Michael

This is true. It's interesting that, in my parents' generation -- in Babbitt's American shall we say -- The Doctor and the Lawyer were, along with the Banker, the most socially prominent members of a community, the pillars of the Country Club and Deacons of the Church. Since then, women have very largely penetrated Medicine and the Law and these two professions have largely if not completely lost their Social Prestige. The two things may very well be connected.

We are once again at cross purposes about the brochure we are discussing, Ari, as per Amanda's post on page 1 of the thread above. The picture of Boal which you mention (with the scatalogical implications) is not in the Brochure currently available at the State Theater, which is the current Single Ticket sale brochure. This brochure (that is, the current one) has the photograph of Tess Reichlen on the cover. This current brochure is the one which Charlieloki was talking about when she started this thread, as she started it by discussing the photo of Reichlen. The brochure with this other photograph of Peter Boal, which you describe immediately above, is not the current one with Reichlen on the cover but instead the one from the late Winter mailing to the subscribers. It has a photo of Carrie Riggins and Stephanie Zungre on its cover.

Yes -- And this discussion has taken that tack. But it doesn't address the question Alexandra first put, as to whether there is a marked gender difference in which Sex studies and/or consumes Art-Literature-Theater or other Particular Cultural Forms. I take it, from what's been said above, that this is being observed in the Colleges. I don't particularly see it in the Theaters, the Galleries or the Museums. But I'll look harder.

The picture of Tess and Genevieve is very beautiful and they in the picture -- As indicated above, it can be found on the City Ballet website. Ditto the costumes. I likewise find Peter Boal's photograph beautiful, the classic pose of Apollo holding the lyre above his head. We all should look so good. I can't imagine what there is to complain about in any of this. Of taste there is (however, as the proverb goes) no debate.

My Boys (22 and 20) read (mostly nonfiction but literature at school), watch movies (TV and Theater) and like going to both museums and art galleries. They think about, talk about and synthesize what they see and read. It is Television and the Movies, as the dominant forms of entertainment, both now and then (when younger), that mostly determine their pattern of cultural activity. They will be far more likely to watch a movie of a Jane Austen book then to read one. TV is the culprit in our changing needs of culture, artistic, political, the ways we relate to each other publicly. That and computers, which also involve us sitting in separate compartments and dealing with life through a screen. But it's irremediable, alas.

The season that Chris Wheeldon's work, as a body (Liturgy, After the Rain, Shambards, Polyphonia, Carnival of the Animals) , took its place in the company's repertory as a decided counterpoint to that of Balanchine, Robbins and Martins and as affecting the character of the company. Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto quite astonishing in so much of Wheeldon's opus. Carbro I disagree about Janie Taylor being anyhow bland in Square Dance. She has quietly become a finished classical dancer, one of the most fascinating and beautiful to watch of her generation. So Blond but such a Sylph. The wildness is under control - It's become merely the extraordinary color which characterizes her dancing. Her suddenly maturing, after last Spring's absence, was more unpredictable and as much of a gift as Bouder's continued development. Taylor is the other big news of last Season.

Ari -- That's what I meant. It's very possible -- and one really can't answer -- that you might not have found last Sunday's "Stars" here "strong and focused" either. I did see another performance of "Stars" this season (with Ashley Bouder, but bedsides this with an entirely different principal cast) which was much, very much more emotionally flat and listless. A friend told me on the phone that last night was better at the Ken Center ("Divertimento," "Polyphonia", "West Side Story") and that "Divertimento" in particular looked good. Do you agree?

I'm not sure they're all that tired. Why make excuses for them? You are seeing the company with different eyes, in a different context, and on a different stage. Any company can, and all companies do, have streaks. From here, I looked at the programming and casting with trepidation. Miranda hasn't been able to dance Theme with high energy for a while. It was very flat here last Spring until Sylve revived it this Winter. You in DC have high expectations. The DC posters have been savage to ABT, the Bolshoi and the Kirov too on a regular basis. Remember when the Bolshoi left all of their major players at home and Lunkina was on Maternithy leave? And remember when the posters lit into the Kirov's men? It's quite instructive and even positive in a way -- We see our own companies with such inbred affection. They are like family. We overlook the faults. We even become fond of them. Others have no such bias. Natalia, I do notice that you spare the Ballerinas you've always loved. Jenny Ringer, however, has been a little out of shape all year. Not everyone will have loved her in that Astaire piece either here or there. I thought she was pretty heavy footed in it myself last winter and over-emoting to make up for it. Oddly enough, Maria Kowroski -- who you are not seeing -- had some of her best performances of the season in this. Korbes has replaced her and has also been quite good and God Knows its a pleasure to see Carla. A question. What has been the audience reaction in the house? Has it been fully as negative?

Well Coleen, we've never met, but we go back a few seasons you and I, attending and commenting on some of the same performances of NYCB and ABT. And all I can say is that I think you should comment, and should describe, and not defer to anyone else, and not be shy, because that's what makes this Board interesting. MP

Some quick and selective notes on Sunday's final performance: Liturgy City Ballet programmed Chris Wheeldon’s “Liturgy” once more as part of Sunday Afternoon’s closing performance of the New York Winter Season. This offered a series of rich contrasts. Like the recently premiered “After the Rain,” “Liturgy” is another of Wheeldon's shorter Ballets set to an Arvo Part’s composition dominated by the melody of the violin. Again, both Ballets contain extended pas de deuxs for Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto. “Liturgy” is in fact nothing else – while “After the Rain” contains an initial section for a group of six other dancers. And those Pas de Deuxs are essentially fascinating choreographic essays on the qualities of Whelan and Soto individually and as partners. (This is also true of some of Wheeldon’s preceding work set to Ligeti scores. At the heart of “Polyphonia”, which will be seen in Washington this week, lies a pair of duets for Jock and Wendy.) Interesting how, in “Liturgy”, in contrast to how he has choreographed to Ligeti, Wheeldon responded to Arvo Part’s greater lyricism (than Ligeti’s) by freezing the dancers’ lower bodies, often in a soft fifth position, which he changes at almost ceremonious intervals for unorthodox and yet essentially solid lifts, bringing the dancers’ to rest again in solid positions, while at the same time employing their arms in subtle and free lyrical gestures. And only then occasionally unleashing them in a burst of diagonal movement over the whole of the stage. All of Wheeldon’s work for Soto and Whelan seems utterly dancer specific. One can hardly imagine another pair of dancers performing these to the same effect. Wendy appeared very strong and very physically beautiful in this. The costume emphasizes the regularity of her proportions – her shoulders and hips being of nearly the same width. Her arms and legs also being of essentially similar proportions. Her legs long and well formed. Whelan’s great gifts are so many. There are her strength, presence , musicality, the sureness with which she goes to just this point and no other and then moves through her dance phrases. But what struck me yesterday above all is the clarity with which Wendy will show you line. For example, there are the repeated poses Wheeldon creates here where the Ballerina leans back into her partner and developees fully to the front while leaning back into the male dancer for support, whereupon, when she reaches the top, the Ballerina (only then) rotates her leg and foot outward into a further and visually more distinct and extreme turn out, before coming back down (I think through Passee). Whelan did this as one gestural and seamless movement, maintaining a legato flow. Yet, at the same time, she showed the distinction between reaching the top of the developpee and that movement of further turn out so clearly that they could have been two separate phrases. Brilliant. I mourn in advance for the loss of Soto as her partner this Spring. Watching them now, it is like what Baudelaire said of seeing the sunlight on the Autumn sea – that it seems, dazzled as one is by the light, that one hears at the same time the beating of a hammer making a coffin in the distance. She and Jock Soto offer such interesting contrasts. Jock is dark to Wendy’s light. Compact to Wendy’s physical extension. Strikingly but androgynously Male to her striking but androgynous Femininity. Soto stays close to Whelan, and in a sense underneath her, when partnering her, as opposed to Edward Liang who partnered Wendy in “Glass Pieces” on the preceding (Saturday) afternoon and who had some awkward moments managing her from a distance. Above all, in handling Wendy, Soto also stays somehow “flexed.” It is that slight flex, a readiness to move and a compact center, which distinguishes his dancing. This Winter has been in many ways the Chris Wheeldon season at City Ballet. A moment when the body of his work has taken its place as a true counterpoint to Balanchine and Robbins in the repertory. Seeing it in this mass – Shambards, After the Rain, Liturgy, Polyphonia, Carnival of the Animals – has forced a reassessment on me. A performance like that of “Liturgy” yesterday was brilliant and formidable. That is how the body of his work here now appears to me. “Stars”: The last performance of the afternoon was “Stars and Stripes” which also got a strong and focused performance. The corps de ballet was wonderful in this, but then they have been wonderful all winter. Danny Ulbricht was particularly superb. Ashley Bouder and Ben Millepied were Liberty Bell and El Capitain, with Bouder visibly growing into the role and Ben Millepied partnering her quite beautifully. This may not have been Millepied’s best solo performance as far as cracker-jack variations are concerned. But the point is that with his attentive support for Bouder, “Stars” as a whole worked

can anyone decipher more precisely which roles are being danced by which dancers in 4T's?

Swanhilda in "Coppelia", in the Balanchine/Danilova staging. She's on stage dancing for practically all of the three acts. Ending in Act III with a grueling and lengthy classical pas de deux after all of the extended demi character stuff earlier.

Some high points before the Season ends. Rubies: Miranda Weese had one of her best evenings Thursday night in the principal role in Rubies -- The sort of performance which she seems to give once or twice a year now, the last in memory being T’schai Piano Concerto a year ago. More than any other dancer in the company, male or female, Weese’s dancing comes from the center of her body – chest, hips, shoulders – and the word which sticks with me after viewing this performance is “Physical.” Ben Millepied was her partner -- She ate him alive. Overpowered as he was, he seemed in the end quite irrelevant and one felt that Weese was satisfied, in whatever it was that had happened on stage between them, not by anything he had done but by merely consuming him. Millepied danced (as usual) in a narcissistic dream (the only time he appeared really comfortable and “dans son assiette” was when he had the chance to leap or turn about the stage on his own, whenever one of those passages arrived you could almost see him thinking “Oh Boy”). He seemed to be unaware of anything or anybody on the stage except for himself. Which is rather inconvenient when one has to partner, but Millepied doesn’t have the muscle to partner Weese anyway, it was frightening to watch the way she overpowered him physically. She’s way too much woman for him. And you have to feel that a night with Miranda would just about blow Ben Millepied’s mind. This performance being raw, sensuous, animalistic and at the same time sophisticated (which latter point Leigh has pointed out re Miranda) … Watching these qualities in Miranda last night, and also seeing her in Shambards last Spring (where she is the “Female Sacrifice” at the Wedding and seems to love it) – it is nearly impossible to remember how earlier in her career she was sometimes criticized for being a distant and inaccessible dancer with great line but who didn’t project. Teresa Reichlen, for her part, has just been getting better and better with each of her performances in the other central role in Rubies. The girl seems to be able to dance pretty much anything. If there was a partner big enough, she could do Diamonds, as well, and do it supremely well. Despite her size, she can dance allegro as well as adagio. With rather small feet, she turns extremely well, indeed she’s a very perfect dancer in form. Wonderful turn out. Wonderful extension. Huge jump. The enchainement which leads forward on the stage at the commencement of Rubies, to the pulsing orchestra, devoured space with each step. Deep in her pliees. At once sensual, even sexual in a predatory way, she was at the same time nonchalant and disdainful with the four boys last night. We will not soon see here equal in this. I could not also help noticing, among the girls of the corps de ballet in Rubies, Ana Sophia Scheller: She has something of that quality, which one recognized in Ashley Bouder in her initial seasons, which makes your eyes slide to her and recognize her on stage whenever she’s there and whatever she is doing. Scheller looks great in this costume. Emeralds: These four performances in Emeralds have been in my eyes the high point of Rachel Rutherford’s career, her most public moment in a principal role and the performances most marked by her musicality, lyricism and the finished qualities of her dancing. The adagios between her and Stephen Hannah, particularly the first one, were nearly perfect. And though her solos at an allegro tempo taxed her, she retained so clearly the idea of the role, that her triumph was to let us see the choreography so clearly that the choreography itself shone through her performance and carried her with it. Sophiane Sylve, who had the other Ballerina role partnered by Jonathan Stafford, has an idea of this role but is clearly still feeling her way in the part. Which is as it should be, considering that it’s probably about the third or at most the fourth time Sylve has ever danced it and also considering that the demands of this very lyrical and perfumed role are so distant from her natural facility. And that the role is so distant from her natural type. In so lyrical and romantic a piece, the line of Sylve’s shoulders and upper body (very muscular and developed) may be a little distracting. Also she tended to struggle with some of the steps, such as the quick terre a terre glissades into wide second positions with a pliee, where the dancer shows, during an enchainement, the feet full on the floor and the thighs bent. Very French romantic, a similar sequence occurs during the Pas de Six in La Vivandiere. It was particularly instructive to see these after watching Jenny Ringer perform the same role more cleanly and in a more balanced and complete fashion earlier last week. La Sylve’s has glorious feet which are at once soft and strong on point. She uses them gently but firmly, seeming to feel the floor, and she has a strong and flexible high demi pointe. She is also an instinctively sensitive and musical adagio and semi adagio dancer, flowing through poses and possessing a lovely and rich extension, and it was the adagios above all which carried her through Emeralds last night in a most beautiful fashion. One of the posters has raved about her Symphony in C, 2d Movement out west last year and I can very well believe it. Everything we saw of Sylve last night makes me think that would be true. I thus admire Sophiane Sylve but am not yet ready to anoint her with the Holy Oil. She danced a great Theme. She’s a most promising dancer but new to the repertory, feeling her way in it and sometimes struggling. My objection is not to her, but to the premature movement which would declare her a finished object at this time. If Sylve’s performance in Emeralds was something of a triumph of matter over spirit, Rutherford’s was the exact opposite – a triumph of the spirit over matter, for Rachel will never have Sophiane’s physical facility but nonetheless rendered the details and lyricism of the Ballet so beautifully. Diamonds: The adagio by Maria Kowroski and Philip Neal towards the beginning of Diamonds was sublime. I do not use the word lightly. The most heart stopping six to seven minutes of pure dance in the theater this fall and Winter. Who would “a thunk” it? For eight minutes or so, Maria was amongst the Gods in that legato twilight, every thing she did, each little motion was perfect and just right, flowing to just the right point, each pose so perfectly held, the breathing of the dancers even seeming to synchronize and you feeling them breath, as it were ... and Philip Neal was the perfect Cavalier. The performance then progressively became more and more difficult for them precisely to the degree that the tempo picked up. And the tempo does pick up for them in Diamonds, at first to a rather dramatic allegro, then to a final Polonaise, the former especially a tempo and a style which is difficult if not impossible for Maria’s body to handle, with her long, large, high arched feet, her slightly set back pelvis, and all the mass of the tall woman that she is. The costume is flattering to her. Her native lines and proportions appear quite beautiful in it. The Russian School suits her in so far as she is able to handle it physically and that means the adagio. Neal, as I said, was a wonderful partner for her. In the Shy but flamboyant Boy from St. Paul’s Prep, this smart and funny Ingenue from Grand Rapids seems to have found her match. It’s a partnership with great potential. His size, strength and the point of physical support where he tends to balance her are just right for Maria. Their personalities, stage intelligence and what they need in their respective partners are well matched. I’ve seen Neal paired with Jennifer Ringer a good deal and he always appears a little hesitant and insecure with her. Ringer, with Neal, tends to lead him a little and he tends to look for it. Not so with Maria. The balance of power between her and Philip seems about just right and their mood, eye contact and rapport was very good last night. In the great adagio they really seem to dance “together” and altogether Neal had one of his better nights. In fact, given his greater ability than her to handle the up tempo allegro passages, it was probably a more consistent performance for him than for her. But Diamonds is about the Ballerina and in the Adagio, it was all about Maria. Seven minutes of sheer poetry and magic from her, as I said. The rest I have already forgotten. Diamonds is a very unforgiving Ballet. Some Ballets can survive an uneven or mediocre performance by the corps de ballet and soloists better than others. Diamonds is not one of them. The girl’s Corps de Ballet was ragged. As a group they were just not up to the piece. Rather than resembling a Regal Court, the appearance and atmosphere were that of High School Prom Cum Costume Party. Nor did the four soloists either work together, attack their role, or hold the stage visually as they needed to do. The quartet for the soloist girls with the Hungarian melodic “tag” fell flat in particular . Saskia Beskow above all looked frightened throughout the evening. And behind the music. Watching the soloists, and then the beginning of the Polonaise, it was impossible not to notice that right there in front of you, in Carla Korbes, or Gwynneth Muller, or Megan Lecrone (good to see her back on stage again these past two weeks) were any number of girls who could have replaced some of the soloists tonight and given more visual mass and presence to the Ballet. Why was Melissa Barak not cast in this, particularly given the Gypsy Air? If she was striking enough to dance the second principal role in Cortege – all Czardas and ribbons flying and By Gosh she was striking in that – how can she not have been right for one of these roles?

Despite these civic benefits, I am very heartened by the people on this thread who have seen through to the "Emperor's New Clothes" aspect of this entire project. Christo is sort of the P.T. Barnum of the current art world. To follow this up, Matthew Barney should fill Central Park with Jello. We can then watch that from the roof garden at the Met.

Watching Seth Orza carefully again on Saturday afternoon: Where the sense of "Weight" comes from, the sense of Pushing to the Floor, is the Pliee. In her book on Kronstam, Alexandra Tomolonis relates that Vera Vokova, wanting to give "Weight" to Kronstam's style, had him precisely work on his pliee. It's uncanny how true this is. When a Boy has a really strong pliee, it informs everything they do, every step, even the walking ones, with that slight bit of spring from the thighs. Also re Seth -- the Jetees to the front are almost French/Paris Opera in the ease, the quickness and the sure presentation of a turned out line in the inner thigh, calf and foot. Emeralds is the masterpiece of Jewels. It stands up to viewing after viewing after viewing. I doubt I can tire of it at the moment. That's not true of the other two parts. One viewing a week is more than enough of Rubies for me, and maybe even too much of Diamonds, depending on the cast.

Actually, I thought Seth Orza had an amazing night -- a superb performance and the bravura elements were not the least of the qualities we saw. He holds himself beautifully. Watch him in a kneeling fourth position, for example: the lines are stretched and marvellously turned out, his entire body to the torso and arms is dramatic, elegant, almost Russian in the way he holds the stage and draws your eyes to him. He's got a big jump; instant control of his legs from the hips; lovely and feathery petite batterie when he wants to go there. The jetes in turns to the rear are hugely elevated and dramatic. Bravura is in my mind just the term I'd apply to him. He's really not naturally a corps dancer -- He stands out too much. He also has a great sense of weight. He shows you his foot on the floor. He presses to the floor. Nice feet, actually. He may even have pushed his performance too much dramatically last night. In the final pacing section of Emeralds the cavalier from the pas de trois is almost a "heroic" figure, he's always in the middle and seems somehow to be controlling the action, as if it's all for him -- Orza seemed almost possessed at that point, a committment I admired though I can see someone saying it was "over the top." But that's what happens when someone who deserves it isn't cast enough -- When they get their chance they are going to milk it for everything it's worth. Please please let's see more of him. Along with Antonio Carmena, I think Seth is as fully realized right now among the male dancers in the corps as anyone else I can think of. Regarding the rest of the performance: I loved Rutherford in Emeralds, this is as well as she can dance, a wonderfully lyrical and relaxed performance. I also was completely blown away by Miranda Weese in Rubies -- this is one of Miranda's very very best roles. The switch in casting was a happy one. I have to dissent about Whelan in Diamonds, however. Strongly. I love Wendy Whelan. I've particularly loved her this season. (And that's a bellweather in some ways for anyone's relationship to this company -- Whelan is a strongly flavored physical presence -- You have to get used a bit to seeing her rather extremely attenuated physical presence in order for her performances to seem quite natural to you -- But I have reached this point long ago and I think that means I've seen this company a lot. All the same, if you took the company on tour to say, the Paris Opera, I think there is no Ballerina, the very first view of whom would cause more disagreement amongst those who had never ever seen her -- But only until you got used to her. And everyone, or just about, does fall in love with her in the end, she's too completely gifted a dancer for that not to happen). But, that being said, Wendy just looked physically a little bit weak in the Ballerina Role in Diamonds last night, as if she was neither strong enough in her native constitution, nor moving largely and freely enough to be the Diamond in the middle of the setting. Some of it, but by no means the major part, can be attributed to casting her with Nilas as her partner -- as Nilas is clearly too small for her. But in many ways, since her return from her injury, Whelan seems even more ethereal than she did before. In "After the Rain" Wheeldon exemplified and in a sense immortalized this. In Diamonds last night, I thought that perhaps there was just not enough of the physical body left. (As to her and Nilas also -- when Nilas Martin's solo variations and Barrel Turns earn more spontaneuous applause than anything the Ballerina does, it's a good sign that the Prima Ballerina is not really popping in Diamonds). But the problem is there's really no one else for Diamonds right now besides Wendy. The exemplary performance, in recent memory, was Daria Pavlenko when the Kirov was here a couple of years ago. Now there was a Diamond to place in the middle of the setting. In contrast, I can neither see Maria in the role, she's too big for it, nor, upon consideration, Sylve. (She would appear too physically huge being draped in those back bends and off balance turns, who in the world could partner her, anyway, Askegaard simply couldn't do it). So Wendy it is. The women's Corps de Ballet is greatly improved in Diamonds this Winter, over what we saw last Spring. In fact, the women's corps has looked splendid all winter, the best season within recent memory. On the other hand, the casting of the four soloists in Diamonds was, I thought, weak. The four soloists are as important in Diamonds as they are in Theme and should have had as strong a group. In Theme it was Barak, Golbin, Hanson and Abergel. In Diamonds Barak and Golbin were missing and it was not nearly as strong of a group. All the same, a good and strong performance of Jewels last night.

I don't think anything has gone wrong with La Sylve's dancing. She's the one Ballerina in the company who can do Theme right now. That's important. She's wonderful in Cortege. And in Kammermusik too. She was superb in the last section of Ivesiana last Spring. Whoever said she'd be good in Diamonds is probably right as well -- Certainly I'd rather see her in this than either Maria or Wendy, though I'll take either of them as well. My criticism, my beef is with the way the audience is over-valuing her circus tricks (fouettes, balances -- she has great facility at that sort of thing) and with the way she herself seems to be over-selling that same item. You can get away with a bit of that at the climax of the Polonaise in "Theme" -- but even there the Ballerina has to be careful. Not so in "Who Cares" or in many other things. It doesn't take much to cross the line and when it's done not at the end of a Ballet, but in mid-performance, it can very much start to interfere with the presentation of the piece.

You can also look at La Sylve's feet, particularly her motion in relevees and in the way she finishes the in between steps and transitions through (flubs and blurs at times) what is supposed to be closing to Fifth -- Not always the prettiest sight -- On the other hand, in Theme, her little closed beats to the top of the ankle and all the little accents were so lovely and creamy. So go figure. I've thought at times that the sharpness of her attack in her relevees can be considered a cultural difference, since Vaganova trained dancers generally don't roll up and roll down, there's always more of a springing motion -- Yet all the same Sylve's relevees and fondus are unusually sharp and rocky even for that tradition. Which is not after all even her training and tradition. She is French trained, but those roll ups are certainly not of the French Classical School either.

I appreciate your gallantry, Farrell Fan, and always have, but -- it being true that you haven't seen Sylve much -- Why disagree with my opinion? La Sylve is not above criticism. Let me go into details. First, I presume you think I'm being rude to this lady. As to this, though, I think she can take it. Being a principal dancer in a major company, it kind of goes with the territory. Second of all, I imagine that you think that I could have made my point without mentioning Sofiane. On this, however, I dissent. It is relevant to discussing the reaction to the performance last night. Sylve seems not only to be the one woman who is consistently applauded in this house these days, but also be the one who is most deliriously applauded. I led the charge myself as to her Theme. But I'm suddenly alarmed at what I see. I'm suffering a reaction myself. What's distressing is that, in Ballet today, it's the athletic dancers, rather than the lyrical ones, who consistently seem to get ahead. I hate to see this trend taking over in the State Theater too and I do see it there. It distresses me to see an ABT-like atmosphere developing and that's what I see. On Sunday, Sylve's fouettes nearly stopped "Who Cares" for applause mid stream. I've never wanted to see something like "Who Cares" become "about the fouettes." And she does hungrily milk it, going to the footlites in Irina Dvorovenko fashion -- watch and see is all I ask. To repeat then, if she is not above criticism; and if the criticism is relevant to what we are seeing, and to how the company is received and how it casts and schedules -- I therefore stand by what I said. Amanda, you and I can just agree to disagree. I am interested, though, in provoking a good strong discussion on this Board and I'm pleased to have been able to do that.

West Side Story Suite and Mozartiana West Side Story Suite last night was remarkable for a small gem of a performance in “America” by Jennifer Ringer and Genevieve Labean, and indeed by the entire ensemble of the tall dark girls (Melissa Barak, Sarah Ricard, Ellen Bar, and Rebecca Krohn). Particularly Ringer and, even more than her, Labean in the supporting role – whom we have not seen much of but whose ability to hold the stage and isolate dramatic space around herself, and whose attention to the small but essential details of her acting in this was quite startling. (Not to mention the voice). As a dancer she’s perfectly secure technically. But what’s more evident in a piece like this is the marvelous interpretive ability. At the curtain call, even standing there with an upraised left arm she was able to command the space around her. A lot of injuries early in her career have made it a case where one really doesn’t know what she’s capable of. It appears, however, to be a great deal. She can certainly Dance Robbins and one hopes that Jean Pierre Froehlich was watching carefully last night to notice what he has. Whose Idea was it to cast James Fayette as Nardo, on the other hand? It’s like casting Jackie Gleason as the leader of the Puerto Ricans. Earlier in the evening, Kyra Nichols danced an absolutely luminous Mozartiana which instantly put this masterpiece back into focus and erased all memory of Nina Ananiashvili and/or Veronika Part in this Ballet across the plaza. From the slightest gesture of raising of her face at the commencement of the Preghiera she was dancing. The economy of movement, grace and refinement in her response to this music were remarkable. At 44 years old, Nichols’ Pas de Bourree is still the purest in the company, perhaps the purest I have ever seen. The State Theater audience sat on their hands, staring at this amazing phenomenon of a performance like so many dumb oxen, chewing their after dinner cuds and waiting for their dose of “Thou Swell”. I have never seen a more unresponsive audience. Presumably, if Mozartiana had been danced by Sofiane Sylve … and if La Sylve had interpolated five or six triple fouettes into the third variation; and if she had then stopped the performance (as she likes to do) and walked the footlights fixing the audience with a grand manner, as if to say: “I AM GREAT BALLARINA … I HAVE JUST DONE SOMETHING HARD”, this audience would have known what it was seeing and would have applauded wildly. Nichols went quite over their heads. It’s worrisome. It’s depressing … It hasn’t always been like this, has it? Surely it isn’t always this way? There it was last night, right in front of us. The lyricism of seeing a Rosebush in bloom the almost dark of a dusk in late Spring; or the Scent of Pines in the air late in the Summer. It’s right there. If we could only learn to see it, it would be something very like Heaven.

The week closed this afternoon with Chris Wheeldon's new Ballet, "After the Rain" as the first piece. My Gosh is it beautiful -- the first really "beautiful" thing I've seen that he's made. Some things he's done have been lovely to watch, but nothing like this. Just a few minutes of complete lyrical reverie in the theater, that pas de deux for Soto and Whelan to Arvo Part's duet for piano and violin "Spiegel in Spiegel." It made one think that nothing else should have come after it this afternoon. One should have left the theater. I was thinking before the performance that Wheeldon could make something emotional for Jock Soto's retirement, their careers have been so linked. But this isn't just about Soto. It's about both Jock and Wendy, and the music, and something like human vulnerability and frailty or what you will. Whatever you imagine and nothing at all. Indeed, I've never seen Whelan so exposed and vulnerable. It's unexpected, unballet-like even, very quiet, hardly danse d'ecole. But, Oh My, is it ever moving.

No one asked for a "Purely" classical approach. I'd like to see a bigger, more sculptural and stretched dancer. At least occasionally. I cannot imagine anyone I'd less like to see than Ethan. When Ethan does "heroic" he acts like Mighty Mouse. Apollo cuts across the types a little bit I think. You want Apollo to start raw, wet and new a little bit and then grow. But at times you definitely want something "BIG", noble, God-like. That's why Boal is so good in the role, he has the physical and psychological "Mass" to go through these types. I'm aware that Martins likes it demi. That's what I question. Not for him, pursuing this path, ever personally to have the experience of, say, a Merrill Ashley watching Ashley Bouder do one of her signature roles. Has not Martins even cast Nilas in this? I'm also sure Balanchine cast it every which way depending on who he had available. Good to see you back Mary. Good also to see a good discussion on line. Don't mind me. MP

In Agon, the pas de trois, and the ensemble dancing by Ellen Bar, Rebecca Krohn and Edward Liang (and Liang's solo) was the best thing about the performance in my eyes. The series of glissades with entrechats, side by side, by Bar and Krohn were very nice indeed. I didn't know that Krohn had quite that effortless a jump, it's not something I would have thought about her. Ellen has a lovely, rich attitude, she shows beautiful big, spacious poses but also has the speed and athleticism to get there, a lot of ground to cover to get to those finishes. Nice arms too and her expression has become so very natural. I've been converted by Liang also. He's more stretched in his lines now than when he returned to the company last year, in good shape. He's a fine classical dancer. I am less excited about La Sylve's Agon than the other two posters. Not bad but not her best role either. Of the too casts I much prefer Tess Reichlen in this part.

Some other notes about that performance. Hubbe as Apollo continuesdthe recent tradition at NYCB of casting Apollo demi character. (Peter Boal goes in this direction also but Boal has more weight, i.e., is a weightier dancer with respect to the floor and gravity than Hubbe is). There are times, though, particularly the larger, more monumental poses, and in the first section Apollo's walk with little rondes de jambes which end in pushing an extension forward, that I at least seem to wish to see Apollo cast as a more "Heroic" type. Bigger, more extended and more sculptural. I always wonder whether Martins is not determined that he personally shall be the last really Noble Apollo to appear on that stage. Although I'm aware that Zelensky was cast in this in the 90's. But where, on the other hand, is Igor Zelensky now? The principal casting of Orpheus was, is and will be Nilas Martins and Darci Kistler. I couldn't help but think that Orpheus had married a much older woman. A marriage for dynastic purposes no doubt. I've seen a lot of Noguchi in my day. I continue to think that the Orpheus designs are not quite first rate Noguchi. Although they are fairly representative of one of his phases. It's important to realize, though little remembere, that Noguchi was in fact an American who spent all of a few months or a year or two in Japan. Faux Nippon. The

The highlight of last week for me was Saturday Afternoon and Jock Soto and Wendy Whelan dancing the pas de deux in Agon. It's nearly a week later and still with me and may always be. Jock has never had a totally classical body. Neither has Wendy. In his case, it's the twilight of a career, and My Gosh will he be missed. Yes, if he had to perform a classical pas de deux with an adagio variation he would mark the steps and he hasn't had to do one in years. The Pas in Agon, however, is another story. One cannot imagine this being danced better. As Soto and Whelan perform it, this Pas has legato flow amounting to a sense of inevitability. Each motion is "just so", going to the proper place with a minimum of gesture, the two of them so perfectly in sync. The moment when he bends over, modestly and just so, and takes her leg and gently lifts it up. The ease and, again, quiet modesty of it. The other moment when she is in arabesque and he sinks to the floor on his back -- Whelan maitained such a quiet balance here. The distortions, so to speak, involved in both their native lines are very well coordinated, or something more. The lines, both his and hers are to Picasso, what? -- The Boucher or Fragonard which the draftsmanship of the Classical age of Ballet sought to embody? But also they both move with such a "spacey" kind of slowed down ease, even within fairly brisk movements -- It's truly the kind of modernism which I think Balanchine was trying to sum up in Agon. It's not only a distortion of the pose one ends with, but a distortion of the style of movement itself and of course that's very difficult to explain. I left the theater astonished and a little hypnotized by the Pas -- and also a little sad. I think that Soto will be quite irreplaceable in this. After thinking it over for nearly a week now, I can't imagine anyone inside or outside of this company who will be able to step in and partner Whelan in this. I know who will try but I also know that it just cannot be the same.