canbelto

The worst was the horror show that was their Symphony in C. I've never seen the choreography mangled in that way.

I reviewed this for bachtrack (you can click on the link in my signature for the review) but I thought it was dreadful. I lost track of how many upside down lifts there were in EACH pas. Ballet steps limited to limb flailing, upside down lifts, and being dragged around by shoulder sockets.

Yes I remember watching Manon with a mom and little girl (maybe 6 or 7?) who were big fans of Diana and Marcelo. The mom in some scenes was like "Uh, honey, this is ... adult stuff."

Did anyone go to the June 4th performance?

Did anyone go to the last MSND? Who danced Oberon?

Any word on who was taken into the company?

I was at the Wednesday and Friday night performances. I really loved Sara Mearns' Titania, Anthony Huxley's Oberon, and Harrison Ball's Puck -- they are performances I've seen before but didn't remember them having as much depth. I also loved Sterling Hyltin in the second act divertissement. Lauren Lovette on Friday -- she's a beautiful dancer, but for me her technique is always shaky, and I can never really enjoy her performances fully. Roman Mejia was wonderful as Puck. https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/06/spring-diaries-abts-seasons-sab.html

I was at the evening performance. A real triumph for all involved. Malorie Lundgren in the second movement of Bourrée Fantasque stood out in particular: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/06/spring-diaries-abts-seasons-sab.html

Tiler Peck announced at the beginning of the season on IG that she was injured.

Gonzalo Garcia was replaced by Anthony Huxley in tonight's Dream. Performance was all around magnificent.

when the new leadership team was announced they said after this season Justin Peck will no longer be dancing.

Casting has been updated. Mearns replaced Kowroski on Tuesday and Miller replaces Kowroski on Saturday. https://www.nycballet.com/NYCB/media/NYCBMediaLibrary/PDFs/Press/Casting/NYCB-Casting_May-28-June-2-2019_5-26-19.pdf

Glad to hear Pollack was good in the Peck role. I just associate the role with Peck because he made such a good foil for Isaacs as the tappers. He was tall with the long torso and black t-shirt, she was shorter and more compact, and the whole tap duet just had a Fred and Ginger vibe when they danced it. (NOT comparing them to Fred and Ginger, just saying they complemented each other very much the same way.) Anyway point is I will miss both Peck and Isaacs as The Times Are Racing tappers and feel fortunate that I saw them in it a number of times.

Was anyone at the final performance? Did Ashly get a bouquet or anything special?

All the roles in the ballet are supposed to be unisex. The central romantic pas de deux has been danced by two men and a man and woman and works equally well both ways.

I think every time I saw The Times Are Racing Ashly was the "tap girl." Her speed and energy were infectious. Honestly I can't picture this ballet without her and Justin Peck, who will also be retiring from dancing after today. Anyway when I first saw Ashly Isaacs in Symphony in C third movement I thought she'd for sure make principal. She had such energy and attack. Then she got sidelined with some injuries but it sounds like during that time she developed a solid plan B and I'm sure she'll succeed in her next chapter.

Today is Ashly Isaacs' farewell to the company. She posted this on Instagram:

I've seen her dance Striptease Girl before -- it's not a role she does very often but she does do it. Come to think of it I think the last time she danced Striptease Girl Maria Kowroski was either injured or on maternity leave.

Balanchine wanted to choreograph the entire suite. The new production of T&V was a showcase for Gelsey Kirkland. Balanchine was in somewhat of a creative rut at that time after the departure of Farrell and I think the three suite movements before T&V might be some of the most unimpressive choreography he ever did.

Per Maria's instagram she is officially out the rest of the season:

I think Indiana Woodward and Harrison Ball are the most likely to be promoted to principal. This spring they are dancing a principal workload. Week 1 Woodward danced 4/7 performances. Ball danced 3/7 performances but danced twice in two performances in two different ballets. Week 2 Woodward 3/7 performances but participated in a world premiere. Ball danced once. Week 3 Woodward danced 6/7 performances! Ball danced 4/7 performances but also doubled up dancing once both Judah and in Stars and Stripes. Week 4 Woodward danced 4/7 performances but doubled up three times (!!!). Ball danced 3/7 performances but doubled up as well dancing in both Judah and DAAG. Week 5 Woodward will dance 4/7 performances. Ball will dance 4/7 performances. Both have been giving Principal roles like Apricot Girl in DAAG (Woodward), and El Capitan in Stars and Stripes (Ball).

In which I review the two Brahms-Schoenberg casts, Dances at a Gathering, and some debuts in Symphony in Three Movements and The Times Are Racing: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/05/spring-diaries-nycb-brings-back-brahms.html

In the case of Ashley Laracey she's spoken publicly about having an eating disorder. https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a2508/ballerina-ashley-laracey-new-york-city-ballet-dancer/ But in any case her lack of muscle definition was really obvious in this leotard ballet. I also noticed that in the pas de deux she didn't really hold those odd poses where the female is lifted and has her legs upwards, feet flexed, the way I'm used to having them sustained. No diagnosis, just making observations on her performance tonight. I think she's a lovely dancer.

I'm at the Symph in 3 Movements with Laracey. Lovely dancer, wrong role. She doesn't have the speed for that double menage of pique turns and also cant quite master the thorny neoclassical angularity of the choreography.

Anyone see Laracey debut in Symphony in Three Movements?