choriamb

Interesting, bingham. So, is Lendorf doing a dual contract, like Masha? He was slated to dance with ABT for the Met season, was he not?

Yes, according to ABT's Web site, he's shared with RDB through the 2015-2016 season. (I'm assuming that he's ABT's exclusively next season, but I don't know how his injury might affect that.)

(Cue shallow marketing-analysis mode:)

Regarding PeggyTulle's question, I think that a lot of the non-dance qualities that made Kochetkova buzz-worthy in SF are already supplied by other dancers at ABT.

Want a quirky downtown fashionista on Instagram? See Boylston. Want to follow an unknown, extremely young, cute soubrette who seems on the brink of a Cinderella-like career? See Trenary and Brandt.

As far as the stage is concerned, the two qualities that Kochetkova has that aren't already in supply at ABT are her technical assurance and attentiveness as a partner.

Then again, neither of these qualities should be sneezed at: no one makes Simkin and Cornejo look better. And from what I've seen, she's definitely deserved her position based on those performances.

(But buzz is a different matter.)

I'm with Drew: it's all part of a normal ebb and flow. ABT is on the upswing of a rebuilding phase in terms of dancer quality and in the midst of quite a good phase in terms of choreography.

(The way that NYCB rebounded from its state a decade ago is actually one of the things that convinces me that ABT's problems are only temporary.)

Olga, this is interesting to me. How would you characterize the differences between the NYCB audience and the ABT audience? I'm definitely an ABT person, but I don't know how to characterize myself, other than to say that I don't go to see ballets, I go to see dancers.

If anyone else would like to join this discussion, Moderators, please feel free to open a new topic.

Angelica, that's exactly how I'd characterize the NYCB/ABT divide too.

(The difference is far less pronounced now that ABT has a master choreographer in-house and NYCB's dancers are less cloistered than they were a decade ago. The dancers who I now admire at NYCB are the ones who pursued learning story ballets and other stage projects beyond NYCB's walls several years ago.)

Seems like they've given up on grooming the next great Swan Queen... I believe this is one role that requires tall pricipal dancers... or maybe that's just my preference.

However, they will have many promising Kitris in near future! I also hope they can renew their DonQ production.

I have a question unrelated to this subject-didn't ABT perform Jewels many many years ago? It's not on my wishlist because I'm happy with NYCB's performace but I just want to know whether my memory is correct... I am pretty sure that ABT performed it about 8 yrs ago or something... or not. Maybe I'm mistaken!

Don't get me wrong, I like taller ballerinas and think there are several interesting ones VERY early in their careers in ABT's corps (I'll add Giangeruso to the list of favorites). But it's good that they're on the younger side, given the lack of taller mid-to-late career men to partner them.

alexL, I suspect you're thinking of either the Mariinsky's Lincoln Center Festival residency a few years ago (they performed Jewels along with Carmen Suite) or perhaps ABT's performance of Symphony in C which occurred around that same year.

I think that the talent problem will self-correct within the next three years.

The crux of it was that a disproportionate amount of its recent buzzy ballerinas over the past 5 years were on the taller side (Murphy, Part, Wiles, Semionova) or mid-height but requiring a commanding partner (Kent, Vishneva). Both kinds required tall men who were talented partners (which ABT lacked).

Provided that McKenzie doesn't replace his oldest ballerinas with other tall women (or hire in new tall women), the need for those problematic taller men will disappear. All of the current tall women are at a common age for pregnancy or early retirement. And the current crop of buzzy ballerinas are on the shorter side.

If Trenary and Brandt were the next two elevations, suddenly Shayer, Scott, Cirio, and several of those mid-height corps guys we never discuss would begin requiring a second look (and there would be a far larger pool to draw from afield as well).

...but count me in if Ratmansky wants to give ABT a Paquita or Raymonda.

Ratmansky's Don Quixote for Dutch National/PNB has a distinctively quirky tone, gorgeous character dances (they don't blur together as in many stagings), a lot of variety, and gorgeous costumes.

But I found it rather heartless--Ratmansky pokes a little too much fun at the characters to allow one to actually care about them. The vision scene comes off as comical rather than beautiful. So, I think that ABT's Russophile contingent that like being swept away by a star in a familiar setting wouldn't really go for it.

Neither the book nor the choreography of ABT's current version is as tight (and, oh, those gypsy costumes), but it has a heart and moments of real beauty in the vision scene.

I've wondered why one doesn't read about more cross-pollination between opera companies, ballet companies, and symphonies myself.

But, then again, I suppose that if a ballet company DOESN'T share a musical director and orchestra with those two groups, the other arts have little reason to redirect traffic their way. (And I've always received the impression that ballet company orchestras and their rep are often held in rather low esteem by other musicians.)

The Mariinsky's 2011 Lincoln Center Festival engagement (led by the same musical director) was a bit of a Shchedrin festival. I wonder how well those performances were attended by the music community...

Schlagobers translates to Whipped Cream. Anyone have a clue what this is about?

My personal prediction: Copeland will debut as Giselle.

We've lost 2 of our Tatiana's since the last run of Onegin. Wonder who they will pick. Stellaaaaaa.

I agree that a Copeland _Giselle_ debut seems somewhat likely: she mentioned in a Time Out interview from a few years ago that it was a dream role and she spent part of a fellowship getting coached on it by some of ABT's stars. (While I'd be curious to see Murphy and Part, if McKenzie opened the role to tall dancers, he'd have a male casting nightmare.)

For more info and thoughtful, serious-minded commentary on _Schlagobers_, see the Paris Opera thread at http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/41069-2016-2017-season/?fromsearch=1 . I can't say that I find this one likely, though: The Golden Cockerel was an unknown quantity to audiences, but had a compelling backstory and some nice buzz (and intriguing photos) from the RDB production. I don't think _Schlagobers_ has enough of a marketing hook for management to risk it.

I think that one difference is that Hayward was seen as "the princess type" from quite early on, due to her training, interests, and fine-boned frame.

Reports suggest Hayward has good technique, but unlike Copeland wasn't pigeon-holed as the hard-body allegro powerhouse type, a classification which may make you a useful asset to an AD, but can prevent him from seeing you as a lead dramatic artist. And given the media's tendency to depict Black women as hard, rather than soft types, once they get categorized that way, it's a little harder to change that perception.

As far as I can tell, Hayward never had to achieve that shift in perception: she went to White Lodge; was seen to display a special interest in Ashton and MacMillan; and was seen/cast as a lyrical, dramatic ballerina from the beginning. (But I don't really know her rep: if she's been dancing nothing but Balanchine gut-crunchers and muscle-y modern works, someone correct me.)

Yes, Thursday's Square Dance was interesting. I thought this cast's corps looked like they were still finding their way into the roles on the whole...but I really liked the petite young brunette lady (Rizzitano...maybe Casciano?) who was at stage left front in the first movement: noticeably attentive to the other cast members and musicality. Pantastico seemed to start a bit tentative, but gathered steam as she went: by the late echappe releve sequence, she was her usual musical self. Porretta was the one person who really looked in fully in command from the beginning (wonderful beats). It's funny though. I'm used to Square Dance the way Hubbe did it: very understated, with glints of light and shading. And everyone I've seen since has emulated that approach unsuccessfully, lacking his stagecraft. I was really surprised to see Porretta approach in such an extroverted fashion...not leaving things unsaid. He was fearless (and I thought the solo worked well), but still chewing on this.

I think that (entirely setting aside the question of whether Leaves is great or not) it poses programming problems.

Abstract ballets and ballets with full characterization are easy to group into a bill with satisfying contrasts. Ballets with very lightly etched characterization--and little excitement--are harder: paired with a Millepied work (at least as far as I know his work) this would have been a very long evening.

Also, unlike Jardin, I can't recall seeing anyone praise a recent rendition of Leaves as entirely successful--even at ABT where, however neglected Tudor is, the dancers have at least some experience with his style. One isolated investment would not bring dividends.

I can't blame Dupont for making this call.

I was there one horrible night in February last year when Andy was clearly struggling through Donizetti Variations. Finally after a painful landing he winced visibly, walked offstage and Ashley Bouder improvised a coda alone for the remainder of the ballet. He was pulled from Rodeo the next night and was out for the rest of the season. In one recent instagram post he thanked Sterling Hyltin for "pulling the old man through."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEujL2oFL6r/?taken-by=andiev1

I think if anything Andy overdances and goes out too hard and then sometimes runs out of stamina by the end of the ballet. Considering all the injuries dancers at NYCB have suffered in the past and present that have curtailed their career, I'm glad Andy is still dancing and fairly well, even if he has off nights.

I suspect De Luz's absence this season has had Veyette doing double time. The company now has several men who can bring the appropriate technique to the Villella roles, but they're really still the only ones who can bring the appropriate testosterone.

I'll be curious to see if Stanley is eventually able to project the same sort of lovable caddishness that they have. (I'm guessing Suozzi, Danchig-Waring, and Ramasar are too tall for that slice of the rep.)

Just a quick additional note to say Monday's performance of Piano Concerto no. 1 happily reminded me why I love the ballet: Shevchenko again, but with Calvin Royal III, Skylar Brandt, and Gabe Stone Shayer. All danced with the urgency and chemistry that seemed to me missing on Saturday. Even the orchestra sounded more energetic, though that may have been an aural illusion. Cast changes in the first two ballets of the Trilogy made subtle differences to their impact as well and the Chamber Symphony also seemed to be more warmly received than on Saturday -- though the house was, if anything, even less well sold. Glad I was able to see this performance.

Thanks for the update, Drew: I was away from NYC for this run of the trilogy, so it was great to hear your reports on both casts.

(And I'm glad Shevchenko finished strong in Piano Concerto No.1: it can't have been easy to perform on consecutive nights...with a new partner in Stearns, no less.)

Lovely video with Murphy on La Fille mal Garde at https://youtu.be/Xjct-f3ShV8 .

(Side note: I'm so glad that ABT's videos are beginning to look appropriate to their station. Far from NYCB's caliber, but the content is purposeful and the production values and editing are infinitely better. With judicious cuts and better subtitle fonts, they'll be set.)

...and, in passing, as of May 17, 2016 you can see photos of the original cast's costumes on NYCB's instagram feed at https://www.instagram.com/nycballet/

(Query: Aren't these rather like ordinary street fashions of the time? Serenade expressed by contemporary women rather than Romantic-era visions...interesting!)

Is that Leta Biasucci in "Square Dance"?

Yes!

(If you want to see a great Ratmansky work this week, cross the plaza and see DSCH at NYCB.)

...but if you want to see two great Ratmansky works, stick on this side of the plaza for the Shostakovich Trilogy program!

So well-deserved!!!

One thing that's bugging me about the way DAAG is done nowadays is that almost none of the dancers try to recreate the late 60's/early 1970's look of earth tones, simple hairstyles for the women, and makeup that emphasizes the brows/eyes than the lips. When I saw Sara Mearns in a fancy updo, blood red lipstick, and modern pancake makeup I thought it looked so wrong.

That surprises me too, given ballets often have make-up guides and Robbins' rep for micro-managing costumes...it does nick at the "villager" look. (Then again, if there were a DAAG character to wear bright red lipstick, the Girl in Green would be it: does Mearns wear it for her other characters too?)

Agreed, thanks for the links. Every few years, I'm reminded that Serenade was tweaked for decades...and every time it's a useful reminder about all the changing needs/tastes that shape "the classics."

Agreed. It's cool to see how jazzy, loose, and pedestrian parts of this once were.

I've never seen Fairchild listed in the divert, Emma (but others may correct me).

Glad to see Ulbricht listed for Oberon. And extremely strong list of Butterflys (although I hope Pereira appears in that role again sometime).

That's depressing to hear since I became Gillian's fan after seeing her in Sylvia. She's usually great in the role. I hope she can perform like her usual self later this week.

Who was Kochetkova's original partner on Wednesday? I don't think it was Hoven originally...

Hoven was originally paired with Hee Seo, who changed dates to fill in for the injured Polina Semionova. (If Kochetkova and Hoven are ill-matched, Kochetkova and Bolle would have been even more ill-matched: I wish them the best, as they'll have had little time to prepare together, given that Kochetkova's season at SFB ended so recently. )

Murphy mentioned having a tweaked calf a few weeks ago on Instagram that took her out of the YAGP gala, so she might not be up to full speed yet...which in turn would mean that Gomes was doing a lot more lifting than usual. (Not that this info makes the performance better...but in my experience they're not the type to phone things in.)