Mary Elizabeth Sell says she's 7 months pregnant! She danced the Countess during this run:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpJKv_2vaFe/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
The fairy variations during this run were the slowest I've ever heard them. In fact, the whole evening was longer -- both nights the ballet was about 2 hr 45 minutes total. Friday night it was close to 11 when we finally got out.
That's more her personal thing, because I have definitely seen NYCB Auroras hold the balances a long time. Also have seen ballerinas struggle with the balances. It's just like SB productions all over the world. Not everyone is Margot Fonteyn.
It might be Rommie Tomasini or Kennedy Targosz. Both are petite brunettes:
https://www.nycballet.com/discover/stories/meet-the-newest-members-of-the-corps-de-ballet/
Many operas now combine acts to longer than 80 minutes. And then some Wagnerian operas each act is over 80 minutes. The final act of Die Meistersinger is 2 hours long.
Bouder now out of Nutcracker this Friday, replaced by Gerrity.
https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1669845514/Documents/Casting/NYCB_Casting_Nov_30-Dec_4_2022_20221130.pdf