MarzipanShepherdess

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.

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?

WOW. Thanks for sharing this. I wonder if she was being courted by another company and that sped up her promotion. She is certainly a talent.

VERY excited for this fall season. I really enjoy Whipped Cream, and have found it to be a great ballet to invite friends who aren't die-hard balletomanes to see. It's a very visually engaging ballet with the sets and costumes, but also has real choreographic substance. And it has lots of wonderful roles for corps dancers to sparkle in (I'm thinking the liquors trio, for example, which was the first time Catherine Hurlin registered to me as a major talent to watch). Would love to see Jonathan Klein as The Boy, and Léa Fleytoux as the dancing champagne bottle. Also thrilled for the return of Ashton, a choreographer I wish ABT would program more of, and echo the prayers for a Cornejo Puck. Will be glad to have the chance to enjoy The Seasons again, and to see Sinfonietta and Lifted for the first time. I don't see anything exclusionary about Lifted having an all-Black creative team, it's way to put a spotlight on Black talent in ballet. The only ballet I'm not excited about is the Jessica Lang, as she's responsible for the piece of ABT rep I loath most (ZigZag) but...at least they're not programming ZigZag again?

Your reasoning here makes a great deal of sense to me as an explanation for why Kevin chose SunMi, Betsy, Chloe, and Breanne for his last round of promotions over Zimmi, the corps dancer everyone seems to have felt surest was going to get promoted. And Sung Woo Han over someone like Andrii Ishchuk. He does seem to have gone with less obvious candidates.

That explains a lot, thanks for this context! I recalled posters here admiring Paulina and was surprised at feeling underwhelmed when I saw her in solos this season. But oof, doing a full Boston Ballet season and then a full ABT season in the corps would exhaust anyone. I look forward to seeing her when she's recharged.

Today's matinee was a great end to the season! My favorite ABT performance this year. Calvin Royal stepped in for Herman and delivered a wonderful performance. I know it was Cassandra's day, but he was really the highlight for me. Calvin's Romeo shares some qualities with his Siegfried: this is a youthful, innocent Romeo (very different from Herman who dances Romeo with more flirtatiousness, confidence, and all-around swagger), giddy with first love. He really captured the heady, destabilizing, even slightly goofy energy of teen love. The ballroom moment where he first sees Juliet was great, he played it like he was so surprised that someone so gorgeous could exist. It was particularly moving to see Calvin's Romeo blossom in the Act I balcony pas de deux. His exuberant manège felt like such a pure expression of joy at feeling his love reciprocated, and as soon as he finished it his face broke into this huge smile which projected not bravado but rapturous adoration for Juliet ("I did this for YOU!"). He brought out the best in Cassandra: I enjoyed her performance most when she was playing off him and least in her solos. Some of the more bravura moments in his Act II solo did not look great (particularly the jumps where he was reversing his torso orientation in the air, I don't know the name of this step), but I can overlook that when the overall performance is as strongly felt and beautifully articulated as his was. It was a solid debut for Cassandra but I wouldn't race to see her in this role again for another season or two as I'm sure she'll develop more from here. She looked beautiful and I especially admired her elevation and jump. But to me she is still figuring out the dramatic side of this role. This was particularly apparent in her Act III bedroom scene after Calvin exited. This is such a juicy scene for a ballerina, who can choose to dance it with gentle sweetness, or heartbreak, or even rage or insanity (as Diana Vishneva used to, bringing it into full-on mad scene territory). Cassandra didn't seem to know quite what she was going for here and there were some awkward moments, like when she was sitting on the floor and then later sitting on the bed, and not really projecting any emotion in particular or using her body to convey anything. It felt like she was just waiting for the music to pass by. I do think she has chemistry with Calvin, and she gave a much stronger performance when she was reacting to him like in the balcony scene where she was particularly lovely and lyrical. It was sweet to see her being showered with flowers at her curtain call. Jonathan Klein debuted earlier this week as Mercutio, and he already radiates confidence and ease in the role and is giving richly detailed performances. He delivers the whole arc, from the machismo acrobatics to the tragic panic of his death scene. Really, really excellent. A soloist promotion is not far off for him, I imagine. Big big applause from the audience. Another highlight for me: Zhong-Jing Fong as Lady Capulet. This is a role that the right ballerina can really do something with (like Veronika Part and Stella Abrera used to), and Zhong-Jing was the most imperious, most icily elegant lady Capulet I can recall...which made her final breakdown in Juliet's tomb all the more heartbreaking. Beyond her dance talents, Fong is really a fabulous character artist and I hope she has a long career in these kinds of roles with ABT like Roman has had. Would LOVE to see her Carabosse after this performance.

Oh no! I also got a ticket for Saturday specifically to see Cornejo. Disappointing. After seeing his Siegfried debut, though, I'm looking forward to seeing Calvin as Romeo.

Apologies, I mixed up the two companies in my earlier post! Nonetheless, I do admire McBride leaving a principal contract, even one with a less prestigious company, to dance in the corps at ABT. Agree with everyone yearning for the return of Ashton's Cinderella. I enjoyed the aesthetic of the Kudelka production, with its gorgeous Art Deco sets and soigné costumes, but I love the Ashton production in its entirety. And the performances I remember attending seemed reasonably well sold.

I'm surprised Zimmi Coker wasn't promoted. While younger and newer to the corps than some of the others promoted to soloist, she has certainly been dancing a soloist's workload successfully for some time now and it would seem appropriate to recognize that. In the next cycle, hopefully! She certainly deserves it. I'll be glad for more opportunities to see Daniel Camargo. He was definitely one of the brighter spots in "Of Love and Rage" for me. Real dramatic ability and stage presence, which IMO a number of the male principals at ABT currently lack. It's good to see Betsey McBride promoted. I admire immensely the risk she took in leaving a principal contract with Houston Ballet to come in as a corps dancer with ABT and work her way back up again. Roman's promotion surprises me. He doesn't dance roles I think of as principal roles, though obviously he is a valued and longstanding member of the company. I wonder if his repertoire will change now, though that seems unlikely given how relatively late in his career he is. I wonder if Kevin wanted to make the promotion knowing it wouldn't happen under the new leadership?

I agree! There were a few years (2018 and 2019, certainly) where she was CONSTANTLY being pulled in when other ballerinas were out, and was dancing a huge load already, and I think some people now underestimate her after seeing her when she was really overstretched or just miscast. But I’ve seen her do really lovely Juliets, Lilac Fairies, and Nikiyas. I think she’s one of the most lyrical dancers in the current company. There’s depth there.

Agree, justice for Irina! I thought she was a great Odile as well: sexy, vampy, self-possessed, always looked like she was having a ball. Total femme fatale energy. As you did, I also enjoyed her in "The Merry Widow" and as Kitri. She didn't do "soft", romantic roles as well--I never liked her Odette--but she could be great in roles that drew on her excellent comic timing and flair.

Saw Christine and Calvin yesterday afternoon for Calvin's debut, which I think was also Andrii Ischuk's debut as Purple Von Rothbart. Seeing ABT now makes me feel so OLD: I feel like such a granny pining for the "good old days", but that's really the primary feeling I had yesterday seeing this Swan Lake. I miss Marcelo! I miss Diana, Veronika, and Nina! I miss Irina vamping it up as Odile! Christine is a very polished, technically assured Odette and Odile but she just doesn't make me FEEL anything when I watch her in the role. She hits the marks, but I don't get the heartbreak, ardor, or tenderness my favorites brought to Odette or the wicked glee or sensuality they delivered as Odile. I found her interpretation to be a bit cool. An imperious Odile, a crystalline Odette. Would not want to see her again in this role. Calvin, I would want to see again. I think it was a very promising debut. He is really an interesting dancer, as @Buddydescribed him, with a unique presence, depth, and a feel for character. It wasn't a fully formed interpretation, but one is emerging. His Siegfried is young and shy, not fully at ease with himself, rushing into love, and he conveyed that innocence beautifully. There were moments where he got a bit lost on stage, I think he's still figuring out how to convey that shy innocence AND hold the stage. The moment when he realizes he's been tricked by Odile and Von Rothbart was particularly heartbreaking. There were moments where his characterization faltered, but then he'd do something really beautiful and emotive a few movements later. An example being his final moments on stage: his rush up the rocks was kind of half-baked, he was trying to grab at the rocks but it didn't really look convincing, but then he did one of the most beautiful final leaps I've ever seen a Siegfried deliver. Just glorious. Even though his technique can be uneven (great elevation, sometimes unpolished on the landings, for example), I found him more compelling to watch than Christine who, objectively has better technique. Not much to report on Ischuk's debut as PVR. Nice jumps but did not project the authority or sexy sleaze that can make this such a great role. I'm still waiting for someone worthy to walk in Marcelo's purple suede thigh-highs.

I echo the frustrations of everyone saying increasingly at ABT, and especially for Swan Lake, they can rarely find casting where they like BOTH principals performing. After seeing Camargo in "Of Love and Rage" (where he really stood out dramatically) I'd love to see his Siegfried, but I would not want to see Isabella's Odette. I settled on Christine and Calvin in the end, after hearing good reviews of her O/O here and being curious about Royal as Siegfried. I think he's a very elegant dancer with a princely mien, I'm optimistic it will be a compelling debut even if not the most technically polished or bravura. Also interested to see how Andrii does as Purple Von Rothbart.

Well, I won’t be seeing this one again. The choreography has interest, particularly where Ratmansky takes inspiration from classical friezes with the corps dancing in profile, and references Greek folk dancing with some of the choreography for the corps men. Some lovely lifts. But oof, the plot. There are three or four pas de deux where the heroine is being literally dragged around the stage by yet another man who’s enslaved her, sometimes seemingly unconscious, or going in and out of consciousness. I think there are ballerinas who could have brought some anguish or rage to those pas de deux, but Hurlin dances Callirhoe very sweetly and girlishly pretty much all the way through. It’s a one-note characterization. There are points where she’s clearly conveying that Callirhoe is -uncomfortable-, but I did not get the “strong woman using her brains and beauty” vibe that Ratmansky claims this role represents. We’re supposed to feel delighted when Chareas and Callirhoe reunite in the end, but, seriously? He almost murdered her in Act I! I could not feel any emotional investment in this couple’s story together, so the ending fell really flat for me. Bell has some bravado moments, which he did quite well, and he and Hurlin of course have chemistry. She is very pretty in this role, and technically accomplished, but one-note in her characterization. l think this was misstep for ABT. The subject matter, in 2022, feels thoughtless and in poor taste. And even putting that aside, the plot is incredibly repetitive. Man wants Callirhoe, she’s kidnapped by another man, rinse and repeat three times. It’s also a very similar story to Le Corsaire. All for new work at ABT, but not like this.

Agree with so many of the points you make here. Or think of BAM's recent very successful run of Akram Khan's Giselle with English National Ballet, which attracted a young, diverse audience beyond die-hard balletomanes even though it's a reworked 19th century classic, ENB hasn't toured here in 30 years, and none of the dancers in the company are well-known in the states. It can be done! ABT has a marketing problem, but also a programming problem. I love Ratamansky's work and will buy tickets to anything he does, but in reading his interview about 'Of Love and Rage' in the program last night I was really struck by how completely out of touch he sounded when talking about what a beautiful love story Callirhoe (the source text) is because the heroine forgives the hero after he almost murders her in a fit of rage. In 2022, those sentiments do not fly with many prospective audience members. They make ME queasy, but I am so interested in Ratmansky's choreography that I'll still show up. But yes, similar to you I am finding none of my friends have any interest in the production given the subject. It sounds like Susan Jaffe is a bit more enlightened in this area than some of her predecessors, so hopefully under her leadership ABT will do better.

What a gift to have been able to see Simkin last night! His technical level has been world-class for a long time, but what struck me seeing him last night was how he's now reaching even further heights than just a few years ago, when he was obviously already a well-established international star. The last thing I saw him in was ABT's 2019 Le Corsaire, where he did jawdropping 540s. Last night, he did jawdropping 540s AND THEN, at the end of his final 540 manège, what I can only describe as three "540+" leaps. He did something that felt similar in spirit with some of his turns: super-fast, then decelerating into what you thought would be the end of the turn but instead actually picking up speed again to do another series of fast revolutions before ending with perfect control. He always goes for MORE but you never see the effort and it always look superbly beautiful and precise. I so admire how he continues to push himself as an artist. PLEASE do whatever it takes to bring him back, Susan! I agree with others here who say Kitri is Boylston's best role. She nails all the acting and brings a lot of fun, vivacious energy, and has the big jump and fast fouettés. Great hops, all across the stage. I noticed, like others, that there was visible effort in the balances, but I admired how she really went for them full out even though they were obviously challenging her: choosing to transition into doing them unsupported and holding them for quite a while. I'd rather see that in a Kitri than see a ballerina just do a brief, wobble-free balance. To me, Isabella got stronger as the evening went on. In Act I, I was disappointed in her Plisetskaya jumps. She doesn't seem to have the flexibility in her back to really bend to create that iconic shape. I appreciate how Don Q, more so than a lot of ABT's rep, has juicy roles for lots of dancers including soloists and people in the corps. Of these, Léa Fleytoux stood out to me as a gorgeous, crystalline Amour. Very precise, very spritely, very charming. One to watch, who definitely seems like a good candidate to fill out the thin soloist ranks. I was also impressed by Jonathan Klein as the gypsy king: big jumps, big presence. Don't think I've ever seen him in a featured role before. Luciana Paris had just a few minutes as the gypsy queen, but threw herself into it 110%. And Sung Woo Han was excellent as Gamache, great comic timing, great mime, drew your eye. Thomas Forster and Devon were solid as Mercedes and Espada but just didn't quite have the oomph or flair I wanted. It wasn't lack of technique: I kept thinking of how much I enjoyed Stella Abrera as Mercedes (who Devon certainly outshines as a technician); Stella just had this sparkle and verve and playfulness as Mercedes that I wanted more of from Devon. A promising start to the season, though the number of empty orchestra seats for a Saturday night with an A list guest artist did not seem to bode well ticket sales-wise.

Lovely performance last night all around. I hope the company is sending Unity on some kind of spa retreat after dancing all three Titania's her debut weekend. She looked great last night, very elegant, very delicate and ethereal. I think I personally prefer a bit of a stronger, more commanding Titania (I'm thinking of how Tess Reichlen danced it) but Unity's interpretation is a lovely one. I echo @cobweb's praise for Harrison, Anthony, and Tiler and Tyler. Claire Kretzchsmar also stood out to me amongst the lover quartet, and as did Alexa Maxwell as the Butterfly. I was enjoying imagining a narrative link between her stunning debut in The Cage earlier this season and her Butterfly role: maybe she takes down The Queen after the events of The Cage and she leads her fearsome troupe off to the Athenian woods, where they grow wings and mellow out and float around with Puck. I'm already sad City Ballet isn't dancing Midsummer next season. It's just such a gorgeous, joyful, fun ballet on every level and it gives so many generous opportunities to see dancers from all ranks of the company shine. And I enjoy it as something I can invite people in my life who are ballet-curious to see that they'll reliably enjoy. I must vent about a new low in bad ballet audience behavior: last night someone seated near me in the first ring not only had their phone ring and ring and ring TWICE, once in each act, but the first time it was a face time call which they proceeded to answer and started chatting away before being hissed into silence by fellow audience members. I truly cannot fathom how someone would think that was okay to do!

I’d love to see LaFreniere get a Titania. She’s been stunning this season.

Yes, agree the corps looked under-rehearsed in piano pieces. I had never seen piano pieces before and quite enjoyed it. I appreciate the generous scope of it: we get languid pdd, tender pdd, bravura solos, big group dances, folksy bits…lots of opportunities for different dancers to shine in different ways. roman Meija was the standout to me: exciting presence, big big jumps, fast and precise footwork. Tiler also was fabulous. sara mearns was originally cast in the role emilie Gerrity danced, and emilie was lovely but I couldn’t help but yearn for some of the intensity and “go for broke” energy Sara brings to her dancing. Emilie, both in piano pieces and again in four seasons, is a bit careful and mannered to me. As Balanchine used to say: “what are you saving it for?” Which was a thought I had watching Indiana in the spring pdd, as well. Chun Wai Chan brought more of the presence I was looking for in his role. Danny Ulbricht was having a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed Unity in autumn. Just gorgeous. After seeing her last night, I lean towards seeing her Titania over Emilie’s.

Got to see her both in her debut Friday night, and then again today when she subbed in for Sterling. Alexa was absolutely thrilling in both performances. She really, already, nails the full arc of the Novice: from cringing neophyte to powerful killer, with all the shadings of uncertainty, sensual pleasure, and guilt along the way. Very rich interpretation of the role. Isabella was also excellent in her debut as the Queen, right from her very first entrance. Gorgeous, impossibly high extensions, so commanding and intimidating. I enjoyed having the opportunity to see two casts of Rubies, La Baiser, and Duo Concertant in such close proximity. For me, La Baiser is one of those ballets that falls a bit flat with certain dancers. Didn't love it with Erica Peirera and Anthony Huxley, but found it quite engaging with Tiler and Joseph Gordon today. With the right dancers, I find the pas de deux (especially the final segment where the corps dancers come on and separate the principals, shades of the final act of Swan Lake) quite beautiful and moving. Their partnering had a lot more excitement, and Tiler's superlative turns were in thrilling evidence. And Joseph emoted quite a bit more than Anthony, which brought more depth for the final pas de deux. Duo Concertant: Indiana was lovely in both performances, but her partnership with Taylor Stanley has more depth to me than when she dances with Anthony. Anthony looked great in his solos, but the heart of Duo Concertant of course is the partnering which becomes so tender and emotional in the final movement and Taylor did that section superlatively in his debut Friday. And he has such expressive port de bras, which made the kissing-the-hand-and-kneeling sequence so gorgeous. Rubies: I'm with those who find Erica hitting all the marks in Rubies but lacking the bold verve and playfulness that great interpreters of the role like Sterling bring to it. Sterling just owns that role, for me, I will miss her in it SO much. She looks like she's having the absolute time of her life every time she does it, there's such a sense of ease and joy even as she does quite technically demanding things. I really enjoy Mira as Tall Girl, but it felt like she didn't have quite the attack and confidence these last two days that she had winter season, which is only to be expected as she's JUST coming back from being out for several weeks with a COVID infection. Still, she is so exciting in this role and I look forward to seeing her grow in it for years to come. Edited to add: Roman Meija was superb in Rubies. Big, bold, exciting dancing all the way through. He really went for it--in one of his final series of turns you could see the sweat flying off of him as he spun into the wings. Just fantastic.