Kathleen O'Connell

I can imagine the life of a mature artist without them. Believing that one's art form requires a greater investment in time, energy, thought, and skill and that one's journey from student to master is therefore somehow greater than that of practitioners in other art forms seems like a young person's conceit. Most artists I've met have tremendous respect for their peers in other forms and genres. It's not like Evans and Lynes were out there snapping selfies with their cell phones. Lynes was apparently more invested in darkroom technique than Evans was, however, perhaps because of his interest in surrealist effects. As artists, their visions were almost diametrically opposed.

It's not a very good argument.

Oh, I just laughed out loud at that one. I suppose one might debate whether Evans was a better artist in his chosen medium than Tchelitchew or Nadelman were in theirs, but Evans was a huge influence on at least two generations of photographers. I for one am not prepared to argue that either Tchelitchew or Nadelman were similarly important to their arts. Lynes was an important photographer—he was a touchstone for Mapplethorpe, for instance—but not the towering figure Evans was and remains. Sometimes I think Macauley needs to get out more.

Yes, the variations section is the one I'm thinking of. Tossing off those gestures with the appropriate nonchalant insouciance is tricky.

The list so far. Is anyone else missing? Ib Andersen Charles Askegard Mikhail Baryshnikov Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Erik Bruhn Joaquin DeLuz Lindsay Fischer Gonzalo Garcia Nilolai Hübbe Leonid Kozlov Robert LaFosse Ask la Cour Sean Lavery Adam Lüders Peter Martins Robert Tewsley Mel Tomlinson Helgi Tomasson Igor Zelensky

Ah yes! He had the (dubious) distinction of portraying George Balanchine in Boris Eifman's Musagète, which NYCB comissioned in the early 2000's. I swore that he left the company shortly thereafter just so he wouldn't have to dance the role again.

Thank you. Both Hübbe and Zelensky were particular favorites of mine so I'm chagrined that I left them off the list. I forgot Lindsay Fischer, too. He wasn't around for long, but then neither was Baryshnikov.

arrghhh! Of course he is! Thank you for the reminder ...

I was around for the original "Danish Pastries"—Peter Martins, Helgi Tomasson, Adam Luders, and Ib Andersen—as well as Leonid Kozlov (Bolshoi), Robert LaFosse (ABT), and Sean Lavery (SFB and Frankfurt Opera Ballet). And of course, Joaquin DeLuz (ABT). Of the bunch of them, only LaFosse trained at SAB if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure I'm leaving someone out; I seem to recall that there were five Danish Pastries, but I'm drawing a blank. In any event, there happens to be a bevvy of talented tall women coming up through the ranks, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the taller men in the corps. I agree!

I suspect that a small army of protesters would gather at or very near to the theater entrance for at least the early days of the run. In the worst case, there would be pro and anti Jackson factions facing off against each other. I can't imagine that the big theater organizations would be willing to take the risk, especially in the age of viral social media, unless they really did embrace the "any publicity is good publicity" line. And Wheeldon would be my last choice for choreographer. (Well, last after Wade Robson for obvious reasons.)

I wonder if he will have a successor in the sense that there will be a (salaried) chief dance critic? Also, just a reminder that Macaulay was for a time (the late 80s) the guest dance critic at The New Yorker.

I hope she is charging him.

My lord, how much longer was he going to bang on about same-sex partnering.

I did a little googling and came across a 2011review of Apollo's Angels by Marina Harss for The Nation. Among other things, Harss points out that by making Apollo her touchstone for all that is both right and proper in both Balanchine and ballet in general, Homans loses sight of (or perhaps refuses to see) the corresponding throughline exemplified by Prodigal Son. Read the whole thing, as they say, but here are some representative quotes: I for one would not have been unhappy if The New Yorker had given Acocella's slot to Marina Harss.

You betcha! I suspect that there would be a more enthusiastic audience for Liebeslieder if NYCB could somehow contrive to perform it in a more intimate venue.

I'm glad the performance moved you and your companion! While I might disagree with you regarding Phelan, Stanley, and Gordon's Liebeslieder debuts, I certainly won't dismiss your response to the performance or to their dancing. I think there's no denying that Gordon and Stanley in particular are very talented and exceptionally musical dancers with a style and an artistry that are uniquely theirs, which bodes well for their future success in Liebeslieder—assuming that they get to dance it again, of course. (I'm a little less sold on Phelan in general; I find her a tad generic.) My complaint was directed primarily at the company for not finding a way to give them another performance or two to find their way into ballet. (And I apologize in advance for the pedantry, but the texts for all of the songs save the last were written by Georg Friedrich Daumer. Only the text of the final song is by Goethe.)

Well, that's what I'm wondering. In addition, Homans can seem overtly hostile to the works, styles, and choreographers that aren't to her taste, dismissing them in terms that are redolent of moral judgment. So, judgmental rather than evaluative, I guess — the polar opposite of the great Deborah Jowitt, who can tell you that something isn't well made without wrinkling up her nose like somebody made a bad smell. I will spare you my rant about "ballet is an etiquette."

I do hope that The Runaway stays in the rep. Even more, I hope that NYCB is able to develop a dancer who can, with justice, take over Taylor Stanley's role when he decides to retire it. Also, I'd like to see "Behind the China Dogs" again. It was my very first Forsythe.

I don't have time for a more comprehensive wrap-up, but I thought I'd pass along a brief take on the 2/10/19 Herman Shmerman / Principia / The Runaway triple bill. My husband was only going to be able to take in one NYCB performance during the winter season. I asked him if he'd like to see either the Balanchine / Stravinsky program or the Balanchine / Tchaikovsky program since these ballets have been among his favorites. "No!" he said, "I want to see something new!" So, off to Forsythe / Peck / Abraham we went. His thoughts, in no particular order: 1) He thought Herman Schmerman was the most well-crafted ballet of the three and thought that in the end it would prove to have the longest legs of any of them. 2) He LOVED Emily Kitka in Herman Schmerman. (And truly, what's not to love?) He thought that she, along with Taylor Stanley, was one of the afternoon's standout performers. 3) He thought Principia was ... meh. He found Sufjan Stevens' score to be very well orchestrated, but badly in need of editing with little by way of thematic or stylistic unity or clarity. 4) He really enjoyed The Runaway and was in awe of Taylor Stanley's performance. He liked the costumes and lighting, and enjoyed the music so much that when we got home he fired up our streaming service of choice and spent an hour or two listening to Kanye et al at full volume. He would like to see more Abraham, too.

In Dancing for Balanchine, Merrill Ashley recounts how she got to dance the lead in Square Dance—one of her dream roles—during a tour to DC because an injury had sidelined Kay Mazzo. Ashley hoped to be cast in the role when the company returned to NY for its spring season, but wasn't, and decided to appeal to Balanchine directly for another performance. "Summoning up my courage, I approached Balanchine one afternoon and said, somewhat apologetically: 'Mr.B, I know you have lots of considerations when it comes to casting, but I would really love to do Square Dance again, if it is possible.' 'No dear,' he responded quickly. 'Is Kay's ballet." It took another injury to Mazzo before Ashley got to perform the role again.

Well, to be fair, they are also into a lot of other Balanchine ballets.

Sigh. Liebeslieder is like Halley's Ballet: it only comes around every seven seasons. This wouldn't be the first time that NYCB threw a bunch of new dancers at Liebeslieder for a single performance at the tail end of the season and then didn't bother to give them a chance to dance in it again until three years later (if then). The last time this happened I had the same happy thought you did, cobweb, but alas it wasn't to be. I agree that today's performance was a uncharacteristically muted, which I chalked up to a mostly new cast. It looked as if they hadn't quite sorted out who they were, or at least, how to convey who they were. The vocal quartet and the two pianists were very, very good, however.

I imagine there would properly be some useful give-and-take. Stafford might ask Whelan to consider programming (or commissioning) something that would challenge the dancers in a particular way or he might ask her to reshuffle a season if he's concerned that he wouldn't be able to marshal the forces to pull it off. (And not just the dancers: he'd have to be alert to the concerns of the production, design, and wardrobe staff as well. I'm not sure who worries about the musicians.) Whelan is a professional; I can't imagine her putting a season together without consulting with the rest of the team regarding its nuts and bolts feasibility. Whelan should of course be ready to challenge Stafford if she thinks the company is growing complacent, is ignoring some corner of the repertory that could use reviving, is being too cautious about the choreographers it considers for commissions, or isn't giving the dancers things to perform that will allow them to flourish as both artists and technicians. If it's her job to tend to the company's artistic vision, I hope she gets free rein to do so. She will make mistakes; that's OK. By-the-by, no one much mentions the woman who does have a leadership role at NYCB: Executive Director Katherine E. Brown. Not a model for ballerinas? Keep in mind that they have many years to fill when they're done dancing. There are more things to do than teach ballet, and some of those things carry real power and authority.

The Business Couple?!? I had to wipe away more than few tears every time I saw Wendy Whelan and Nikolai Hübbe dance that pas! No couple has packed more yearning and tenderness into those oh-so-simple but oh-so-glorious moments when the man gently lowers his partner to the floor and then even more gently lifts her into an arabesque while she slowly sweeps her foot forward along the floor. Since it's beyond description (like the last few moments of the glorious Midsummer Divertissement pas) here's some footage with Lauren Lovette and Jared Angle. The moments I'm trying but failing to describe start at about 23 second mark: This same couple also get a few iconic moments in the first half when they dance to "Am Donaustrande." To me it always looks like they're recalling a lovely spring day when he pushed her in a swing.

This. If I understand the arrangement correctly, Whelan's priority will be crafting a season—including commissioning new works and other artistic collaborations—and Stafford's will be getting that season onstage—well presented, well rehearsed, and well danced. This too. The company needs a public face that is at once glamorous and comforting. Whelan has the capacity to be just that.