cobweb

Carla Korbes -- wow, what a great idea!! If only!

I attended Friday night's performance (Square Dance, Steadfast Tin Soldier, Tombeau de Couperin, The Concert) and Saturday matinee (Chaconne, Interplay, After the Rain pdd, Everywhere We Go). When I began attending NYCB a few years ago, Square Dance was the first piece I saw that really made me fall in love with Balanchine and NYCB. I was eager to see it again, and it did not disappoint. Beautiful and joyous. Ashley Bouder, needless to say, dazzled with her technique. Anthony Huxley is a different kind of dancer from Bouder, more serious and with a beautiful elegant form. I enjoy him very much. I have a feeling it hasn't helped his career that Erica Pereira stalled in her development. Size-wise, she is a good partner for him, but he's way ahead of her in sophistication and onstage presence. I would love to see the other cast of Square Dance, with Abi Stafford and Taylor Stanley. I love to see Taylor Stanley in anything, and although Stafford can't match Bouder's technique, she has a natural, unaffected and piquant charm that seems perfect for this role (and many others). But that may have to wait till winter season, as I'm on a budget and the rest of the program doesn't really draw me in. And as to who else I would love to see in Square Dance... Ashly Isaacs, with killer allegro technique and charm to burn. Saturday afternoon -- Sara Mearns' debut in Chaconne. Wow. Somehow both intense and restrained, grand and beautifully flowing. I don't believe I've seen this ballet before and as with Square Dance, I would totally love to see it again but the budget is stretched thin and the rest of the program doesn't really appeal, so this will be on hold till winter season. Interplay was fun. After the Rain pas de deux -- it was great to see Wendy Whelan for the last time, and it was also terrific to see Craig Hall. Why isn't this beautiful dancer used more? Finally, Everywhere We Go -- I believe this is the second (third?) time I've seen it, and I really want to like it, but I felt exhausted by the end, what with the nonstop coming and going and the flailing about of arms and legs in movements that didn't seem to have a particular purpose beyond just flailing.

A few other notes on casting. I saw both Lauren Lovette and Gretchen Smith in their debuts as Calliope in Apollo. Lovette danced with Tiler Peck and Ashley Bouder as the three Muses, while Smith was with Maria Kowroski and Sara Mearns. I felt both were mismatched trios, and would have switched things up. Lovette looked odd next to Tiler Peck and Ashley Bouder. Lovette has so much warmth and individuality that she seemed to stand out next to them -- beautiful, but odd... while Peck and Bouder seemed too cool next to Lovette. Smith, on the other hand, faded alongside the glamour and warmth of Kowroski and Mearns. So I would have put Lovette with Kowroski and Mearns -- three beauties with warmth and individuality, while Smith would be a better fit with Peck and Bouder. IMHO. I also saw Ashley Hod and Unity Phelan in their debut in the soloist roles of Agon. Both looked very good, I thought, with Hod really standing out. I recall seeing her in some small featured role last spring -- I forget what -- but young as she is, she catches the eye.

I was at both performances yesterday. The matinee was a total delight. Serenade – was beautiful. I’m surprised to find how much I like Savannah Lowery as the Russian Girl. There are other dancers I would have preferred to see getting a chance in this role, and Lowery has never been a favorite of mine, seeming heavy and with ungainly port de bras. But she’s growing on me. She brings a straightforward, energetic, and sunny approach that I enjoy despite myself. As the Dark Angel, Rebecca Krohn, brings glamour and intense but restrained drama. Finally, the pas de deux with Sterling Hyltin and Jared Angle was wonderful, especially the part where she circles the stage and he follows her, with her beginning the musical phrase, and the beat of his legs, perfectly timed, closing the phrase. He seems to have lost weight this season. Definitely one of my favorite dancers. Mozartiana – as beautiful a performance as any I ever hope to see. The opening movement, with an ardent, intensely interior Sara Mearns backed up by four solemn and poignant young girls, was heartbreaking. (What a piece of genius by Balanchine to include young girls – the poignant effect would be completely lost if the principal were either alone, or backed up by adult women.) Anthony Huxley has perfect form. And Chase Finlay and Sara Mearns look wonderful together. They both have a soft, plush quality which is a joy to watch. She is somehow both restrained and expansive, while he combines nobility and humility. I don’t think Mozartiana is on the schedule for the rest of the 2014-2015 season – a real shame! I’m in love with this piece. Tchaikovsky pdd – Tiler Peck and Joaquin de Luz amaze and delight with dazzling technique, stellar form, and relaxed, easy charm. Tchai Suite #3 – The first three movements do get long. The second is my favorite – and Taylor Stanley and Ashley Laracey excellent. Taylor Stanley – as always totally dynamic and riveting, and with spectacular grand jetes. T&V – Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia again looking wonderful. Garcia, never previously someone I sought out, is, like Savannah Lowery, growing on me. I also found myself noticing one of the demi-soloist men. I’m not completely sure who he was – after scrutinizing photos on the website, I think Peter Walker. Tall and dark, with a beautiful sissonne. I was less enthusiastic about the evening performance – or, rather, the programming. Donizetti Variations, with sizzling performances by Tiler Peck and the ever-amazing Joaquin de Luz, was the highlight. It was wonderful to see Wendy Whelan in La Sonnambula, but beyond that this piece doesn’t have a lot of interest for me. Finally, I’m getting weary of Firebird. The company seems to have a boundless supply of wonderful dancers. Whatever that's like for the dancers, it's great for the audience!

Overall last night was very enjoyable, despite the late start. Loved Sara Mearns in Mozartiana -- she brought a special sense of poetry and inner depth, yearning -- it's hard to find the words, but it was wonderful. Loved Chase Finlay also. In Tchai Suite #3, I enjoyed Taylor Stanley and Ashley Laracey in the second movement. I feel I haven't seen enough of Taylor Stanley lately. I'm not sure, but he seems to be dancing less than he did awhile back. In any case, every time I see him I can't take my eyes off of him. Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia in T&V -- so yes! I look forward to Gretchen Smith's debut in Apollo this evening, not to mention Reichlen and Danchig-Waring in Agon.

Seems like the line isn't moving out here!

Anyone any word what is the delay entering the theatre?

I also was there for the all-Balanchine/all Tchaikovsky program on Wednesday night. What's not to love? Serenade -- I agree with vipa, Sterling Hyltin suddenly seemed more interesting. The minute she came onstage she seemed to have more presence and more purpose in her movement than I have seen in her before. Jared Angle is such a noble and gracious partner -- I love watching him. Teresa Reichlen, Sara Mearns, Adrian Danchig-Waring all wonderful. Looking ahead to next week, I have some doubt about Savannah Lowery in this ballet, but we shall see. Mozartiana -- I enjoyed this more than I recall enjoying it before. I liked the contrast of the little girls with the adults. In the simplicity of the girls' movements, one can more easily notice the building blocks of ballet. I particularly noticed the angling and changing directions of their heads and shoulders, which I don't notice as much or as clearly in bigger, adult choreography. The girls looked beautifully rehearsed. Maria Kowroski gave a charming and individual, nuanced interpretation. Tyler Angle terrific. I totally look forward to Sara Mearns and Chase Finlay next week. Tchai suite #3 -- Justin Peck has great dramatic presence. Looked to me like a potential principal dancer. Antonio Carmena has amazing leaps -- they seem to come out of nowhere, suddenly arriving in position high in the air, especially the grand jetes. Tiler Peck & Joaquin de Luz -- wonderful. De Luz seems to be getting more noble and more serious as he ages, while keeping a sense of irrepressible good humor. All-Balanchine/all-Stravinsky last night. More on that later!

I too would love to read reports of ABT's visit to Australia, Misty's debut and any other performances!

It is too bad that Misty is only scheduled for one performance of Swan Lake. You would think at least two, would give her the chance to relax and develop, or at least a second chance to get over any nerves and anxiety. With only one scheduled, it's like an audition -- you better nail it, this is it!

Cobweb *loves* Herman Cornejo! Cory Stearns will never be my favorite dancer, but I thought he was fine, and the pas de deux with Murphy sizzled with sexual chemistry. Jared Matthews was vivid and funny. All in all, I found this the most satisfying performance I've attended this season. (The Dream, that is... never mind about The Tempest.)

I'm just sorry they didn't include some younger, promising corps members: Brandt, Royal, and Shayer. I'm sure it must help with development to get a chance to take on bigger roles earlier, rather than waiting (as did Zhurbin, Teuscher, and Shevchenko) 8 years or more in the corps.

Another report on last night. I found both Seo and Bolle a little blah. Seo is very beautiful in many respects but to me just does not project the magic and interiority needed for this role. As for the fouettes, while I enjoy technical wizardry (a la Gillian Murphy), I don't require it. Still, it seems that the ability to do a series of clean singles, more or less staying in place, should be a basic requirement for this role. I found Bolle attractive but not what I'd call riveting. There were smaller moments and smaller roles, however, that I enjoyed. For me the revelation of the evening was Zhiyao Zhang (hope I'm spelling that right), dancing with Joseph Gorak in the Neapolitan. I've heard raves about Zhang on this board, but only ever seen him in minor, peasant-type roles. Now I see what people are talking about. With his super-clean and effortless technique, and wide-open, appealing stage presence, he threatened to outshine even the beautiful Gorak. I enjoyed the Spanish dance, especially the men, Calvin Royal and Luis Ribagorda. Royal has an inherent nobility. I have the feeling he hasn't yet fully embraced his tallness, but he should. Ribagorda was super-committed and intense. Finally, I usually avert my eyes from the Swamp Thing, who (which?) I find ugly and awkward. Last night, however, I paid some attention to him/it. It's further testament, if further testament were needed, to the skills of Roman Zhurbin, that I felt sorry for this creature. He seemed sad, lonely, and tortured, not knowing how to get along with others, not knowing how to find happiness, and farfetched as this may sound, he actually wrung some of the evening's most heartfelt emotion out of me.

Amen to Gabe Stone Shayer as Puck.

Calvin Royal would be great as Purple Rothbart.

As to Misty Copeland getting to dance O/O in Australia, and the question of whether Sarah Lane will also get the opportunity, I'd just say that I would be much more interested in seeing either or both of them, rather than most of what's been on tap this week. I would have loved to see Veronika Part again, but I can't get out of work for the matinee. I love Gillian Murphy but I've seen her do O/O quite enough at this point. I've also seen Herrera, Semionova, Boylston do the role once, or more, and that was enough. I had a hard time imagining Alina Cojocaru as Odette/Odile, but I was intrigued enough to buy a ticket. IMHO, fresh approaches are definitely needed.

What I'm wondering (among many other things, of course) is why they took Cornejo out of Swan Lake tonight. He's still set to dance The Dream Monday night. If Cojocaru for whatever reason bailed out of Swan Lake, couldn't they have put in Isabella Boylston to dance with Cornejo? If she is a fit with Simkin, surely Cornejo also can dance with her. I'm not sure actually that I've ever seen Cornejo and Boylston paired, but it seems reasonable size-wise. On the other hand, in the absence of Cojocaru and Cornejo, the ideal replacement would involve Veronika Part.

I do too, but if not, I second Drew's suggestion to get Alina Cojocaru to fill in!

I enjoyed last night’s performance very much, despite a few reservations. It’s a shame Herman Cornejo didn’t dance. He seems a better fit with Cojocaru, and not just height-wise. Hallberg’s Albrecht was so ultra-refined and aristocratic, it seemed at odds with Cojocaru’s unmannered girlishness. Of course, I don’t know how Cornejo would have played Albrecht, but it seemed like Hallberg and Cojocaru were working with two different interpretations, and I chalked that up to the last minute cast change. I fervently hope that Cornejo is well and able to dance in Swan Lake. I enjoyed Cojocaru’s Giselle. Musical, expressive, light and airy, and of course, that special Cojocaru unmannered sweetness. She is a special dancer. I look forward to seeing Hallberg in The Dream. My impression from last night is that he has gained tremendously in refinement and control, but I missed the freshness he had when he was just a joyous and beautiful youngster at ABT. Perhaps it was just his interpretation of Albrecht. I hope so. I recall vividly from a past Giselle the moment when Bathilde indicates Albrecht's clothing with a question -- her hand gesture says, what's up with this outfit? And Hallberg, as I recall, hesitated then suddenly made his excuse -- a gesture of shooting with a bow -- saying I've been hunting. It's a small detail in the ballet, but the way Hallberg did it, it seemed to arise spontaneously in Albrecht, and was so absolutely beautiful, expressive, and fleeting, that I've never forgotten it. Last night, at the same moment, Hallberg just hesitated and looked confused, unable to muster any response for Bathilde's question about his clothes. I enjoyed seeing ABT. In past years I was a heavy-duty ABT fan, but I’ve gotten weary of the same old rep, and also trying to get my ballet budget under control, so I’ve seen very little this season. A month or so ago I saw the Theme & Variations/Duo Concertant program (skipped Gaite Parisienne), and was disappointed. Perhaps the company is just not prepared for, and too exposed in a demanding piece like T&V. On the other hand, they do Giselle well (even if the Wilis were a little ragged). I particularly enjoyed Yuriko Kajiya in the peasant pas de deux. Not to beat a dead horse, but I don’t understand the loss of talent and artistic decisions that are being made at ABT. Kajiya is so delicate and so engaging – I would much rather see her than the unrefined Isabella Boylston who is being pushed so heavily. Alas. Houston will enjoy seeing Kajiya, as San Francisco enjoys Simone Messmer.

Casting change for tonight: David Hallberg tweeted that he will be dancing w Alina Cojocaru tonight. I'm not complaining about that, but I was totally looking forward to seeing Herman Cornejo!

Kaysta - totally safe! Good luck squeezing into the subway car.

Georgina Pazcoguin leapt onto the stage with commanding authority as Hippolyta last night. Shrouded in fog, a brilliant, billowing orange cape, a huge helmet, and holding a large golden bow, the not-tall Pazcoguin nonetheless dominated the scene with her strong presence. Her grand jetes were large and her fouettes had a marvelously springy quality. I don't know why she isn't used more! She seems relegated to "hot tamale" roles, when she seems capable of so much more. I saw three Oberons: veyette, Carmena, and de Luz. Advantage: de Luz! Razor-sharp and full of sweeping amplitude.

I believe her debut is tonight. I'll report back. She has been so woefully underused that I've wondered if she was injured. Why did they promote her to soloist if they were going to use her so little?

Kathleen, it's funny you single out Olivia Boisson in 4T's, because I also noticed her -- several times! I couldn't quite figure out what made her stand out. Thanks for the analysis. I also love Schumacher as Puck and similar roles (like the Jester in Swan Lake). He has a relaxed charm and connects beautifully to the audience. I find Ulbricht too stiff. I couldn't quite figure out why Puck didn't levitate the other night, but I had the impression the butterflies were trying to quickly hook him up and couldn't quite get it done in time. The new costumes are brilliant -- and I mean that literally. The colors, and Oberon's allover golden glow, seem to radiate all the way up to the fourth ring. The article in last week's New York Times was accompanied by some lovely photos that show the care and detail that went into the construction.

I was also there last night and enjoyed it very much. Finlay and Catazaro both looked adorable in those pageboy wigs, and Finlay especially was comically silly. What a pleasure it has been to have him back this season. I thought Veyette was a little stiff in his upper body and had loud landings. I look forward to seeing Antonio Carmena in the role. He doesn't have Veyette's presence but he is fleet of foot. Megan Le Crone did very well as Hippolyta. Sara Mearns and Tiler Peck - just wow to both. The new costumes looked fresh and brilliantly colored. The music is beautiful. It's a great ballet. On to tonight's performance!