cobweb

By not putting Roxander in something big, they 1) risk losing him to greener pastures with more performing opportunities; and 2) miss capitalizing on the sensational publicity he got during the Fall season. 

Week 2 casting is up. LaFreniere debuts Sugarplum. Surprised she hasn’t done it before. Also Brittany Pollack is back in action with a couple of Sugarplums. Aaron Sanz is back in action too. Great!!

This looks extremely boring. Same old, same old. 

11 hours ago, vipa said:

Going back to this thread on facial expressions because I found this short clip on youtube with Tiler Peck addressing the question in brief

Interesting clip! Tiler says "my body tells me how I should feel," but what if your body is nervous? You can't let that show in your facial expression if you're a professional. You're moving the rest of your body according to what you've learned in training and rehearsal, but it sounds like the hope is just that the facial muscles will somehow know what to do. 

Hi @Drew! If you ever get to reading Robert Garis, I would love to hear your thoughts. Toni Bentley's Serenade is pretty easy reading, and fun too!

I'm reviving this thread from many years ago, as I have just read Robert Garis' Following Balanchine. It is a first-person account of someone who followed Balanchine's career from the early days, way before City Ballet was even a possibility. He gives a highly detailed, highly personal, year-by-year, ballet-by-ballet, dancer-by-dancer account of following Balanchine from the mid-40s till after Balanchine's death. There is a lot of fascinating speculation on what Balanchine might be thinking as he created particular works, what Balanchine thought about the music he was using and how this attitude was expressed in the choreography (particularly interesting in the case of Concerto Barocco), why certain dancers were cast at particular times and not others, why Balanchine's infatuation with Suzanne Farrell nearly sank the company, and more -- much MUCH more. Garis definitely gets into the weeds about his own personal reactions -- do we really need to know that he was so excited by the premiere of Don Quixote that he couldn't sleep that night and thus he, rather than the friends with whom he stayed in New York, went out at 6:00am the next morning for bagels? I found these personal tidbits (and there are lots of them) charming, but my partner was bored to tears by some of the passages I read.

I don't have the long history with NYCB that some on this board do, and I've tried to get more informed about Balanchine history and the repertory. This book, in following along chronologically as Balanchine's career developed, was greatly helpful with that. If you can get through the extreme introspection of Garis' writing, it is fascinating and informative. Also, I totally can't recall where I heard about this book. At the start of the NYCB 75th anniversary season I browsed my bookshelves for background reading, and saw Following Balanchine. Obviously I bought it at some point but have absolutely no recollection of this and would swear I never heard of him before. Possibly I read about it here and forgot?? Anyway, now I have ordered Haggin's Discovering Balanchine. Will report back once I get that!

I have been browsing the New Jersey Ballet website, and very interested to hear more about them since Kowroski became AD. I see they are having performances, today and tomorrow, of a program including Fancy Free and Rubies. If anyone attends, please report!!

I have been slowly working my way through the Dance in America anthology, and I recommend it highly. It is a smorgasbord of cultural history, dancer and choreographer profiles, tidbits, humor, poetry and lyrics, personal and professional reportage, and serious dance analysis. It's long, but so much the better, because is is truly entertaining, as you move from one gem to the next. It's organized alphabetically by writer's last name, meaning you never know what you're going to encounter next, and it's always a fun surprise. It particularly makes me appreciate the anthology form, that it brings to light pieces that I, and most readers, would never, ever have encountered otherwise (Auden on Nutcracker, really?). I haven't finished it yet (I've worked my way through "P"), but I can mention some favorites if anyone is looking for a place to start. The profile of Fred Astaire. Margaret Case Harriman's "Dance Team," an account of a husband-and-wife travelling ballroom duo, which doubles as a period piece. Elizabeth Kendall's piece on Ragtime as a cultural phenomenon. Ralph Waldo Emerson's reflections on Fanny Elssler. All three of Edwin Denby's pieces. And to the Balanchine lover, I highly recommend Claudia Roth Pierpont's analysis of The Four Temperaments (could it really be true that some choreographic forms were inspired by Cloisters tapestry?). Now I only wish that Robert Gottlieb's Reading Dance was available for Kindle. It's even bigger than Dance in America, and is a monster to carry around for subway reading!

6 minutes ago, vagansmom said:

. I wonder how many dancers are wearing Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. They are a lot noisier than the others. 

It wasn’t just the women, the men were also making A LOT of noise in their landings. The noise level is very noticeably different from NYCB and I conclude there is something different about the stage floor. 

I look forward to any reports from tonight's performance. I have a feeling that Roxander's debut as Puck is going to "break the internet," ballet-wise. 

Looking at ticket availability for next week, I wonder, does ABT ever do like NYCB does and open the 4th ring if sales are sufficient? One of the nights I'm looking at is pretty well sold, and I'm wondering if it's worth waiting to see if the 4th ring opens up, with its presumably more affordable tickets. 

6 minutes ago, abatt said:

I have to believe that given all the training that went into Etudes it will make an appearance again at ABT sooner rather than later.  

I am only seeing it once this time around, but would love if it came back soon. 

1 minute ago, California said:

Has anyone seen Jake's brother, Ashton Roxander, a principal at Philadelphia Ballet? https://philadelphiaballet.org/dancers/ashton-roxander/

I'm wondering if this would be worth a trip to Philadelphia while we wait for the Met 2024 season!

I have not seen Philadelphia Ballet in several years, but my interest in Jake got me interested in Ashton, which got me to the Philadelphia Ballet website, and now I envision a ballet day trip or two this year! 

I also was there last night and agree with everyone that Jake Roxander (who I've only seen once before, summer of '22 doing an impressive Neapolitan) is a star. Agree that he made Ahn look like an amateur. He is a young guy but seems ready for everything they are throwing at him. I couldn't help but think, his parents must be very proud! It seems embarrassing for ABT that they are relying on such a young guy for so so much. I mean, it's great for the audience and he seemed to be loving it, but they need a deeper roster. I also agree Devon Teuscher is a lovely, lovely dancer who really shone in Etudes. Overall I enjoyed Etudes, it's hard to resist as it plows along with increasing intensity. But I seriously disliked Petite Mort, and found Piano Concerto No. 1 interesting, but not something I need to see again. 

To me India Bradley is more interesting and has more potential for artistic growth than I see in Baily Jones. Bradley was in the pas de trois in Emeralds last month and brings a wonderful fluidity and very expressive face. To answer @BalanchineFan’s question about Lauren Collett she has caught my eye many times in corps roles, most recently Symphony in C first movement. Petite brunette with big eyes and very long arms, great presence, elegant, polished, and very committed to what she is doing. Would like to see her in more featured roles. While we’re on the topic of corps women with potential, Mary Thomas MacKinnon always strikes me as interesting to watch. 

 Another petite corps woman who has potential is Lauren Collett. 

44 minutes ago, abatt said:

I wonder who among the principals will be next to leave.  Veyette and Bouder are, I believe, the oldest principals in the company.  They may be waiting for a retirement before moving anyone up out of soloist into principal.  

Veyette is still showing his worth and carrying his weight, so to speak. Whereas Bouder was barely cast. Aren't salaries done partly according to seniority? That would mean she is one of the highest-paid dancers right now. It seems doubtful she is going to get back to her old level of technique at this point. I wonder what the future is for her in the company. It would be a shame if that was getting in the way of promoting someone like Kikta or Von Enck. 

In regard to Isabella LaFreniere's facial expression/smile (as referenced by @nanushka, @deanofdance, @Kathleen O'Connell, and probably others), I find it interesting that facial expression is apparently not addressed as part of training. It is a huge part of the art of performance. Someone like Tiler Peck always seems to have the right facial expression, and I feel sure that this is something she must intentionally work on. Watching LaFreniere in Diamonds, I had the feeling she hasn't really thought about or made decisions about what she wants to do with her face. Sometimes it was a smile, sometimes it seems like she was trying not to smile but didn't know what else to do with her face. She needs to think this through in general, and make this part of her approach to a role. 

On 10/12/2023 at 5:58 PM, deanofdance said:

Unity seemed more utilitarian — as if much of the luster of her promise has dimmed.  Yes, she is in all these great roles, the greatest roles of the repertory really, and I was trying to find something special and noteworthy in her dancing

Hello, deanofdance. You are a new voice here, but I for one greatly appreciate your vibrant and enthusiastic contributions. About Unity Phelan, I have wondered about the apparent dimming of her promise and luster. We all loved her when she was on the way up. Now many find her, to quote a friend of mine, "bland and boring in the extreme." My guess (and hope) is just that she's spread too thin right now. She has debuted I don't know, like 10 (more?) major, major roles over the past couple of seasons. It's too much. They should have spread some of these debuts around - for example, Ashley Laracey could have very ably taken on Sonnambula and Rosenkavalier while Unity focused on other roles. Hopefully with time she can develop all of these roles more deeply. 

Just a few more thoughts on recent performances as I gather my thoughts. 

Last night Concerto Barocco -- Nadon, LaFreniere, and Bolden all brought a wonderful freshness and largeness to this. This is a bold, beautiful cast in every way. Bolden looked wonderful in his debut. It would be insane not to promote him right now. He is on a track straight to principal. Thinking about his evolution since he joined the company, he first impressed as a big guy (somewhat too big) and don't I recall something where he was wearing excessive makeup in a couple of performances? He always was noticeable, but not always in the best way. This season it's as if (just speculating on what I see from the audience) he got himself together and got singularly focused on becoming the best dancer he can be. I believe he's slimmed down somewhat. And added elegance, polish, and attention to every detail. My partner asked me, "Where has this guy been?" All I could say is, "He's been young." Now he's coming into his own. 

Symphony in C. This was also wonderful. Tiler Peck was absolutely brilliant. I'm not sure I've ever seen her look better. Chan was dazzling, beautiful and totally at ease. It was thrilling. In the second movement, Phelan and Knight did not cast the same sublime spell as Mearns and Tyler Angle. Knight did not appear totally at ease or regal. It was fine, but not moving. In the third movement we had Baily Jones and Cainan Weber, in for Sebastian Villarini-Velez. I thought it was a debut for Weber, but looking at the casting sheet it's not marked as such, so I don't know. Anyway, I was glad to see him get a bigger opportunity, he is a very appealing dancer and I thought he looked good. As noted above, Peter Walker was a surprising dazzler in the 4th movement, with a sissone so large it was hard to take in! 

A few comments on the corps. In the first movement the demisoloists were Davide Riccardo and McKenzie Bernardino Soares. This made me realize that we haven't seen Aaron Sanz or Daniel Applebaum (who did these roles recently) all season. Very unfortunate. Sanz has a had a lot of injuries, stalling his career significantly. I love his elegant, very refined dancing. Riccardo is a favorite on this board, but I had not seen Soares in a featured role before. He didn't look totally at ease, but he is tall and has an elegant line and I look forward to seeing more of him. In the corps of the first movement, Lauren Collett was a beautiful standout, so polished and committed. More please. 

I was noticing the beauty of the patterns in the 2nd movement of Symphony in C. Being less frenetic than the other movements, and having slightly fewer corps on stage, you can really see the shifting patterns as Balanchine moves them around. He sets up striking, crystal clear tableaux again and again. You see a shape, then it dissolves and suddenly a new shape is formed before you even realize how the dancers got there. Just watching that is worth the price of admission!

5 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

In fact, if I had an armchair I would name it Gilbert Bolden III and throw myself into it 😍. (this is a Suzanne Farrell reference, IYKYK)

I don't know this reference, BalanchineFan, but I endorse the sentiment!

1 hour ago, matilda said:

I also agree with the above praise for Peter Walker; I think he may have one of the best sissones in the company and this was a good role for him.

So agree with this; I was impressed with Walker's sissone from right when he came into the company!! I was there tonight, enjoyed a lot. This is probably my last performance for the season, unless there is some major debut in the next two days (and of course, if anyone hears of such, please post or PM me!). I was so happy Cainan Weber got a big debut tonight in the 3rd movement of Symphony in C and thought he did very well. Will try to compose some more thoughts on the season. So many great principals, and a lot of promise in the corps. Gilbert Bolden is my big new love of the season!!

Hello @tsmitche! I would love to hear your reports from NYCB's 75th, or other performances you've seen. 

19 minutes ago, PFossil said:

I have been away a long time, and was siting way upstairs, and could not figure out from the pictures in the Playbill which of the two leads was which. I was especially  enchanted by the dancer who was not in the pas de deux, and want to make sure to see her again soon. Thank you!

Hello PFossil, glad you are joining in! The dancer who was NOT in the pas de deux was Emilie Gerrity. She had a lovely turn tonight in Serenade as well. 

I had mixed feelings about last night. Symphony in C was great. Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle and the entire cast of demisoloists and corps, made the second movement sublime. Emma Von Enck and Roman Mejia were a tremendous blast of fresh air in the 3rd. I would LOVE to see this pairing in Theme & Variations, or in most anything. Overall the entire piece was sparkling. Orpheus is an intriguing piece, but there's not enough dancing to stand up to repeat (like, more than one) viewing. I found Concerto Barocco fine but lacking in some sparkle. I really didn't like the film they showed beforehand. It was like a commercial, selling the company to people who don't need to be sold on it, this audience is obviously already bought into NYCB! I found it slick and overproduced. Toward the end someone said something like, NYCB will continue to be creative and innovative, and all I could think was this film is not creative or innovative AT ALL. My partner told me not to be so negative, that they must have felt they had to do a special something to mark the 75th anniversary performance, but I wish they could have come up with something a little fresher and/or more interesting.