mille-feuille

Glad to hear that Interim Leader Craig Hall isn't the one named.

When I first heard about Chase's resignation and Amar and Zachary's suspension, I admit the only one I cared about was Amar as I've found Chase and Zachary to be uninspiring dancers. I fell trap to the belief that Amar's wonderful, noble dancing must mean that was a wonderful and noble person himself. I know it's a question that's come up time and again about separating the art from the artist, but this is the first time it's really hit home for me. I'm glad that Amar (and Zachary for that matter) doesn't seem to have engaged in behavior nearly as heinous as Chase's, but I doubt I'll be able to watch Amar's dancing with the same rapture as before. :\ This is just so disappointing all around.

Item 57 of the court document names Craig Hall as someone who was part of the text/ email chain and voiced his enjoyment of the images/ video(s). But he's identified as a former student at SAB rather than a member of the interim team. Are there two Craig Halls? To think that a member of the interim team might be involved in this... It makes me sick.

This is great news. I can't wait to see the fruits of their coaching.

ABT Fan, thanks for sharing. I'm so sorry to hear that; I had noticed Zhiyao Zhang and was rooting for him to advance. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!

I always sought her performances out when she was dancing with City Ballet. Her picking up where she left off there would be so wonderful, but I'd go out of my way to see her perform with any company if she came within striking distance of New York. I'm sorry to hear that her weight loss was partly caused by "life circumstances" (having been there myself), but these photos bode well and I'm excited for her!

16 hours ago, cobweb said:

Re the Joaquin de Luz farewell, I faxed in my order form. Do they send out a confirmation or acknowledgement that the order was received, or do they not acknowledge it and just send the tickets in August? Has anyone else received a confirmation?

I called specifically because I was worried about this -- being a millennial it was one of the first faxes I had ever sent and I was suspicious of the technology. 😂 They told me that my fax had been received and I have yet to get any sort of confirmation, so I assume they will just send the tickets.

I used to always spot Fang in a bad way because of her highly staccato style of dancing, but recently she seems to have toned it down and it's made a world of a difference -- she looks so glamorous and floaty! I think her promotion was well deserved. Like others on this board, I wish Gabe Stone Shayer and Kaho Ogawa had also been promoted.

12 hours ago, Inge said:

Looking forward to Murphy's turn on Friday (but not having to sit through Act I and the dreaded swan interlude). Having two great Swan Queens in the pipeline (Shevchenko, Teuscher) is a pretty exciting prospect. I feel like Trenary would also be fantastic one day. 

Trenary was luminous as one of the cygnettes on Monday (as incongruous as that sounds!). I saw a Swan Queen in her and look forward to her taking on the role hopefully sooner rather than later.

I'm depressed about missing Shevchenko too. I saw her last year in Don Q and she was phenomenal. Next year, I will be at her Swan Lake no matter what!

17 minutes ago, abatt said:

I don't think it's necessarily that the audience is bored by the rep.  I think they are bored by the dancers. to a large extent. It's no coincidence that the only show that has sold out during the season  was the Osipova Hallberg Giselle.

This is certainly the reason I am only lukewarm about ABT.

19 minutes ago, Balletwannabe said:

Ummm help a ballet newbie out, I was going to take my 11 year old (will be 12) to Agon next season.  Will it not be appropriate?  I haven't seen it.

The pas de deux (if danced well) has a sexual energy, but it's in no way explicit or overt. I think it'd sail WAY over a kid's head.

My experience has been that ABT audiences always stand. If I want to see the performers and not feel like a total Grinch, I have to stand too. However, I almost never see standing ovations at NYCB, even when I feel they are deserved! At most, individual clumps of people might stand. I prefer NYCB's audience's way.

I think the little steps between fouettes are more musical, but I will never begrudge Tiler the thrill and adrenaline her fouette choice in Tschai Pas provides.

6 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Who would be the ideal partner for Mearns in this piece, who can not only handle the difficult partnering but also the virtuoso dancing?

Ramasar?

Last night gave me a headache because I loved it so much and got too overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.

This was the second time I've seen Apollo live (the first was last season with Adrian D-W, Tiler, Indiana Woodward, and Ashly Isaacs) and I enjoyed it much more this time -- maybe due to the cast, or maybe just my more seasoned eyes. Echoing others above, Maria K was the highlight for me too. She seemed to me to be dancing just a hair's breadth ahead of the music -- something I've read about Balanchine preferring but had never noticed in person before. I've watched the recording of Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins doing the Apollo pdd more times than I care to admit, and Maria last night showed glimmers of a similar musicality to Suzanne's. There were moments where it took my breath away. Chase was admirable, but I was so close in the orchestra that his exertion was noticeable. However, overall I found him convincingly "godlike." Sara and Tess were like forces of nature.

I liked Le Tombeau de Couperin, but admittedly couldn't focus well on the choreography because one dancer kept drawing my attention -- an uncredited Eliza Blutt, I later learned. Despite a small bobble on the final lift, her crisp, high jumps, stretched arabesques, and overall perfumed, slightly mysterious aura throughout the entire performance kept drawing my eye, even when I momentarily lost her amongst the shifting corps. I look forward to seeing more of her!

Of course, THAT Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux was the highlight of the evening. As soon as Tiler and Joaquin made their first entrance, the energy in the audience heightened. Tiler and Joaquin dialed up the adrenaline to eleven -- even by their already impossible standards! -- casually tossing off multiple fouettes in her case and blasting through show-stopping jump after show-stopping jump in his. And then the fish dives! They were the most daring that I have ever seen, live or in recording, and the daredevil "Are we really getting away with this? Let's go for it!" thrill was evident on their faces. I will fondly remember this performance for awhile. 😍 I hope they perform it together this fall before he retires -- I'd trade my hypothetical first-born child for a seat to that performance if it came to that. 😅

Symphony in Three Movements, unfortunately, is just not my cup of tea. Maybe it's more cohesive seen from a higher perspective, but I have seen it from the orchestra twice now and it's too busy for me. Like others, I have not especially enjoyed Savannah Lowery recently but she did get through this ballet fine. Sterling continues to become clearer, sharper and more musical, and Erica Pereira has been more pleasing lately too.

All in all, it was a wonderful night at the ballet. Thank goodness our beloved NYCB is back.

Concerto Barocco, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and Symphony in C in the same evening... is this the rapture!?  The upcoming seasons look magnificent. I can't wait.

I'm very curious to see Orpheus after having read about it in Bernard Taper's biography of Balanchine.

I wish they'd give us the entirety of "After the Rain." The pas de deux alone is too sappy for my taste, and I love the cold starkness of the Rain segment.

The only truly groan-worthy item, in my book, is Oltremare. I actually love The Times Are Racing and especially Ashly Isaacs in it (although I admit I saw it only twice, and both with Isaacs doing the role R. Fairchild originated).

What's the deal with the One-Time-Only Program on Feb. 8, I wonder? Some special announcement?!

ABT Fan, THANK YOU! I have family in the DFW area who enjoy ballet and I recommended they get tickets to one of these performances the moment I saw your post.

I agree with the consensus above. Copeland and Boylston both are hard "avoid" for me, but Cornejo is just so so so much more appealing than Whiteside. I slightly prefer Teuscher to Abrera, actually, but the gap between Cornejo and Whiteside is huge in my opinion.

I stumbled upon this randomly as it was airing on Facebook -- what a joyous surprise! Tess looked great. I didn't initially peg her as a natural for Tschai Pas but now I'm intrigued to see the polished version if she dances it in New York.

Hi Ballet Alert!

I'm a New York balletgoer who mostly enjoys NYCB and the occasional ABT offering. I've lurked on this forum for awhile and finally decided I wanted to join in on the fun! I am a huge Balanchine devotee and my favorite current dancer is Tiler Peck (unique, right? ). See y'all at the ballet!