nanushka

These were exactly my impressions of her Balanchine one-O last year too. And I am all about long legs in SL — Veronika Part is my ideal. I really thought I'd love her but was sorely disappointed.

COMPLETELY agree. That's what matters to me too. That and musicality. I never count, just watch.

Thanks. Sterling seems to play her as a sort of debutante figure, which is totally a legit read on the role, and I suspect is the characterization Farrell initiated. But I suspect Tanny played her differently. I feel like Mearns could go either way. I thought she might be another who danced it. I'll be curious to see.

Does anyone currently dance the female lead in La Valse besides Sterling Hyltin? I notice on the current casting she's listed two nights in a row. Just curious. I've watched the Paris video a few times and feel like I might prefer to see someone else. Have never seen it live before, going later in the season.

There's a great long interview with Farrell on the NYPL podcast feed, some good time back I think. Very worth a listen.

Was she? Is this just based on the fact that she was being cast 3 times a week throughout several Met seasons? I never imagined that was because all the guys were clamoring to dance with her.

Well, I would imagine the opportunity to dance with some regularity at the Met in front of a very large audience and to cultivate a fan base in one of the dance capitals of the world does have some appeal. Though you're certainly right, it may not be enough to keep her here. (I, for one, would not be sad to see her give up the spot.)

Duo Concertant was not originally planned to be part of that program; they must have added it especially for him.

I'm disappointed as well. He's really matured as an artist in recent years. He was always exciting to watch, of course.

*2018

FWIW, Seo looked gorgeous in the second PDD this spring at the Met. I am not a particular fan of hers, but this role really suits her.

Whipped Cream sold extremely well. Given the challenges ABT has had filling (or even partly filling) the Met, I am not at all surprised they're bringing it back — particularly considering that they bring back almost everything for a second year at the Met, no matter how ill received. Opera — and the Met Opera especially — is not particularly comparable to the ABT situation, given that ABT's repertoire of full-length ballets (for better or worse, the bread and butter of the Met season) is very small in comparison.

Simkin's phrasing in his IG post doesn't sound promising for his continuing on with much of a substantial role at ABT. Makes me wonder what his real status will be.

Unlike those two, Harlequinade is to be a reconstruction, though. Rather a different sort of thing, and more comparable to others of his works.

Yeah, and if they do, maybe she'll kick Kevin in the shins. (Though I too would love to see her in those — especially Bayadère, since it's been a few years.)

Simkin "will retain his position at Ballet Theater [sic] but will be based in Berlin": https://nyti.ms/2xin6ek

This was very much my impression of her single-O in the Balanchine SL this past year. I went in with very high hopes and left underwhelmed.

Shhh, just don't tell Mr. Macaulay!

Boy, that didn't last long.

OMG their site is brilliant!

Thanks so much! I do remember that essay now, though only very vaguely. Will definitely go back to it.

Hah, yes another great one!

I'd be curious to read what exactly Croce says about this, and yes it sounds quite similar to some of the contemporary reaction Tchaikovsky received. Based only on your summary, I'm not sure I see her point. Is Tchaikovsky's music in this particular ballet on an artistic level that no choreography can possibly achieve? What does that say about the choreographic art in relation to musical art? And what about, for instance, Balanchine's choreography to other Tchaikovsky scores? What about Sleeping Beauty — which many believe to be a quite superior score? Do you know if her comments were in one of the collected reviews? Thanks in advance if you can provide a reference! I can't recommend highly enough Wiley's excellent Tchaikovsky's Ballets.

The opening chapters of Wharton's The Age of Innocence are a great illustration as well, with a performance of Faust at the old Academy of Music. There's a great line about the "exceptionally brilliant audience" — because that, of course, is what they're all really there to see!

Indeed, it is always useful to remember that the conventions of audience behavior/attention/etc. were very different in earlier eras, and that those differences had a significant impact on the expectations, choices and values of creators, artists and audiences. It's also important to keep in mind that what falls apart in the intense light of reflective scrutiny may in fact work much better in live performance. In Shakespeare, for example, there are narrative inconsistencies that become quite obvious when one is reading the plays and giving them academic-style analytical attention — but of course that's not what Shakespeare was writing for. He was writing for a live audience, and as long as it worked in the theatre, he likely didn't give a hoot what any subsequent quibbler might have to say. (Which isn't to suggest that Kathleen's points are those of a mere quibbler or that the problems she notes wouldn't be at all apparent in live performance — just extending the discussion one further step.)