MarzipanShepherdess

I echo many of @Balletwannabe's observations! Maria K was a delight as Carabosse, she played her as like a female Joker. Lots of maniacal laughter and wicked glee. Joseph Gordon was so gorgeous that I felt cheated every time he went off stage, we don't get enough of him in this ballet! Roman Meija gave a bravura turn as the lead jester, subbing in for Sebastian V-V. Everyone who gets to see him as Bluebird is in for a real show. And Emma Von Enck was excellent as the White Cat, so charismatic and impactful in such a short solo. I really hope we get to see her Aurora sooner than later. Of the non-Lilac fairies/jewels Alexa Maxwell stood out to me the most. What a great season she's having.

I'm a big Mira fan and thought she made a lovely Lilac debut, with room to mature in the role. She is a natural Lilac, with her gorgeous long lines and expressive port de bras, much in evidence last night. But there were moments were I felt like she was overdoing the choreography a bit, and it looked a bit forced/effortful.  Her Lilac had a grandeur yet also a sweetness that was beautiful to watch, but I think she could further develop how she conveys the power and authority Lilac wields. 

Megan Fairchild is such a treasure to the company and to audiences. Her Aurora last night was just radiant. 

18 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

 In my mind's eye, Phelan's Lilac is the distilled essence of benevolence while LaFreniere's is power and grandeur all the way down. 

Yes--this is how I see LaFreniere's strengths as well, so she doesn't seem like the most natural Aurora to me either. That being said, one of the most memorable Sleeping Beauty's I ever saw was with Veronika Part at ABT, definitely cast against type there. What struck me the most was how she danced the birthday party scene. In her interpretation, Aurora was not having a good time AT ALL, being pressured to make a choice she didn't feel ready to make between suitors she didn't like. It created a beautiful, moving emotional arc in the performance seeing her then blossom into this luminous, assured young woman in the later Acts with her Prince. 

2 hours ago, Balletwannabe said:

I'm seeing Woodward but I have the opportunity to pick from the following for a second performance: Lafreniere, Fairchild, Peck.  Who would you go for?

Fairchild. Plus Megan's cast gives you Joseph Gordon as Desiré, Mira Nadon debuting in Lilac Fairy AND retired NYCB great Maria Kowroski guesting as Carabosse!

On 2/4/2023 at 3:39 PM, Papagena said:

And I agree about Megan Fairchild - 6 years ago I didn't seek her out often, now she is one of my favorite performers in the company!

Same! So beautiful to see how she has continued to bloom as an artist relatively late into her career.

Saw Copeland Dance Episodes last night, with the Miriam Miller/Russell Janzen cast. For me, this is a ballet that rewarded a second viewing. I thought Miriam Miller was really lovely, bringing softer, more vulnerable shadings to the lead ballerina role than Mira Nadon did in the premiere. And Alexa Maxwell, though a very different dancer than Tiler Peck, was excellent in the other big ballerina part. She's so emotive and engaging to watch.  I'll be shocked if she's not promoted in the spring. I really preferred Megan Fairchild to Unity Phelan in the "yellow leotard" role; last night Unity was kind of blurry in her phrasing, where Megan made every step so clear. And KJ Takahashi, though obviously a very promising talent, doesn't yet have the authority that Roman Meija is already projecting despite his young age, so the early movements felt a little less exciting than in the premiere. I know Emma Von Enck has lots of fans on this forum and she really stood out to me in her relatively small role: lots of speed, lots of attack, dancing big. I'd like to see her in the Tiler/Alexa role!

Today I was back for the Classic NYCB II matinee. Wasn't sure I'd see this program because I've seen Fancy Free so many times and I didn't love Episodes when I saw it in the fall, but the casting won me over. In Fancy Free, Roman was the standout: this is such a great role for him with all his bravado and charisma, but all the guys were good. Alexa Maxwell and Mary Thomas McKinnon were both great in their debuts. Alexa continues to impress me in dramatic roles, she is a great dancer-actress who can do a lot with her face and small gestures and brings characters to life. 

Rondo was new to me and I really enjoyed it! It's like a chamber piece, very intimate, and it felt like a rich work to me even though it's short and quite pared back. I loved all the nuances Olivia McKinnon and Indiana brought out in how their roles related to each other: there's mirroring, playful competition, admiration, tenderness. And I loved the ending where the two ballerinas do a reverence to one another first and then turn to do one in unison to the audience. Lovely.

Solo: always great to see Anthony Huxley but this has been programmed a lot lately, more so than I think it deserves...I still feel as I did when I first saw it that it gets lost on stage. 

Episodes: I enjoyed this ballet more on my second viewing. Some of the choreography, particularly in the second section, is so interesting and arresting (I'm thinking especially of the sequence where the ballerina is upside down with her arms around her partner's waist, her legs making horns, or wings, behind him). But the last two sections, especially the final one, feel repetitive to me and start losing my interest. I preferred this cast to the cast I saw in the fall. Isabella was wonderful in the first section with Chun Wai Chan, she can summon such authority, with a shade of menace, and that was very much in evidence here. Ashley Hod was the highlight of the whole piece for me in her debut in the second section. Really, really strong as was Gilbert through all that tricky partnering. Mira also had a strong debut in the fourth movement. It didn't feel as fully realized and out-of-the-gate WOW as her SVC debut earlier this season (then again, Episodes isn't as WOW of a ballet as SVC), but she brought her characteristic vividness and it felt like she made a lot out of all the small, controlled steps. Emilie didn't make much of an impression on me in the third movement, though Taylor Stanley did. I found myself watching him the most in the third section.

Saw the 21st Century Choreography program tonight.

Starting off with the premiere: I found 'Fortuitous Ash' to be a real disappointment. It felt VERY repetitive, and what is being repeated isn't particularly engaging. It's such a shame because Jinakunwiphat chose some great dancers to work with, but even really exciting, vibrant dancers like Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan felt flat here. They just don't have much to do. I'm in favor of City Ballet bringing in choreographers who don't usually work with ballet dancers, obviously the result can be invigorating as it's been in the two collaborations with Kyle Abraham. But here it felt like Jinakunwiphat's lack of familiarity working with ballet dancers might be part of the problem with the piece. She did not seem to have many ideas for what they could do, so we got a lot of the same handful of movements over and over again. I think her work with A.I.M. is much more successful. I will be shocked if this stays in the repertoire.

However, I really enjoyed Voices (which I didn't get to see in 2020) and it makes me very excited to see more of Ratmansky's work with City Ballet dancers. The score, which mixes recordings of 5 different women speaking about art over live piano, is unexpected and for me kind of strange, but I found the choreography really engaging and meaty. I'd love to see it again because there was so much to take in, especially in the ensemble dances at the end. Georgina Pazcoguin, who as others have noted has not had much to do this season, was a standout. For me, she outshone Unity, who is technically a stronger dancer but felt a under-powered here in contrast to Georgina who really brought some fire and attack and definition to her solo. Alex Maxwell continued, as she has for the last year, to make a strong case for being ready to move up to soloist. And I enjoyed seeing Megan Fairchild deliver a great performance in a role that relied on none of her charm and sparkle. 

Everywhere We Go: I'm glad they keep this in the repertoire and I was glad to see it again. Seeing it on the heels of Copeland Dance Episodes, though, I had the same feeling that the ending didn't feel satisfyingly timed. It was nice to see Chun again after seeing him in Fortuitous Ash and be reminded of how wonderful he can be when he has something to work with. 

43 minutes ago, vipa said:

Tiler Peck posted on IG her Auroras - 2/16, 2/19 at 1 and 2/24. I wonder who is opening, and if all casts get 3

Casting is up and Megan is opening the SB run with Joseph Gordon! Mira's debuting in Lilac that night, really excited to see her in that role. And Maria Kowroski's coming back to do Carabosse!! Very cool. Emilie Gerrity is also, as expected, getting a Lilac debut.

Unity, Tiler, and Indiana are the other Auroras in week 1. 

Cainan Weber, Roman Meija, and Villarini-Velez all have bluebird debuts, and Baily Jones and Emma von Enck get Princess Florine debuts. Hod and LeCrone debuting as Carabosse.

Edited to add: Chan, as expected, is debuting as Prince Desiré dancing with Tiler Peck. He's the only new Prince week 1 (Anthony Huxley is dancing with Indiana and Andy Vedette with Unity)

1 hour ago, Susu_nyc said:

For those who saw Copland Dances last night, what is the purpose of the "hazmat suit" type covering the dancers put on?  I saw some snaps of this on NYCB's instagram feed.

The dancers only wear them for the opening, when they’re all walking on stage as the curtain rises. Then they exit and Roman (and eventually everyone else) come back on without them. The ballet is danced in color blocked leotards. 

To me they evoked hazmat suits and isolation, also chrysalises. At the beginning of the ballet when the dancers wear them they’re all wandering around on stage together but disconnected from each other and not interacting. Then they take off the “hazmat suits” and began to engage through dance. The ballet itself has themes throughout, at least to me, about connection and how we desire it but also struggle with it and ultimately can fail at it (as the central couple danced by Mira and Taylor do), and it felt like the opening costumes were part of that thread. 

Copeland Dance Episodes feels like a winner for City Ballet! Clearly a big investment of company resources and a gamble on audiences having appetite for a new full-evening work, and a 76 minute intermission-less one at that, but I think it paid off. House looked very well-sold, all the way up through the fourth ring, and the audience reaction both throughout and for the final curtain calls was VERY enthusiastic.

I know Mira was the understudy for the main ballerina role, but man she hit it out of the park. She and Taylor had wonderful chemistry and really held the emotional center of the ballet all the way through. Over the course of the work they come together, part, pass each other by, try to come back together, and ultimately fail to reconnect. Both Mira and Taylor brought wonderful nuance, focus, and intensity to their roles. I felt truly moved throughout, and couldn't help exclaiming "but they don't end up together!?!" to my companion after the curtain went up. They take you on a journey!

I appreciated the breadth of the work, ranging from big high-energy moments with lots of dancers on stage and little bits of comedy sprinkled in to very intimate, charged pas de deux. I agree with @nanran3that the solos felt relatively less exciting than the pas de deux and group dances.

For me, the ending felt a bit abrupt, I wanted to feel more of a sense of resolution. But the work held my interest and attention all the way through. I'll definitely see this again, for sure in the spring and I think after seeing it tonight I want to see the second cast as well!

11 minutes ago, Fernie M said:

Jonathan Fahoury posted on his IG stories, tomorrow night (New Peck) will be his last show with NYCB.  Any information?  I am saddened and surprised, he’s such a talent. Best of luck in his next chapter!

Wow, this surprises me as it really seemed like he was gaining momentum these past few seasons and doing more featured roles! He had a pretty prominent role in the new Abrams this fall, and obviously is also in the first cast of the new Justin Peck. 

Furlan's casting sheet also shows SB rehearsals for Adams and Villarini-Velez, Pereira and Takahashi (he's having quite a season!), and solo SB rehearsals for Gerrity and Bologna. I wonder if that means Bluebird/Princess for the pairs and Lilac for Gerrity (which would be a debut for her). Not sure what Bologna's would be for, next to Bologna's name is: (JONES AR) and then whatever follows is cut off. 

I think Walker could be a good Desiré. Very princely and emotive. 

13 hours ago, nyc10024 said:

will miss Connor's wonderful curation of ABT's instagram

Same! And I'll miss their hilarious ABT TikToks. I'm eager to see how they spend their leave and hope it's fulfilling for them.

Thought it was a fine debut from Gerrity in Walpurgisnacht. One of the things I enjoy about this ballet is the arc from contained to wild, and I feel like the lead ballerina has to project some real gravitas to make the very contained opening interesting or it can feel kind of flat. Gerrity did that: she was refined and brought a lot of presence (regal but still with a warmth), and that made the transition into the hair-undone-wildly-whirling bit feel exciting. Tyler did not look his best, as Matilda noted, but honestly the one male role in this ballet is so thin that it didn't bother me much. He's just there to catch the ballerina in the leap at the end! I almost wish Balanchine had cut that one grand jeté sequence so that it was just all the ladies dancing. On which note, it made me smile to see the array of hair textures on the corps ladies during the finale, which wasn't the case in any previous Walpurgisnacht I've seen.

Also very much enjoyed Phelan and Chan in Liturgy. This is the kind of role I feel like Unity really nails, with her beautiful long lines and polished technique. In roles that are more emotive and dramatic I sometimes find her to be flat, but in this kind of work she really delivers. Most of the roles I've seen Chan do are more allegro, bravura ones that make use of his beautiful jump and charisma, so I enjoyed seeing him in something so different and was impressed by how he finessed all the intense partnering. He's the full package!

I echo the praise for LaFreniere as Firebird. I really love the emotion she brings to her final solo, she makes it really heartbreaking in the vulnerability she projects.

Mira absolutely KILLED IT in her Stravinsky Violin Concerto debut. Élan is the word that comes to mind. So much passion, verve, intensity. Really thrilling. Big audience reaction, which was lovely to see. Everyone kept applauding after she and Adrian went into the wings after their big pas de deux, so much so that they came back out for mid-performance bows. 

I saw a 2008 performance of Davidsbundlertanze but somehow missed it in 2014. Would really love to see it come back into the active rep! 

21 hours ago, bellawood said:

On Mira Nadon’s insta stories, surprise debut in aria I violin concerto — replacing Mearns — on Jan 17, 19 and 25, anyone going?

I have tickets for the 17th! Sad not to be seeing Sara, but a surprise debut from Mira is definitely the best possible consolation. I'll report back!

Roles I'd love to give to City Ballet dancers if I could:

Isabella LaFreniere as Tall Girl in Rubies and Choleric in 4Ts (maybe she's done them already), and as Odette/Odile.  Chun Wai Chan as Puck, and as Bluebird. After shining as the Soldier and Tea this Nutcracker run, I'd like to see Caian Weber get a Bluebird too. Peter Walker as all the Princes (Siegfried, Désiré, etc). Ashley Laracey in Diamonds and as Waltz Girl in Serenade. Mira Nadon in Walpurgisnacht!

1 hour ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

For me—and I'm speaking only for myself—the issue isn't looking at nude images of women. People have been doing that since cave-paintings and our museum walls are covered with women in all their naked glory. It's consent. If a woman is OK with her partner sharing nude or sexually explicit images of her with others, that's their business. But if those images are shared without the woman's knowledge or consent, that's a different matter. It's a breach of trust. If a woman's colleague shares an explicit photo her with other of her colleagues without her consent, and exposes what she believed was a private, intimate moment to public gaze—the gaze of people she works with closely day in and day out—she's stopped being their colleague and has become a commodity. I'd consider it workplace harassment and I'd argue that any organization would be right to sanction employees who were engaged in it.

Alexandra Waterbury wasn't anyone's colleague, so Finlay and Ramasar's behavior with respect to her isn't the same kind of breach of trust. But the men involved shared images of women they worked with too, and that's a different matter. 

Exactly! If these men had been sharing images from PornHub with one another, there would have been no issue. Any workplace doing its duty by its workers would sanction or fire workers who shared intimate images of other workers without their consent.

And I would add, nonconsensual sharing of private nude or sexually explicit images of someone isn't just a breach of trust, it's increasingly ruled to be a crime in many cities and states. I

11 hours ago, cobweb said:

Conductor Daniel Capps came, also I believe Clotilde Otranto (?) in a glamorous sequined dress and several musicians; I don't remember previously seeing so many musicians making an appearance at a dancer's retirement, or did I just not notice?

Yes, that was Clotilde in the fabulous purple sequined dress! Like you, I was struck by the number of musicians who came out to pay their respects and don't remember that from other send-offs I've been in the audience for.

What a perfect, perfect goodbye for Sterling! It's always been delightful to witness the particular joy and lightness she brings to the stage and that was radiantly in evidence yesterday. In her first solo her interactions with the children were so tender while still being regal. And her pas de deux with Andy had so much emotion, from both of them, it was beautiful to see. Her final manège into the wings was breathtaking, she went absolutely full out and her speed and precision made it abundantly clear she's going out on top. I loved seeing her exultant, megawatt smile after her last unsupported balance, it was a real "nailed it!" moment. It felt quite poignant that her last moments on stage were enacting a literal goodbye, sending Marie and the Prince off in the sleigh as we collectively bid farewell to her NYCB stage career. It felt like a symbolic passing of the baton to the next generation, what with her plans to expand her teaching career and her gracious desire to retire so as to make space for younger dancers to move up in the company (as she described in her recent NYT interview).

I sat in the first ring and it was sweet to see maybe 15 company members lined up against the back wall for the second act to watch Sterling's farewell and applaud her from the audience. Robbie Fairchild came back to give her flowers, which was also lovely to see. 

Thoughts on the rest of the performance:

Like @cobweb, I was particularly impressed by Titus Landegger as the Prince. So elegant, particularly in how he used his hands and arms, and real stage presence. There's that gesture that repeats a few times throughout the first act where Marie and the Prince shake hands slowly, and I've seen too many casts do it in a way that over-exaggerates the gesture and makes it look awkward rather than poignant. Titus and Caroline O'Hagan made it into a real moment of slowly dawning recognition, mutual fascination, and connection every time. 

It was a treat to see Sean Suozzi reappear guesting as Drosselmeier, he was excellent. Cainan Weber stood out in the first act as I dare I say militaristically polished Solider. In the second act, Indiana Woodward gave one of the best performances I've ever seen from her as Dewdrop. Just gorgeous. It was a nice reminder that even as principals I've loved since I first started seeing City Ballet, like Sterling, are retiring, the next generation of principals are very much coming into their own.

Saw 2/3 of the Children's Songs/LIFTED/Sinfonietta bill (jetlag caused me to bow out at the second intermission, unfortunately).

Children's Songs: well, it's a big step up from Zig Zag and yes that is damning with faint praise. It's not a groaner, but this didn't feel all that substantial to me. I was most engaged when Lang was most obviously taking inspiration from "childish" movements and the work felt more playful (for a work inspired by children it felt quite sleepy at times). I agree with others who say the stated theme of showing the progression from childhood into maturation via movement didn't feel fully realized. The highlight for me was unquestionably Sunmi Park, particularly in the big pas de deux. I was looking forward to seeing Elwince in a more featured role, but he didn't have much to do here.

LIFTED: I look forward to seeing this again (especially when not feeling so jetlagged). THIS felt substantial, with lots of layers in the interplay between the five dancers and also the way in which they interacted with the set (which is a T-shaped set of mirrored walls that get rotated by the dancers throughout the performance). I thought the set design was used to  moving and powerful effect throughout the piece, both as a means for the dancers to interact with their own images in the beginning, and later on when all five dancers were leaping across the stage and the mirrors gave the audience a vision of what a future ballet world with a greater number of Black dancers might look like. I thought the whole cast performed beautifully, but especially Calvin who is such an exceptionally emotive dancer. He was transfixing. I appreciated the opportunity to see Erica Lall in a meatier role than I've seen her in previously, and she certainly made the most of the opportunity, by turns regal and tender. The work held my attention and I hope they bring it back in the spring. It feels like a piece that would reward further viewings, which is for me one of the hallmarks of good ballet.

On 10/24/2022 at 10:35 AM, abatt said:

No, my recollection is that this is much more costly than other dance performances at City Center.  The presenters know that Osipova is a brand name who hasn't appeared in New York for years and they fully intend to squeeze every dollar out of that situation.  My concern is that most of these types of shows tend to be duds in terms of content - vanity projects with awful  new "choreography".  (Remember Diana Vishneva's shows?  The one where she was writhing on the floor?  Or how about the one where she was spinning around the stage with what looked like a crystal lampshade? ) 

I saw Osipova's last, pre-pandemic show at City Center and unfortunately your assessment that "these types of shows tend to be duds in terms of content" wasn't far off in that case. Obviously she is a STUNNING and truly special dancer, but some of the pieces very much put the old cliché that a talented performer can "read the phonebook" and be compelling to the test. I hope she has collaborators who can make more of her abundant gifts this time!

I echo the praise for Camargo last night. As @nysusansaid, he's always engaged onstage, fills every little moment with characterization and presence. And for such a tall guy, wow can he summon lightness and quickness to a degree I usually associate with shorter dancers. Bit of a funny moment when the casting change was announced, there was the usual little ripple of groans when the absence was announced and then a big burst of applause when Camargo was announced as the sub. 

I really love The Dream and I wish ABT did it more often (and just more Ashton generally!) House looked well sold, and I don't think I've ever heard so much laughter at an ABT performance. Some cute kids dressed up in fairy outfits.

I grant Herman was not quite as jawdropping as when I first saw him as Puck...15 years ago? But he still really wows in this role (and so many others) to a degree that's pretty astonishing. Impish, antic, truly otherworldly, and very funny, while being precise and managing some fantastic jumps. This is one of my favorite roles to see him in. What a treat.

I liked The Seasons a bit less on this, my second viewing. I really wish they could get some better costumes, the current ones for every season but winter are pretty hideous to an extent that detracts from all the gorgeous dancing. The way the progression of seasons gets muddled at the end feels incoherent to me  (the fall section seems to get short shrift, I felt cheated of really being able to enjoy Cate and Calvin). I really appreciated Isabella in the big ballerina role. She had two series of turns where her speed and precision were just stunning. It's a technically tricky role and she really nailed it while looking like she was having a ball. All the winter ballerinas were lovely (Léa Fleytoux continues to draw my eye even in relatively small roles, she has real presence) but Chloe Misseldine really showed why she deserved that rapid promotion to soloist. And Zimmi was, as always, delightful and engaging. That role has a long supported balance where 5 of the corps guys are taking her hand and rotating her and then she balances solo, and she looked rock solid and serene the whole time. Future Aurora in the making!

All in all, it was a great showcase for the wealth of soloist and corps talent the company currently has.

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Unity got the coveted part in the final section.  All the steps were there, and she looked radiant, but this role can be so much more communicative of thoughts and feelings.  

I agree with you 100%! Unity looked lovely in Der Rosenkavalier (those deep bends back, those beautiful arms), but the emotional depth and nuance was missing for me. It was particularly striking to me following on Mira in the Silver and Gold waltz, who had much less to do dance-wise but gave a richer sense of portraying a character with interiority (every time I see her, I want more!)

Enjoyed Vienna Waltzes all around though--has anyone ever looked more dashing than Peter Walker in those tall boots in the first movement?? Ashley (in the opening dance) and Georgina (in the polka), like Mira, were able to fully embody their roles as characters which is what this ballet needs. And Megan and Anthony were so charming in Voices of Spring.

This was my first time seeing Episodes and it's such an interesting ballet. Some of the partnering reminds me of Bugaku, with all the closely, claustrophobically entwined limbs, and there are bits that evoke the 4Ts for me with the stabbing footwork and stark tone, but it feels like a very distinct work within the Balanchine canon. I found the first section a bit flat and repetitive and hard to get into, but the second and third movements (with Emily Kikta and Preston, and then Unity and Harrison Ball) really held my attention and felt full of choreographic surprises. 

I am a huge Sara Mearns fan but I didn't love her in the Ricercata. Maybe it's that my conception of her as a dancer is lush, free, dramatic, and the choreography felt almost constraining of the qualities of hers I like best. 

Saw the oddly named "NYCB Classics II" program yesterday (oddly named because 3/4 of the pieces on the program were new works). This was better sold than any ballet program I've attended in some time, all the way up through the fourth ring. The first ring and orchestra, which was what I could see directly, were completely sold out. Noticeably younger and much, much more diverse crowd than your average ballet performance.

Symphony in C-- Watching Megan Fairchild in the first pas de deux I was really struck by how much more I appreciate her dancing at this point in her career than any other (and that's post-injury, post-twins, etc). She has developed a lovely, gracious gravitas, very evident here. I like her dancing with Joseph Gordon very much. The absolute highlight for me, though, was Sara Mearns. This is one of my favorite roles for her. There is such a beautiful unfurling quality to her port de bras, like she is weaving a spell and sending some kind invocation out into the universe. She was worth watching at every single moment she was on stage, even when just stationary in the back of the stage slowly moving her arms like she was gathering force to unleash when her next solo or pas de deux started. Just magical to watch.

Peck solo--Always glad to watch Anthony Huxley. I can imagine this perhaps having been more impactful in the medium it was choreographed for (virtual): it's a small, melancholy solo that felt a bit lost on the Koch theater stage.

New Reisen (Playtime)--I really enjoyed the Solange Knowles score and would be happy if she did more commissions for City Ballet. I liked the costumes, the way the sparkly material caught the light was fun and eye-catching and I enjoyed their playful, twisted references to 17th/18th century pannier skirts and traditional men's suiting. But the choreography itself was unmemorable to me. Not bad, just not engaging. She had some great dancers to work with so it felt like a shame. Seeing Chun Wai Chan for example, who is such a mega-watt, charismatic dancer, it just felt like, that's all you can think of to give this guy to do in a solo?  I don't think that Reisen's work feels deserving yet of the platform City Ballet has given it, but she's only 23 so maybe it will in time.

New Abraham (Love on Shuffle)--I've been anticipating this for years and I loved it. There are resonances with The Runaway (the diverse range of dance traditions being tapped into, the "breaking the third wall" flashes of humor, the Giles Deacon costumes, the expansive range of emotions being evoked), but it also feels like Abraham is exploring new ideas and continuing to evolve as a choreographer. I enjoyed how he played with "pop and lock" dance elements, twisting that style and giving it emotional heft as a way to convey the way that "character" struggles to connect and inhabit intimacy with another person. I thought Jonathan Fahoury was excellent in a challenging role, as was Harrison Ball as his pas de deux partner. Tiler Peck also stood out to me, as did Claire Kretzchsmar (what a nice note to end her City Ballet career on, debuting a great new work, as I believe she's retiring at the end of the season). Love on Shuffle is a darker, more brooding work than the Runway, and in that way feels like a reflection of the times it was made in. I loved the tender, hopeful note it ended on, with the dancers assembled to evoke the opening movements after Ball and Fahoury's gorgeous pas de deux, ending with Fahoury walking into Ball's arms. Very powerful. I look forward to this coming back in the spring.

Beautiful afternoon at the ballet! Lots of wonderful dancing, but the absolute highlight for me was actually Chun Wai Chan who subbed in for Peter Walker in Raymonda Variations.  Chan just keeps getting better and better. That man has BALLON. He reminds me of Osipova in that he gives the same sense that neither of them actually need to touch the ground. So light, so at ease, such a joy to watch. Can't wait to see his Bluebird this winter, there couldn't be a more obvious casting choice. The partnering with Isabella wasn't totally seamless, but this was clearly a pretty last minute pairing and the solos more than made up for it.  Isabella looked lovely as well, it was a very assured and fully realized debut. 

I don't think I'd ever seen Raymonda Variations before, and I loved it. Gorgeous score, lovely pas de deux, so many delightful solos. All the ladies acquitted themselves admirably (though Olivia MacKinnon's head position was distractingly awkward, it's clearly supposed to be to the side but her angle was so extreme, and it was a shame because she executed those tricky hops on pointe very very well). Mira stood out above everyone. She's another dancer who seems to look better and better every time I see her. So much refinement and confidence in the way she makes the most of every little bit of the choreography. Would have loved to have seen her cast in Scotch, I think I would have enjoyed it with her.

Peter Gordon subbed in for Roman Mejia in Tschai Pas with Tiler, and WOW. His turns, his manège, his partnering, all wonderful. Tiler just glowed. My husband said she was "incandescent" and that sums it up for me. I don't think there's anyone else who radiates quite as much joy at being on stage dancing as Tiler. It looks totally sincere and natural and it's so lovely to watch. I love her in this role.

Piano Pieces: lots of strong dancing, Unity was the highlight for me in the "November" pas de deux and then her own solo. 

Checked the lobby casting board and no updates to week 2, they still have Walker listed as debuting in Stravinsky Violin Concerto on Tuesday and Mejia as dancing DSCH that night. For tomorrow, Furlan is debuting in Divertimento to replace Walker. 

So glad fall season is starting!

Divertimento 15-- a nice "we're back and in FORM" showcase for the company ladies. Everyone looked good, especially Emilie, Unity, and Joseph Gordon.

Scotch Symphony--the return of Ashley B! I love her, and admire her working so hard to come back to the stage after a long absence. From my point of view, she set herself quite a challenge for her first night back in this role; I agree with @cobwebthat it is not a natural showcase for her gifts. I hate to say it but she's looked better. Which, fair, it's her first night performing in a year. But because Scotch Symphony's choreography is SO focused on those pas de deux, the whole thing felt a bit limp and unsatisfying to me (though Jovani was excellent and Baily Jones was able and crisp in the red kilt soloist role). I'm sure Ashley only looked not so stellar relative to my own memories of her many amazing performances; the new-to-ballet friend I attended with thought "you'd never know" she hadn't danced in a year and loved the whole thing. I myself just don't love Scotch Symphony in general, for me the choreography doesn't really build and feels disjointed. 

La Sonambula--far and away the highlight of the evening for me. I love this weird, creepy, tragic little ballet so much. I remember Wendy being wonderful as the Sleepwalker so I'm hoping she has a soft spot for the ballet and will continue to program it now that she's in artistic leadership. I find the Sleepwalker/Poet pas de deux one of the most moving Balanchine ever did, and Taylor Stanley nails the confusion building to heartbreak perfectly. Sara was a joy to watch, always perfect in these siren roles and she makes the Coquette more than a siren with the visceral betrayal and regret she beautifully embodied. Sterling summoned all the mystery, beauty, and interiority that the Sleepwalker requires.

Regarding Danny Ulbricht as the Jester: huge applause from the audience, my friend commented after that he "stole the show". It's definitely a minor role, but he nails it perfectly from the technique to the comedy. I don't know much about company politics and have no knowledge of whether or not he may resent doing these Jester-type roles as a senior principal. But I guess I think of the "no small roles, only small performers" cliché. Why not keep hitting it out of the park in these smaller solo roles even though he's a principal?