canbelto

The child suite of dances is also in the Balanchine version. They actually sort of dance the "story" again. I agree it got a little repetitive but I think it's an important part of the ballet's structure.

I saw the first two casts. Overall I really liked it although I thought the first cast was stronger than the second cast. In the second cast Villella was in the audience and I managed to ask him what he coached. He said characterization and mime for the leading characters. https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/06/ratmanskys-harlequinade-petipa-in-house.html

The boy looks like the final boy in Western Symphony -- Cainan Weber.

Well Villella learned the mime and probably some of the choreography directly from Balanchine who loved this ballet when he was a student in Imperial Russia. So short of having Marius Petipa or Mr. B there, Eddie is probably the most direct link to the original Petipa production.

There's also this:

If you look on the instagram stories you'll see that during class apparently there was a farewell before the performance. Looked very emotional. I agree it was a lovely way to end the season. The Bouder-Gordon Coppelia was wonderful as well: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/06/sab-workshop-ushers-in-new-stars-while.html

I've attended workshops for only three years and can attest that even with my limited experience they are called "workshops" for a reason. They are not professionals ... yet. And I've also seen Vaganova Graduation performances on youtube which were pretty ragged. Anyway I went to the evening one and thought that Western Symphony was the best offering on the program: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/06/sab-workshop-ushers-in-new-stars-while.html

Teuscher reminds me more of Michele Wiles, another KM favorite who was all of a sudden cast in everything regardless of actual suitability. Like Teuscher Wiles was tall and a strong technician. Her limitations in interpretation became worse, not better, the more she was cast. I hope Teuscher doesn't go the way of Wiles.

I have a feeling a lot of the rehearsal time is being tied up with Harlequinade. Ratmansky demands extreme commitment if you're to participate in his projects. That might be why the Bayadere casting seemed so "huh?"

Hmm well Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes danced the pas de trois well after both were principals. And for many years Marcelo Gomes danced Purple Rothbart and Veronika Part and Stella Abrera Lady Capulet. So it definitely happens. Don't think there's a hard and fast rule. Sarah Lane probably has the muscle memory for the Peasant pas de deux in Giselle to do it in her sleep so I can see why she's cast.

I agree that last night Coppelia was a delight, and brought out a funny, charming side of Ashley Bouder that I don't often associate with her. Gordon's partnering was fine and he too was a delightful Franz. Olivia Boisson was an amazing Prayer. Stunning beauty. And those 24 SAB girls -- the corps patterns and formations Balanchine made for them are amazing in their intricacy. Couldn't believe how well they handled all the steps. This has been a wonderful spring season. first with the Robbins festival and then the Coppelias.

I'll also note that another NYCB ballerina I admire a lot has been using her Instagram account to hawk a brand of dancewear relentlessly. Its gotten very intrusive if you just wanted to "follow" her as a dancer and not as a walking billboard.

Here's pictorial evidence: Anna Pavlova in the opening scene with the jug dance: Scene with Gamzatti: Betrothal scene:

Well today on my instagram feed I got a sponsored post that was taken off James' Whiteside's personal feed and it had to do with Pride Day and meundies, a brand of men's underwear.

The music for the pas de deux was taken from alternative music Tchaikovsky wrote for the 1877 production. It never become a part of the Petipa/Ivanov production of 1895. It's a very popular gala piece.

The JKO school isn't considered anywhere near the top-tier schools of the country. Besides the behemoth of talent that is SAB, there's Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, the Kirov Academy in DC, and others. Maybe that will change in the future but I don't see it changing.

During the opera season there is always this exquisitely dressed couple and the wife often wears big fancy hats and fascinators. There was even an article about them: http://www.metorchestramusicians.org/blog/2014/12/3/opera-fanatics-the-soderquists I love their sense of style but wouldn't want to be sitting directly behind them in the orchestra.

Well I will miss Likolani Brown who was always so beautiful with that shock of black hair. But I wish her well in her new endeavors. And honestly after Restless Creatures I'm glad so many dancers have a plan B, C, and D. Watching Wendy tearfully anticipating the end of her dancing career was so hard.

I didn't think the Shades corps was that bad last night compared to other revivals. They've never been very good at this and I always remembered wobbling legs, one shade out of sync, etc. I was more disturbed by the arabesque chugs last week in Giselle when several legs never made it across the Met stage and dropped in the middle of the chugging sequence.

I went to the performance tonight and agree with the plaudits: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/05/balanchines-coppelia-and-makarovas.html

Actually, although I admire Sara Mearns tremendously as an artist and a dancer I find her shilling for the products she sponsors on Instagram a bit ... I wouldn't call it tacky but I do think it's weird when I go to her "story" and it goes from her planning her wedding and hanging out backstage to product placement for Cole Haan shoes. She's not the only dancer to do this. Once I saw a dancer whom I admire write a long post about the aches and pains of being a dancer and moved directly into shilling for a certain brand of mattress. I understand it might be in their contract with the companies and/or their way of promoting products from their sponsors but it is weird when an instagram account veers from a day-to-day peek into the life of a dancer to an advertisement for a certain brand of dancewear/shoes/mattress/juicedrink/whatever. I find what Misty does (making her Instagram a little more corporate from the get-go) more transparent than "hey here's Violet Storm dancing with me backstage ... look at these amazing Cole Haan shoes."

NYCB actually has this interesting article about Coppelia on its website: https://www.nycballet.com/realgirls

Wait, Giselle takes place in Germany. There are certainly many blondes in Germany. And there have been many great blond Giselles. Natalia Makarova: Gelsey Kirkland: Ekaterina Osmolkina: Elisabeth Maurin: There are many other examples.

How? She's not the most lyrical dancer but her technique is extremely strong. And Raymonda's not delicate. The first Raymonda Pierina Legnani certainly wasn't delicate. She's supposed to be a headstrong princess.

I was also at yesterday's matinee. Perfect way to spend an otherwise dreadfully chilly, rainy afternoon. https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/05/balanchines-coppelia-and-makarovas.html I'll be reviewing La Bayadere in a few days in the same post, so check back for updates!