Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

cobweb

Senior Member
  • Posts

    1,826
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by cobweb

  1. 1 hour ago, miliosr said:

    I can't picture Jarod Curley or Jake Roxander leaving now when the great prize is in sight. Herman Cornejo is over 40 and is winding down in terms of active repertory. Roxander will fill that slot. Thomas Forster, Cory Stearns and James Whiteside are all nearing 40 and the latter two have been plagued by injuries. Curley will fill one of those slots.

    I like your way of thinking, miliosr! I would love to see this happen, and sooner rather than later. 

  2. 1 hour ago, matilda said:

    Seems like by US standards, ABT is still probably the best, or at least one of the best, one can do outside of NYCB and without going to Europe.

    Some of the more talented young ones might have options in Europe and find that appealing. And what about National Ballet of Canada? I can see where Aran Bell might not want to leave a company where he's already a principal, but for someone still up and coming like Roxander or Curley, they must at least be looking around at the other options. 

  3. Back from a very fun arts weekend in Philadelphia, where I saw the Saturday evening performance of the "Dance Masterpieces" program -- The River, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, and In the Upper Room. I had never seen either of the first two pieces before, and had barely seen the company before, so my comments are very general. Overall, IMO the company looks great. The level of dancing is very high and everything looked highly polished and well rehearsed. The roster of talent looks impressively deep, and notably, Corella seems to have assembled, or trained, a large contingent of powerful, athletic male dancers. I loved The River, but had mixed feelings about the Forsythe piece. I might have enjoyed it more had it not been quite as loud -- I saw a couple of people around me plugging their ears, it was so loud. I find In the Upper Room a real joy. After seeing the Tharp staging a year and a half ago at City Center, I was worried I would never be able to enjoy it again since seemingly those performances can never be equalled. Happily, that was not the case, and I succumbed to the exhilaration of the piece. I'll hold off on making comments about particular dancers until I know the company better, the exception being that I was on the lookout for Ashton Roxander, being curious about Jake's brother. Ashton is a beautiful dancer with an intriguing, compelling stage presence. I may make the trip to see The Dream next month just to see him (honestly I would be glad to see him in anything)! And I definitely envision a trip, or two, to see next year's programming. With Philadelphia Ballet looking so good, with ABT at a low ebb, and with Philly being so close to NY and such an attractive place to visit for the arts lover, Corella has an opportunity to grow the audience. 

  4. Just in from the Dance Masterpieces program. I will write more when I get back to NY on Monday and can type on an actual keyboard instead of my phone, but for now I’ll just say that this was a terrific program, the company looks great, and I will be back for more! And I fell in love with Ashton Roxander. What a beautiful, thrilling dancer. 

  5. Thank you for that tip about checking the casting sheet, @wallis! I am excited to be going tonight. OT, my partner and I are spending an arts-filled weekend in Philadelphia, and last night saw The Lehman Trilogy at the Arden Theatre. (We missed this when it was in NY.) What an inspired work of art the play is! We greatly enjoyed the production and the performance… highly recommend!

  6. 33 minutes ago, Le Bateleur said:

    Tiler Peck, Joseph Gordon, and Samuel Melnikov have all been subbed out for other dancers in the most recent update.

    Unfortunate! ... but at the same time, there are lots of great dancers who could be stellar replacements. Please keep us up to date if you see the performances. 

  7. 55 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

    I saw their SL back then as well (2018) and was extremely impressed with the swans! I pulled out my program and in my notes I wrote that they were my favorite part of the performance. Impeccably rehearsed and very much in sync with tight formations.

    What I particularly noticed at the time, and still treasure, was their firmly committed downcast eyes. All too often in Swan Lake (looking at you, ABT!), the swans let their eyes wander. It is more noticeable than they may think. The Pennsylvania Ballet swans kept their eyes definitely downcast, greatly enhancing the mood and impression of the performance. 

  8. Thank you very much @wallis and @theo. That was very helpful. I got tickets on the aisle in the rear parquet. Looking forward to it! It's great to hear their Giselle was a success. I have not seen Nayara Lopes, but the one time I saw the company before, I too was favorably impressed with the corps de ballet. This was several years ago (2018 maybe?), when I went in for a day trip and caught two the matinee and evening performances of Swan Lake. I recall being very favorably impressed with the impeccable swans!!

  9. On 3/8/2024 at 8:58 AM, KikiRVA said:

     

    I’m so happy to see that Emily Kikta is all over the schedules for London and Chicago.  It was great to see her back last weekend and glad it wasn’t a fluke!

     

    Looking at the Chicago casting, I see they are doing Serenade. Why isn’t Kikta doing the Dark Angel? Such an obvious fit for her!

  10. 6 minutes ago, matilda said:

    Here is proof that it's Unity: https://www.nycballet.com/discover/special-projects/slowdancing-nycb

    First slideshow under "stills" header at bottom, 6th image.

    GEORGE BALANCHINE
    LA SONNAMBULA (1946)
    Unity Phelan, David Gabriel

    So it is, alas! I loved @deanofdance's suggestion that it was Ava Sautter! (And she would make a lot more sense in the role than my guess of Nieve Corrigan.) Imagine, La Sonnambula with Ava Sautter and David Gabriel? I'm there!!

    Interesting to go through the slides. As much as I've been at the theatre, I've somehow missed seeing a lot of these, while seeing some of the others multiple times. Looks like maybe we will be seeing Dominika Afanasenkov in Dances at a Gathering. 

  11. 2 minutes ago, matilda said:

    I am 100% confident it is Unity in the giant Sonnambula video. I saw her in the ballet twice and follow her on Instagram, and that is exactly what she looks like in closeup with her hair down. 

    Okay, thanks matilda. Something about the cheekbones doesn't look right to me, but I see I'm outvoted!

  12. To answer @vipa above, as far as I know, none of the following have danced this season: LeCrone, Pollack, Applebaum, or Schumacher. Neither has Aaron Sanz, although he was scheduled several times. Bouder definitely not. I would add Alston Macgill to the list of possible promotees. Also of interest, when I was chatting with @Jacqueline at intermission yesterday we scrutinized the giant slow-motion video of La Sonnambula. While I know some think it's Unity Phelan in the video, I remain unconvinced. Could it be Nieve Corrigan? However, it's definitely David Gabriel as the Poet! He would be a great choice to follow in Harrison Ball's illustrious footsteps in this role. Hope we get to see it!

    I was at today's matinee, the season closer. (Left before Carnival of the Animals again.) I love love love Stars & Stripes. What a jolt of joy! Mira Nadon and Roman Mejia were thrilling to watch. Nadon especially -- wow. I have seen many dancers and many performances that I absolutely loved, so I say this knowing I'm caught up in the flush of the moment, but Nadon's performance today was one of my favorites ever. Not only is she stunningly beautiful, and have a beautiful technique, she relates to the audience with depth and warmth. She appears open, generous, and very present with us. You get the feeling you could reach right out and touch her. What a rare gift. She totally threw herself into the role, seeming to relish every goofy moment of it. Thanks Mira!!

    Daniel Ulbricht was again incredible. Something about his landings gives me a thrilling jolt, in how sudden and clean they are. Like he's turning in the air, then suddenly on the ground again, calm as can be. The men's regiment has one member who seems to be seriously flagging by the end of their campaign. In all 3 performances I've seen, he fails to get around his double tours near the end, and today I think he was even turning a different direction from the other guys. It distracted from the overall thrill of this section. 

    In Tarantella, Sebastian Villarini-Velez could not have thrown himself into the role with any more gusto and energy. Erica Pereira played up the humor and charm, in one of the best performances I've seen from her in forever. 

    Tchaikovsky pas de deux. Indiana Woodward brings such richly detailed preparation to everything she does. Totally in command of every flourish. She was beautiful. For Anthony Huxley, while his elegance and clarity are supreme, he's not a showman, and for that reason I don't think this role completely suits him. I wish he would keep his smile on more. I don't know if he realizes how beautiful his smile it, and how much it lights up the entire hall. 

     

  13. Agree also about Mearns in the "faded swan" section of Carnival of the Animals. As soon as she walks onstage, you can tell she's special. Her presence is so compelling, and the smallest gestures speak volumes about the character's inner world. 

  14. I would love to hear reports from tonight's performance. Woodward and Huxley are debuting in Tchaikovsky pas de deux, which seems like an A+ pairing. Also, how are Joseph Gordon and Megan Fairchild in Stars & Stripes? Last night these two consistently stellar performers gave a low-energy, sub-par performance. I'm betting they bounce back tonight. 

  15. A quick note on the matinee. Stars & Stripes was way better than it was last night. Sara Adams was a huge improvement over Erica Pereira (although I'd still love to see someone like Alston Macgill lead this campaign), and Emily Kikta brought her towering domination. It was fun to see her on pointe, standing a whole head taller than Daniel Ulbricht! And Ulbricht was amazing. Dancing at what looks like a new peak. Landings so clean it has to be seen to be believed. Mira Nadon and Roman Mejia were wonderful as Liberty Bell and El Capitan. Nadon is beautiful in that teal-colored bodice with the yellow tutu, gold trim and tassels, and little feather. She danced with spirit and confidence, and leaned into the goofy aspects of the role. Fun all around. 

    Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Erica Pereira delivered an enjoyable, if not particularly outstanding, Tarantella. He went heavy on the personality and charm, and she had more energy than usual. Not great, but not bad. 

    After reading the comments of the respected @deanofdance about Unity Phelan in last night's Tchaikovsky pas de deux, I went in trying to see if I could find more to value in her performance. In the adagio section she looks beautiful. In the coda, however, I find her lacking in attack. She seems to be just keeping up with the music, and not on top of it at all, so that rather than shape any phrasing, everything is flat as she plows along. I don't find this a suitable role for her talents. 

    I left before Carnival of the Animals. 

  16. Tonight was the first performance of the Stars & Stripes-Tarantella-Tchaikovsky pas de deux-Carnival of the Animals program. A mixed bag. 

    The highlight by far was the sizzling Tarantella with Emma Von Enck and Daniel Ulbricht. Both of these dancers blazed with personality and technical wizardry. Ulbricht knows how to amaze and delight the audience and Von Enck is a charmer. A total win. 

    Tchaikovsky pas de deux, not so much. It was one of Roman Mejia's sloppier nights, strong on elevation and such, but very loose on form or elegant classicism. And Unity Phelan is all wrong for this role. She simply lacks the attack, speed, and musical precision for it.  

    Moving on to Stars & Stripes, I love this ballet. Full of humor and fun, it also shows Balanchine's genius for moving groups around the stage, not to mention creating a large-scale piece with variety, interest, and overall coherence. However, this was not the sharpest performance I've ever seen. Erica Pereira should not be leading the first campaign, she looks tired and wan compared to the vigorous young ladies backing her up. (I kept thinking, put Olivia Bell or Alston Macgill up there in front!!) Ashley Hod (replacing Olivia MacKinnon in the second campaign) was much stronger, but didn't have either the wit or towering domination that I'm used to seeing from Emily Kikta in this role. I have a feeling MacKinnon would have had a lighter touch. The men's campaign is my favorite section, and Takahashi looked good, but some of the guys backing him up did not have the stamina required and were failing to make it around their double tours at the end. In the pas de deux, Megan Fairchild and Joseph Gordon delivered a more wan performance than I would have expected, for sure. I hope they can shape up this entire piece for the remaining performances!

    I had never seen Carnival of the Animals and wasn't sure I would like it. My partner, who has very fond memories of the music from childhood, loved it. I found it engaging to see once, but that's about it. Not enough dancing for me. 

    I look forward to the matinee. Nadon and Mejia in Stars & Stripes... that should be interesting!!

  17. Thanks for that detailed and fascinating chart, @pirouette. It's depressing to see Emily Kikta so far down those lists!! Emma Von Enck is at or near the top of all three lists, and I think we all agree her promotion is a no-brainer. Alexa Maxwell is also near the top of all three categories, as well she should be, so while I don't know if they would promote two short-ish women at the same time, it looks like that is coming too. David Gabriel and Alec Knight to soloist also seem likely, maybe they would give Gabriel a little more time though. 

  18. Totally agree about Emma Von Enck and David Gabriel in Ballo della Regina last night. Could not be more joyful and delightful. She radiates and sparkles out to the rafters. He looked amazing, very elegant, technically strong, and confident. Great to see!! Mary Thomas MacKinnon made a great impression as one of the soloists, very impactful and strong presence. For other women in the principal role, I'd love to see Alexa Maxwell and maybe Olivia MacKinnon (assuming she can bring her best, buoyant self). 

    This was my first time seeing In a Landscape, and I hope it will be my last. For me, this was major dullsville. Alec Knight continues to have a very good season, and I'm sure Afanasenkov was fine (I've liked her a lot in other roles), but my attention drifted off. 

    I don't love Hallelujah Junction either, but at least it has a lot of very dynamic dancing. Great vehicle for a stellar KJ Takahashi, and the soloist couples all looked strong, including, once again, Mary Thomas MacKinnon. 

    Like @matilda, I probably don't need to see The Concert very often anytime soon. But this was a great opportunity for Alexa Maxwell. Indeed, why have we not seen her acting chops before?? She was just great, vivid, dramatic, and humorous. I see her in some of the Lauren Lovette rep. I recall when Lovette did the Costermonger pas de deux, bringing her goofy humor and breathing new life into this hackneyed section. I could see Maxwell doing the same. (Of course, I always love an excuse to bring back Union Jack!) David Gabriel subbed for Spartak Hoxha as the "yellow sweater" guy. After his very elegant and confident turn in Ballo della Regina, it was surprising and fun to see him as a super-nerdy guy, but he seemed to relish the change. 

     

  19. My partner and I are contemplating making the pilgrimage to Vail International Festival of Dance this summer... inspired by others' trips and glowing reports. But as I consider it, I have some questions, that I wonder if others who have been there can weigh in on. 

    1. Altitude. Neither my partner nor I has any experience at elevations like this. How likely is it that we will get there for an expensive vacation and find ourselves headachey and too sick to go out for days? 

    2. Lodgings. We are looking at a short-term rental. Besides Vail itself, what towns are nearby and close enough for a quick drive to the theatre? Is there anything in particular, for this event, that I should be looking for in an airbnb?

    3. Tickets. I see they offer the all-lawn pass. Is it worth upgrading for some performances, such as the International Evenings of Dance? What is the view like from the lawn, especially when the performance starts when it's still light, before sundown? 

    4. Getting there. I hear the drive from Denver is both long and congested. How should I weigh the extra expense of making a flight connection and arriving at the smaller airport close to Vail (Eagle County)? 

    5. Anything else? 

    Thanks all!

×
×
  • Create New...