH: Smith, Applebaum, Muller, Scordato; NEAPOLITAN: Pereira, Villalobos; PRINCESSES: Pollack, Sell, Hankes, Brown, Pazcoguin, Bachman
FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 16, 8 PM
BALANCHINE BLACK & WHITE
EPISODES: A. Stafford, T. Angle, Reichlen, la Cour, Whelan, Marcovici, Mearns, J. Stafford [Karoui]
(intermission)
APOLLO: R. Fairchild**, Hyltin, T. Peck, Scheller [Karoui]
(intermission)
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS: Wellington, Tworzyanski, King, Peiffer, Laracey, Danchig-Waring, Garcia, Lowery, J. Angle, Ramasar, Bouder** [LaMarche+]
SATURDAY MATINEE, SEPTEMBER 17, 2 PM (Conductor: Karoui)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Bouder; SIEGFRIED: Veyette; VON ROTBART: Evans+; QUEEN: Muller; JESTER: Ulbricht; BENNO: Huxley; PAS DE TROIS: Pereira, Scheller; PAS DE QUATRE: M. Fairchild, A. Stafford, T. Peck, De Luz; HUNGARIAN: Lowery, la Cour; RUSSIAN: Somogyi, Askegard; SPANISH: LeCrone, Hall, Krohn, Suozzi; NEAPOLITAN: Dronova, Carmena; PRINCESSES: Pollack, Sell, Mann, Collins, Pazcoguin, Bachman
SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17, 8 PM (Conductor: Otranto)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Reichlen; SIEGFRIED: T. Angle; VON ROTBART: la Cour; QUEEN: Anderson; JESTER: Hendrickson; BENNO: Carmena; PAS DE TROIS: Pollack, Isaacs; PAS DE QUATRE: Laracey, Scheller, Pereira, Garcia; HUNGARIAN: Pazcoguin, Hall; RUSSIAN: Krohn, Ramasar; SPANISH: Lowery, Stanley, Hankes, Tworzyanski; NEAPOLITAN: Lovette, Peiffer; PRINCESSES: King, Muller, Mann, Brown, Adams, Bachman
SUNDAY MATINEE, SEPTEMBER 18, 3 PM (Conductor: Karoui)
SWAN LAKE
ODETTE/ODILE: Hyltin; SIEGFRIED: J. Stafford; VON ROTBART: Evans+; QUEEN: Anderson; JESTER: Schumacher; BENNO: Tworzyanski; PAS DE TROIS: Laracey, King; PAS DE QUATRE: LeCrone, Lowery, Krohn, Finlay; HUNGARIAN: Gilliland, J. Peck; RUSSIAN: Taylor, la Cour; SPANISH: Smith, Applebaum, Muller, Scordato; NEAPOLITAN: Pereira, Villalobos; PRINCESSES: Pollack, Sell, Hankes, Collins, Adams, Bachman
* First Time in Role
** NY Debut
+Guest Artist
PROGRAM AND CASTING SUBJECT TO CHANGE (8/31/11)
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Puppytreats,in answer to your request to share my thoughts on the development expenses, let me first share some guidelines from an expert. James Greenfield is one of the leading gurus on fundraising for nonprofits and he has established “Reasonable Cost Guidelines” for fundraising and development. I provide a summary of those below:
- Direct Mail Acquisition/Constituency Building: $1.25 to $1.50 to raise $1.00 (Plus a 1% rate of return on all lists used in the mailing)
- Direct Mail Renewal/Constituency Retention: 20 – 25 cents per $1 raised (Plus a 50% rate of renewal among donors of the previous year)
- Benefits and Special Events: 50 cents of gross proceeds per $1 raised
- Corporate and Foundation Solicitation: 20 cents per $1 raised
- Wills and Estate Planning: 25 cents per $1 raised
- Capital Campaign and Major Gifts: 5-10 cents per $1 raised
I think, based on those parameters, that NYCB is in a reasonable ratio of approx 20 percent of public support expenses to revenue raised. I say that assuming that the NYCB Development Department's staff (about 17 people) salaries and benefits are included in that expense line item in the financials. If it is not, then we have a completely different story.
- Direct Mail Acquisition/Constituency Building: $1.25 to $1.50 to raise $1.00 (Plus a 1% rate of return on all lists used in the mailing)
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Slant, do you know what kind of items fall within the term "production costs"? Does that include fees paid to composers and choreographers? Does that include scenic design expenses and costume design expenses? Since the Architecture of Dance festival was in Spring 2010, can we assume that part of the increased production costs of FY 2010 related to the preparation and execution of Calatrava designs that were part of a number of ballets during that festival? Can we assume that part of that sum relates to the elaborate costumes designed by Giles Mendel of J. Mendel for Call Me Ben, which was part of that festival?
Production costs include the items you cited: fees paid to composers and choreographers, scenic design expenses, lighting, stage management and costume design expenses. I think they also include the actual salaries of the dancers, ballet masters, orchestra, etc. These costs account for over 2/3 of the operating expenses.
The public support expense is typically expenses to promote, recruit and retain donors and governmental aid. This includes development and printing of promotional materials, professional expenses for the arrangement of complex donations (endowments, charitable remainder trusts, etc.), expenses for the recruitment of major donors, expenses related to special events and benefits that major donors receive (think patron lounge, socials after workshops, etc.). I am not sure if the Development Department staff salaries and benefits are part of this figure.
To put public support expense in perspective, NYCB spent $4.6 million in public support expense to generate $19.3 million in public support revenue. Contrast this to FY 2007, when the company had a deficit of just $900,000, public support expense was $5.6 million to generate $22 million in public support expense. I will let everyone judge on their own if they consider this ratio appropriate. I would also note that total public support is down 12 percent from 2007.
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As I noted earlier, revenue from performance tickets and fees are flat - not down - so I do not see how this is significantly contributing to the deficit. And from this past season, as an example, although I did not like the new Stroman work, it sold very well - based on my discussions with the company - above their average gate for performances.
So is new choreography contributing to the deficit? Let's look at the facts. Looking at FY '10 financials, you can see areas that have contributed to the deficit:
- Other revenue (besides tickets and performance fees): down $0.8 million
- Corporate donations: down $1.4 million (although individual donations went up)
- Investment income: down $0.4 million
- Ballet production costs: up $1.2 million
- Public support expense: up $0.6 million
These items chiefly contributed to the $3.7 million operating deficit in FY 2010, and probably will contribute to the expected $5 million deficit for FY '11. Those financials are not out yet, as the company is still being audited.
- Other revenue (besides tickets and performance fees): down $0.8 million
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I still have not seen proven in this discussion the linkage between new choreography and the deficit. I think we are grasping at straws. Performance ticket revenue and tour fees remained about the same from 2009 to 2010, but the deficit increased to $3 million.
I also should point out that the majority of performances in a year feature no new or recent choreography, so a subscriber or patron can easily find programs that feature the old chestnuts.
Maybe there have been some bad new ballets, but I don't think many of us end up "throwing the baby out with the bathwater." I saw ABT's rep program this spring, and although it was a mess, I am glad I saw it because it stretched and challenged my perspective on dance. It made you think and reflect. It broadened my vocabulary and dance experience. We should be open to new experiences, not closed to them. Our society is becoming too risk averse in general, looking for safe bets. Go out and live a little, which means accepting some disappointment along the way. And that applies in ballet too.
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Should also mention that Peter Martins recently named Justin as the resident choreographer of the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of NYC Ballet.
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Justin Peck, an emerging 23-year-old talent from New York City Ballet, will have the world premiere of his new ballet work "7 (For Seven)" at the 2011 Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival on next Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. If you are in the area, you should come and check out an evening featuring dancers from the NYC Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet.
As the newly named Resident Chorographer of the New York Choreographic Institute (an affiliate of the NYC Ballet), Justin has choreographed 5 ballets in his nascent career. His latest, a world premiere for the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival, came at the request of Benjamin Millepied, the festival's artistic director. The inspiration for the piece comes from the last three movements of Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Minor, opus 57, which provides a roller coaster of contrasts in style and mood. “It opens with a scherzo that is analogous to dumping a bucket of ice water onto the audience,” says Peck. The poignant, reflective intermezzo is then followed by the rousing allegretto finale. In choreographing his ballet for seven dancers, Peck stated that he wanted the ballet’s design to match the challenges of balance and texture inherent in the music.
Below is the link for more information:
http://www.nantucketatheneum.org/2011-dance-festival/program/program-notes/
Fourteen dancers from New York City Ballet will perform on the program: Tyler Angle, Chase Finlay, Amar Ramassar, Sterling Hyltin, Maria Kowroski, Ashley Laracey, Georgina Pazcoguin, Amar Ramasar, Teresa Reichlen, Ana Sophia Scheller, Troy Schumacher, Sean Suozzi and Daniel Ulbricht. Joining them will be Dorothee Gilbert and Allesio Carbone from the Paris Opera Ballet.
The Festival performances include:
Red Angels
Music: Maxwell’s Demon by Richard Einhorn
Choreography: Ulysses Dove
Premiere: May 19, 1994, The Diamond Project II, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater.
Dancers:
Tess Reichlen
Maria Kowroski
Tyler Angle
Amar Ramasar
Electric Violin
Cenovia Cummins
Interplay
Music: Interplay (Original title, American Concertette) (1945) by Morton Gould
Choreography: Jerome Robbins
Premiere: June 1, 1945, Billy Rose’s Concert Varieties, Ziegfield Theatre, New York
NYCB Premiere: December 23, 1952, City Center of Music and Drama.
Dancers:
Ashley Laracey
Troy Schumacher
Chase Finlay
Sterling Hyltin
Sean Suozzi
Daniel Ulbricht
Ana Sophia Scheller
Gina Pazcoguin
7 (For Seven): Nantucket Dance Festival World Premiere
Music: Piano in G Minor, opus 57 by Dimitri Shostakovich is performed by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc.
Choreography: Justin Peck
Dancers:
Chase Finlay
Sterling Hyltin
Ashley Laracey
Amar Ramasar
Tess Reichlen
Ana Sophia Scheller
Troy Schumacher
Quintet
Naho Parrini
Brooke Saulnier
Gillian Gallagher
Maria Jeffers
Katy Luo
Scarlatti-Pas de Deux
Music: Domenico Scarlatti
Choreography: Jose Martinez
Dancers:
Dorothée Gilbert
Alessio Carbone
Rubies
Music: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: George Balanchine
Premiere: April 13, 1967, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater.
Dancers:
Dorothée Gilbert
Alessio Carbone
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The corps looked particularly bad. They were so off that sometimes it looked like crazy modern choreography and timing. When two girls are supposed to grand jete together, and one is in the air while the other has yet to get off the ground, that's really jarring. Wait -- it was worse than that. One had completed the jete while the other had yet to get off the ground. That happened at least twice.
I agree. The performance of the corps was very poor tonight, and on most occasions undependable. This to me is a defining difference between City Ballet and ABT - the quality of the corps.
I hear Joaquin de Luz will be performing in Thursday's SL for Jose's retirement. Very neat!
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Maybe they could stream the season on internet or cable and offer a subscription. That is how sports teams make their money.
City Ballet is investigating Ballet in Cinema as such a vehicle for select performances.
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Here's a link to a NY Times article on the pricing issue:
I love how they called Fourth Ringers the "bleacher bums."
Anyhow, FYI, the percent of house sold for the 2010-2011 season was approximately 68%.
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...I am curious just how well the Balanchine black and white week sold--and whether it sold at retail indeed. I had also assumed that the reason NYCB is scheduling more full length works is that those are the top sellers even if they are not the works I (and many fans) most want to see them dance.
When I read on this board that it's Swan Lake that's selling fabulously at NYCB, I have to ask if the audience really IS what it WAS at NYCB not when it comes to this or that individual (I consider myself an 'old timer' as would many on this board), but on the level of numbers that make a real economic difference to their bottom line.
That sad, I think it is very unfortunate that the company has introduced such an abrupt change and caused such distress and anger; and it may not serve them well. I do think the issue is not profit, but sustainability on their current scale (size of company, length of seasons, range of repertory, production values, costs of State/Koch theater, pay-scale for dancers etc. etc. (I guess they might cut staff or staff pay w/o the audience noticing--much--but that's only a small percentage of costs). It has been a long time since this has been the City Center NYCB...but perhaps adjusting the scale would be a better solution than making it impossible for the less well-heeled to attend. It's hard for me to say since I don't know just how greatly it would have to be adjusted and I don't know what the contract issues are. And I remember the anguish when the company laid off a handful of dancers a few years ago.
I would mention that City Ballet is handling so many variables right now that can screw up their cost model.
For one thing, with the loss of City Opera at the Koch Theater, City Ballet is unsure of how much those costs may get shifted to them - and how many dates can be filled by other performing arts organizations to offset those costs. At least for this fall, the prospects are not good for filling dates that City Opera has vacated.
Second, even though they just completed contract negotiation with AGMA for the dancers, it is only for two years. In fact, they will have to commence negotiations for the new contract with the dancers once again in 2012.
All this fuels the uncertainty in their budgeting and forecasting. I would really like to know how many subscribers also are donors. Whether big or small, any contribution would be valued. It's usually the the 80/20 rule. If there were a broader base of donor support for NYCB, maybe they could strive for greater price stability in tickets.
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Let's see. Premium orchestra seats at the Met can go for more than $200-300 depending on location. Lower box seats at a Yankees game go for more than that. Top tickets to Wicked are over $300 at the box office. Other top broadway show orchestra seats run $150-175. So the most expensive ticket at City Ballet goes for $119 for a subscriber, or $149 for single sale. Considering all that, I feel City Ballet is a good investment for seeing a world-renown performing arts company.
I subscribe to the center orchestra and am willing to pay some more per ticket to ensure that this company remains viable. I know not everyone can afford the prices and people will have to make adjustments to how often they go.
It's a tough call but we will have to see the impact. I am sure the company will be watching it closely to determine the net effect. No one wants to play to a.smaller house
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Attended the world premiere of The Enormous Room by Justin Peck of the New York City Ballet. Performed at the Saratoga Arts Fest - June 10, 2011. It was a beautiful evening and was performed to a sold-out audience at the Skidmore Dance Theater. Featured Tess Reichlen, Ask La Cour and Sean Suozzi of the New York City ballet. Program also included Sean's solo of Mopey, and Tess and Ask dancing excerpts from Apollo.
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Here's a link to a NY Times article regarding NYCB's Chase Finlay and the amazing season he is having:
Amazing? In what way? The fact that he stumbled and nearly fell in several of the Apollo performances I saw (I saw three in addition to one private rehearsal)?
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Justin Peck, one of the new breed of young ballet choreographers and a members of the corps at New York City Ballet, will have the world premiere of his new work, The Enormous Room, at the Saratoga Arts Fest on Friday, June 10 at 7pm at the Skidmore College Dance Theater in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Below is the link for more information:
http://www.saratogaartsfest.org/event/shoevent.php?id=72
The Enormous Room, set to the music of Mendelssohn, will be performed by fellow New York City Ballet dancers Tess Reichlen, Sean Suozzi and Ask LaCour. The ballet represents the contrasting feeling of openness of Saratoga Springs as compared to the claustrophobic feeling of New York City, where New York City Ballet resides eleven months of the year. Returning to its summer home at Saratoga Performing Arts Center each summer is like a room welcoming the Company home.
If you are in the area or are looking to catch the latest work by this truly promising young choreographer, be sure to get your tickets. I'll be there.
Justin will also be premiering a new work in July at the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival, where Benjamin Millepied is the artistic director.
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"Who or what is responsible for the incredible quality of dancing." Well, the dancers concluding a successful but tedious contract negotiation right before the start of the season didn't hurt. It probably energized them some.
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So who caught Peter Martins' performance as Big Boss in Slaughter on Tenth Avennue Saturday night? Quite a surprise. I hope he died well.
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You think Finlay is being overworked? How about Justin Peck having featured roles in 8 different ballets this month, for a total of nearly 20 performances. This plus his additional corps work, plus his choreographic work on the side. He looks pretty fresh to me. I think Justin is the most solid, versatile performer in the corps. I think he has earned promotion to soloist.
Fall 2012 season
in New York City Ballet
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I will also add my two cents. Loved Justin's ballet, and on top of his "In Creases" this summer at Saratoga Springs, he is off to a great start! Can't wait for his next work! A very talented young man!