cobweb

Week 5 casting is up. There is an (almost) all-new cast of Glass Pieces, debuting Ava Sautter and Aaron Sanz. Exciting for her! I just may have to see that...

Hello Little Ghost and welcome! I too enjoy Olivia Boisson, a dancer with elegance, polish, and maturity. I did not see the Garner piece, but I look forward to hearing any reports.

I was dragging my feet about going to this afternoon's matinee, as the only part of it I wanted to see was Symphony in C. I already saw this program twice in the past few weeks, but both times I saw Phelan and Knight in the 2nd movement, and I wanted to see Sara and Tyler after so many comments about them. So at the very last minute, Mr Cobweb and I decided to go for it and bolted out through the rain. Bourree Fantasque, despite some nice moments and lots of good dancing, just doesn't capture my interest. I know the Kikta-Takahashi pairing is meant to be a hoot, but you couldn't help but worry he wasn't strong enough to hold her up, or that she would crush him with her leg. Kudos to Gerrity and Bolden, Maxwell and Abreu, all looked good. After Steadfast Tin Soldier, Mr Cobweb said, "so far this program is all powdered sugar." He didn't feel much more positive after Errante (Tzigane) either, feeling that it was neither a serious effort at folk dancing, nor was it a sendup, a la Rondo alla zingarese in BSQ. Symphony in C redeemed the afternoon, in spades. Megan Fairchild looks astounding in the first movement. Peter Walker, in I believe his debut, could do more to project, and honestly I was paying more attention to others. McKenzie Bernardino Soares and Jules Mabie both looked sharp and elegant as the male demisoloists. Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle were sublime in the second movement -- spellbinding. So glad I came to see this. This whole movement is so full of beautiful, beautiful formations. The third movement comes on like a bolt of joy, and the whole piece thunders on from there, coming together like a river gaining force as it heads to a massive waterfall. Roman Mejia and Emma Von Enck looked great together in the third movement. And Alston Macgill and Aaron Sanz looked sharp in the 4th movement. I am thrilled to see Sanz back and dancing well, and Macgill has a charisma that just lights up the stage. This is such a great piece that shows off the depth of talent in the company. They are right to keep it in constant rotation!

That is a great idea. Are there no reports on last night's gala?

Welcome @SaraBW, and I greatly appreciate your thoughtful initial post on the NYCB forum! I look forward to your thoughts on Isabella Boylston, R&J, and anything else you happen to see.

Thanks for this report, Jacqueline! I also love the corps in the third movement. That is my favorite section of the whole ballet.

Would love to hear a report on Saturday's performances.

Just in from a mixed bag of a program. This was my second viewing of Bourree Fantasque. I can't warm up to it. There were some terrific performances -- Gerrity and Bolden, Nadon, E. Von Enck, all wonderful. But I find it a minor piece that has no real identity. I keep thinking there must be some theme that I'm missing. I wouldn't avoid seeing it again, as there is a lot of good dancing, but this will never be high on my list. Note about Bolden, he is dancing like a principal. So is E. Von Enck, but we already knew that. Then Steadfast Tin Soldier. Ulbricht gave it his all. I focused on him and that brought some interest. I have no idea what this piece is doing on this program. Errante. Nadon, wow. If ever there was a piece that absolutely requires the right dancer, this is it. I would like to see Mearns too. Symphony in C brought up the rear and ended the evening with a much-needed bang of brilliance. Thank goodness I'm not in charge of promotions because I would not have promoted Emilie Gerrity, but here she is all aglow and commanding. Chun Wai Chan is a star. Jules Mabie gave it his all as one of the demisoloists, looking elegant and absolutely committed. The first movement is one of my favorite Balanchine pieces, and this was a beautiful performance. Then came Unity and Alec Knight. I know that some others like them in this and I may be coming around to it. Mostly I enjoy the beauty of the formations onstage. I especially love the demisoloist couples here, like the flat-footed arabesques penchee near the end. Also the "swan lake moment" near the end when the three men emerge from the wings and "awaken" their women. After all this sobriety, the third movement comes in with a burst of joy. KJ Takahashi hangs in the air, presents himself with the utmost finesse, and is making a hard-to-resist case for himself as principal. Fourth movement, Alston Macgill has an irresistible energy and it's great to see Troy Schumacher back in form. It was great to see @Jacqueline at intermission. Enjoy your trip and let us know how you find DAAG and BSQ tomorrow!

Thank you @wallis! My goodness, why do they make it so hard to find the information that potential audiences want to know? Hopefully I will get to one or two of these performances! Seeing Ashton Roxander is at the top of my list, and I see he's doing Prodigal Son on Friday night, and Puck the Saturday matinee. Maybe an overnight trip...

Great question! Surely they must have someone else rehearsing it, they can't risk just having two women alternating. My guess would be Miriam Miller.

Thanks for the info, nanushka. I agree that the ballet is so rich and lush that it could only work with full orchestration. I find the quartet itself quite lovely though. But, if Balanchine wanted something large scale for the larger stage, and especially if Stravinsky recommended the Schoenberg orchestration, then it makes sense he went for the whole shebang.

Lovely matinee of DAAG--BSQ. Highlights were the men of DAAG, each of whom has his own special quality and star presence. I could easily feel I love Chun Wai Chan, Aaron Sanz, or Davide Riccardo the best -- but the truth is, whenever I see Anthony Huxley I just can't imagine ever seeing anyone better. For the women: Emilie Gerrity continues to have a wonderful season; after much skepticism on my part Olivia MacKinnon has won me over with her delightful expansiveness; Dominika Afanasenkov looks ready for more; and Indiana Woodward and Chun Wai Chan's pdd was beautifully moving. BSQ was chockablock with wonderful performances -- a spectacular Miriam Miller, also Alexa Maxwell, Nadon and Bolden, Mejia and Fairchild, and a surprisingly brilliant Unity Phelan rounding out the Rondo alla Zingarese. I've been listening to the original Brahms Quartet. Mr Cobweb has wondered why Balanchine felt the need to set this ballet to Schoenberg's orchestration, rather than the beautiful original quartet. If anyone knows if there's a story there, please share!

... still no casting for The Dream/Prodigal Son program? I see the ads constantly on Facebook.

Agree, Emma VE is an obvious choice. I'm also wondering why Joseph Gordon did not do DAAG, he has done it in the past and is wonderfully suited to it. He also did not do Liebeslieder Walzer in Winter. Both times, they debuted someone new.

So true. When I saw Ulbricht in Stars & Stripes in January, I thought he looked better than ever. Not only is his technique as good as ever, but his artistry and attention to detail, always excellent, have continued to develop. Never before did I particularly, specifically, notice a dancer's landings, but somehow his landings in the men's campaign gave me a thrilling jolt. I can still picture those landings! And more recently, in Steadfast Tin Soldier, he brought great seriousness of purpose to the soldier's woodenness and inner psychology. In my mind this is a slender and painfully precious piece, but Ulbricht elevated it as much as could possibly be.

LeCrone appears to be out so far, and I think she didn’t dance in the Winter season either. Ditto Brittany Pollack. No sign of Ashley Laracey so far this season either. I see Bouder and Veyette joined in 2000, Ulbricht in 2001, Laracey in 2003. Along with Fairchild and LeCrone, they are the company’s longest term veterans. Most of them continue to dance extremely well.

Thank you @bellawood. I had not heard that phrase before. I always learn something new here! Completely agree today's DAAG cast was way more successful than last night. Gerrity was a huge improvement over Unity in the mauve role. Gerrity is more natural and much more open and easy to read, whereas Unity was kind of a blank. Gerrity looks very good so far this season. Olivia MacKinnon was delightful in yellow, Dominika Afanasenkov had a very successful debut in blue, and Indiana Woodward was wonderful in apricot. (No noticeable sign of injury -- no idea what's keeping her out of her other roles.) The men were stellar. Anthony Huxley's clarity and purity are always thrilling. Aaron Sanz may not be completely at full form after being out for so long, but his dancing has a unique quality that is all his own, and I pray he stays healthy and we see a lot more of him. Davide Riccardo and Chun Wai Chan also have their own special and unique qualities and star presence, and really all the men were beautiful. A few words about Victor Abreu. He is a delight. He is bursting with energy, personality, and pizzaz. He could use a more elegant line, and he had even more trouble than Andres Zuniga did last night with that tricky lift where he pulls the Yellow girl off the floor and gets her up over the back of his neck. However, he has a ton of potential and I look forward to seeing more of him. The "three men tossing three women" went off well, a relief after last night. The audience seemed very appreciative of this piece. I realize I haven't mentioned Ashley Bouder. Yes, she looks heavy, and while she had some nice buoyancy and spring in her step, overall she did not look ready to be onstage. Unity surprised me in the Rondo alla Zingarese, with more energy and brilliance than I expected. Miriam Miller was huge and beautiful as the tall soloist in the first movement. Alexa Maxwell, debuting in the principal role in the first movement, was in command of the stage. I like BSQ a lot. The music is beautiful, the costumes are dreamy, the atmosphere is so so lush, and the constantly-shifting shapes onstage are mesmerizing.

Hi Bellwood, think you had a typo here but curious about what you meant. I also agree overall DAAG looked sloppy.

After seeing BSQ again and refreshing my memory of the various sections, I have to say that I simply cannot see Unity Phelan in the 4th movement. It's like when they cast her in MacDonald of Sleat -- to me these roles call for someone with a dynamic presence and a forceful physique, whereas Unity comes across (to me anyway) as flimsy and insubstantial. Great in some roles, but not really dynamic ones like Rondo alla Zingarese or MacDonald of Sleat, which call for all-out energy and impact. But, I'm thrilled that Alexa Maxwell is debuting the first movement!

Yes, that confused me. I was sure I remembered Maria Kowroski doing that role, and yet I KNEW she could not be one of the "tossed" women who are all on the smaller side.

I was also at last night's program of Dances at a Gathering and Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. I have been a big fan of DAAG, but this performance didn't cast the usual magical spell. There were some fine performances, and it was especially wonderful to see Alston Macgill with so much confidence and presence. On the down side, Andres Zuniga dances with brightness and freshness, but the intricate lifts with Megan Fairchild needed more finesse. I feel Unity Phelan is totally miscast in this role. My partner kept asking me why she looked like the "odd woman out," he felt it had to do with her body type but couldn't really articulate how. For me, she didn't get the relaxed, casual idiom, and at times with a beautiful arabesque and rippling arms, looked like she was in a full-on classical piece like Swan Lake. She also looked more mature and way more reserved than her fellow free spirits. Then there was the massive blooper at the end of "three men tossing three women." Somewhere between Adrian Danchig-Waring moving Megan Fairchild on over to Tyler Angle, something went very wrong, and Tyler just kind of took a few steps and handed her over to Harrison Coll who somehow contrived to maneuver her semi-upside-down. The audience groaned, and the sublime moment was totally smooshed. (My partner felt they covered it over well, and humorously imagined what could have happened if Megan had stamped her foot in anger or the men confronted each other about who was at fault. He felt the publicity could be good for the company, imagining a headline such as: "Brawl Breaks Out Onstage During Performance of Robbins' Paean to the Peace-Loving Sixties." LOL. ) I had the same question as @matilda about the Green Girl. Does she only appear in one section, aside from the finale? The fact that this is the one role Bouder appears to be doing this season, suggests to me that her technique may not be fully back where it should be, but we shall see! Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet is so rich and lush in every way that it's overwhelming. Costumes, drapery, atmospheric lighting, a multitude of women in tulle and men in ribbons forming and re-forming all over the stage. Wow. Big big thumbs up from me and Mr Cobweb. In the first section, Emilie Gerrity looked as good as I've ever seen her. Beautiful and grand. Taylor Stanley, not so much. Lacking in presence and unable to get around a clean double tour. What is going on with the normally magnetic dancer? Presumably just an off night. The tall soloist, Emily Kikta, was dazzling. She has an intelligence and intrigue that few other dancers have. She dances so large the stage hardly seems big enough for her. In the second movement, Intermezzo, Preston Chamblee looked great. He's a big guy, but never before have I seen him dance as fully large as he can be, fierce and full of gusto. In the third movement, Andante, Emma Von Enck and Anthony Huxley dazzled. Great to see both of them. Finally, Rondo alla Zingarese, and wowza. Sara Mearns blazing forth in all her Sara-ness, and Andrew Veyette keeping up the pace and making me wistful picturing the company without him. He has been a stalwart for so long. On the other hand, I was noticing the corps guys lined up behind him and several (really, all of them!) appear noticeably taller than Veyette. That bodes well for the tall women in the company! All in all, wonderful BSQ. On a minor note, can anyone help me out in my efforts to distinguish the younger corps guys from one another? Is it just me, or do Charlie Klesa and Owen Flacke look a lot alike? Which one is taller? And how about Noah McAuslin? I wish they would get those photos up on the website sooner.

Unlike others here, I didn't love this program. It really dragged for me, until Symphony in C came along with a thrilling jolt. This was my first time seeing Bourree Fantasque. I could see it again and enjoy it, although I suspect it would wear thin quickly. I'm not sure why this was chosen for such a major revival. Highlights were Nadon of course, and Gilbert Bolden who dances with confidence and authority. Even with top-notch principals like Megan Fairchild and Daniel Ulbricht, Steadfast Tin Soldier felt painfully precious. (And I speak as someone who absolutely loves Nutcracker.) Errante (or Tzigane -- I agree it should have been given a more distinctive new name) is a spectacular vehicle for Mira Nadon. They must have someone else rehearsing it; the obvious, and only, other dancer I can think of here would be Sara Mearns. It was *great* to see Aaron Sanz back dancing again! It's been way way too long. Symphony in C. Good all around. Gerrity didn't bring the kind of expansive grandeur I would have expected from LaFreniere, but she was fine. Olivia MacKinnon looked good as one of the first-movement demisoloists. Phelan and Knight were kind of bland, but I just loved watching the patterns form and re-form around the stage. Beautiful. In the third movement Baily Jones looked good, but KJ Takahashi looked really, really good. He presents himself so well - with grandeur and confidence. Even his hair looks perfectly in place, whereas some of the other men let their hair get sloppy. Takahashi takes care to make a very good impression. Finally, Alston Macgill looked good in the 4th movement and Troy Schumacher is back after what seems like a long absence. (Speaking of which, that made me wonder, is Laracey on the casting sheets so far?) I would like to see the Kikta/Takahashi Bourree Fantasque, so I may see this program again. Maybe.

Yes, it’s a short Lyft ride. I also wanted to mention that there are some very inexpensive bus options (megabus, Peter Pan/greyhound) for travel between NY and Philly. It tends to take a little longer than the train and is prone to getting caught up in traffic. But if you leave yourself ample time to account for that, you can save a bundle over Amtrak.

I totally agree, and also agree with the comments above about Philadelphia Ballet. I don't have a subscription (yet), but I definitely plan on seeing a couple of programs next year. It is an easy trip from NY, Philly is a very fun place to be for the arts lover, and when I saw the company last month they looked great.

I see casting for the first two weeks has been updated yesterday. LaFreniere is out for the first two weeks. That is very disappointing, as I thought the first movement of Symphony in C suited her particularly well. On the positive side, the replacements are Nadon in DAAG and Maxwell in the first movement of Brahms-Schoenberg. No complaints there! Week 3 casting is up as well. Lots of debuts. It's great to see so many opportunities for Alston Macgill, and also that David Gabriel is expected back. Unfortunately, the programming is so dull that I may miss this entire week.