BalanchineFan

20 hours ago, cobweb said:

Casting is updated for this week. Megan Fairchild is out. Replaced tomorrow night in Square Dance by Erica Pereira. Very disappointing, Pereira was reported to be blah in earlier performances, while Fairchild has been dazzling. Hope she's back very soon. 

There was a week's notice for some of the Square Dance performances. Too bad they didn't have at least one additional woman performing Square Dance. I wonder who the third cast would have been. 

Glad to hear reports of Emily KIkta. I'm looking forward to seeing her this season.

On 4/23/2023 at 7:27 PM, MarzipanShepherdess said:

I think programming Orpheus was obligatory next season given that it's the 75th anniversary of the company and it was 1/3 of the inaugural NYCB program. But it's not my favorite either.

IMO, Orpheus would benefit from coaching from some of the original dancers (if any are still living), or people who danced it under Balanchine. I remember it being shocking (particularly Eurydice's death) twenty or thirty years ago, and it has seemed much less so in recent years. Of course, I've also changed. Perhaps I'm not as shockable.

On 4/21/2023 at 7:56 PM, cobweb said:

Studying the season brochure that arrived, I wonder if the pic of LaFreniere on the cover means we will see her in Symphony in C second movement. Hope so! 

I don't love the All Balanchine II program. Of course I want to see Agon. But I have no idea what Bourree Fantasque is. 

Bourree Fantasque is a ballet in several movements. One movement was choreographed on Tanaquil LeClerq and Jerome Robbins and has a lot of "tall woman, short man" jokes in the partnering that are quite funny. SAB did the ballet in full several years ago. It may be an opportunity for dancers like Emily Kikta and Isabella LaFreniere as they can be partnered by any shorter man.

7 hours ago, Royal Blue said:

A debut in this particular ballet at a farewell performance? Particularly since Harrison Ball looks simply great for the part, Sunday promises to be a special afternoon at the ballet.

I am really looking forward to Sunday!! NYCB has been giving lots of dancers debuts during their farewells and farewell seasons. Lauren Lovett debuted in After the Rain. Sterling Hyltin debuted in Vienna Waltzes shortly before her farewell. Wendy Whelan and Maria Kowrowski had new ballets made for them. It's counterintuitive programming but makes for a very exciting last performance.

12 hours ago, vipa said:

Thank you. I hope Fairchild is OK.

Me too. If there were paper slips they must have had a bit of lead time. I’m thinking it probably wasn’t a last minute injury. 

It doesn’t bother me when dancers slip, fall or fall off pointe. A performance is so much more than that. If someone is dancing well or dancing fully and has a mishap I find it’s easy to get (or stay) absorbed in the ballet.

Bore me, however, and it’s a totally different story. I much prefer daring and accident prone to safe and dull. There are entire companies I avoid because they’re safe and dull. 

On 4/15/2023 at 3:06 PM, Quiggin said:

I can understand why Homans dwells on the mouse motif, since Balanchine signed off many letters to his lovers as a mouse, even making drawings of himself as such. And of course it's a huge part of "Nutcracker" – originally "Nutcracker vs the Mouse King" – which he brought with him to the new world

I agree with this. Homans shows us Balanchine's drawings of himself as a mouse and different women (was it LeClerq or Zorina or both?) as the cat. In a weird way, it seemed that Balanchine was bringing it up. Small, private, a craftsman and ballet master rather than an Artistic Director. I thought she leaned on the "cloud in trousers" metaphor much more.

One thing I loved about the book, which I hadn't considered, even with all the other Balanchine material I've read, is Homans' idea that he swallowed up dying cultures right before their demise, and got out before they fell. Russia and the Russian Imperial School - he left before Stalin cracked down and made that impossible. Berlin at the height of the Weimar era - she goes through many artistic influences there. Paris in the late 1920's and early 1930's and again, by the time Nazi-ism came to the fore to end that golden era Balanchine was in NYC. It was a great device to place him in the twentieth century and show how the major events of the century shaped his life and career.

It's so enlightening to read multiple accounts of the same events. One can evaluate the accounts against each other and (hopefully) get a more nuanced, fuller picture of the events.

2 hours ago, cobweb said:

And I implore Emilie Gerrity to update her headshot. She's had that pic since she was in the corps, and it makes her look like a frivolous teenager, rather than a confident, mature principal. 

Emilie Gerrity's picture DEFINITELY needs an update. She's a beautiful woman and it doesn't even look much like her. You'd never recognize her onstage after seeing it. She needs a picture with her hair off her face.

I saw Sara Mearns' return in Concerto Barocco. So good to see her back. She did seem a touch tight in the beginning. I thought it could be nerves, her past injury, or the fact that she'd done the other role (for years) and was fighting her muscle memory with that music. She was so glorious in the ppd! I was also reminded why I was so in favor of Isabelle LaFreniere's promotion. She wants to move. You can see her enthusiasm for the movement from the audience, she revels in it, and dances big all the time. Full, daring phrasing, space devouring, all lovely lines and positions.

I see new things in Kammermusik every time. I don't think I remembered the two ppd at all, though I've seen the ballet numerous times. The juxtaposition with Concerto Barocco was lovely. Both have a corps of eight, as @vipa noted upthread.  Balanchine does such phenomenal things arranging the corps on stage, each ballet completely different. Barocco is like turning a kaleidescope. Kammermusik is more organic with the men in a tangle at times, holding hands with each other and stepping over the clasped hands. Emilie Gerrity and Mira Nadon were great foils to each other. In some ways their dance in canon with each other was more significant than with their male partners.

Raymonda was lovely. Tiler Peck must have nerves of steel because I've seen her in a number of role debuts and it never, never shows. She is commanding, musical, at ease, playing with her phrasing and with her partner. You'd think she'd been doing this ballet for years. I thought the women's variations all went well. They are pretty and tricky. (The Marnee Morris solo seems like the dancer is knitting a sweater with her legs... in a gorgeous dancing kind of way. It's the piqués, passé, tight sousus and en dedans turns at unexpected moments) I particularly liked Malory Lundgren, partly because she wasn't too smiley. She let her legs (and body) do the talking and left the audience to marvel without telling them what to feel.

Joseph Gordon was beautiful, plush jumps and turns, lovely bearing. I love him in these roles. It was a fantastic night back at the ballet.

On 4/18/2023 at 6:57 AM, Balletwannabe said:

Which Balanchine ballets in fall would people recommend as must-see's for those who have seen very little of Balanchine?  "Asking for a friend"

I would advise new ballet goers to choose programs based on the music they enjoy.

Still, you can hardly beat the following programs

Balanchine IV: Concerto Barocco, Prodigal Son, Symphony in C

Balanchine V: Serenade, Orpheus, Theme & Variation

Balanchine III: Apollo, La Sonambula, Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto #2

On 4/17/2023 at 7:33 PM, Rock said:

The revival premiere was danced by Sara Leland and Bart Cook.

In Merrill Ashley’s book she goes through the rehearsal process and her injury shortly before the premiere. 

5 minutes ago, abatt said:

I think the countdown clock only applies to single tickets in your cart.  I think if you check back and log back into your account in a few hours  your subscriptions should appear again in your account.  I clicked on mine numerous times over the weekend and all of my series are back in my account awaiting renewal.  Any issue, call them tomorrow.

Thank you. I"m glad to hear how it worked for you. Fingers crossed.

I"m a subscriber. I clicked on "Renew" in order to see what was in my subscription (It's like 12 performances). Then there's a countdown clock saying that if I don't purchase in 18 minutes my seats will be released. Is this correct? I've had those seats for YEARS! It's a huge outlay of money and I usually have months to figure out exactly which subscriptions I'm going to purchase.

Has anyone else had this issue? Is the time clock just some weird left over feature that doesn't apply to subscriptions? (I'm hoping)

10 hours ago, cobweb said:

Was just on youtube watching the Miami City Ballet Square Dance. This piece brings me so much joy I must see it as many times as I can, whether it's Pereira, Fairchild, or hopefully Woodward or Emma von Enck will get a chance. Also it occurs to me this would be a great fit for new soloist Alexa Maxwell or underused soloist Sara Adams. Why not throw in some extra performances -- does anyone NOT love this piece?? When I first started attending NYCB in 2011, after getting weary of the war horses at ABT, I was buying tickets more or less at random, knowing nothing about NYCB or, embarrassing to say, Balanchine. When I saw Square Dance, that was it -- I was hooked, I was converted, whatever.. and the rest is history. 

You are triggering my own memories! They danced Square Dance the very first time I saw NYCB as well, back in 1979 or so. Merrill Ashley was the lead and she was amazing. I believe Balanchine remounted the ballet for her. She has said in interviews that it felt like he was choreographing it on her, on her body.

I was hooked.

11 hours ago, Drew said:

Completely on board with the Balanchine/Danilova Coppelia, but the idea of a traditional NYCB Giselle just depresses me.   Too much like a final nail in the Balanchine coffin. Maybe the Akram Khan Giselle could be an interesting option.

I agree wholeheartedly! I find it sad to see a highly trained 17 year old stepping into B plus and proclaiming in mime "I am a peasant, here is my harvest."

14 hours ago, California said:

Are you seeing the 2023-24 schedule for NYCB anywhere? Isn't it usually announced before the current spring season ends?

It's not on any schedule, just my imagination.

19 hours ago, abatt said:

Looking forward to seeing Emma V.E. in this.  Woodward and Emma V.E. are the obvious successors to the roles that have been dominated by Bouder, Fairchild and Peck.   The "soubrette" rep.

Ooh, Spring 2024 maybe we'll get Indiana Woodward and Emma Von Enck in Coppelia!
Soubrette central. 

New promo for spring.

Hi @vipa could you talk more about your take on Homan’s treatment of von Aroldingen? I just finished the book. I didn’t find it unsympathetic, just interesting to hear how people configure their lives. 

Olivia Bell was invited to Vail (and performed there) as an apprentice. That may be a sign of her “up and comer” status. Bell also has more followers on IG than Mira Nadon (who doesn’t have that many; 6k). She was part of “Rising Stars” at Kaatsbaan while at SAB. I guess WWD is repeating the name. 
 

Stafford’s comments about “energy” reminded me of my own experience in rehearsal. There are people that lift everyone up with their dancing, their attitude and their energy (for lack of another word). They make other people want to dance better, they understand what the choreographer is going for, they further the creative process in the studio. You want them around. Different people describe it differently. Of course technique is important, but IMO, they all have that. Or could demonstrate it on a given day. 
Do they elevate those around them? Do they still do it 5 minutes before the end of a 12 hour rehearsal day? 
 

also: @matilda mentions three big hits with sold out houses and huge social media presence in 6 months. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!

13 hours ago, matilda said:

Agree! Her Piano Pieces was gorgeous. She was also lovely in Goldberg Variations and brought something special to Helena in Midsummer Night's Dream. Aurora is such a huge feat for any ballerina, especially at a company like NYCB where full-length classics are not the bread and butter, and I'm pleased to hear she did better on the second try. 

In any case, how long was the company supposed to wait to promote more ladies? And male principals still outweigh women significantly so there will likely be another batch of promotions in the next year or so. 

I also loved LaFreniere in the Sunday performance of SB (her 2nd one). She was assured and radiant. I loved her Danses a Grande Vitesse (a previous season, fall? spring?). Commanding. She had such enthusiasm for the movement and dove into the partnering and the lifts. So musical. For all the doubters, the people promoting have watched these dancers day in and day out. Seen what they could do in rehearsal, seen how they work back from injuries (or what they are capable of right before an injury). Sometimes I think the audience sees dancers at their worst (in performance). Of course performers have a responsibility to deliver in performance, but if you've seen someone killing it in rehearsal (and class) A LOT you can be excited at the prospect that they'll pull it together onstage. Especially if you are impressed with their preparation and mindset. 

In NYCB, imo, 80% of the dancers have soloist level skill. Though I may disagree at times, I'm not sure they can make REALLY bad promotions.

 *Also, looking forward to news of Kikta's a debut in Kammermusik. I wrote earlier that she needed a few more Balanchine roles under her belt. Neither she nor Miriam Miller have been forgotten.

On 4/6/2023 at 1:44 PM, bellawood said:

I think the women's promotions were dictated by the fact that there were so few female principals, and even fewer healthy ones. To me, there is one dancer who stands quite far out from the rest, Mira Nadon.

Did you see Megan Fairchild's picture of the four (uninjured) women principals celebrating making it through the winter season? Phelan, Woodward, Peck and Fairchild, plus Woodward's dog, Luna.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpJIR-oOYof/

8 hours ago, FPF said:

I think she was second violin previously, with a more senior principal woman (for example, with Teresa Reichlen or Maria Kowroski) in the first violin role. So maybe she is making her debut as first violin.

I know I've seen Mearns dance it with Reichlen. It was like two blondes, one running hot, one running cold, in the best possible way. Which Concerto Barocco role does the ppd? First Violin or Second? I can't remember who did it then, but my best guess is Reichlen.

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

Week 1 casting is up. Concerto Barocco: Phelan & Laracey, Mearns & LaFreniere. Glad Sara's back!!

Good to see Dominika Afanasenkov getting an opportunity in Afternoon of a Faun. She made a very good impression as the Fairy of Generosity in Sleeping Beauty. 

I wonder whether Phelan or Laracey will do the ppd. Laracey danced it her first time out, IIRC. She was beautiful, but only speaking personally, I'd be thrilled to see Phelan do the ppd.

So glad to see Mearns on the casting sheet!!!

Also, JP Frohlich had a picture of Christopher Grant and Dominika Afanasenkov in Afternoon of a Faun on his IG. Really stellar. I think they were just chilling during rehearsal (in costume). I remember her from her time at SAB. She was memorable then, though it didn't occur to me that she would get into NYCB.

Regarding Promotions, a new episode of the podcast interviews Megan Fairchild and Isabella LaFreniere on the topic:

https://podcast.nycballet.com/episode-83-the-rosin-box-promotions

I don’t blame Homans for the length or breadth of the book. Hers is an effort to place Balanchine in the twentieth century, it’s the title of the book. I figure I’ve got the rest of my life to finish it. I’m currently reading about his physical death. 

I was wondering what people who have finished the book make of the sections about Balanchine and women, his ballerinas, his affairs but primarily Homans’ assertion that ‘love of woman’ was a central element of Balanchine’s artistry and his purpose in creating ballets.  Do you agree? Do you see it in the ballets?

duplicated

Jovani Furlan has had such heartbreaking content on his IG. I think his sister died as a result of complications from childbirth. The infant survived and she has an older daughter, too. He's out for the entire Spring Season. I imagine he's back in Brazil tending to family. He said "I'll be back soon"

https://www.instagram.com/stories/jovani.furlan/3072872620811792408/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqnXm2xsliN/