Marta

I looked on the BB site but don't see her yet. There's been a noticeable exodus from the company. Kuranaga went to San Francisco Ballet; Breen Combes retired and also Chalendard. Of the soloists, Burassi is going to Canada and it looks as though a few other soloists left too. I don't yet see any new principals or soloists. I would love to know if there's a specific reason for the drain.

I'm completely with you! I had the same experience seeing the first Balanchine ballet in person, Divertimento #15, June 1979, Suzanne Farrell, an unforgettable performance. I too wish they would do it more often. Leaving the theater I checked the program and casting for the next day's matinee: Baryshnikov and McBride in Other Dances. Fabulous again! I know NYCB did this recently, but this ballet also seems not to be performed often enough.

Do we know if she's in the corps or soloist at BB?

I'm with you all the way. I also agree with Kathleen O'Connell, as a 40 year veteran NYCB watcher, that the corps often looks anti-geometric and does not move as one when it should.

in fact now that you mention it, although I love Veronika Part, I remember being irked by the too smileyness. I also recall an earlier Apollo with Part and I think Beloserkovsky, where she smiled too much.

Oh puh-leeze! I saw Hallberg in Apollo at ABT 6 or 7 years ago and was disappointed. I was really eager to see him too because I was thrilled by his Albrecht to Osipova's Giselle. I wish I could be more articulate but Apollo didn't seem to fit. Not danced badly, just not convincing. I felt I was watching him execute steps. Veronika Part was Terpsichore; I couldn't take my eyes off her so I don't remember who the others were. I would love to see Cornejo as Apollo!

Thanks cobweb for your thoughts about Friday night's performance. I agree almost completely. Cornejo commands the stage simply by appearing on it. His variation was out of this world! The elevation, ballon, speed, clarity, were stupendous. He is a great artist and the greatest current male classical dancer. He and Sarah Lane are fantastic individually and together. I was astounded by ... everything. She has beautiful line, a light buoyant jump, fast feet, lovely slow arms. That she may have looked strained occasionally didn't disturb me. Hurlin was astonishing. I had never seen her and can't wait to see more of her. Joo Won Ahn was new to me also and a sensational Bluebird. Yes, it's uncool to say so but I could do without all the divertissements after Bluebird PdD, particularly Red Riding Hood and the Ogres. However, I do think Ratmansky's work is exceptional. It was my first time seeing this version and while there are definitely aspects of it I dislike, I accept it for what it is: a glimpse into the past creatively rendered with imagination and deep knowledge of the art form. No, I did not love the chainés on demi pointe, but the low passés, lower extensions, etc. are part of the whole. I did dislike most of the costumes especially for the ensemble dances. They are ugly and bulky and the individual tutus for the fairies for example, are sometimes lovely, but all together don't look harmonious. I did think Aurora's tutus were beautiful. I think the stage picture is visually overstuffed. If I were the decider, I'd remove some of the ensemble dances. I'd be surprised if Ratmansky yielded to some of our balletomane opinions about what should go! It would be fascinating to see his interpretation of Swan Lake.

He does review ballet, but mainly reviews modern dance. He also wrote a book on tap dancing. Gia Kourlas seems to be getting more space in the Times. I don't think they really intend to have a chief dance critic. I find it unacceptable that there has been barely one review of ABT.

I do understand it's a restoration, and frankly I'm not sure i'm going to like this restoration! I have to admit I AM going for the cast so I'm trying to maintain my curiosity and an open mind.

Have to agree-- I love them! I have tickets to the performance of Lane and Cornejo. I thought I had read a few years ago that some dancers DID do the fish dives, maybe even these two. I don't love some of the bulky looking costumes, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Ratmansky's reconstruction for the first time.

How very peculiar. That's got to be a first for ABT. I would love to see Lane with Cornejo in a full SL.

I'm very sorry to hear of these two departures as Kuranaga and Breene Combs were the dancers who most attracted me to BB. Cornejo and Conti were two others I really liked. I look forward to seeing the Giselle.

Thanks for the links. The Aureole is fun to watch, even if it seems too jolly for his temperament. That's not Rudi in Appalachian though. it's a 1959 film of Graham, Stuart Hodes and Bertram Ross. I'm not particularly a partisan of Rudi but for anyone who is, I think the doc. is worth seeing.

Thanks for the link. The review is right on! It focuses on the chief irritant, in my opinion, of the Nureyev doc: The dances by Maliphant that are inherently uninteresting, don't add anything and are an intrusion. I saw the documentary the night after seeing The White Crow, and what a disappointment. I wouldn't say it's superfluous though. It's still worth seeing for the very brief footage of Taylor and Graham, the scenes with Fonteyn and Bruhn, and parts of the interview with Cavett. Even though I had seen the original interview, it was great to revisit it.

I think what's different is that British reviewers and Americans have different criteria and ideas about what a good contemporary ballet inspired by literature is. That was my impression from reading those reviews. It's possible too that American balletomanes who love NYCB simply don't love these story ballets. I'm not trying to say that all American dance lovers are City Ballet partisans. I didn't see Jane Eyre and had no desire to see it even before I read the responses here. I'm just not a fan of new ballets with literary sources.

I've been intrigued by your reviews in general and also what you have said about Tanowitz. I didn't see Bartok, but wish I had. I liked and admired very much her Goldberg Variations and hope to see more of her work. You seem to be one of the few on this forum who found aspects to appreciate.

Roberta said: Martha, thank you for mentioning the newest documentary "Nureyev." I had never heard of it until now. If I may ask - who is the director, the country of production, method of circulation, etc.? Jacqui and David Morris made this film, 2018. There's a trailer on youtube. They're siblings, and British I think. I saw this film a few weeks ago at a one night only screening in a Landmark Cinema. Maybe it will return for a longer run, although i doubt it because there were very very few people at the screening. It would probably draw a larger audience at a museum or university cinema.

Roberta, you wrote an excellent review of The White Crow. I enjoyed the film very much and it was beautifully done. Ivenko was good; his dancing was good but not great and nobody could expect him to have Rudi's charisma. I thought Fiennes was terrific. He really evoked the films of Pushkin teaching Baryshnikov's class. I wish there had been more dancing though. The film was quite faithful to the bio of Rudi by Julie Kavanagh. All the people you mention figured prominently in her book. It would have been fascinating to see more of Sizova and especially Soloviev. The night after I saw White Crow, I saw the current documentary film "Nureyev" . Fascinating to see the contrast between them. I also wished there were more actual footage of Nureyev dancing in the doc film. Instead there were scenes of dancers performing contemporary choreography against a backdrop of a Russian birch forest, with the real Rudi pirouetting interminably off to one side. The documentary covers his entire life with extensive portions of interviews with Dick Cavett and others. Both films are worth seeing.

I didn't see the Tanowitz/Bartok ballet so reading the diverging points of view is intriguing. I read that it's her first time choreographing point work . I saw her Goldberg Variations and thought it was terrific. Four Quartets got even more favorable reviews. I'm curious to see more of her dances. I don't understand why Garcia is cast in De Luz's repertory or in any ballet requiring virtuosity and fast feet.

I've never heard of this publication and wonder if it's still being published. i assume you're not referring to Pointe magazine because I don't think it goes back as far as 1976. You might ask at Ballet Review, based in NY. The writers there seem to know everything about ballet. Or the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the NY Public Library. Good luck!

"Agnostic" is a great word to express your opinion on this story, and I agree completely. Thanks also for the emphasis that they are men and not boys.

My impression is that she wrote more frequent columns years ago when she first became the dance critic. There 's been a significant reduction in both the dance and music reviews or articles over the last several years. I assumed it was editorial policy.

I third that motion. Do we still not know who Macaulay's successor is or have I missed something?

Curious as to why you say "not"? I'm not surprised at this choice. Nor can I say with complete conviction that it should have been X, Y, or Z chosen instead. I AM surprised that there haven't been more comments here on the board. I wasn't a partisan of anyone in particular, although I thought Woetzel would have been great if he weren't already taken. Is it significant that the announcement came now, soon after the clash between Martins and Stafford, rather than at the gala in May.

Yes, it's puzzling. In general the NYT dance coverage has been sparse, it seems, since Macaulay left. Not that I ever loved his reviews. Will they even name a new chief dance writer, or rely on Kourlas and Seibert and occasional contributors?