cobweb

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Royal Blue. I also find Claire von Enck a very charming and appealing dancer, but she seemed underprepared last night. Hopefully she will gain more ease. Spartak Hoxha, however, was terrific. He looked like he was having a grand time, hamming it up, slapping the tambourine with vigor, huge leaps that hung in the air, and showing the audience a ton of personality. I also found Glass Pieces the best piece on the program. In fact, if it hadn't been that I wanted to see Glass Pieces, I would have skipped this program entirely. I enjoy the whole thing, but the last movement, with the men running around, is mesmerizing.

Do it, mussel! We await your report.

Will do, dirac. Thanks to all for the suggestions.

"Isn't cobweb going to make a post about last night's performance?" my partner keeps asking me today. Yes, cobweb is planning to, but she's been too lost in listening to Murray Perahia's recording of Goldberg Variations and dreamily envisioning Faye Arthurs and Zachary Catazaro and their quiet steps at the beginning and end of the ballet. It was last Saturday that I saw this piece for the first time. Last night was the third time, and when I got home I anxiously checked the programming for spring. Thank goodness, there it is on the schedule. Same casting and same pianist, please! (I saw an assortment of casting in the three performances -- all good! Anthony Huxley my fave. Pianist was the wonderful, not to mention very handsome, Cameron Grant). It's a piece that makes me think a lot about Robbins. Can anyone let me know if there's a good biography of him? My feeling is that this piece shows his enormous talent, but also some constriction and muddiness of thought. The costume-change conceit doesn't really make sense to me. More of a dramatic arc would help engage the viewer for this very long piece. I feel that some of the movement vocabulary undercuts the gravity and beauty of the music. Finally -- and this is purely impression that I would have difficulty supporting -- I get a sense that Robbins wanted to experiment more with gender roles and pairings, but didn't feel free to fully explore that line of thinking. Despite all that, there is enough that's beautiful and engaging, not to mention the beauty of the music, and my appreciation for the splendid dancing by a large cast including newcomers and veterans, that it made for a deeply moving experience and makes me feel very grateful for ballet.

Really -- is there no one at ABT who can do the job? I know I'm preaching to the choir in this forum, but artistic staff really needs to take a close look at what's going on if they can't use their very own dancers.

I was as at Saturday night's performance of Concerto Barocco and Goldberg Variations. This was the first time I've seen Goldberg Variations. I have some reservations about it, but my experience overall Saturday evening was exhilarating. This has happened to me before -- I attend several performances in the opening weeks of the season, finding it mostly very enjoyable, and then suddenly something even deeper hits me -- a performance where the depth and greatness of the company hits me. That was the case Saturday evening. Reichlen and an explosive Mearns, backed up by eight outstanding corps women, left me wondering --wow, where do they find so many strong and interesting dancers? Then Goldberg Variations, with a huge ensemble cast that looked fresh, excited, and well rehearsed. So many dancers delivered memorable performances that one hardly knows where to start or how to list them all. Tiler Peck was just astonishing. Taylor Stanley, Anthony Huxley, Daniel Applebaum, and Joseph Gordon were an outstanding foursome. Joseph Gordon has a wonderful springy quality, going up and down like his legs are rubber bands. He dances large, with amplitude and a generous air that reads all the way to the balconies. He has something else -- charisma. I don't know how to define it, or what goes into making someone charismatic, but it's one of those things that you know when you see. Sometimes you wish talented corps members would be promoted, and it's great when they are, but it's also wonderful to look at the corps de ballet and see interesting dancers, whether accomplished, authoritative veterans such as Faye Arthurs, Gwyneth Muller, and Alina Dronova; exciting newcomers like Ashley Hod and Unity Phelan, plus many others, like Emilie Gerrity and Claire von Enck, to name two of my current favorites. And that's only the women! I'd also add, since I've seen several performances I haven't commented on, that I saw two performances of Agon and especially enjoyed the Devin Alberda-Daniel Applebaum-Megan LeCrone trio. I loved LeCrone's angularity. Thanks to all!

I too loved Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle in Chaconne last week. When it was over, I said to my partner, "thank god for Maria Kowroski."

Thanks for the info, mira! She absolutely deserves it. I hope she's back in action soon -- her Sugarplum debut was cancelled, and I don't see her on the schedule at all for the current season.

I was at last night's performance -- Symphonic Dances, The Cage, Andantino, and Cortege Hongrois. I've never seen Symphonic Dances before, and I have to agree with Amour about the merits, or lack thereof, of this ballet. However, Andrew Veyette showed why he's a principal dancer -- dancing with tremendous authority, assurance, and commitment. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Lauren Lovette in The Cage. Seems so much against type for her, but she showed a real affinity for drama, narrative, and character. You could see the transformation happening in her very fluid body. It was a tremendous performance. Savannah Lowery also excellent. Andantino... enjoyable and fluffy. I had not seen Cortege Hongrois before. Interesting. To be studied further. Georgina Pazcoguin was wonderful leading the folk dance section. This doesn't surprise me, as she always holds the stage with her intensity. I would love to see more -- lots more! -- of her. I thought Sara Mearns was wonderful, nuanced, and impassioned. On another note, isn't it around this time that they announce the Levin award? Does anyone know if it has to be a first-year corps member, or can it be from the past coupe of years? Any speculations for who this year?

Amour, Emilie Gerrity stood out to me in Donizetti Variations. She has a quality of glamour and authority.

Casting up for week 3. Savannah Lowery in Concerto Barocco?! I liked her in Serenade last season, but I find this hard to envision.

The casting changes seem to indicate the following dancers are out -- injured presumably, or possibly (Tiler Peck) occupied with other projects: Peck, Abi Stafford, Savannah Lowery (who debuted as the Russian Girl in Serenade within the past year) and Ashly Isaacs (does the Third Movement of Symphony in C; also she was replaced at the end of the Nutcracker season). Not to mention Ana Sophia Scheller who has been out for like 1.5 years now. (And Jennie Somogyi -- gone for awhile now, presumably injured?) Wow. A daunting way to start the season, and what a risky career. Enjoy your favorite dancers while you can!

If anyone saw the all-debut cast of December 28, or any of the debutants in subsequent performances, I'd love to hear about it -- Emilie Gerrity as Sugarplum, Ashley Hod as Dewdrop, Claire Von Enck leading Marzipan, and any others!

Wow -- I see Emilie Gerrity is now debuting in Nutcracker on Dec 28, replacing Ashly Isaacs. Fervently hoping Isaacs is well! I wish they didn't bunch all the debuts (and generally, junior dancers) into the final two weeks of the season, when I am usually away from NYC. I would love to see Isaacs (as originally scheduled), Gerrity, Adams, Ball, Stanley, Ashley Laracey again, etc.

You said it, abatt! It seems like they always put the interesting debuts in that week after Christmas... when I'm usually gone. :-((( I wish I could see that performance! Ashly Isaacs, Taylor Stanley, Ashley Hod... All three are very exciting debuts by very exciting dancers. There are a slew of other debuts in that performance as well. I would love to see Claire von Enck leading Marzipan.

Razor, the partial-view seats are about $38, depending on the balcony level, I think. You definitely miss part of the stage (if you want to see the Christmas tree grow, sit on the right side of the house), and some of the seats are awful, especially if you're short, but I've found it workable.

Saw a highly enjoyable performance of Nutcracker yesterday (the 5pm show, with Reichlen, LaCour, and Hyltin as Dewdrop). Since I first saw Nutcracker, just a few short years ago, I've seen it I don't know how many times, and I still enjoy it so much. Thanks to the dancers and the musicians for keeping it fresh and magical for the audience! Teresa Reichlen was exquisite, the epitome of graciousness, while Ask LaCour was a fine partner (if a little less solid in his solo work). I enjoyed all the solos and divertissements. Austin Laurent was an especially "wooden" (ie effective) Soldier. Zachary Catazaro made Hot Chocolate pretty exciting with some high leaps. I know Robert Fairchild has many more challenging roles than Candy Canes, but I missed the huge leaps and principal-like charisma he brings to the role... whereas Troy Schumacher seemed to be struggling to keep up with the music. Sterling Hyltin is easily up to Dewdrop, but I wish she projected a little bit more. All in all, a very enjoyable show, and thanks to the box office for those relatively inexpensive partial-view seats!

Thanks to all for your help! I will try waiting in line to get day seats. Will report back on Don Q if I manage to get in.

I will be in London over Christmas and New Year's and was hoping to see the Royal Ballet… but I see that the performances of Don Quixote are sold out (and the opera I would be interested in, as well). Can anyone give me information on last-minute tickets? The website mentions that "day tickets" are released at 10am on the day of the performance. Is there typically a line for this? Does the Royal Opera House do standing room? Any suggestions from Londoners with experience at the Royal Opera House (ballet or opera, really) would be greatly appreciated!

Kaysta, thanks for your impressions of your first Nutcracker! I couldn't agree with you more about the Waltz of the Snowflakes. I've seen it many times now, but it never fails to move me. I absolutely love it.

Ivanov -- so who did Sugar Plum last night?

Does anyone have experience with standing room during Nutcracker? How often does it happen that they sell out and open standing room? I'm trying to find a way to go that's easy on the budget.

Having Tiler Peck and Megan Fairchild out at the same time is bound to lead to new casting for virtuoso roles (since Ashley Bouder can't do all of them herself!). I too saw the Hyltin-Veyette Theme & Variations on Sunday and thought Hyltin looked uncomfortable. Having seen her many times in many roles, my feeling is that she does have the technical capability, but maybe was suffering from a lack of rehearsal and preparation time (I believe this is the performance that either Peck or Bouder was originally scheduled to do, but Hyltin was put in when Tiler pulled out of the last few days of the season, presumably because of conflict with her other project). Hyltin didn't own the role, didn't inhabit it as if it were her own skin, the way Bouder, Peck, and Fairchild all do. But maybe she could, if she did it more often.

Well deserved for Russell Janzen. I was surprised, however, by no promotion (yet?) for Ashly Isaacs. It is hard to imagine any member of the corps de ballet looking more impressive, in several major debuts, then she has over the past year.

Thanks for your comments, vipa. I'm so with you on too much Steadfast Tin Soldier, and unfortunately, I'm starting to feel that way about The Concert, too. And as for Abi Stafford, she is not one of the more celebrated principals, but I find her so charming and musical -- I really enjoy her.