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cobweb

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Everything posted by cobweb

  1. I was also at yesterday's matinee (Opus 19 /The Dreamer-Solitude-Symphony in 3). I found Solitude extremely moving and the dancers clearly love it, it was a very heartfelt performance. I am not sure it's a masterpiece, only time will tell, but it is obviously the work of a sophisticated choreographer who has ideas and knows how to put them into motion. It is great to see how much attention this piece is getting, like seeing Ratmansky interviewed by Christiane Amanpour! I enjoyed Alexa Maxwell in Opus 19 /The Dreamer. She has a very compelling, dramatic presence and conveys intense commitment to what she is doing. Anthony Huxley was beautiful, but inscrutable (arguably, that's what the role is supposed to be? not sure). I don't mind seeing this a few more times. But Mr. cobweb, a retired musician, felt that Robbins badly misunderstood the music and that the choreography was trite. It was fun to see Symphony in 3 Movements, seems like it's been quite awhile since I saw this. Both David Gabriel and Jules Mabie looked good in their big new roles, but Gabriel especially looked confident as could be. I can't wait to see him in Ballo della Regina!
  2. I wish we could see Maxwell lead the Stars & Stripes regiment with the baton. But the casting's out already so that ship has sailed.
  3. I see it's a new cast for Tiler Peck's new piece tonight, or new principals anyway. Would love to hear reports on Miriam Miller and Gilbert Bolden. I don't know if I've ever seen them together, but I imagine that would be a dynamite duo. Reports please! I salute you, meunier fan!!
  4. Yes, and I think she may have been an apprentice at the time! I would love to see her do that role again.
  5. I wonder, are Knight and Mabie tall enough to partner Kikta and Miller? I assume that Gilbert Bolden is. It’s a real shame that the very tall Aaron Sanz has been out so much.
  6. I’m also baffled about the Kikta underuse. It’s a loss to the audience. As for soloist retirements, Pereira should head up that list. Also maybe Sara Adams? Not sure what’s up with Brittany Pollack but she hasn’t danced much for a few years now. I don’t think LeCrone has been dancing this season but if she’s in good form, there are still some roles she covers well (Dark Angel for instance) so she may still have value to the company.
  7. Yes, I was only considering the women. I certainly agree that Jules Mabie looked wonderful in 4T's, and David Gabriel generally although I haven't seen him in anything featured this season. As to what roles additional for the women, not sure about that, but agree with your idea about a variety of Balanchine and Robbins leading roles.
  8. Thinking about who of the women might be promoted to soloist, to me right now there are several strong contenders, but maybe none yet a slam-dunk (it's not like the situation when Maxwell and Kikta languished forever in the corps). India Bradley -- is getting lots of opportunities and seems to be favored by management so I wouldn't be surprised if she's promoted, but I don't see it yet. While her flexibility and lanky physique are beautiful, I find it sometimes makes her seem insubstantial. Seeing her in the same role (one of Melancholic's two sidekicks) recently as Mary Thomas MacKinnon and Alston Macgill, I found them more fierce and impactful, not to mention having better form, than Bradley. I feel that Bradley's physique and strengths are more suited to roles requiring delicacy, such as when she did the pas de trois in Emeralds, a role I liked her in. But her elegance and artistry need work. Dominika Afanasenkov -- another obvious candidate, who has done very well in all the opportunities given to her, but maybe could be tested in a broader range of roles before promotion. Ava Sautter -- similar situation to Afanasenkov, she blew "In a Landscape" out of the park and seems to have huge potential, but needs more testing in big roles. Mary Thomas MacKinnon -- someone I've found very interesting and compelling, again not quite sure she's ready. Mind you, no complaints from me if any of these ladies gets the nod! Alston Macgill -- great to see her looking so strong. She got big (huge) opportunities right when she joined the company and did very well. I don't recall what role it was, but I remember thinking at one point that she held the stage against a cast of dancers far more experienced, august, not to mention much taller, than she was! If she keeps looking as good as she does now, she also is an obvious candidate for soloist, and a good size to pair with Takahashi and the apparently up-and-coming David Gabriel. That's my assessment, did I leave anyone out?
  9. Just hearing that frothy music makes me wish I could see this again and again! I only wish it was on the program with some pieces I wanted more to see. I will probably only get to the show with Von Enck, but hopefully they will keep this in rotation for next season.
  10. What a lovely performance of the Four Temperaments-Liebeslieder Walzer program. As with last night, this week's casts make a whole different impression from last week's casting of the same program. Last night Jules Mabie captivated me as Melancholic, and I was wishing to see him again. As soon as Anthony Huxley walked onto the stage, that feeling vanished. Instead I had the experience I've often had -- while I might love someone in a role, when I see Huxley do the same role it's as if the scales fell from my eyes, or some objet d'art was dusted and is now sparkling -- when Huxley dances it is so clear and pristine that everyone else looks dull and smudged. Alston Macgill again danced with ferocity and gusto, you go girl!! Davide Riccardo gave an even more riveting Phlegmatic than he did last night. He was going full force, hitting everything with authority and clarity. As he's made his way into bigger roles I've sometimes found him lacking in confidence or impact, but not so here. Great to see. Mira Nadon's Choleric again like a bolt of lightning. Overall a thrilling Four Temperaments. Liebeslieder Walzer. I hope they bring this back soon (in the fall would be great!), but next time better singers please. To go through the cast of women: best prepared, most thought-through and richly detailed performance: Indiana Woodward. She is a gem. She does have a significant height differential with Preston Chamblee, but despite that it totally worked for me, I found them wonderful together. Most naturally suited to this ballet: Ashley Laracey. The tilt of her chin, flutter of her eyelashes, and flick of her wrist radiate throughout the theater. She and Andrew Veyette have no doubt known each other since they were teenagers, and they give a sense of old colleagues and veterans dancing roles that show each at their very very best: she in poetry and delicacy, he in protective partnering. Most dynamic and dramatic presence: Sara Mearns, no doubt!! I've already commented on the handsomeness that she and Chun Wai Chan have together, all I can say is tonight was another transporting experience, with Sara's soaring arabesque and piques like a hurricane blowing through the theater. Finally we come to Isabella LaFreniere. With her innate grandeur, incredible smile and physique, and touching vulnerability, my heart is always touched by her. Despite some very dubious performances (as mentioned by @meunier fanearlier today), I just love her. I have many criticisms, but I won't even go into that right now. All I can say is I'm a fan, waiting for her to pull it totally together. Tyler Angle -- I'm getting used to the bald head, and very glad to see his protective guidance with Isabella. To conclude: this was a great program of Balanchine at his very, very, very best!!
  11. I very much enjoyed last night's performance of the Four Temperaments-Liebeslieder Walzer program, finding both casts a big improvement over last week's performances of this program. In 4T's, both Jules Mabie as Melancholic, and Davide Riccardo as Phlegmatic, made fabulous debuts. As someone said up-thread about Ava Sautter (was it you, @deanofdance?), I knew Mabie was looking good, but I didn't know he was THAT ready. He was just beautiful, fully inhabiting the role with clear shapes, elegance, authority, and a yearning emotional warmth. It is wonderful to see a young person grow up enough to get a big chance and to deliver something beautiful. Of all the night's performances, this is the one that most lingered in my mind! Davide Riccardo is someone who's gotten a lot more attention, so it wasn't a surprise to see him attack Phlegmatic with clarity and purpose. Mira Nadon was a captivating, thrilling Choleric. Alston Macgill was one of Melancholic's two sidekicks and it was great to see her back in action and looking sharp and fierce. Olivia Bell led the four buzzing ladies of Sanguinic, and she really stands out. She somehow seems to have the movement more in her body in a way that's different from the other three, it seems more organic to her. She also seems mature beyond her years. Overall, a very exciting Four Temperaments. Liebeslieder cast a far better poetic spell than it did last week. Overall a far more engaging cast, with an inner rapport that also radiated out and included the audience. Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan are beautiful together, so handsome to look at that it almost hurts the eyes, and they make poetry together. Hard to describe how beautiful they were in that final section where he carries her backwards across the stage, she turns and does an arabesque penchee, then back bend, and he reaches under for her hand. Her piques around the stage have a soaring quality like the wind. Indiana Woodward and Preston Chamblee also were wonderful together, Woodward with so much imagination and care to detail, and Chamblee looking extremely appealing. Ashley Laracey and Andrew Veyette brought far more depth than Fairchild and Danchig-Waring did last week. As usual I have mixed feelings about Isabella LaFreniere, and I'm struggling to understand and articulate it, but I liked her here more than I thought i would.
  12. Also, what about KJ Takahashi? I would think he and Von Enck would be a good fit height-wise.
  13. Great video snippets. Ava Sautter looks bold, confident, and ready for bigger things, while Von Enck's sparkling personality and dancing really radiate out of the screen.
  14. Week 6 casting is up. Emma Emma Emma... Ballo della Regina!
  15. Agree, nysusan! I first noticed Sautter as one of the Tall Ladies of Phlegmatic, back when she was an apprentice. Striking physique, really bringing out the accents of the music, and compelling stage presence. It's great to see her getting bigger opportunities. Same for Asanesenkov, also doing this same role. I'm not sure I'm going to get to see Sautter in this piece, so I appreciate the report!
  16. I too cannot imagine that Unity Phelan is a big ticket seller. I guess we'd have to define what we mean by "big ticket seller," but agree that Tiler Peck seems the most likely candidate. Sara Mearns is surely known within the ballet world as someone who is a must-see, and maybe Taylor Stanley also has a fan base? Other than that, not sure I see anyone who would be a huge draw, especially outside the world of ballet. Obviously management likes Unity and now that she has debuted so so many of the major roles they are probably committed to her working on these for years. Hope we see progress. Definitely agree with @matilda that the problem could be she was given too much to absorb at once.
  17. I greatly admire your systematic approach, Kathleen!!
  18. This awful trend of random speeches needs to be stamped out now. Thanks for this report, vipa! I hope to get to see Tiler's piece soon. Agree about Daniel Ulbricht, he is having a great season. And also agree about Unity Phelan. I wonder what has happened with her. I also remember thinking she was a special dancer when she was on the way up. Now she regularly seems flat and bland. I don't know if she's lost some sparkle that she used to have, and if so why? Or, was she always flat but that was less evident when she was younger, and we're expecting more from her now that she's covering major roles? I am baffled about how to think about this.
  19. ... continuing on from the above, I also enjoyed Liebeslider Walzer more last night versus Tuesday. This is such a beautiful piece, so full of invention and variations on the waltz. I'm hoping the fact that they are fielding two casts, including lots of debuts, means they will bring it back soon (maybe even next year!). I didn't find the Phelan-Mejia pairing quite as jarring on the second night. It's good to see him in a non-bravura role, and work on developing his artistry. Nadon is an incredible talent.
  20. I too found Four Temperaments considerably improved last night. Both Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Isabella LaFreniere managed far better than the first night. No doubt both have a lot of room for improvement. Also Preston Chamblee looked wonderful. It seems like he's been out for long stretches at a time, but here he looked ready for more. Adrian Danchig-Waring beautifully and confidently articulated Phlegmatic, and Emily Kikta was a blazing, towering Choleric. I look forward to seeing Davide Riccardo and Jules Mabie debut Phlegmatic and Melancholic next week.
  21. Agree about the curtain during the changeover. In the recent podcast with Calegari and Cook, they mentioned that sometimes the curtain is left up, and I wish that was done here. Having the curtain come down, the house lights go up, the buzz of chatter, cellphone lights, and people getting up thinking it‘s intermission, really kills the mood.
  22. Rethinking the 3rd theme, Riccardo was sharp and Adams was bland. Liebeslieder did not cast the spell I hope for. First, the music and singing were fine, but I’ve been spoiled by the Vienna Staatsoper 2022 performance. The Viennese know their music! … and no doubt have ready access to the finest singers, and more resources for rehearsal, than does NYCB. Not surprisingly, Nadon and Walker, and Tiler and Tyler, were the most poetic. Fairchild and Danchig-Waring were very polished but not magical, and Phelan and Mejia were a bizarre, what-were-they-thinking mismatch. He does look very dashing in evening wear though.
  23. 4Ts. I found the three themes lacking. Boisson has done this before and looked very polished but here she and Melnikov were bland. Olivia MacKinnon and Kennard Henson came out for the second theme in a refreshing blaze of energy but then seemed to struggle to keep up with the music. Davide Riccardo and Sara Adams were bland. In Phlegmatic Sebastian Villarini Velez was a step up in energy and commitment but lacks clarity in his steps. For his two sidekicks, I like India Bradley’s flexibility in other roles but here it made her seem flimsy and insubstantial, whereas Mary Thomas MacKinnon’s solidity and attention to form made her much more forceful and formidable. In Sanguinic, Preston Chamblee’s first entrance had surprising sharpness and attack, but he faded after that. LaFreniere was indeed frustrating, in her difficulty in marshaling her considerable talents. When Danchig-Waring came on, I thought: here’s a pro, he will get the job done! Same with Kikta.
  24. I wish I felt as confident about this as you do, abatt. I look at the rosters right now and have some doubt about recent decisions. But it is good to see Maxwell getting big opportunities. I’m just in from to tonight’s show. Briefly, 4T’s looked kind of ragged until Adrian Danchig-Waring walked on. Boy was I glad to see him! Emily Kikta also blazed. She is a great, committed performer. Will try to add some more thoughts tomorrow.
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