canbelto

I don't get why ABT makes it so hard for subscribers to buy extra tickets. You'd think that having healthy sales before tickets go to the general public is a good thing because then they can dynamically price performances that are already selling well? Whatever. It's their money to lose.

I'm sort of laughing at this: Because Vishneva's years as a Vaganova student are actually well-documented. She was the subject of a documentary. You can see her here: Doesn't look at Dickensian as Vishneva describes.

I also called (am sick) to buy extra tickets and was rudely told that I could only exchange via mail (not telephone) and also that I would not be allowed to buy extra tickets. This winter I had a ticket to NYCB but was unable to go due to a malfunctioning train. Their customer service rep immediately arranged a makeup date in the spring and gave me a list of dates to choose from. They were very nice about the whole thing. ABT seems determined to piss away its subscribers.

another day, another review in which new works are dismissed due to their lack of meaningful same-sex partnering: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/19/arts/dance/ashley-bouder-and-wendy-whelan-step-in-new-dance-directions.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&action=click&contentCollection=arts&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront

She's the girlfriend of Justin Peck. This has been announced in articles so its not gossip. I assume she wants to be closer to Peck.

I'm disappointed this has turned into an obvious effort to get people to donate more to Lincoln Center. IMO it leaves the long-time patrons of the Met and NYCB in the lurch.

From what I see the costumes actually look rather overwhelming.

In fairness to Vaziev, he's brand new at the Bolshoi and needs to play the game. For whatever reason Dimitrichenko seems to have friends in high places who are determined to protect him. I'd take Vaziev's official statement with a whole truckful of salt.

Hmm, looks like the men being groomed for the short bravura roles are Harrison Ball and Joseph Gordon. Both have danced the Brick Boy in DAAG, Candy Cane in Nutcracker, Ball has danced Puck, Gordon has danced the third movement in Symphony in C and Symphony in Three Movements.

BTW you do know that the NEA also funds the fine fabrics of which you're so fond to make expensive tutus in classical productions.

Megan Fairchild used to dance the third movement. Not sure why she doesn't anymore. Ashly Isaacs in recent years has been an excellent third movement soloist. I think Alston McGill was the understudy in that Paris performance.

Thanks for the detailed review Bart! I'm sorry to hear your dad is unwell Fairy's Kiss sounds fun and like Ratmansky could very well stage it in NY. I certainly hope so. Certainly the score itself is gorgeous. In my experience Ratmansky ballets vary based on the quality of the music. He seems one of those choreographers who has to be inspired by a piece of music to do his best work.

I have no problem with Macaulay trying to move the needle towards more acceptance of same-sex partnering in ballet. However his using that as the sole litmus test for whether he likes a new work seems overly dogmatic. And as of late it does seem like he's only looking to see if there's same sex partnering in contemporary ballets. His other adored ballerina is Isabella Boylston. ABT reviews tend to center heavily around her.

For those who follow corps members with as much love as principal dancers, here's a nice article about Silas Farley. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/16/searching-for-a-muse-at-the-met No idea his brother was Mathias Farley on the Colts. But what a talented family!

On the same token, he's likely to be extremely laudatory of a work just because it contains same-sex partnering. Here's his review of Justin Peck and Lidberg's new works this winter: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-review-justin-peck-pontus-lidberg.html

Sometimes his fixations do get in the way of a review. This annoys me more with new works than with classics like Balanchine. We all have our favorite interpreters of "the classics" and it's naive to expect that a critic can put aside his favorite interpreters. However for the fall gala I knew the four works would be consigned to the "thumbs down" heap once he made it clear there was all heterosexual partnering: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/arts/dance/review-new-york-city-ballet-fall-fashion-and-ballet-gala.html So the piece came across as a gush/tribute to Sara Mearns and a railing against exclusively hetero partnering. Which was predictable but didn't tell me much about the new works at all.

I think he's both, which is why you'll never hear a bad word about Sara Mearns from his lips -- he also follows her avidly on social media. But he's very consistent about his likes, dislikes, and pet hangups. For instance I groan whenever it's a new work and he sees only "heterosexual partnering" -- I know that it's his #1 red flag and nothing the work can do will redeem itself if it doesn't include some sort of same sex partnering. But if you read his columns like you'd read a dance blogger, his work becomes less annoying. I do feel bad for Teresa Reichlen who because she often dances the same roles as Sara Mearns is almost never covered.

Well in defense of Macauley he's consistent. The dancers he lavishes the most adoration on in his reviews are also the dancers he follows on social media.

It really depends on the ballet. During the times of SB, when "all hands on deck" are necessary EVERY night I often saw Principals in small roles. For example I saw principals Taylor Stanley and Jared Angle as one of the four princes in the Rose Adagio. Other times it varies. They always say being a soloist is a hard adjustment because you go from dancing nearly every night to dancing more rarely while still not getting all the Principal roles. This video gives some insight into being a Soloist at NYCB:

NYTimes decided to downsize its classical music coverage. There are less standalone reviews of events and more "critics notebooks."

Scheller's been out for long periods with injury (missing one and half years I believe) and she danced briefly in the fall season before being out again in the winter. The soloist who dances the most is probably Brittany Pollack but to be perfectly honest I've never really remembered Brittany in anything she dances. She's very capable because I see her name a lot in my programs but I don't really remember her dancing one way or another.

Wow what wonderful bonus casting! Jealous.

I'm not over the horror that is his Romeo and Juliet (and the fact that the Bolshoi gave up the beautiful Lavrovsky version for ... that), or the fact that his Nutcracker has exactly ONE exciting moment (the torchlift and candelabra lifts).

A couple thoughts about the SB: Olga Smirnova didn't end with a triumphant arabesque in the Rose Adagio. I thought the rest of it was lovely but that moment where Aurora finally snaps her arms out usually draws huge applause. Smirnova seemed to lose focus. I wasn't fond of the overly fussy, curly wig they had her wear. Actually it seems as if in the Bolshoi SB great care is made to make Aurora seem old and mature at her 16th birthday. At least the videos I've seen of the Bolshoi SB's use this approach. But Smirnova seems to have a naturally serious disposition and isn't a natural Aurora. I think she's more suited for Lilac Fairy? Semyon Chudin was an excellent Prince. Very beautiful lines. OTOH I thought Yulia Stepanova was a lovely Lilac Fairy. Her variation was very strong, and she has beautiful arms. Also loved the Bluebird and Florine although I thought Florine's variation was taken a bit too slow. Overall this is the least offensive of the Grigorovich "after Petipa" classic.

BWW has this review of the Gelsey Kirkland production. http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/BWW-Review-THE-NUTCRACKER-at-Gelsey-Kirkland-Arts-Center-A-Home-for-Classical-Storytelling-20170103 I was struck by the extremely harsh tone of the review. I saw this production and reviewed it here and while I don't disagree with the reviewer's assessments I think it's an extremely hostile review for a ballet company that's not really a full-fledged company.