KarenAG

I am so happy to read this thread! I agree, Kathleen, Kathryn seems like a very lovely person and her videos are terrific. I hope I can see her dance in NY soon.

But wasn't Garbo gorgeous and poignant as she elegantly strode through the Grand Hotel lobby in that long fur coat and hat, and then stopped to assist the old woman. Such a beautiful scene.

Miliosr, I don't agree. Although Flaemmchen is probably my favorite character in the film and I think the role is one of Joan's most endearing, I watch Grand Hotel for many reasons besides Joan's wonderful portrayal. It's incredibly glamorous, the characters evoke great empathy, the drama (or melodrama, if you wish) moves crisply and evenly, set in motion by Dr. Otternschlag's sad and world-weary view 'people coming, people going, nothing ever happens'. But things do happen and those desperate people, their worlds' colliding in that hotel, are changed forever.

Thanks, susanger. Yes, Peter Martins came out to welcome the opening season and the audience and expressed the same. Peter was composed, of course, but there was great sadness in his voice as he praised Mr Evans as a great dancer, company ballet-master and gentle friend and soul. He asked the audience to join in applause for Albert and they did so with heartfelt enthusiasm. This is a company in mourning. However, our company danced brilliantly and the audience was most enthusiastic. Each year NYCB comes back 'home' to SPAC, there is palpable excitement and happiness that exudes throughout the place! There was a pre-performance diluvian downpour, too (quite spectacular if you were under cover ) between about 6:45 and 7:30 pm, and then a rainbow came out to welcome the dancers! Attendance seemed average or better for a stormy night and I must keep in mind that SPAC is huge. What the audience lacked in it not being a bigger house was made up by a most vocal and appreciative welcome for the start of another NYCB at SPAC season. It is difficult for me to review the actual steps as some posters are able to do because I am not a dancer, but I can tell you, the company was in fine form last night!! They were gorgeous! It was an all-Balanchine program (Square Dance, La Valse, Tarantella, Symphony in Three Movements) and they danced clean and tight with beautifully articulated legs and feet and just lovely port de bras. The orchestra sounded great, and I do love the way an orchestra sounds at SPAC. I was pretty much blown away by the quality of the dancing in each work, so I guess I don't have too many standouts - they were all standouts: principals, soloists, and corps alike. La Valse was revelatory on that great SPAC stage; I saw it at the State Theater in 2014 with Janie and Sebastian (her penultimate performance with NYCB) and it was lovely, but last night was perfection. Claire Von Enck deserves special mention here, replacing Tiler Peck in Tarantella and was so charming. I thought perhaps she started out a bit cautious, but by the middle,she was assured and dancing in her element. I don't know why Tiler was replaced but I hope she's fine. Equally special was meeting our fellow member, rkoretzky! Well, bye for now. I may add to this post later, but if not, tomorrow the matinee!

Thank you, Angelica, for the invitation, how nice of you! I would love to meet you and enjoy a ballet together. I'll PM you as the Fall gets closer and I'm deciding which matinees and perhaps one evening (I'll be in New Rochelle for business in September (the 1st NYCB week, I think) and would take MN in.)

That doesn't mean I'm inflexibale about seeing another company perform it.

That hurts! Symphony in C is one of those Balanchine ballets which is very hard to get right, so that it shines like the exquisite, multi-faceted, sparkling gem that it is. I contemplated buying tickets for ABT's SiC (two seasons ago?), but changed my mind because I felt that I might be really disappointed. I'm thrilled I'll be seeing it performed twice at SPAC this week and next week. I never tire of that work.

Thanks, mussel. I will see ABT at Bard, regardless. Can't miss them at a perfect country venue, and in the Fall, too!

Oh, too bad, it would be so nice to meet! I love the Bard campus, too. Going to Bard is definitely great for me because I can't go to NYC all the time and plan on two NYCB ballets during the Fall season. So being able to trek to Bard, a mere 50 miles away, is wonderful for me. However, ABT at Bard is the same weekend for matinee performances of Liebeslieder Waltzer, which is a a ballet I haven't seen in quite a long time and want very much to see. So unfortunately, it will be one of those 'feast' weekends and thus, somewhat tiring with all the travel. But definitely worth it! Company B is terrific.

Thanks, mimsyb, for this. I'm looking forward to the casting.

Angelica, will you be attending a performance (or more) at Bard?

Thank you, Sandik, for your information. I read the Wikipedia article and I definitely want to see it. The article says it is Kurt Jooss' most popular work and in the repertoire of ballet companies worldwide. From the essay: "Lasting about 30 minutes and subtitled "A dance of death in eight scenes," The Green Table is a commentary on the futility of war and the horrors it causes." Sadly, it couldn't be more relevant today, could it?

Thanks, AlexL and stuben, I'm thrilled ABT will perform at Bard this fall! Natalia, I do hope the Mark Morris is a ballet and not a modern dance piece - I'm good with seeing ABT perform Company B again, but I want to see ballet, too (I need to research The Green Table as I don't know anything about it as yet). I'd like to hear what others think of it here, too.

Greetings! Does anyone know what dates and venue MCB will be in NYC? I cannot find anything on the net. Thank you. And yes, Cristian and Jack, MCB's website is quite deficient in not mentioning its tours!

Chuckling, Dirac, at your caveat and thank you for the news and link. Can't wait for her memoir, also!

And week 2.

So happy you are making the journey up here, Kaysta, and participating in one of our premiere (imo THE premiere) summer event - NYCB at SPAC! As Katherine said, you will love it.. SPAC is just lovely. If you have the time, in the woods in front of the parking lot at the Route 50 box office is a detailed pathway that takes you to the creek. From there you can enjoy a quiet walk along the water. This is just one of the many simple pleasures our beautiful state park has to offer. You will also hear the gentle sound of the creek as you watch the performances. And for me, I cannot separate my over 35-year experience going to SPAC to see the ballet with my equally profound pleasure walking our beloved Golden Retriever, Fergus, now a golden angel, on those paths, as he enjoyed darting about in and out of the water. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Oh, Katherine, I'm sorry you won't be here! I was going to email you to see if we could hook up

Welcome to Ballet Alert!, Stephan, and thank you for these links. I look forward to your posts about Ballett Zurich and the other European companies that you see. I love the tutus in this Giselle production!

Helene, your descriptions of the costumes are making me jealous!! I love that they included the busts of our beloved artists! I'm sure this will be a wonderful production and all of you in Seattle and the West Coast who will see the debut of this production, enjoy!

And these, too - beautiful!!!! If we could post in colors, well......

they're all great! But I LOVE Alexei's !!!!

I quite agree with you, Vipa. The ability for ballet dancers to create poetry within the confines of the choreography itself, and outside its confines by artistic and dramatic expression is what is most important to me. Technical flaws or lapses become secondary for me.

Oh, my! Happy, happy belated birthday, Ms. de Havilland, and many more! As for my enormous admiration and appreciation of Olivia's and Joan Fontaine's distinctive star qualities, I must paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara: "Oh, I never can make up my mind which of you two is the most glamorous!"