cobweb

I saw the Sunday matinee and just want to report that Tiler Peck was a real star, pretty much dominating the stage when she was on it. As noted up-thread, the balances were not what I was expecting from the incredible dancer that she is, but other than bringing her hand down very quickly in those balances, she was amazing. Tyler was looking beautiful too. Also Harrison Ball was a standout as Gold, looking really elegant. The bluebird pas de deux was again a letdown. In the Saturday matinee, at least Lauren King brought her brilliant smile and radiant charm. On Sunday, Brittany Pollack, again dancing with Troy Schumacher, simply did not project or charm the way King did.

A question about intermissions. Studying the program, I see that I got the scene/act divisions wrong in my post above. It seems to me like there should be an intermission between the spell and the vision scenes, rather than after the vision scene as there is in this version. After the spell seems like a natural place to take a break (to allow some time to pass, while the 100 years presumably goes by), and it seems jarring to me to split up the vision and awakening scenes. Maybe it would feel different if the awakening were longer, but it's so short I'm left puzzled about why it's not put with the vision. In the versions with two intermissions, where are they usually placed?

Report from the matinee performance. Lovette and Gordon were a huge success. Lovette was radiant, natural, and technically secure, while Joseph Gordon IMHO has become one of the most important male dancers they have. He made the fishdives look effortless, smooth and secure. It's been so rewarding to see him grow into principal roles. May he have a long and injury-free career. I look forward to seeing it. Rarely do I say this but I wish there was another intermission. Or if there must be only one, move it to after Act I. When the curtain came down on the sleeping Aurora, with the perspective retreating further and further from the castle into the woods, to where it's totally overgrown and indicating the 100 years' sleep, I was emotionally prepared to take a break as well, as the 100 years progress. Instead, the music continues... moving on!! And this has been much discussed, but I agree about the superfast tempi. The fairies looked rushed. Miriam Miller was a beautiful Lilac Fairy, honestly she must have the most beautiful spread of arms in the whole company. But I found her bland and very lacking in authority. The fairies - Sara Adams and Kristen Segin were especially sparkling. But Claire Kretzschmar as the Fairy of Generosity, with the beautiful pizzicato behind her, was unfortunately brittle, and I found her similarly unappealing in the precious metals section (Silver). Emma von Enck (Emerald), in the most prominent role I've yet seen her in, made a strong impression, charming and fluid. It was interesting to see Ashly Isaacs (Ruby) back since I don't know when. Still has a strong presence, but more tentative than I recall. Finally, young Mira Nadon continues to cut a very striking presence in background roles. She has some distinctive and special qualities, and I hope she flourishes at NYCB.

I noticed Ashley Laracey's absence and just assumed she must be injured. ... but it appears not. She would have been a much better choice, IMHO for the soloist in Ballet Imperial than Megan LeCrone.

Thanks to those of you who have been posting about this piece. I have never seen it, and I wasn't necessarily going to see this program, but after reading your reactions, I'm going to try to make it to the last performance, on Feb. 6. I looked up the score (or should I say "score") on youtube, and while I was a little befuddled and Mr. Cobweb groaned, it got me intrigued to see something different.

I don't know that the issue is just the angular facial structure. She rarely smiles, and when she does it doesn't look relaxed or genuine. She looks good technically, especially this season where she seems very solid, but her facial expression makes her look tense and not happy (let alone conveying joy or radiance, as one would hope to see in Lilac and Sugarplum).

So true, but thank god she's not doing Aurora! I had my worries.

... if one only knew which dates! If anyone sees anything official, please post!

Thanks, nanushka. I guess my mind is playing tricks on me. In any case, while there aren't many ballets where this pairing would work, I was very glad to see this performance. As another note on the past two night's performance's, Emilie Gerrity's turning "Dark Angel arabesque" was truly stunning.

Yes, indeed. After last night's performance, I was thrilled when I heard Huxley would be dancing. He and Mearns did great together, and now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I've seen them dance this together before. My old programs are a total jumble (I hope to get them organized one day; if anyone has a good system, I'd love to hear it), so I can't check this out. Does anyone else recall? Anyway, they had a good rapport and both did extremely well. I get the feeling Huxley likes dancing this; he knows he's good at it. He makes it look totally effortless and barely looks winded after those killer variations. I liked Mearns better tonight than last night; less sloppy. Re the Sleeping Beauty casting, I was hoping to see Lauren King as Aurora... but I guess if she's debuting Lilac Fairy, that's not happening.

She looked a lot better last night than she did on Saturday. More secure and in control overall, although there was still a problem with the fouettes.

Very very Interesting, thank you BalanchineFan. I noticed that the skirts looked uneven, that is with the “stripes” so visible you can always tell that one side is higher than the other. Thought that was a bug, but hearing it’s a feature puts it in perspective. Hope those panels continue to fade...

PS. Mr Cobweb, who had no idea of the BA discussion about the new Serenade outfits, queried me about the purpose of the “yellow stripe” in the women’s skirts. In vain did I try to explain it’s not a “stripe.” He felt it distracted from their legs. So, definitely not having the intended purpose.

It occurred to me that Harrison Ball could be really good in the role too. Not sure whether with Sara though.

Agree that Mira Nadon looked lovely, elegant and serene with a noble carriage. Very very promising And Russell Janzen is miscast in Mozartiana. MHO. I know there must be reasons for casting that I don’t know about but why not let Tyler Angle dance with Mearns in Mozartiana and give Ballet Imperial to Janzen. Seems like a much better fit. I missed Anthony Huxley like crazy. And I like Sara a whole lot better in Serenade than Mozartiana. Romanticism is a better match with her style of dancing.

I agree with this. So many of my respected fellow BA commenters have loved Bouder in Serenade and Ballet Imperial over the past week that I feel I have to give her a more sympathetic look, but while she's technically amazing, I find her to have a showoffy demeanor, also lacking in depth and softness. I'm highly impressed, but never moved by her. Yeah, this too! I'm in love with both of these guys.

So I got confused about casting and did in fact see Hyltin and Huxley in Mozartiana again yesterday. I would love to see them further develop this partnership and this particular ballet. She has her own sweet and delicate take on the role, and he is just great. His dancing is so strong, fine, and so so clean. At times he let go of the serious look and beamed an easy smile at the audience, and I just felt my heart swell with happiness. More of that relaxed smile is all I could ask for from Huxley. I'd add, he looks great in the costume. He can pull of white tights like nobody's business, and the violet vest sets off his pale coloring and dark hair.

Thank you for this report Nanran3! I wasn't necessarily planning to see this program again, but I am very intrigued to see Garcia. I may make it to see him at next week's matinee. I'm totally bummed that Hyltin and Huxley are not doing Mozartiana again this season. I lose track of the casting, and when they came out yesterday I was assuming they'd be doing it again next week, but now I see it's Mearns and Janzen. Curious to see Russell Janzen debut in this, but I'm doubtful he will be anywhere near Huxley's level.

Thanks for posting those great photos. I wonder if the original panels could have been brighter, but faded over time?

Thank you for pointing this out. I didn't realize they were new; I've been scratching my head over how I failed to notice this aspect of the costume for years. I think it looks odd too, and glad to know I'm not blind!

I am halfway through my marathon of all six performances of the Serenade-Mozartiana-Ballet Imperial program. It's starting to feel like a heavy dose of florid beauty, like constant desserts, unrelieved by the astringency of a leotard ballet (to mix a few metaphors). Still, I soldier on. I agree with vipa about much of this afternoon's performance (and sorry I missed you, vipa! let's connect and meet up again.) The beauty and magic of Serenade hold up over many, many viewings. I loved the two performances I saw with Mearns, Peck, and LeCrone. With the blazing Mearns and the softness, ease, and musicality of Peck in mind, I had to really focus on what was in front of me this afternoon. I found Lovette beautiful and distinctive in the role, and can picture her interpretation growing even deeper. Emilie Gerrity looked great, especially that supported, turning arabesque, which breathed beautifully and hit a stunning shape. I agree with vipa - I see principal in Gerrity's future. As for the men, it seems Preston Chamblee is out, missing his debut as the second man. Aaron Sanz has done all of these, and over three performances has looked more at ease. I don't understand why they moved Ask LaCour over to the man that dances with the Waltz Girl, but whatever. I get the complaints about Jared Angle, but he did a great job with Sara Mearns earlier in the week, really giving her a solid base from which to blaze (to mix a few more metaphors). Mozartiana. I saw Hyltin and Huxley do this before, a few years ago, but while Huxley dazzled, Hyltin made practically no impression. I really enjoyed her this afternoon, finding her sweet but knowing, and musical. She has a quieter talent than many of the principal women, but this is a role that suits her. Huxley, needless to say, was in his element, and I could get overwrought in my praise and appreciation for him. One thing I hadn't noticed before is the beautiful sculptural form of his wrists, hands, and fingers. He carries a powerful authority down to the fingertip. Ballet Imperial (I prefer this to the clunky alternative). I agree, Reichlen had a rocky afternoon. Tyler Angle has been looking pretty good, IMHO (I know not everyone agrees). This is a fairly new piece to me - in the third movement, when the man comes running in with the woman on his shoulder, twice, does he always carry her with only one arm? I don't recall Joseph Gordon doing this with Bouder, but maybe it's where I was sitting. Tyler came running out with Tess on his shoulder, and one of his arms grandly out to the side. Showoff! (I loved it.) I had my doubts, let's say serious doubts, about Megan LeCrone in this role, but she has been looking pretty fabulous this season, and while her face could show a brighter smile and openness, I enjoyed her a lot. Finally, a small detail, in that section in the third movement where the corps men are kind of tossing the ladies into the air, Emily Kikta, launched by Silas Farley, looked like she was going to sail off into the sky. I look forward to reports on Gonzalo Garcia's Apollo. I would definitely not have thought of him for this role, but when the casting came out, I could suddenly see it. Also please, reports on Miller and Janzen in Agon. And my marathon continues tomorrow afternoon...

Forgot to add that it was a "See the Music" night. Usually I hate these. But, I have to say that Andrew Litton was a very entertaining speaker. I'd still rather take those 10 minutes and be able to get home earlier on a weeknight, but Litton, with his casual, heartfelt love for the music was very funny.

It seems like we're discussing the whole season now, not just opening night, so I'm reviving this thread. Re abatt's question on the other thread - it's great to see Isabella LaFreniere and Emily Kikta back in action, and I'm pretty sure I saw Alston Macgill in the background in Orpheus on opening night. The Serenade, Mozartiana, and Tschai Piano Concerto No. 2 (why can't we go with the shorter, more felicitous "Ballet Imperial"?) program is a crowd pleaser. I plan to be at probably every performance of this program, mainly because I don't want to miss any opportunity to see the last listed, which I have seen far less than the others. I thought all received lovely performances last night. It felt like it's been ages since I've seen Serenade; that's probably not true, but it's just so beautiful I felt a rush of joy. Only issue I saw was that Aaron Sanz (I think a debut, subbing for the debut of Preston Chamblee) needs to develop more confidence being center stage. Up there all alone, partnering three grand ballerinas and a slew of other women flying through, he didn't convey serenity and command. Hard to believe, but it made me miss Ask LaCour, at least I have confidence in him to get through complex partnering. Sanz has the talent, IMHO, and the magnetism, but needs more confidence when he's out there all alone. Mozartiana was particularly beautiful, especially the commanding presence and clear phrasing of Maria Kowroski. I found it extremely moving. I also liked Daniel Ulbricht way more than I usually do, and I've seen him in this role a lot. He's always amazing technically, but this time he seemed more flexible, more human, more interesting and nuanced than usual. I am eager to see him again later in the week. I also can't wait to see Huxley in this role. Finally, Ballet Imperial. I'm much less familiar with this piece, but I absolutely loved it, and it puts me in the mind of other pieces I've seen only too rarely, such as Ballo della Regina and Divertimento No. 15. When are they coming back?? Joseph Gordon looked great, appealing, elegant, crisp yet oh so airy. The partnering was unfortunately awkward at times, but he keeps on going with an air of command and serenity, and honestly, something intangible about him just makes me love him. I have tonight off, then on to a marathon of performances. Can't wait!

I was very eager to see Taylor Stanley's Apollo, but I was a little underwhelmed. The whole thing seemed kind of low-energy to me, lacking in sharpness and purpose. Stanley didn't exude the magnetism and clarity of shape that I've come to expect from him. I imagine he'll get more sharpness and depth with time. I found Brittany Pollack a little bland, Woodward didn't have as much sparkle as usual, and even Tiler Peck not quite as engaged as usual (of course, for her, she still looks great). Orpheus - a piece relatively unfamiliar to me, and I found it hard to get into overall. Agon - Kowroski and her legs, like lasers reaching to the vast universe and beyond, was incredible. I still found Tyler Angle a little too soft in this piece, and boy does it make me miss Amar Ramasar.

Thank you Nanran. I am gathering my thoughts. I agree about the for me surprisingly stunning Megan LeCrone. More tomorrow.