ord7916

Thanks for the info. So even if exchanging seats for another performance, choosing an exact seat is not an option?

On the matter of subscriptions, two questions: If I buy a make your own subscription, do I get to choose actual seats? On the website, there doesn't seem to be an option for that, only to choose which section. And, can I exchange a ticket for any performance? So if I wanted to change a Weds night Swan Lake to a Monday Manon, can I do that, or does it have to be for the same ballet?

Any thoughts on NYCB's Coppelia vs ABT's? Aside from Coppelia, any recommendations for the winter season?

Well, here is my review. I followed everyone's advice and chose NYCB over ABT and sat in the first row of the third ring. Definitely better sight lines than at the Met. Highlights were the tea scene with Antonio Carmena and the Candy Canes led by Daniel Ulbricht; Tiler Peck as Dewdrop; and the pas de deux with a great Rebecca Krohn and Amar Ramasar, who was my reason for going tonight (didn't realize he'd only be onstage for five minutes, but so be it.) What I liked less was the first act where there is so little dancing. I can appreciate that giant X-Mas tree and the snow, but I'd rather see some great dancing as opposed to pantomime and children running around and jumping up and down. I'll also never understand why some adults cannot sit for an hour without chomping on M&M's, chatting, rattling plastic bags and checking their email (all the same person). But that is another matter.

Do you recommend sitting higher up for this production specifically or for ballets in general? Having sat in various sections, I've found its hard to appreciate from higher up, though of course the music sounds better.

For NYCB, the best seats are $229!!! For ABT, they are about half that.

Seems rather unanimous. However, it looks like NYCB tickets are in short supply and the prices are much higher than ABT. Why is that?

Not sure which forum this one belongs in: My original thought was to avoid The Nutcracker, since I'm not exactly fond of an audience full of tots and their parents. But now I'm having second thoughts. If you had to choose NYCB or ABT, which would it be?

I realize it is still six months away, but travel plans in May / June mean that I'll be away from New York for part of the spring season. So I'm wondering, out of the spring schedule, which are the ones not to be missed? So far, I'm thinking Manon and Giselle. Coppelia will be at NYCB in February so I could see it then. But I've still only been to a few ballets, so I really have no idea.

Maybe it's true, but it's hard to imagine maternity leave stopping the clock on seniority and salary. Would that happen to a teacher?

Herrera and Kent rarely perform? The schedule doesn't seem to reflect that. Osipova and Vishneva are not full time, but I'm sure both are doing pretty well in the end.

Gomes perhaps? Or at that time maybe Corella or Carreno?

An NYT article posted tonight about dancers who jump from company to company includes this tidbit: Who are / were those three?

Granted he is in an entirely different league, but David Hallberg seems to be adapting well to the Bolshoi, even as an American and a gay American in a place that is not exactly the most tolerant in the world.

This was my first time in St Petersburg and my first Flames of Paris. The first thing that struck me is just how little of it there is. Act I is 30 minutes, followed by a 30 minute intermission! Act II is 20 minutes!!! and then a 25 minute intermission. Act III, including an extended curtain call, about 25 minutes. It all felt like an extended intermission that happened to include some dancing. Not much happens in Act I. Act II has nice music and lots of running around. And someone kept taking flash photos. The Basque Dance was good. But Act III was great, particularly the Fraternity Dance and the Pas de Deux. There was a last minute cast change so instead of Ivan Zaytsev, it turned out to be Denis Matvienko, which was a great thrill. Looking forward to seeing him back at ABT in the spring. Everyone left on a high note, but I can't help but feel cheated. I can't help but feel their real goal is to sell overpriced drinks and cakes, albeit good cakes, at their cafe.

Thanks for the replies. I don't have tickets yet. I opted for Flame of Paris at the Mikhailovsky. However, now I see that Osipova will be doing Giselle, so I am thinking of going.

I mean Giselle in general. Is it worth seeing? I tend to like the fast-paced lots-of-action ballets.

Giselle will be at the Marinsky when I visit in a few weeks. However, from what I've seen on youtube, it doesn't seem terribly exciting. Am I missing something?

Anyone familiar with Ivan Zaytsev? He will be in Flame of Paris when I see it in a few weeks but I've found very little info about him.

Thanks. Has it not changed since 2005?

How does NYCB's Swan Lake compare to ABT's? I've only seen three ballets in my life, including Swan Lake at ABT in June and I was a bit disappointed, though I love the music and many versions that I've watched online. Now, I wondering if it's worthwhile to see this version.

Thanks for your reply. I guess I totally missed that.

This may be a silly question, as I'm not terribly familiar with SB: Aurora appears in Act I, at the end of which she pricks her finger and falls asleep for a hundred years. The next time I recall seeing her is when she is awakened by Prince Desire at the end of Act II. However, I am reading everyone discussing the vision scene and the sleep scene. Does she actually dance in those scenes? I thought Desire was dancing with the Lilac Fairy.

Just back from today's matinee and I can report that Sarah Lane was superb. With her entrance, she brought instant excitement to what had been, up to then, an ok production. I have only seen a few ballets and had never before heard of the Rose Adaigo, but that was most exciting ballet scene I've seen. She really blew me away. I hadn't realized how little time Prince Desire is actually on stage. Daniil Simkin, once he got the chance to show what he could do, was great in the grand pas de deux. So were Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews in the Bluebird pas de deux. Everything else in between, I would describe as decent. The music sounded great. The audience, perhaps because it was a matinee, was not the best behaved - lots of talking, crackling wrappers and eight people in the center of my row who had to get out before the curtain call. Though I realize I may be the only one, I kind of liked the scenery, particularly the Act III palace scene. I suppose it is a bit Disney-like but also reminded me of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. Perhaps that was the intention. My favorite for this season is still Don Quixote with Reyes and Cornejo.

Well if I went into the ladies room, I'd probably be quickly escorted out by security. But I am leaning toward Lane / Simkin.