Kaysta

Wow, Ksenia Ryzhkova is fantastic. I loved that Balcony Pas. Wish I could see the whole performance from both of them, just stunning.

Yes, the video quality has been fantastic! I'm enjoying it, although I don't get Spartacus at all. It's one ballet I have no desire to see. Even the costumes annoy me. How tacky is Aegena's red jeweled nipple?

The run at the KC is officially sold out!

Beautiful Devon rehearsing. I am so darn excited for her debut. Plus it's Calvin Royal's debut as Purple Rothbart. Now I just have to pray the weather cooperates for my trip to DC. I'm seeing five different casts.

More articles coming out of Philly: http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/jenice_armstrong/20170105_Armstrong__Sugar_Plum_Fairy_too_tall__I_take_that_personally.html The comment section gets nasty.

I have tickets to the Sunday evening discussion, but will be unable to make it (as I'll be driving home from DC and Devon Teuscher's Swan Lake debut at the Kennedy Center). If any BA'ers want the tickets free of charge, please send me a message.

The more I've thought about this today, the more upset I've become. Last year, when the 17 dancers left, I was disappointed (especially in the loss of Fadeley), but I understood that Corella was trying to make the company "his" company, with "his" dancers, and that he had every right to do so. But I don't understand this move. He brought Murawski here as a principal (all the way from Slovakia). And then to not renew her contract after six months and chalk it up to her height? It doesn't make sense. And it seems cruel. I increased my donation for this year, and I'm kind of regretting it right now. I feel torn on whether to support this company, because I am thrilled with watching Baca, Pineiro, Maslova and others he has brought on, but this just seems so cut-throat. I don't know if I should support someone who might not be a very good person (and a horrible boss).

Wow. Every time I start to think I can get behind Corella and his direction he makes another cringe-worthy move that makes me feel guilty for supporting this company. ive had the opportunity to see Ms. Murawski dance the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and Coffee in Nutcracker and thought she was beautiful. Hope she finds another job quickly.

How awesome would a Murphy/Hallberg/Abrera Giselle be? That Saturday will be ballet heaven for me--finally seeing Sarah Lane as Giselle for the matinee, and Gillian's ABT debut of Giselle with Hallberg and Abrera for the evening?

Best: 1. Sterling Baca first year as a principal at PAB. Saw him in Cinderella and the Nutcracker and he was a fantastic partner (and carries himself so regally). I enjoy watching him more than many of ABT's current principals. 2. Mayara Piniero's Sugar Plum Fairy. I saw her last year (2015, her debut year) and found her a bit shaky in the role, but this year (with Baca as her partner) she was fantastic. Her Kitri in the spring was also stunning and it was Angel Corella's best move by bringing her in. I can't wait to see her and Baca in Le Corsaire in the spring. 3. Rebecca Krohn and Tyler Angle in Ratmansky's Pictures at an Exhibition. . 4. ABT in the Shostakovich Trilogy (especially Teuscher and Gomes). 5. ABT's lack of guest artists over the last two years and finally giving some roles to some of the younger dancers (Teuscher, Brandt, Trenary). 6. Seeing Serenade live for the first time by PAB and NYCB. The music and the choreography are so amazing that they make me happy to be alive. 7. Megan Fairchild and Gonzalo Garcia in Rubies. 8. PAB's continued use of the Philly's Boy Choir for the Snow Scene. Worst: 1. Loss of half of PAB's corps dancers (even if I like a lot of the folks who were brought in, it's still hard to see that happen) and especially the loss of Lauren Fadeley to Miami City Ballet. 2. Justin Peck's Everywhere We Go and The Most Incredible Thing. I thought the music to Everywhere We Go was so loud and blaring that I couldn't concentrate on whether the choreography was any good. And The Most Incredible Thing was a huge let down to me. 3. Snow scene in PAB's Nutcracker looking horrible. Saw it three times, all three times the same new dancer (won't name her to be nice, but she was one of the folks brought in this year) clearly could not handle the choreography and was off, throwing off the entire scene. Why it wasn't corrected after the first performance (or why she wasn't pulled if she couldn't handle the speed of the choreography), I don't know, but it kind of ruined the magic of the snow scene for me.

Thanks for all of your reports, Birdsall, sounds like an awesome trip! I have been planning on a vacation to Germany and Austria next fall, but now I'm wondering if I should push it back to Christmas time so I can see the Mariinsky.

Thanks, naomikage, I didn't realize Somova was pregnant. I'm sure I'll love Shakirova, but it sometimes feels like the KC gets the short end of the stick when it comes to KC casting. Both last year and this year.

I'm extremely disappointed with the casting. Maybe Somova just doesn't want to tour? Where are all the principal dancers? I'm going to the matinee on the 4th, so I'll see Shakirova. I'm sure she'll be lovely (I've never seen her before) but I was hoping to nab tickets to finally see Somova. Part of me wants to switch my tickets to so I at least get to see Shyklarov. Tue., Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Vladimir Shklyarov The Tsar-Maiden: Anastasia Matvienko The Little Humpbacked Horse: Yaroslav Baibordin Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Yuri Smekalov The Tsar: Dmitry Pykhachov The Young Mare: Zlata Yalinich Horses: Alexander Romanchikov, Alexander Beloborodov Wed., Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Ernest Latypov The Tsar-Maiden: Renata Shakirova The Little Humpbacked Horse: Grigory Popov Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Konstantin Zverev The Tsar: Vasily Shcherbakov The Young Mare: Viktoria Brilyova Horses: Andrei Solovyov, Yevgeny Deryabin Thu., Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Maxim Zyuzin The Tsar-Maiden: Anastasia Kolegova The Little Humpbacked Horse: Vladislav Shumakov Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Yuri Smekalov The Tsar: Dmitry Pykhachov The Young Mare: Zlata Yalinich Horses: Alexander Romanchikov, Alexander Beloborodov Fri., Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Vladimir Shklyarov The Tsar-Maiden: Anastasia Matvienko The Little Humpbacked Horse: Yaroslav Baibordin Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Konstantin Zverev The Tsar: Vasily Shcherbakov The Young Mare: Viktoria Brilyova Horses: Andrei Solovyov, Yevgeny Deryabin Sat., Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Ernest Latypov The Tsar-Maiden: Renata Shakirova The Little Humpbacked Horse: Grigory Popov Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Yuri Smekalov The Tsar: Dmitry Pykhachov The Young Mare: Zlata Yalinich Horses: Alexander Romanchikov, Alexander Beloborodov Sat., Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Maxim Zyuzin The Tsar-Maiden: Anastasia Kolegova The Little Humpbacked Horse: Vladislav Shumakov Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Konstantin Zverev The Tsar: Vasily Shcherbakov The Young Mare: Viktoria Brilyova Horses: Andrei Solovyov, Yevgeny Deryabin Sun., Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m. Ivan the Fool: Ernest Latypov The Tsar-Maiden: Renata Shakirova The Little Humpbacked Horse: Yaroslav Baibordin Gentleman of the Bedchamber: Yuri Smekalov The Tsar: Dmitry Pykhachov The Young Mare: Zlata Yalinich Horses: Alexander Romanchikov, Alexander Beloborodov

This makes me so excited:

I think I'm in the minority, but I love the pas. I find it extremely musical when done well. I will agree that the Torch lift can look exceedingly clunky if not done right. And if no one at ABT can do it, maybe it should be changed. I also get why some don't like the pas. As discussed in the Tschaikovsky thread, maybe such amazing music doesn't need to be filled with so much choreography. But I still love how the steps so beautifully coincide with the flourishes in the music. Wish I could see it again live.

Just got back from Sterling Baca/Mayara Pineiro/Lillian DiPiazza cast of the Nutcracker. ABT is dumb. Very very dumb. I realize they can only have so many soloists or principals but they screwed up letting Baca go. I'm glad they did though, because now I get to see him at the Academy of Music regularly. Tonight I saw the best Sugar Plum Fairy/Cavalier pas de deux that I've ever seen (I've seen the Nutcracker about 20 times since 2013). Baca is a fantastic partner. I know there is a lot of tricky partnering and exchanges in that pas, but you wouldn't know it by watching them tonight. They had no bobbles or mistakes that my non-dancer's eyes could see. It was smooth and luxurious. Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes it was so darn good. I forgot that there was a drunk person sitting behind me who kept kicking my chair and a five year old who was chatting about bumble bees, and got lost for a brief seven minutes of dance heaven. Dayesi Torriente was supposed to dance Dewdrop but Lillian DiPiazza filled in instead. While I love DiPiazza, I was a bit disappointed, because this was my first opportunity to see Torriente in a super technical fast paced role (I saw her Marzipan lead last week) and I was really looking forward to it. But DiPiazza is a stunning dancer, with fantastic lines and great technique, so I still got to see a fantastic Dewdrop. Last year I went though a phase where I hated the Marzipan Shepherdesses, but this year I'm loving it. I really respect how difficult that choreography and footwork looks. Ana Calderon did a really great job. My only complaint (and I felt the same way last week) is that the corp de ballet is not doing a very good job with Snow. I think this might be because of the drastic turnover at PAB over the last two years. A lot of these dancers must be dancing Balanchine's Nutcracker for the first time because I saw a lot of messy areas during Snow (less-so during Flowers). During those chaine turns on demipointe, one poor young soul was so completely out of sync with the rest of the corps that she stood out like a sore thumb. And they didn't hit the accents on the music like I've seen NYCB corps do. To be honest, I saw the CPYB Balanchine Nutcracker last week, and I thought their Snow was head and tails better than PAB. At least the boys choir saved the scene for me. Anyway, if anyone gets the chance to see Sterling Baca or Mayara Piniero, I highly recommend it. These two are legitimate stars and I'm happy I get to see them.

I watched it and it was horrible. Besides the bad cheesy dialogue, the dance scenes with Amy Acker were horrendous. It's a shame they couldn't have gotten someone who could actually dance. I don't know if she has any dance training, but her SPF solo in the beginning was painful looking. Sophia Lucia and Radetsky's dance scenes (though few and far between) were nice though. But seeing them wasn't worth the rest of the movie.

I enjoyed the SF version (although I might have been blinded by pure joy at seeing Yuan Yuan Tan dance). But I do agree, overall, Balachine is still tops. His snow scene made me cry the first time I saw it (and I was an adult). I'm still not that fond of the swirling bed, but I can understand why it was left that way.

Welcome! NYCB nutcracker. Not sure if the new version is on YouTube, but the 1993 move version should be!

Oh, and I'd add Prokofiev to the list of music that stands up without dancing!

That is a wonderful point, Jack. Maybe he left that music without choreography because it is so grand. As you state, maybe he wanted the audience to just listen to it (and watch the snow fall!) Somewhat unrelated, but it reminds me of something Ratmansky said during his NYPL interview. He said something along the lines of how he won't try to choreograph to Mozart, Bach or Beethoven, because the music is too majestic and it should stand alone. As for changing the scores to suit the ballet, I have mixed feelings about it. It's done all of the time and if McCauley has a problem with Balanchine doing it, then he should also have a problem with just about every version of Swan Lake currently in production. As a relative ballet and classical music newbie (who still has a lot to learn!), I was surprised to learn that the music used for the Black Swan PDD belongs in the first act. And I enjoy Serenade just the way it is. Frankly, I find the super slow tempi employed by certain companies more "distorting" to the music then reordering. I've never seen the Ballet Chicago version, so I'll have to put that on my to-do list.

Interesting articles, thanks for posting. I love the Nutcracker score, honestly I could listen to it anytime of the year. With regards to different Nutcrackers, so far, I have definitely preferred the Balanchine version over all others that I have seen, however I'm starting to have an appreciation for different versions. I will say, one thing I dislike about Balanchine's is the fact that one of the most amazing parts of Tschaikovsky's score (the Scene in the Pine Forest) is used only to transport Marie on her bed to the forest. To me, that music is so grand and beautiful, that I prefer it to be danced to. It's one of the parts I admire most in Ratmansky's version. It's unfortunate for NYers that ABT has moved the production out West, because it would be nice to be able to see a different version. Maybe next year I'll take the trip out to California.

Sorry to hear about the misbehaving audience members. I almost lost it last week because I was sitting in the 3rd ring sides, and the guy in front of me (who was sleeping) was leaning on the railing and stuffing his coat in between his arms to use as a pillow. Cut off half the stage, so I had to lean over the railing, which probably was annoying for the person behind me. I should have said something, but I hate confrontation. The guy was completely oblivious to the fact that he was blocking my view.

Agreed! I've never seen the Paris Opera Ballet live, and I've only seen the Bolshoi once. So I don't care what they bring, I'm just happy they are coming to NYC. I will definitely be there.

Saw the matinee cast today. Highlights were: - Lauren King's marzipan. She just lights up the stage with her smile. On top of that she looked technically flawless. The marzipan shephardesses are usually a bit yawn-worthy for me, but I loved it today. - Claire Kretzschmar's coffee. Not since Georgina Pazcoguin have I been so enthralled with the coffee solo. Like Georgina, Claire brought a sultry sensuality to it (which to me, is the feeling I get from the music, I hate when it's so bouncy and light). - Lauren Lovette and Chase Finlay's PDD. These two have a comfort with each other and it shows in their dancing. Complete trust between the two of them. I thought they were lovely. My not so highlights were: - Most of the first half until the tree grows. Not the fault of the folks on stage, but after seeing the Balachine version so much over the last three years, I'm finally a bit tired of the party scene. It's funny, because I remember reading on these boards a comment made by someone how they were bored with the party scene, and being a newbie who had seen B's Nutcracker for the first time that year, I was shocked because I found it so adorable. Well, I get it now. It's definitely cute, but I get antsy waiting for the dancing to start. - Savannah Lowery's Dewdrop. I love Savannah Lowery in a lot of things. She filled in for Reichlen in the spring for Rubies and while I initially was incredibly depressed, I really end up loving her tall girl. But she does not have the fluidity and supple back for Dewdrop. I found her stiff. I feel like Dewdrop needs to have a quickness and lightness to her, and I didn't think Lowery fit into the roll. I sat there wishing I was seeing Reichlen or Bouder. Anyway, I have tickets for a performance the week before Christmas, so hopefully I get to see some of the younger dancers. I'll likely check out Sterling Baca's debut at PAB as well.