Josette

Oh no. He is such a wonderful dancer, with a plush, perfect technique, beautiful ports de bras, charismatic presence. One of my favorite male dancers and was a joy to watch every time he stepped on stage. This is hard to take - Pascal Molat, Joan Boada, and Gennadi Nedvigin all leaving. Sob. Atlanta Ballet should be thrilled to have him as director.

I am less than enthusiastic about the Ardani-sponsored groups at Segerstrom next season. We have had Les Ballets de Monte Carlo now every other season three times, and I thought Chore a waste of dancers' abilities. There was no intermission allowing escape. Same for Eifman; all the recent works we get from Eifman (every other season yet again) center on a self-referential creative genius and at least one person in a mental asylum; the choreography is leveraged lifts, unmusical, and lacks fluidity. Now it appears that Mikhailovsky Ballet will be coming every other season. I will look forward to seeing Edward Watson finally in person, and Shklyarov and Vogel - hopefully they will dance something worth their while. However, those Tour galas are usually jacked-up in price. I hope we get the new Ratmansky Golden Cockerel. They have to do a production to justify the ballet school. Where are San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Hamburg Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, which have been at Segersrom in seasons past? Sigh.

I saw Benjamin Pech's first Prodigal Son at the Palais Garnier, sitting in the front row strapontin (center seat that folds up to allow people to pass) and he was so wonderful and unforgettable.

In California's link to Segerstrom's season next year, it announces also that Wheedon's An American in Paris is part of Segerstrom's musical theatre season in spring of 2017, as part of a National tour.

A few years ago, I attended a performance of NYCB's smaller touring group at the performing arts center in Northridge, California, and its artistic director was sitting directly behind me in an aisle seat. At intermission, he and his wife came back to the seats behind me and I heard them discussing in detail some of the dancers' performances In less than compassionate or kind terms, including more critical clucking during the second half of the show while the dancing was going on. It was shocking to me. I wish they could have refrained from this type of discussion at and during the performance itself. I and my friend beside me knew one of the dancers on stage who was a beloved NYCB principal, though fortunately Martins and Kistler didn't mention her. AD's need to be careful and tactful in the public or semi-public forum.

I also love Steven McRae for all the reasons you all state here plus his seemingly boundless energy and joy in dancing.

I also saw Zahorian in Classical Symphony and vastly preferred her to the orignator of the role, who had done her usual " Look at me, I'm so cute" act which made it hard for me to watch. Zahorian made much more use of her upper body and with great speed and daring, than the upright-upper body of the first cast dancer. Zahorian stood out also in Winter Dreams because of the genuineness of her acting. She never mugs and bless her for that. She fascinates me technically because her body seems to adjust itself in pirouettes when it looks like her weight is back, and she just keeps on turning.

I am undone (in the best possible way) that Sylve is dancing Odette/Odile. I saw all three casts in Coppelia and was delighted with the way that Zahorian was actually skipping around and when exiting the stage. I found her enchanting. She is an honest dancer with no airs and no pretense and is very feminine. Chung was also remarkable as Swanhilda and it was her initial leading role in a full-length ballet. After seeing Chung's extraordinary Bayadere Kingdom of Shades last year, I am sure she would be an exquisite Odette/Odile. As for Onegin, the last pas de deux danced by Zahorian and Karapetyan had me and the two people sitting beside me (strangers) sobbing. I was devastated and I think it was a reaction to her initial calmness, as you say, accelerating into unfettered emotion. I have tickets for the last few Onegins and have my fingers crossed.

I am disappointed that Vanessa Zahorian is not dancing Odette/Odile this time around

Wow, Sofiane Sylve - I just checked for tickets but there are so few left. I want a full report from anyone who sees her.

That's five out of the ten performances. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuan Yuan Tan got opening night. I have an unfortunate feeling that the dancer I want to see is not cast this time.

I arrived on Thursday, all four shows I had tickets for were cancelled, and I am wondering if I would be able to get good seats in New York in July. My flight was practically free, I will get the cost of the ballet tickets reimbursed, and I just am so happy to have some quiet time away from work, that I have nothing honestly to complain about. I am sorry that the dancers did not get to finish out their run of performances here. Having lived and danced with ballet companies in Toronto and Montreal where snow storms are a part of life and everyone made it to rehearsals and performances, it didn't occur to me that this would happen, but different cities handle things differently. I do want to come back here another time for Kennedy Center ballet performances and to enjoy more of D.C. I am wondering whether NBoC will do The Winter's Tale next season in Canada or somewhere else, and will keep an eye out for next season's announcements at various venues.

I arrived on Thursday, all four shows I had tickets for were cancelled, and I am wondering if I would be able to get good seats in New York in July. My flight was practically free, I will get the cost of the ballet tickets reimbursed, and I just am so happy to have some quiet time away from work, that I have nothing honestly to complain about. I am sorry that the dancers did not get to finish out their run of performances here. Having lived and danced with ballet companies in Toronto and Montreal where snow storms are a part of life and everyone made it to rehearsals and performances, it didn't occur to me that this would happen, but different cities handle things differently. I do want to come back here another time for Kennedy Center ballet performances and to enjoy more of D.C. I am wondering whether NBoC will do The Winter's Tale next season in Canada or somewhere else, and will keep an eye out for next season's announcements at various venues.

I'm making the trek from California and will get to see all casts. I'm so excited!

Her Romeo is Vito Mazzeo, who danced as a guest artist Romeo with her last season in two performances.

I noticed last year that the divertissement dancers were on stage during the grand pas de deux so the change has been at least since last season. Did anyone see Sarah Lane?

Several of the SFB dancers have been guesting in other Nutcrackers - Sofiane Sylve & Tiit Helimets, Vanessa Zahorian & Anthony Vincent, Mathilde Froustey & Carlo di Lanno, Maria Kochetkova & Tiit Helimets, and Vanessa Zahorian & PNB's Seth Orza - and Sarah Van Patten is on maternity leave, so perhaps this has given more opportunities to others this Nutcracker season.

For the last few weeks, Goldstar has been listing tickets at reduced rates for the ABT Nutcracker (as well as some other Nutcrackers in Los Angeles).

I attended both Saturday performances: Bolyston and Sterns in the matinee, and Seo and Gomes in the evening. The Act 1 pas de deux started off well, with Sterns very princely and looking at Clara/Boylston with devoted attention. There was an awkward but quick mishap upstage where she was thrown into what seems to turn into a double assemble (sorry no accent on the e) but it came apart; the repeat of the step was an improvement. Then came the Act 2 pas de deux when, as California states above, Boylston's run into the big lift petered out and they did what they could to find a truncated position and carry on. Boylston registered disappointment which seemed to affect her concentration for the rest of the pas de deux, her variation, and coda, though the audience gave her a warm hand after her solo. She has a heavy way of moving and did not project energy upward through her back, torso, neck, and head. Things should improve for her second performance. Sterns remained unnerved by the mishaps and always generated warmth and affection for Boyston, which was lovely to see. The evening show with Seo and Gomes went very well, but had the extra excitement of Marcello Gomes's extraordinary save at the end of the coda in the second act pas de deux. From my angle in the front row, from supported pirouettes with Gomes behind Seo, Seo did not make it up to pointe and was on demi-pointe in no real position, was about to lose control and balance, and then Gomes spontaneously put both his hands on her waist, lifted her straight in the air up a few inches to get her completely upright and set her back on her feet. The entire episode could not have lasted more than two seconds. It was thrilling to watch and they both looked so happy to have had that moment together of avoiding a disaster. It never looked bad because Seo's line and legs are beautiful and she was always graceful. When watching the Russian dance, all I can think of are the Three Stooges. I am planning to see the Abrera-Hammoudi performance on Friday. Until then, there's a repeat of the Bolshoi Nutcracker in Laemmle theatres on Monday (tomorrow) and the Royal Ballet's production on Wednesday in various cinemas in Southern California.

I saw the opening night Nutcracker from the front row (took my Mom), and found it a total delight. From the outset all the performers were fully engaged in their roles and appeared to be having a good time, and this includes the marvelous children participating from the new William J. Gillespie School. The casting of Seth Koffler as the Nutcracker Boy and Justin Souriau-Levine as Fritz was spot-on. I have never enjoyed the ABT corps de ballet so much as last night in the Snow scene and Waltz of the Flowers; all the women looked beautiful and it was wonderful seeing them bending and swooping as if they were dancing an Ashton ballet with a lovely use of port de bras; and the Snow choreography was terrific. Gillian Murphy was, as ksk04 said, divine - a gorgeous, radiant presence with dancing that looked effortless. Her sustained attitude pirouette in the first act and the double en dedans pirouettes opening into arabesque in the second act were so sustained that they took my breath away. Her technical control is extraordinary and it does not look like she spent hours in the studio laboring - her dancing unfolds beautifully in front of you. She and Marcelo Gomes are such generous performers. Also loved Tom Forster in Arabian, Joseph Gorak's finesse in the tiniest of details as the Recruit Doll, Skyler Brandt's brilliance in Chinese, and I couldn't take my eyes off of Sarah Lane in the "Nutcracker's Sisters" choreography. If I had one concern, it's simply that I am used to seeing the Russians' choreography more in the Moiseyev bravura folk-dancing vein, but that's Ratmansky's choice and my expectation colliding and this is not a criticism. As performed on the opening night, it was altogether a wondrous evening with humanity and wit.

She looks so joyous - and she's wearing heels!

Thank you all for your advice on Kennedy Center seats.

That's pretty much true, vrsfanatic. There's no incline in the first several rows in the orchestra section so, depending on your height and whether you have someone tall sitting in front of you, you could lose part of the stage in those rows. However, my season tickets are in the second row and I rarely have this problem.

Can anyone tell me about sightlines at Kennedy Center? I want to purchase tickets to the National Ballet of Canada in January and would appreciate any advice about good and bad seats. Wishing everyone at Ballet Alert a happy Thanksgiving!

I recall two amazing Joan Boada performances: Kochetkova had to miss two Romeo and Juliet performances due to a neck issue, but performed the Sunday matinee. I was sitting in the front row, when, while her hair was being brushed in her first scene with her nurse, her face started to bleed just above her eye, she exited stage right, and the curtain came down for about a half hour and then the show continued. Kochetkova was obviously shaken and Boada gave her and the audience the most ardent, passionate Romeo performance I have yet seen, sweeping and supporting his Juliet through what was the last show of the season. The other performance where Boada memorably saved the day was Don Q, starting with Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan, but Karapetyan had to be replaced by Boada due to injury in the second and third acts, and Boada was a marvel both in his dancing and partnership with the stunning Zahorian. As for Pascal Molat, his Mercutio's death made me tear up, his Husband in The Concert made me laugh, his Prince Gremlin in Onegin had humanity - everything I saw him dance was memorable; he is a wonderful dance-actor. I am grateful that I was able to thank him personally on one occasion for his work. I hope to go to their tribute performance. The tribute performances have a focus and an atmosphere different from the regular season performances as there is an outpouring of love to the retiring dancers.