canbelto

Lauren Lovette has some interesting things to say about her retirement:

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

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I am ready to be challenged in fresh ways in a place I feel more valued as an artist and inspired as a ballerina. To put work into the next decade of my dancing in a more mentally healthy environment and to learn some unfounded skills of refinement for my craft.

I’m ready to stand at another threshold with a desire to remember that lesson I stated earlier on never quitting on dreams, and to persist through whatever comes my way next. 💪🏼

The next chapter of life begins tomorrow and today is simply for feeling EVERYTHING that has been gained and lost in this first phase of my journey as an artist.

Thank you to every single person who has followed and supported me through this wild ride up until this point! I can’t wait to mark a new day on a brand new page with all of you. Stay tuned on some projects I have been cooking up this summer ❤️‍🔥 Love to all of you and see you on the stage today!

Here's the official news release:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-promotions.html

Tiler Peck's insta stories say that Indiana was promoted.

Unity just announced it and announced Roman's promotion:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUugRJSlCLR/?utm_medium=copy_link

I was somewhat disappointed with Tyler Angle's performance last night. He never was the best virtuoso, but now he appears to be marking some of his dancing. I also noticed that he lands very gingerly from jumps, so maybe he's fighting an injury. But whatever the case is, a lot of his dancing lacks vigor and energy. 

52 minutes ago, cobweb said:

I'm curious - what were the Balanchine flops besides PAMTGG?

It wasn't exactly a flop but Don Quixote is a ballet that Balanchine kept revising and never to his or the audience's satisfaction. I have a friend who remembers the days Don Quixote meant a 3/4 empty house.

Bourgeois Gentilhomme is another ballet that didn't keep.

An important thing to remember is that Balanchine and Robbins had their share of flops too. We culled their works for the masterpieces and that's what we see. But I bet if someone saw PAMTGG or Watermill we wouldn't necessarily think they were works of genius.

I did review the Opus 19/Amaria/Russian Seasons triple bill:

https://bachtrack.com/review-robbins-bigonzetti-ratmansky-new-york-city-ballet-september-2021

I always loved the Wrens section.

Nicholas Dromgoole had these choice words to say about Union Jack:

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by English standards is pretty detestable. ... Strong men in the audience were uttering cries of disbelief as it happened; others were walking out. ... Outside his chosen area ‐ dancers with expressionless faces and minimal costumes making movements to illuminate classical music Balanchine flounders." 

Anyone go to the new Miller and Bell works?

Faye Arthurs says in this review that Lauren King is retiring:

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Unfortunately, “Symphony in C” is a one-off this season, and King retires in a few weeks. So this was her last time leading the charge in one of Balanchine’s most epic works. Well, she nailed her last hurrah. No Covid rust or return-to-the-stage nerves in sight. 

One thing about tights: about 2 years ago I had an awful ankle injury. My job required me to stand on my feet for much of the day. I found that one way I would be in less pain at the end of the day was if I wore tights/knee highs -- the compression made the pain less.

Balanchine said a lot of things but he did create many excellent roles for males, and he also (when the mood struck him) beefed up male roles. A good example would be Square Dance. 

She was scheduled to make her debut in Diamonds but was out with a back injury.

Really enjoyed Glass Pieces tonight. I thought Tess and Russell were great in the central pas de deux.

Sterling and Joe were gorgeous in Opus 19/The Dreamer. Absolutely gorgeous.

Another thing is a lot of dancers' legs are pretty bruised up. There's cuts, scrapes, etc. Tights give a clean, smooth look. 

Hell, I wear tights sometimes for the same reason.

Another thing tights do is keep the muscles in the legs a bit warmer. Dancing is a hot, sweaty activity and you can lose a lot of body heat easily.

Basketball players wear compression leggings for very much the same reason:

What I noticed about Angle was not his baldness but how tepid his dancing has become. He was never the strongest virtuoso but now it's as if he simply partners and marks the actual dancing.

week 3 of casting is up:

https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1632348538/Documents/Casting/NYCB-Casting_October-5-102021_lobby

I thought the Serenade was terrific . So great to see Sterling Hyltin again as the Waltz Girl. Adrian Danchig-Waring had a nice debut too.

Yay Sterling is back!!!

46 minutes ago, Lauren said:

I can't imagine there is any chance Mariinsky will mask for performances. Ever. This company performed during air raids during the war, and shivered in tiny tutus and white sweaters when the theater was unheated during the Revolution. Art is always going to come first, safety and fear second. They never have mask forced in the studio (though required it other places, like all business) and I think, never will, no matter what happens. A few dancers have mentioned trying it and finding horrible and impossible- I won't give names as it's from their social media. . The company doesn't train or rehearse in them, and never have (some dancers, but very few) do use them in the studios but are often from other countries. My guess is either it would be cancelled or they'd accept the Russian vaccine, and place tighter controls on not letting them out and about. 

Has anyone without a paywall seen what is being done with the SAB kiddos in terms of Nutcracker? I know there was something in NY Times but couldn't read it. Add a little extra element "who will be Marie"! 

I'm a little confused by this. There are several prominent Russian dancers who clearly wear masks not onstage but in life, judging from their social media.

They announced their Nutcracker plans:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/arts/dance/nutcracker-rules-children-covid.html