BalanchineFan

India Bradley danced an intriguing duet with Claire Kretschmar in Justin Peck’s ballet to Caroline Shaw’s music, Partita. In the Kyle Abraham created during the pandemic, When We Fell, she held penchée arabesque for… about two days(!!) (filmed on the Promenade). She did a demi role in Bourree Fantasque (she and MT MacKinnon both looked great!) and another demi in the Bizet. And thank you for mentioning Lauren Collett, @cobweb. I’ll look for her. Regarding the “facial expression” issue, I wish we had a larger word to describe it. To me, it’s a question of performance; how a dancer performs onstage other than doing the steps, other than their musicality. I find it’s much deeper than deciding when to smile. It brings life and humanity to the stage. You see the whole person. I don’t think Balanchine ever focused on it. My guess is that he wasn’t great at getting what he wanted from his dancers in that domain (or he was preoccupied with other issues) so he left them to their own devices and simply cast people who worked it out for themselves. Many, many memoirs are filled with dancers trying to figure out their roles and what he wanted. Do others have ideas about this? Agree? Disagree?

I haven't seen her in many (any) featured roles. What have you seen Lauren Collett do? How did she capture your attention?

I read a review that said "It looks good on him," and I agree. He was also great as the Baron in La Sonnambula this season. @pirouette, thank you for the chart. It's so interesting. I imagine the corps dancers, many of whom appear in several ballets an evening, would be dancing "off the chart."

Troy Schumacher said on his IG that he was so happy to be back onstage after a long injury. The rep and performance schedule at NYCB is so intense I hope they don’t push injured dancers off the roster. That sounds incredibly unfair, and possibly illegal, not to pay people who are injured at work. Joseph Gordon said on IG he injured his knee before the season started and was lucky to be able to perform. Preston Chamblee recently returned from injury. He was great as a demi in Symphony in C and really commanding as the father in Prodigal Son. He got a mention in The NY Times review.

.

The programming has been wonderful! However, the full houses could also be due to the advertising they did for the 75th anniversary, and inviting the previous generations back. All of the places where those 350 former NYCB dancers teach probably had students that came this fall, as well. And it's true that fewer people are concerned about Covid, now. Solange Knowles' score for Play Time brought in HUGE crowds last fall.

I wouldn't assume that Tiler Peck intentionally works on her facial expressions. Perhaps she does, but when you watch her in interviews she changes her expressions as she speaks, frequently smiling very naturally. It could be that she allows her natural facial expressions to carry over to the stage. Exactly.

Thank you! Everyone who was at that Bourree rehearsal saw it, whether they realized it or not. The issue of facial expression always brings Merrill Ashley to mind. Her husband helped her a lot in this regard and it transformed her performances. She writes about it in her book. In acting training, you work on focus and relaxation. If you are relaxed and aware, your face changes and responds to the things happening around you in the moment; the music, your partner, the changing configurations onstage. It was one of the things that jumped out at me in the company class. You could see who was able to dance well and be relaxed enough to enjoy and notice their fellow dancers. Some notable corps dancers seemed to tune everything out in order to focus, whereas Gilbert Bolden, Megan Fairchild, Sara, Tiler, Unity, Indiana, countless others, were still living breathing humans dancing across the floor, reacting and available to interact with others. When people’s expressions get stuck, in my experience, it’s nervousness, fear, apprehension, etc. I’m sure students are taught ways to overcome that, but performing is so stressful that they’re not successful managing their anxiety all the time. Megan Fairchild talks about it in one of her Youtube interviews. Her internal performance monologue used to be “omg, here comes that hard step I practiced, here it comes, it’s coming, (voice getting higher and higher) omg, omg, OMG!” Not the most useful approach, as you can imagine. I think she took up meditation.

I just love Unity Phelan and her dancing. I think she's grown so much and is just radiant and serene onstage. I HATE the Bizet tutus. While they look beautiful, they don't function well for the choreography. When the ballerina does penché arabesque the tutu turns itself inside out. It happened to Maria Kowroski every time. I think it was Gia Kourlas who described the look as "Hello sailor!" Is that the unseemly aspect you describe? The tutus have softened a bit, because it used to happen with a thunk! Karinska's tutus NEVER did that. She made a bubble tutu with more layers of tulle on the bottom, so the women's bottoms stayed covered. I loved this season. The Balanchine focus, the veteran dancers returning, the past, the present, the new dancers coming up, the veterans in bloom. A picture of Domenika Afanasenkov (in her Diamonds tutu) chatting with Suzanne Farrell just brought home how profound the connections must be. And I love that they've started announcing promotions when the dancers are all together. It seems more transparent. Dancers get congratulations from their peers right way and we in the audience could even hear the shreiks from the other side of the curtain. After the Bourree Fantasque open rehearsal something similar happened. There's been no official announcement that I can see, but they called over two tall young men and one young woman, and since the other dancers started hugging them and clapping, I'm sure that those three dancers ended their apprenticeship and became members of the company.

I like this approach as well. I remember enjoying the Reichlen/Mearns pairing because their styles contrasted but there were also great similarities. And having some trouble with the Kowrowski/Stafford pairing because they were visually so dissimilar. I’m really looking forward to seeing Gilbert Bolden III in CB. In fact, if I had an armchair I would name it Gilbert Bolden III and throw myself into it 😍. (this is a Suzanne Farrell reference, IYKYK)

In the past 20 years ABT has had more and more JKO trained dancers. They used to have a lot of dancers from SAB. Maybe that’s what you’re seeing.

Thank you Quiggin, and thank you Helene for the screen capture of the names in the NYCB 75 film! I hadn't thought of the story of Orpheus in terms of the Russian emigrés and their connection to Imperial Russia, carrying it with them, but unable to look back. It adds depth and context to Orpheus. I had also forgotten that Balanchine commissioned this score from Stravinsky as well.

I loved the film and I wish they identified the people as well. I recognized a lot of the dancers and former dancers, but there were also people I didn't know. I imagine it will end up on YouTube with people filling in the names. It's on NYCB"s IG stories now, I believe. I was just thrilled to be there. The atmosphere was electric and the dancing so energetic. Everyone was giving it their all and jumping into the music together. It was the first time I'd seen Unity Phelan dance this fall (despite attending 5 times!) and she was just gorgeous, full, clear, expansive, serene. She and Emilie are well matched in CB. I'd seen them dance Kammermusik together and they play off each other really well. Phelan and Mearns were my friend's favorites. I was glad they included Orpheus. You need something darker between Concerto Barocco and the Bizet. It is a tricky ballet, and sure, the conventions may be dated, but less than the many classics where the corps play peasants standing in B+ as they show their wares at market. I love the Stravinsky music, I love Noguchi, and there's something about the story that always reels me in. Plus the ppd! I think the first time I saw Orpheus was on television, with Karin von Aroldingen as Eurydice. Her death was so quick it just killed me. I don't know how Orpheus can stand it. What range to choreograph that and Stars & Stripes, as just one example. The film mentioned NYCB challenging their audiences. It's true. Fairchild and Gordon were great in the T&V rehearsal. I got the feeling Joe Gordon throws her a lot higher than Anthony Huxley. Unity was rehearsing Bizet 2nd Movement with Alec Knight when we came in. She just floats, seamless. There are a lot of Empire State Building pictures on IG of Emilie Gerrity and Chun Wai Chan in costume for the Bizet. They must be cast for it at some point. (I have yet to commit the casting to memory.) Has she done 2nd movement yet? Maybe she's going to debut soon. Also Claire von Enck is pregnant and probably won't be learning the Bizet soon (did I misread that?) . Emma von Enck FLEW through the 3rd movement with Roman. I think that was a debut. They were both great. It was such a stellar cast for Symphony in C. Real stars with different qualities in each movement. I found myself marveling at all the amazing classical music that has been elevated due to Balanchine's choreography. People weren't familiar with Bizet's Symphony in C before Balanchine. I'm still humming it, the next day. I don't think Tschaikovsky's Serenade was popular, and certainly not 4T, which Balanchine commissioned. What a company! What a living legacy!

I was there too and at the ballet tonight (Wednesday). It was electric. No wonder NYCB has lasted this long. Great Concerto Barocco, bringing tears to my eyes. Nice Orpheus. Gorgeous, crisp Bizet. The audience was so jazzed and energetic. The rehearsal cast change was just Tiler Peck. She must still be in California with her father and family. Why would she leave Sunday and return for today? It was fascinating to see Megan Fairchild rehearse T&V with Joe Gordon after performing T&V with Huxley the previous night. She’s very vocal and speaks loudly, at one point yelling out “Whoo!” when Joe threw her up in the air. more later.

Tiler’s IG post doing tendus in her dad’s hospital room is so moving. I hope things go well. My own father died last year about this time, after a long illness. It’s a big deal. She was just stupendous onstage Sunday.

Chan looks beautiful as Apollo. He’s just not at home in the role yet. For one, he has trouble lowering his weight and getting down onto the floor. There are two moments in the choreography when Apollo pirouettes and spirals down to his knees, sometimes sitting right afterwards. Chan seems physically unable. Once he even put his hand down. He had similar trouble in the Rodeo section of Copeland Dances. Taylor Stanley, who originated the role, would turn, drop to the floor and lie back with hands behind the head in one smooth, sigh-inducing moment. Chan clunked. It could be injury (knees, hips, back), lack of mobility, his long proportions or just a lack of experience. Certainly, “princes” don’t study how to get down to the floor in Vaganova training. I’m confident he’ll get it with time. It’s just not there yet. Another example is when Apollo tries his first turns. Most Apollos turn, flail off balance, regain their balance, and then end their turn in a classical fourth. Four separate impulses. Chan, instead, does a turn in a strange shape. One impulse. There was none of the change in dynamics that show the young god attempting something he has not yet mastered. Chan got a good reception. I enjoyed his performance more than my companion. I’m not sure most casual ballet goers would notice a difference. It was a good debut. He looks godly and makes the things he does look good. He is just not a master of Balanchine’s choreography and storytelling. The muses were spectacular, more familiar with the idiom. I have a few notes for them, as well, but Nadon, LaFreniere and Kikta were a delight. I don’t see any impediments to Kikta becoming a principal. If they don’t have roles or partners for her, they will need to create them… For all of our benefit. I hear there are some pretty good choreographers at NYCB.

They changed the costumes for the leads in Wheeldon’s American Rhapsody after it premiered. I don’t see why they can’t do it again. They could probably auction off the costumes and make a fortune.

Jacques D'amboise coaching Who Cares? There's a picture in the beginning that shows the Karinska costumes in black and white. It's part of the preview. They look lovely. I think the new costumes would be improved by a pair of pinking shears, shortening the women's skirts, though the skirts do move when the dancers turn. https://www.films.com/ecTitleDetail.aspx?TitleID=210057

Any large scale, Balanchine ballerina role, where you have solos and have to hold the stage yourself, alone or in front of the corps, is a try out for principal, IMO. Kikta getting that role is a good sign for her future. Plus, who wouldn't want to dance it! And yes, to Kikta and Bolden!!! As for the new costumes, they look very pretty but the skirts are too long for my taste. Ballerinas should show more leg. Still, I look forward to seeing them in action.

Gilbert Bolden is quite tall and broad shouldered. He partnered Sara Mearns in Rotunda and Emilie Gerrity in Bourree Fantasque (he saved a very off balance attitude turn of Gerrity's on one of the shows. Very smooth). He often dances Mother Ginger. He's more muscular than Peter Walker. I don't see why anyone who has watched him onstage would have doubts about his partnering ability. I'd love to see him in something with either Isabelle LaFreniere or Emily Kikta.

Megan Fairchild’s IG https://www.instagram.com/p/CyDqGmBOWVp/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Wendy Whelan’s IG also has pictures of the gala and some of the Broadway luminaries who sang. Gilbert Bolden’s IG shows his THREE looks for the evening. here’s another. A pic of the curtain call where you see a few costumes https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyD-CueOA5s/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Whatever you think of the fashion gala it is MADE for social media. The pictures are very exciting.

Unlike you, I love watching company class. As a dancer I didn’t mind classes with an audience. It appealed to my exhibitionist side, I suppose. They know it’s class, so you still do all the things you normally do to get your body ready for the rest of the day; rehearsal, performance whatever. One of things you see is how individuals navigate that. Who is relaxed in that situation. Who enjoys it, who is hiding in the back. No judgement, though. Everyone is entitled to their response and strategy. I imagine companies do it because there’s an interest, people come, it builds excitement, it’s easy for them and not a costly perk to add for donors. SAB has patrons visit classes a few times a year as well and I love that, too. In partnering class you can learn what they’re doing and see how difficult it is to master it. Those are “real” classes where they give corrections to individuals.

How does it undercut anything? Whatever they agreed to is contractually stipulated. They didn’t actually fire Martins, so he’s entitled to whatever exit/retirement pay is in his contract. They have to pay. They’re not paying him out of the goodness of their hearts. I must have been at the same performance as you, Dale. I think Peter Walker is newer to Agon than Miller, who, iirc, performed it as an apprentice or shortly after she joined NYCB. In the ppd, when she’s in penchée arabesque (on pointe!) and he goes to the floor on his back, he is not supposed to move her hand. On Sunday, he moved it and she struggled to stay on pointe. That had gone much better on their previous performance, on Saturday.

Seems to me it could be one of about 20 people.

Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch own the NY Post. It's a rag. The funniest part is this quote, "The Post could not confirm what additional work, if any, Martins has performed for the organization. " They are saying they didn't care to do any research, but still want to fan the flames.