liebs

Gregory did dance Myrthe but I remember an interview with her which quoted her as saying that she did not enjoy the part because she did not like to jump. I saw a tape of an ABT Giselle with Fracci and Bruhn. Toni Lander danced Myrthe and was terrific. I understand that Monica Mason of the Royal Ballet was also a distinguished Myrthe.

If the age of the choreographer is over, what's next? The age of the administrator? I'm an arts administrator and even I don't want to contemplate that.

I think it is inappropriate when critics make comments on a dancer's looks i.e.: dancer x is too thin, dancer y is too fat. This may happen more in the theatre than in dance but I think it is unfair when critics believe that the work was intentionally bad. I may not have liked Feld's piece for NYCB but I don't think he tried to do a bad piece of work. There's many a slip between cup and lip as they say.

Our own Leigh Witchel has written a very interesting and balanced review of the Farrell company New Yorkers saw at the Joyce Theatre in the Fall 2000 issue of Ballet Review. Unlike many of the other reviews I read, which wildly overpraised the company, Leigh gives an accurate picture of the company's strengths and weaknesses. I have felt that many of the other reviews were intended as a slap to Martins rather than an assesment of what, at least, I saw onstage, which was a very young troupe with some interesting dancers but a very uneven performance style.

I didn't see much of Weese this winter. Is she injured, out of favor or what? I really missed her in works like Tsch. Pas, La Source and Donizetti where I saw too much of Bouree. Does any one know what's up?

Michael, I agree the corps has been remade. The downside of that is that almost everyone in the corp needs to learn even the most often performed Balanchine works from scratch. Some one I know who is a ballet master at NYCB told me that they put in alot of time this winter teaching the corp and soloists Stars and Stripes. And hardly anyone knew Baiser and Kammermusik, which are less frequently performed. Of course, Porte was reconstructed by Von Arnoldigen and IMO the company was lucky to have her. I'm sure her coaching is in part responsible for the rich performances by Kowrowski and Alexopolous (sp?). This might account for the under rehearsed look of Stars and Stripes that Colleen reported.

Well 14 weeks have passed since the beginning of the season. This is probably the longest unbroken stretch of ballet in the world, some 50 works in repertoire. High points, low points - what were the good, the bad and the ugly at NYCB in the Winter season? Here are my candidates: All new low - Eliot Feld's new ballet, what a waste of money. High points - Dances at a Gathering on the final Sunday, Baiser de la Fee with Boal and Tracey, Jennifer Ringer in anything, Four T's with Boal, Evans and Kowrowski, the return of Episodes. Biggest disappontment- La Valse, it just didn't come together for me. Why are these careers on hold? - Arch Higging and Alex Ritter seem on a long road to nowhere, a very sad waste of talent. I saw Higgins in rehearsal for Dances at a Gathering, he looked great. I wish I had seen the performance. Welcome back to Alexandra Asanelli and Monique Meunier, it is great to see them back in form.

I saw the season's final Dances at a Gathering yesterday afternoon. I know the ballet was not popular In Edinbugh but it is one I have always loved. I saw once as a teenager in the lates 60's at Ravina (near Chicago)with much of the original cast and later in the mid 70's when I moved to NYC. I have special memories of McBride, Kent, Leland, Cook among others. I was struck yesterday by how much the dancers seem to be showing us a part of themselves as well as an archtypical character. Ringer and Millepied as the local daredevils. Kowrowski as the girl so pretty, smart and independent that she doesn't need a man. Fayette and Van Kipnis as the "kids" next door. Neal is the "American" prince, a lttle reserved but capable of warmth with the right woman. Alexopulos and Marcovici are the exotic beauties. Woetzel isthe "Mel Gibson" character, charming, arrogant, attractive and capable of beibg the good guy when he needs to be. Nicholas is by reason of the depth and purity of her dancing and her person the moral compass of work. She is the one who holds this community together. (I wonder if she plays that role within the company, unofficial team captain?) These are the people I saw yesterday while watching a performance that was as well danced as any I have seen of this ballet. Ringer is the best girl in apricot since Leland on whom the role was made. Ringer never held back and showed no fear in the complicated pas de six, a strong but feminine performance. Every performance that Nichols dances now is very special, full of warmth, maturity and serenity that come from years onstage. I don't see, at least in the roles she continues to perform, the loss of technique that marred Ashley's final performances. The rest of the program, Walpurgisnacht and Stars and Stripes, had many pleasures. Janie Taylor as the second ballerina in Walpurgisnacht, a role that showed off her strong technique and contained her wildness. She looked beautiful at the end with her long, blonde hair flying. Kristin Sloan did well as one of the soloists and the demis - Goldbin, McBrearty, Abergel and Diner - were strong as well. Tom Gold was terrific as usual in Stars - he knows how to milk this role. Meunier and Askegard did a good job with the ppd. Meunier's solo showed off her ability to turn and some nice jumps. I know that many of us have felt that NYCB was in an end of the season slump for the last few weeks but, IMO, they closed the season with a bang. Even the rainy, dreary February weather couldn't depress as I left the theatre on Sunday - I walked part of the way home.

Yes, Edwards was a lovely dancer - much missed. I regret not having seen more of Allegra Kent and Violette Verdy. I came to NYCB at the end of their careers and so saw them only sporadically. But the tapes I have seen show dancers with wonderful technique and great individuality. Also would have liked to see Alla (sp?) Sizova and Nadzeha Pavlova. And like Alexandra, Danish dancers too numerous to mention.

Ironic, isn't it that Kirkland then danced Swanhilda in the much, IMO, inferior production at ABT. Did Balanchine choreograph any major roles for her, other than the two revivals mentioned?

I'm not sure what the right role would be for Tinsley. She's a good dancer but seems miscast in everything I've seen her dance recently expecially Marzipan Shepardess. I can not imagine her in Chaconne. It really seems a shame that she doesn't have a repertory. I wonder how she would be as the second ballerina in Kammermusik?

Leigh. it is true that Farrell danced Duo. I saw her several times with Martins. The balance with the two of them was very different than what we saw with Martins and Mazzo. In that pairing, he seemed to dominate her rather as he did in the ppd of Sravinsky Violin Concerto. In fact, I always felt these two ballets were paired and in some way about the ideal relationship and the loss of that relationship. With Farrell and Martins, it was a dance of equals and the end of the ballet was unbearably moving. Back when Martins used to cast Nilas and Bouree, I felt he was trying to recreate his partnership with Mazzo. But it never worked for me because Nilas always seemed too large for Bouree, making her look like dwarf-like. Boal and Bouree seem to echo the more equal pairing of Farrell and Martins.

Other dancer/actresses would have to include Sallie Wilson, a brillant interpreter of Tudor and DeMille at ABT in the early 70s and she was no slouch as a dancer either. I also thought Ruth Mayer and Kathleen Moore of ABT were outstanding actresses.

I had a look at the Robbins book "That Broadway Man... the other day in the NYCB gift shop. It is definately a "coffee table" book, not a serious biography or study of his work. It was very attractively designed and had many lovely photographs.

The information you posted on the memorial service is correct.

At tonight's NYCB performance, there was a card in the program dedicating the winter season to the memory of Le Clercq. A nice gesture I thought.

I seem to remember seeing some Ashton choeography for Alice in Wonderland. Perhaps not a full ballet. I remember Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and Alice. He used lovely British piano music based on traditional English folk songs. Does this ring a bell for any one? Ashton also did a Tales of Beatrix Potter ballet.

Sara Leland is Belle Watling, think of her in the Explosion Polka in Vienna Waltzes and you'll see what I mean.

Alexandra, you must be thinking of Mozartiana - the original and long time cast was Farrell, Anderson and Castelli. Is this one video? If so, I'm not familiar with it. The cast on the video for Divert includes Castelli, Merrill Ashley, Marjorie Spohn, Susan Pilarre, Stephanie Saland and I think Calegari. I think it is a very good performance give the limitations of video ie it just doesn't have the emotional power of a live performance. I watched this Divert video recently and although neither Spohn nor Pilarre ever made it to principal dancer. their performances have the polish of those who are steeped in the Balanchine tradition. Tight, pulled up fifths, creamy turns, good extension and they are really inside the music. As are the other better known dancers. Ashley is, of course, wonderful in her solo. The drawback is only two movements are included. Still I could watch this piece every day, it is a jewel.

I assume the Farrell company was wearing the same tutus in DC that they wore in New York last season, were they purple and white? If so, those are not the original designs which are pale blue, pale yellow and white and quite exquisite. Some reviewer once compared these costumes to frosting. I did find the purple and white tutus designed by Holly Hynes to be a bit large and floppy. A strange mis-step coming from this very gifted designer.

I just got the Baryshnikov by Tharp video from NYPL and it features many of the dancers we have been discussing here such as Carberry, Kudo and Raffa. I'll report back after I've watched it.

Danias was a member of the Joffrey Ballet either at the time of Turning Point or shortly before it was made. I remember her performances with great pleasure, she was one of the more classical dancers in the company. She was also a very lovely looking woman.

Estelle, I think your feeling about Margaret Tracey is the one generally held by many NYCB watchers. Lovely but a bit bland. Every once in awhile, she catches fire in a role and it is a joy to watch. But it doesn't happen often. Martins and Bouree are very strange casting in Duo given the disparity in their heights. And both are rather cautious dancers. I wish you could have seen Duo with P. Martins and Kay Mazzo and later with Martins and Farrell. In these incarnations, it was one of the greatest statements about male/female relationships in any art form. Who is the conqueror and who is the conquered and does it matter. Duo seems to me to ask these questions wordlessly. And everyone can provide their own answers.

Patricia McBride should certainly be considered one of Mr. B's muses. The wonderful parts he made for her in Rubies, Who Cares, Union Jack and Vienna Waltzes to name just a few. She also danced many of the greatest roles he created for others. Robbins was also very fond of her. A unique dancer with wonderful feet, a beautiful feet and a fabulous smile. She made you happy to just watch her.

Re: Martins ability to develop ballerinas. If you go back and read criticsm of NYCB in the early 70's after Farrell's departure, you'll find that Balanchine was criticized for failing to develop any ballerinas except Gelsey Kirkland. At that time, McBride waa considered the standard bearer. Kent and Verdy were dancing less often and Hayden was on the verge of retirement. Leland, Mazzo and Von Arnoldigen were considered less than classically and technically perfect. Just about the time Farrell returned, we saw the advent of Ashley and then shortly there after the rise of Nichols and Calegari. Maybe these things are cyclical? The later 80's and early 90's didn't produce many ballerinas any where it seems to me.