83firefly

Yes, great point!

Thank you for sharing that video, Kathleen! Beautiful... such ballon Watts had! I'm just jumping on here, though I've been keeping up with the posts over the last few days. What I wanted to respond to was Kathryn Morgan's video. Some mentioned that they were surprised that she brought up the term "rape" when that particular word hadn't yet been used, but I would venture to guess that she was responding to the questions she's received privately from her followers. So even though the articles were referring to sexual harassment and physical abuse allegations, perhaps Morgan's fans have been peppering her with questions about whether or not he'd raped anyone while she was at NYCB, so however imprecise the wording might have been in terms of what was truly being alleged, she was just answering them in the way they were asked. Just a guess -- can't think of why else she would have made that substitution!

Whew, finally getting around to my write-up of this lovely performance! It was a great program overall, presenting a wide range of styles and moods. I was expecting to be impressed by Unity Phelan and Kristen Segin at the very least, and those two did not disappoint. Let's break it down! In the Night 1st couple: Olivia MacKinnon & Alec Knight; 2nd couple: Unity Phelan & Chase Finlay; 3rd couple: Abi Stafford & Adrien Danchig-Waring At the risk of sounding like a horrible person, I have to admit I was shocked I was seeing a representative of one of the country's leading ballet companies when this piece began. I'm not sure if MacKinnon was just having an off night or what, but the first movement felt burdensome, and I was very distracted by her lack of finesse. When Phelan entered with those regal walks, not eight counts in I turned to my boyfriend to whisper, "You can see the difference already." What a lovely creature, with a beautiful stage presence and long limbs that ate up the space around her. The partnering was effortless and refined. And then the third movement -- full of abandon! You could really feel the emotion in all those comings and goings and swinging lifts. I remember mentally noting what a good partner Danchig-Waring was. I also appreciated how the three couples came together at the end, as I was wondering how they would make contact or relate to each other. The way Robbins did it was just enough to establish the dancers' acknowledgment of one another, yet not so much interaction as to become saccharine or prolonged. La Stravaganza Okay... this was weird. I mean, there were things about it I liked, such as Jackie Bologna and Harrison Coll's pas de deux near the end, as well as the initial movements of the Vermeer people, but overall, not my favorite ballet ever. MacKinnon was consistently later than Bologna and Rachel Hutsell in the opening nude/modern people section, which, again, was a distraction. (The corps not moving together is a pet peeve of mine!) I thought this style of dance particularly suited Hutsell, though -- she moved comfortably and naturally in this choreography, and her legs and feet looked beautiful. Sonatine I was pleasantly surprised by Abi Stafford in this. She was relaxed yet poised, with a light, jubilant spirit. Partway through, I again whispered to my boyfriend, "That's about as perfect as you could ask pointe shoes to look, like a natural extension of her leg." Her feet were supple and pliant, with no distracting clunkiness as, ahem, I had witnessed in previous pieces. (D'oh! There I go again.) Chase Finlay was... there? I mean, he danced very well. He just didn't leave any strong impression on me personality-wise. After the Rain Ah, Miriam Miller. She is lovely. I am eager to see how she develops into this role. She has all the right moves and the perfect body for this, but I think more maturity will enhance her performance. Danchig-Waring was a strong partner, though I didn't feel much of a connection between them. I've never seen this piece before -- is it meant to be a little distant, or should we feel like we're peeking into an intimate moment? In Creases YASS, Kristen Segin at last! I love her. But first, this piece as a whole was my favorite of the night. Great music, great energy, and I loved the angular/geometric/symmetrical choreography, especially those mini canons here and there. Bologna and Peter Walker had the featured roles, and Walker in particular did well with his. Now back to Segin -- I was drawn to her the whole time, as energy was just buzzing off of her. She committed to each movement and extended each line in a way that far surpassed the other dancers. Bravo to her! I hope to see her become a soloist soon. What a delightful, bright face. And gorgeous, expansive epaulement.

Great, thanks! I enjoyed seeing Segin in Walpurgisnacht Ballet on the NYCB in Paris broadcast. I remember seeing this photo of her a few years ago and thinking she looked uncannily like a young Amanda McKerrow!

Just found out the casting for this performance: http://www.nycballet.com/NYCB/media/NYCBMediaLibrary/PDFs/Press/Casting/NYCB-MOVES_Iowa-City_October-24-25,-2017.pdf Lots of debuts! I'll be seeing it on Wednesday, so they'll have one under their belt by then. Regular NYCB-goers, any dancers I should keep an eye out for? There are a few I'm quite familiar with thanks to social media and video clips (and I'm particularly eager to see Unity Phelan), but let me know if any of the up-and-comers are ones to watch closely. Of course, there are dancers in the company whom I'd love to see that won't be performing, but such is off-season touring to flyover states. ;) Excited to finally see the company live!

🙌🏻 Preach! No, I agree that it's quite refreshing to see her in such a happy, confident place. Being a longtime TMer myself, I can attest to the benefits it provides, especially that sense of inner calmness when anxiety is your go-to. And isn't it funny how veering off the straight path to try something new on the side, however daunting, often ends up enhancing your life in unimaginable ways? Kudos to Megan! Can't wait to read everyone's takes on her and Tiler's debuts.

Isn't that amazing? You're very welcome! The only thing that bothers me a bit is how dead her pointe shoes look in that last pique diagonal -- like she can't quite get up on her right shoe. But I haven't seen her dance very much, so maybe that's just how she likes her shoes. The last developpe before the gargouillade, though -- so lovely the way she lingers!

Seeing that NYT video of Boylston reminded me of this gem that showed up in my Instagram feed the other day. Lorna Feijoo's musicality, attack, suspensions... this is what comes to mind when I think of the Tchai Pas variation.

Haha, seriously! I'm glad I'm not the only one. Champing at the bit here in Iowa.

You guys are awesome! Thank you so much, sandik, Kathleen O'Connell, and DC Export. I'll make sure to report back after the show.

That's a great idea! Does the NYCB website have the exact music listed for each piece in their repertoire? Thanks for the info!

Good to know! I've only seen Sonatine, when it was on the PBS broadcast of NYCB in Paris. Ok, thanks for the scoop. I will definitely go! It'll be a week and a half after their Fall 2017 season ends, if that means anything.

Yeah, I saw a few pics on Jennifer's IG feed as well. I think #retirement confirms it.

As an Iowan who has loved NYCB from afar for many years but never seen them perform live, I was thrilled to see that they'd be coming to Hancher in Iowa City this fall. Hancher has had a longtime relationship with the Joffrey, but I don't know that NYCB has come here before (I think it helps that Miriam Miller is from Iowa City, and that the theater was recently rebuilt after a flood -- it's looking incredible). So my question to you NYCB experts is, what exactly is the MOVES distinction? Should I expect to just see some of the up-and-comers, or does it include principals and soloists? Also, about how close to the performance do they announce casting? I'd love to choose which night I attend based on that, but I can't imagine they'd announce it as soon as July 7, which is when tickets go on sale. I'm sure they'll go quickly, so I'll be ordering that day regardless of whether casting has been posted. Any input you have would be greatly appreciated! Edited to include the program: In the Night Music by Frederic Chopin Choreography by Jerome Robbins La Stravaganza Music by Antonio Vivaldi, Evelyn Ficarra, Robert Normandeau, Serge Morand, Åke Parmerud Choreography by Angelin Preljoçaj Sonatine Music by Maurice Ravel Choreography by George Balanchine After the Rain pas de deux Music by Arvo Pärt Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon In Creases Music by Philip Glass Choreography by Justin Peck

Can't wait to find out!! Crossing fingers and toes for Royal and Lane.