cobweb

I was surprised to see there were only three men. Is that typical? That seems barely enough to keep feeding men into the company, let alone producing men who might join other companies.

I was at the matinee. It's a very fun, happy atmosphere and a great show; this is my third year and I'm glad I started attending! Highly recommended for anyone who hasn't attended yet. For me the standout was the charismatic KJ Takahashi in the first movement of Bourree Fantasque. I remember him from the final movement of Western Symphony last year, and he appears to have grown a few inches in the interim, which is great, because last year I feared he was too short to be accepted into NYCB, and now maybe he has a chance. He danced with expansiveness and elegance. I also liked Mary Kate Edwards and Mia Domini in Bourree Fantasque. I had not seen Bourree Fantasque before, and I'm not sure I could sit through many performances of it, but it's a great vehicle for a student workshop. Also it was wonderful to see Concerto Barocco so beautifully rehearsed and the remarkably in sync corps (except for a blunder right at the beginning). On another note, seats are assigned apparently at random, so imagine my surprise when I found I was sitting right next to a friend! Good to see you, let's do it again soon!

Another beautiful performance this evening. I didn't love Ulbricht and Miller as much as Huxley and Reichlen, but the overall show is just wonderful. Taylor Stanley was replaced by Roman Mejia, making this the third time I've seen Mejia's Puck this week. He's great, and exactly what you picture when you think "Puck." But I was disappointed not to see Taylor Stanley, who I imagine makes an intriguing, more mysterious Puck. Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar did the second act divertissement, and they were sublime, making this my favorite overall pair of the three performances I've seen. (The others were Bouder and Danchig-Waring, where I loved him; and Veyette and Lovette, where I loved her.) I found Ulbricht surprisingly stiff and heavy. Despite that, he carried off the devilish scherzo variations well. I found Miller much improved as Titania, and just really, really beautiful. But I still find her presence a little lightweight. I don't have a ticket for the final performance, but tempted. Intrigued by reports on Harrison Ball's Puck, and I'd like to see Mearns' Titania. I mean, I've seen it before, but she's so incredible this season, I'd like to see it again now. Finally, there's the off chance that Huxley or Gordon will be announced to replace Garcia... if anyone has any private intelligence on this urgent Oberon casting matter, please PM me!

Bouder was indeed subdued, and lovely in many respects but I find her lacking in depth. I liked Lovette much better. If Garcia doesn’t go on tomorrow, I’m hoping Joseph Gordon replaces him. (I can’t see his debut this afternoon because I’m going to the SAB workshop performance). If anyone hears news about tomorrow, please post!

Thanks, Leah, I agree. I had the same thought about Farley - he has such a great presence. It's too easy to second-guess promotions, but I found myself thinking he should have been promoted instead of Peter Walker (both very tall guys), as Farley has so much more personality onstage. ETA: Wait, it wasn't completely the same casting both nights. Thursday night divertissement was Bouder and Danchig-Waring, Friday was Lovette and Veyette.

Another beautiful performance tonight, with the same casting I saw last night. (Bought the tickets before I knew the casting.) I was transfixed during the scherzo. Huxley is incredible in his crystalline technique, ease in those devilish variations, and perfect attunement to the rhythms of the music. Teresa Reichlen is a beautiful Titania, warm and lyrical. And Roman Mejia is everything you thought he would be as Puck. Emily Kikta as Hippolyta danced so large she looked like she could devour the entire stage. She is finishing up a season of incredibly exciting dancing. Andrew Veyette and Lauren Lovette did the second act divertissement. Veyette's solo dancing is considerably diminished but he is a great partner. I found Lovette exceptionally beautiful, fluid, delicate, and vulnerable. It was really magical. For the all-new casting of the four mortal lovers, I thought they were all good. I especially liked Unity Phelan, a subtle actress, and Andrew Scordato, who really took to heart the comic silliness of the role, with the ridiculous pageboy wig and a goofy "in love" smile. I have a ticket for tomorrow evening but I almost don't want to go, because I don't want the memory of these two performances disrupted!

Quick comment about last night. Anthony Huxley was beyond beautiful - all aglow in his golden tunic, barely touching the floor, skimming along like quicksilver, and impeccably timed to the music. Between him and Teresa Reichlen, it was almost too much beauty.

Ashly Isaacs at her best had an incredible dynamism and charisma. If she can bring that energy to her new ventures she should do very well. I wish her much success.

I was wondering about this. What IS the link between the first three movements and the last? Am I missing something? I sometimes wonder what Tchaikovsky, and Balanchine, were thinking. Another thought - maybe if the first three movements were more visually distinctive they would hold more interest. As it is, what with the hair and flowy gauze, and the scrim hanging over all, they blend together. Thank you for the report abatt! Glad to hear she was a success. How was Rachel Hutsell?

After seeing how great Harrison Ball looks this season, so sharp, musical, and beautiful, I would like to see him in T&V. Not sure his partnering is there yet though.

Totally agree! Miller is beautiful but she is often bland and lacking in a dynamic presence. Nadon by contrast has an aura of mystery and a weightiness to her presence.

Springtime brings thoughts of promotion. Harrison Ball and Roman Mejia are ready to be bumped up to the next level IMHO. Emily Kikta is overdue. They are dealing with a lot of injuries. Megan LeCrone subbed for Gretchen Smith again last night as a demisoloist in T&V, and I noticed Emilie Gerrity in the corps. Hope Tiler makes a speedy return and also Sebastian Villarini Velez. Also what about LaFreniere, Maxwell, Boisson, Hod, etc!

Thanks all for these reviews and commentary. I, and my budget, have been consumed with NYCB. But you guys are making me sorry I missed the Ratmansky program. I will be on the lookout for the next opportunity to see “The Seasons.”

I agree that Joseph Gordon looked outstanding in T&V last night. I love that he is tackling all these huge new assignments with so much aplomb and command. I've seen several performances of this program and while I was hoping to see Ashley Laracey again, the pairing of Taylor Stanley and Lauren King in the valse melancolique really grew on me. They really draw me into the darkness. And yes, Unity Phelan had an evening better forgotten. No idea what happened to her. Roman Mejia looked great. I am heading out for the long weekend, and very sorry to miss the new cast of Scotch Symphony, especially Laracey. I hope for many reports!

Whoa. I wish Kowroski very, very well, but I am thrilled to get to see supernova (quoting someone up-thread) Mearns again in Brahms Schoenberg.

I enjoyed Stars and Stripes last night. First off, Teresa Reichlen looks fabulous in that outfit - I almost wanted her to slow down just so I could take it all in. She brought a freshness and lightness to the piece that I appreciated, having fun with clean, springy dancing. Veyette looked in a little over his head with the solo parts. He carries it off with a good attitude, but generally looking heavy and earthbound. Emily Kikta again looked excellent leading the second women's regiment, dancing very large and with great personality and rapport with the audience. More of her please. The whole piece is a hoot. It's silly, but it makes me laugh.

Totally agree. I'm not sure how Mearns was supposed to dance in order not to "implicitly endorse" the partner she was assigned to dance with, nor can I imagine how Ramasar could convey contrition through his dancing. Even if they had managed to convey these sentiments, I don't think it would be a very fun performance to watch. And I could not agree more about more reviews and insightful dance writing.

As I make my way through all four performances of the Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet/Tchai Suite #3 program, I am enjoying it a lot. Today, third performance. The more I see Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet the more I like it. Splendid dancing from all four principal couples plus the soloist (Wellington) from the first section. I would just have to single out the incredible Sara Mearns. I mean, she's always been incredible but this season she has propelled herself to another level altogether, with speed, strength, precision, and power that are breathtaking. In T&V, Huxley looked great, but I find him and Bouder to be such an odd match that it feels a little incoherent.

A few other comments about the matinee. I had a bad cold when I saw Brahms Schoenberg Quartet earlier in the week and dozed off during the middle two movements; not this afternoon! Overall I am really enjoying this piece, which is relatively new to me. Lydia Wellington looked lovely as the soloist in the first movement; she doesn't have Emily Kikta's height and verve, but rather brings a radiant softness and loveliness. I thought Lauren Lovette and Andrew Veyette looked very good as well in the second movement; this is my first time seeing Veyette since I don't know when, and it was good to see him and his attentive partnering back in action. In T&V, Anthony Huxley was having uncharacteristic difficulties in the pirouette-tour sequence, seemingly having trouble holding onto his center as he went up and down. On the final landing, he wound up on his butt on the floor. The rest of the performance was good, but not glowing. Presumably more performances/rehearsal will help. I find Huxley and Bouder mismatched, size-wise and temperament-wise. But Huxley is so beautiful I enjoyed it anyway. HIs port de bras is so beautiful I could watch that alone all day. Harrison Ball and Georgina Pazcoguin danced the Scherzo, but she did not join Ball for the curtain call. Hope it's not serious. I saw Joaquin de Luz in the audience again, more or less holding court, greeting people in the orchestra pit heartily, taking selfies with well-wishers, and chatting with everyone.

Report on the matinee. Ramasar returned in the 4th movement of Brahms Schoenberg Quartet. It was great to see him back on the stage, and I was heartened by the warm, enthusiastic response he got from the audience. He looked great in that Hungarian outfit, with the white puffy shirt and ribbons flying everywhere, and he and Mearns danced up a storm. Glad he's back.

I would like to hear reports on Laracey’s debut also.

Mearns has been looking incredible in general this season, extremely fit, strong, and blazing in everything. Sometimes I wonder if she's going beyond the bounds of ballet, but it's so thrilling to watch that I don't care. She and Tyler Angle tore up the stage in Brahms Schoenberg Quartet, and then she went all out again in Tschai Suite. I've only seen BSQ a few times before. I thought Emily Kikta looked fantastic as the soloist in the first section, dancing extremely large and with great flexibility. I have to admit, probably due to having a cold, I dozed off for the middle two sections. The blaze of Mearns and Angle woke me up for the final movement. Looking at the program, I see LeCrone must have replaced Gretchen Smith in T&V. Hope Smith is okay. She's made a terrific comeback this season after a long injury. Ashley Laracey was compelling and otherworldly in the Waltz. Jared Angle may no longer be a great solo dancer, but I still totally enjoy watching him, I find him very poetic in his movement and as a partner just a real joy to watch. I liked Garcia and Fairchild in T&V. Great to see Fairchild in such great shape after her maternity leave, and her developing artistic maturity. Garcia is not a bravura dancer, but I thought he did very well and a very attentive partner. I saw Joaquin de Luz in the audience. I wonder what he thought!

I have tickets for May 30 and 31, and strangely it's the same cast (except for the divertissement) both nights. So I get to see Huxley and Mejia two nights in a row. No complaints there! Ever since I saw Huxley do Oberon a few years ago, I've been eager to see it again. (IIRC, he did it one year, but was injured the following year, and then last year they didn't do it.) I'm bummed I'll have to miss Gordon's debut as Oberon, but I have tickets for the SAB workshop that afternoon. If anyone has a workshop ticket for the evening and wants to swap for the afternoon, let me know...

Puck seems an obvious fit for Mejia, but what about Oberon? Isn't he often cast short as well?

I attended last night and totally agree with canbelto that Harrison Ball and Roman Mejia looked wonderful in their respective debuts. In Stars & Stripes, Ball looked like he was enjoying himself, very much at ease, and playing with the humor in the role. In Dances at a Gathering, Mejia just looked sensational. At times he nearly turned the role into a bravura one, which was not in keeping with the tone of the piece, but he stopped just short of that. You can tell he's loving being onstage and dancing. He and Megan Fairchild looked great together. Watching them, I found myself musing on time and change - just a few years ago, I had never heard of Roman Mejia, nor could I have imagined Megan Fairchild, now looking modern and glam with her highlighted hair, dancing with so much freedom and expansiveness. And it was funny to see Mejia confidently escorting Kowroski, who towers over him and is old enough to be his mother. He seemed undaunted. Finally, watching Aaron Sanz and Sara Mearns, especially with that shoulder lift on their first exit, I recalled last year and Chase Finlay's lamentable, nearly disastrous partnering of Mearns. Glad she now has someone who at least seems committed to doing well by her! Stars and Stripes is so much fun. It's all silly, but I love it. Emily Kikta led the second regiment with as much tall-girl verve as you could wish for, while Erica Pereira was bland in the first. I love the guys' sections. When will see Mejia leading the men? This is a role perfect for him. Following up wonderwall's comment about promotions, Mejia may be young but to me he looks ready. Sometimes I worry about young dancers being pushed too fast, but (from what I can see anyway) Mejia looks like he has the emotional attitude to handle the pressure. As for Laracey, god knows she deserves it, but 10 years ago would have been a better time. After a certain point/certain age, they probably would rather promote someone younger, it's a better long-term investment for the company. But, I would be thrilled if she were principal. In sum - glad there is so much talent in the company!