83firefly

9 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Keep in mind that Morgan's comments are being made in the context of a flood tide of harassment charges against any number of prominent arts, media, and political figures, not just Martins. Many of those charges include rape, attempted rape, and extremely coercive behavior. She may have been trying to draw a distinction between what men like Weinstein and Lauer have been accused of an the kind of behavior Martins was rumored to have engaged in. 

Yes, great point!

28 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Those who have only seen late career Watts in the leotard roles Martins created for her might be surprised by something like this.  Watts and Helgi Tomasson in the pas de deux from Bournonville's Kermess in Bruges. There was more to her career — and her dancing — than a lot of people remember. 

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. 

3 hours ago, DC Export said:

 

Miriam Miller in After the Rain sounds divine. I'll also add Kristin Segin, Alec Knight, and Peter Walker to your watch list.

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!

12 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

 

A French boyfriend, a fabulous apartment with stunning river views, and a STEM degree. This is like hitting the trifecta of 21st century glamour 

 

🙌🏻 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. 

2 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

Oh wow. Now that's grace. And yet there's still such crispness too. Thanks so much for sharing the video!

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. 

5 hours ago, Natalia said:

I believe that we're all ready to explode. It's too bad that we can't be "flown off" from our homes across the globe to some bar near Lincoln Center, with live TV cameras honing down at us, as we remotely watch McKenzie name the new Principals & Soloists. Waiting to set-off the balloons and confetti.

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.

7 hours ago, sandik said:

 

If you have a little free time, try listening to the music for these works before you see them.  It can really help you see the choreography if you've got some familiarity with the scores.

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

6 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Principals and soloists do perform with NYCB Moves - see the casting for Moves' upcoming run at Bard College's Fischer Center for an example.

 

The very best thing about Moves is the commitment to performing to live music. This is likely one of the constraints on programing: it pretty much guarantees that most if not all of the works selected will have been choreographed to music for piano or a small chamber ensemble.

 

PS: It looks as if the company is presenting two performances back-to-back. I'm going to hazard a guess that the casting will be the same for both performances — that certainly looks to be the case at Bard, and Bard is within easy reach of NYC.

Thanks for the info!

34 minutes ago, sandik said:

What a nice line-up -- I wish it were coming here as well.

Good to know! I've only seen Sonatine, when it was on the PBS broadcast of NYCB in Paris. 

30 minutes ago, canbelto said:

My guess it's a small group of NYCB dancers and maybe not the principals. But wow that's a great program and I'd definitely snatch up a ticket to see it. Summer is traditionally the time when many NYCB principals do summer festivals and guesting. 

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. 

On 6/25/2017 at 7:23 PM, nanushka said:

Are we sure this means retiring? Unlike with Part, I don't see anything specific here. I didn't think Whalen was on the older end of the spectrum?

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.

11 hours ago, SingerWhoMoves said:

I enjoyed this very much, but was very frustrated with the lack of complete casting listed. I checked PBS website and there is no listing of all of the Demi soloists etc.  any ideas on where to find this info? 

Thanks! 

 

Sandi

Which piece are you looking for more info on? Before each piece, it did show the demi-soloists' names: Kristen Segin and Sarah Villwock for Walpurgisnacht Ballet and Marika Anderson, Meagan Dutton-O'Hara, Gwyneth Muller, Lauren King, Antonio Carmena, Ashly Isaacs, Sean Suozzi, Ashley Laracey, Zachary Catazaro, and Ralph Ippolito for La Valse. 

Longtime lurker here, just created an account to finally start chiming in. I was a ballet dancer myself for 12 years and enjoy keeping up with ABT and NYCB news from afar. Looking forward to joining the fun!