JuliaJ

Interesting. Not sure how not letting people get up to stretch their legs and use the restroom helps "maximize audience safety," but ok. I won't miss having two intermissions in one program, that's for sure. Another update to the calendar: the last show of the spring season, a Midsummer Night's Dream, is Ramasar's farewell: https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/spring-2022/a-midsummer-nights-dream/. I wonder what role he'll be dancing? Doesn't he normally just dance the Divertissement?

On the NYCB website, in the fall season, Ratmansky's Namouna has been swapped with Concerto DSCH. It's on the program with Robbins' Opus 19/the Dreamer, and nothing else. That's a total of around 40 minutes of dancing for the evening... they have to be adding something else to the program, right? And Slaughter on 10th Ave has been swapped out for La Valse

My interpretation was that she was offered the consolation Juliet after the 2020 Met season had already been cancelled (she was cast in two other ballets that season, after all), and around the time of her mysterious departure, with the expectation that she would dance it in the subsequent Met season as a sort of farewell, perhaps as a "guest artist" after having been taken off the company roster.

It seems strange that height may have played a role in holding back Lane's career, since short women are often paired with tall men. She was dancing Nutcracker with Ahn before the shutdown and was supposed to dance R&J with Stearns. Brandt dances with tall men too, and her career is undoubtedly on the up. This part of the interview does remind me of the time she was paired with Gorak for Theme and Variations in fall 2019 though. He was a terrible partner. What a bizarre, punishment of a casting choice -- was that the intention??? Who knows when it comes to ABT. Anyway, I'm glad we got some clarity on her departure and the mystery of her fallout with a certain principal. This interview was super sad to read though, especially finding out that she could have been a principal at SFB Age-wise, she's probably past the point where she could get a truly fresh start again. It's infuriating to read that McKenzie told her that her stunning 2019 performances were subpar. She was the real star of Manon and Sleeping Beauty, not Cornejo. Maybe it was poor judgement to ask not to be partnered with a star company member again, but to get punished in such a way seems like overkill. Surely we don't know whole story, but it's clear that Lane's talents have been under-appreciated by ABT from the beginning, whatever personal conflicts may have transpired.

I can definitely sit through Peck's Pulcinella Variations in between Serenade and Glass Pieces, and I'm looking forward to seeing Ratmansky's Namouna again, but the other fall programs I can take or leave. Gems like Agon and Slaughter on 10th Avenue appear again in winter/spring. Seems like a risky move to put the Bell and Miller commissions on the same program, since neither are tried-and-tested ballet choreographers (reminds me of something ABT would do for poorly programmed fall season). I'd like to see Western Symphony but may wait to hear reports of the new pieces before committing to that program. Would like to see Chaconne but Rotunda is on the same program... meh. (I do like, or in some cases really like, some Justin Peck ballets but not that one.)

Agree on Stafford's lack of charisma. He also seems way too friendly with some of the veteran principals of his generation. I would like to see a couple more retirements than the 4 principals who we already know are leaving. Hopefully the upcoming season marks a new era. I sincerely hope that whoever takes over the top post at ABT is someone who appreciates the classics. I can't see myself subscribing to an ABT season consisting mostly of contemporary and "message-driven" works that don't even look good on the Met stage.

I thought it was a great digital offering overall -- high-quality filming and production thanks to City Center. Worth the $25. Dancers looked fantastic considering how long they've been away from a stage. I wish we could have seen Brandt do the Aurora birthday-party solos as well as the rose adagio. Looking forward to seeing the Bernstein ballet live at some point -- great technical showpiece (especially for Brandt) and also very unique and whimsical. The music almost made it feel like a Jerome Robbins work but the choreography was very Ratmansky.

As an audience member, I do hope that a proper balance is struck between discouraging eating disorders and upholding the aesthetic of ballet. As is, a substantial number of top female dancers at NYCB, including some of the company's biggest stars, don't conform to the rail-thin ballerina archetype, and that's totally fine. But a part of me is a little worried about the future of leotard ballets in particular should "putting on a few pounds" be normalized or even encouraged. Staying thin -- not emaciated or unhealthy, but thin -- is critical to the art form IMO. I wouldn't want to see that standard changed in the name of body positivity or inclusivity. I admire and feel for someone like Kathryn Morgan but to me, she doesn't look like a classical ballerina at this point.

I enjoyed the program but there was a stiffness and awkwardness to the interview in particular, like the subjects were all too aware of being on camera. This is understandable. The City Center Zoom series, plus Megan Fairchild's interviews, benefit from the fact that everyone acts relaxed and more authentic in their living spaces or in empty studios (a strange positive side effect of socially distant programming). In case anyone missed it, the very end of the Clark-Jackson-Kowroski video -- after Jansen gives his closing notes -- shows Kowroski doing the cape solo herself.

I also watched this yesterday and skipped past most of the the non-dancing parts. I'm sure this concept works better as an in-person experience than a film, but there were parts I really enjoyed. I thought Schumacher's choreography was strongest in the Marzipan scene and the grand pas de deux. Candy Cane and Hot Chocolate were close to the Balanchine version. Waltz of the flowers was a bit repetitive, but Mira Nadon as Dewdrop was fabulous. Overall a very commendable effort from everyone given the circumstances. But yes, the underwhelming drama and the limits of the setting really emphasized what we're missing with theaters closed.

No I didn't find it distracting; it showed off the dancing effectively while making the party scene feel appropriately cinematic. No jarring zooms or pans like you see in some dance films. There was one moment in the middle of the SPF solo where the camera cuts to close ups of the angels' faces, but that might have been strategic to conceal a wobble or something.

Actually the production value was very high with sophisticated camerawork, editing, and sound quality; not like the archive footage they've been showing. This may have been a collaboration with Marquee TV from the beginning, or maybe the company produced it on their own with plans to sell streaming rights at some point. If they were simply drawing from archive footage, they probably would have better performances to choose from.

Kowroski and Angle were better than I expected after reading the reports, but it wasn't a performance that's indicative of NYCB at its best. Odd choice of casting for a high-production filmed show. Angle screwed up pretty noticeably in the turns à la seconde; it looked like he started late and finished early before stumbling out. But Fairchild, King, Ulbricht, the snowflake and flower corps, etc. made up for the flaws.

Shevchenko and Bell appear to be rehearsing something (classical) together as well, according to Instagram. It may be for something non-ABT-related though. Other dancers have posted class/rehearsal footage as well. So the dancers are definitely "working" in one way or another. For whatever reason the company isn't -- at least not yet -- showcasing the classical talent and drive among its own employees. Instead, dancers like Brandt and Shevchenko get to perform for Instagram, or organize their own virtual events while the company prioritizes mediocre commissions that aren't even ballet. A real shame, and the company's loss, because people would actually pay to stream things like pas de deux from Swan Lake, Giselle, etc. I'll give them the benefit of a doubt that those events might be in the works, but we haven't seen much indication yet.

I can't bring myself to watch the event, even though I miss ABT a lot. I see no evidence of demand for this type of work. Yes, modern-dance duets are easier to put together for a virtual pandemic offering than Swan Lake, but people go to ABT for the full-length classics. Couldn't they show some classical pas de deux and solos, similar to the Royal Ballet's recent virtual program? (That was fantastic, btw, at around $11 USD to stream for a month). Make use of quarantine couple Bell and Hurlin! Or Brandt and Shayer, who, based on Instagram, have been rehearsing together. As for the "wokeness," it comes off as so forced and desperate for relevance. I'm really not sure whom they're trying to appeal to with all of this. The "youth"? The New York Times? I'm a millennial and unless ABT manages to put together a virtual (or outdoor) program with actual quality and substance, I'll probably just wait for the next Koch or Met season.

The ticket-purchasing system is actually very well designed (other than the part that shows you the prices), but the website is overall not as great for "browsing" as it used to be. The lack of a "calendar" section is particularly annoying. And the marketing photos look more like ads for an upscale gym or fashion brand than for a ballet company. Lots of great stuff on the new season but some of the programming is questionable. Did Bartok Ballet, Rotunda, and DGV really need to come back? Not too confident about all of the commissions from modern-dance choreographers. I did like Andrea Miller's piece for the digital season so that one sounds the most promising to me.

Ohh thank you for the correction. When you select two subscription tickets for a particular show, the window shows the price of both combined, not each one. Not as clear as it could be . Sorry for alarming anyone.

Jesus they've essentially DOUBLED prices for subscription tickets. I know they need to make back lost revenue but are enough people going to shell out this much?? Also this website redesign is not user-friendly.

NYCB's problem is that they don't have enough tall, whiz-bang male technicians to partner tall ballerinas like Mearns and Reichlen (and Phelan and Gerrity if they get promoted). It's telling that they hired Guillaume Coté from Canada to partner Mearns in the February 2020 run of Swan Lake after Tyler Angle got injured (and even Angle is past his Siegfried days, IMO). Janzen is a great partner and is well suited to classical "princely" roles but he seems to be injured around 50% of the time. Danchig-Waring is also frequently injured, and his rep is more modern/contemporary anyway. They've been testing out Peter Walker but I don't think he has the necessary classical chops. Aaron Sanz is a beautiful dancer with lovely long lines but I have yet to see evidence of "principal material." Strong corps dancers like Mejia and Hoxha should indeed be promoted but they don't solve the height problem. Among the male principals and soloists younger than 35, Gordon, Huxley, Stanley, Ball, Janzen, and -- as of recently -- Furlan are definitely the best they've got. Not enough height to go around.

At least they cushioned the announcement with some optimism... details about the 2021-22 season. Lots of highlights from the Balanchine/Robbins reps and a bunch of new commissions. And a new male soloist, Chun Wai Chan from Houston Ballet (I assume he's tall). La Cour, Kowroski, and Garcia are all retiring. No surprises there. I can't believe Abi Stafford and Jared Angle aren't also retiring?? (or maybe they are but aren't planning farewell performances). There are around 4-5 soloists who definitely need to be promoted to principal. https://www.nycballet.com/about-us/for-the-press/new-york-city-ballet-will-not-perform-at-the-david-h-koch-theater-during-the-winter-and-spring-of-2021/ Can't wait to be back... even if it's a whole year from now (hopefully!)

I also love Kammermusik. I wasn't crazy about Teresa Reichlen in this recording though. Her style of "attack" is different than Mearns' and she just looked overshadowed. Love her in other leggy modernist ballets though. I think the piece works particularly well when the two female dancers look and move alike, like the performance I saw at NYCB last fall with Unity Phelan and Emilie Gerrity. It was sometimes hard to tell them apart.

Very cryptic post here... maybe I'm reading too much into it but I wonder if it's really about the dog...

Royal will get his chances in full-length classics; if he doesn't prove himself technically, they can keep casting him in more neoclassical and contemporary works. He's great in Ratmansky ballets and his Apollo was well received. However it all goes, promoting him -- and choosing to give promotions at all right now -- does look good for the company from a publicity standpoint in 2020. A real shame about Lane, who's still in her prime. Echoing others, my gut feeling is that there are personal issues we'll likely never know about. Anyone who saw her dance in the 2019 Met Season can plainly see she's a special talent. Murphy (in her 40s, with a baby) and Copeland (frequently injured, very downhill technique) are clearly closer to retirement-ready than Lane.

Omg for real... the "debut deferred" series just sounds so depressing. Why would anybody other than maybe die-hard fans of those particular dancers want to watch that? I haven't watched, and I don't plan to watch, any of ABT's online offerings. Whatever the reason for ABT not streaming past performances, they're missing out on valuable opportunities to show the world what we're actually missing in their absence. I admire NYCB's fundraising strategy of showing videos that elicit joy and appreciation -- not pity -- from audiences and donors.

I think that at worst, it's possible that companies will cut down their performance schedules once things are back up and running and the virus is no longer an obstacle to putting on or attending a show. NYCB may decide that it's not worth putting on seven shows a week for six weeks straight (and four weeks in the fall, plus all of the Nutcracker) if it loses too many audience members. NYCB used to perform less shows anyway before they added the fall season. This would be terribly sad, but we would still be getting more ballet in NYC than most cities do. ABT's Met season was already going to be shortened before the pandemic hit. In any case both companies should really make the absolute best use of programming once they do reopen, and they need to heavily court young/young-ish audience members, as those are the people who are more likely to want to enter a theater again.