canbelto

This is basically the cutest thing ever: https://www.instagram.com/p/BHX9nvRDA3s/?taken-by=marcelua

The fiddlers are there in the original notation, and actually, Aurora leaning on them makes sense if you look at her arabesque penchee position. It would make sense she's actually greeting people at her party. Don't know why you object to them.

Here are some clips of the curtain calls I took last night:

I was there last night. Sorry to have missed Trenary but she seems destined for great things so I'm sure I'll have a chance to see her next year. Stella's 20th anniversary performance was very beautiful. Complete thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/07/stellas-20th-anniversary-at-abt-peter.html

I feel like promotions in the next few years will be heavily dependent on who Alexei Ratmansky chooses to champion. Skylar Brandt and Cassandra Trenary seem to be pet projects of his.

Wow. I always knew dance was a tough business but Angel Corella seems determined to become the most hated AD in the shortest amount of time.

It's childish to think that there is a "line" in a ballet company and that people are "cutting in line." This isn't the first grade line to the bathroom. And it's exactly this mentality that makes ABT such an inartistic company. Why bother to improve the corps de ballet, put on different ballets other than the same 5 or 6 warhorses, when all the audience cares about is whether their "favorites" are cast or not? So Alessandra eliminated every jump, modified every lift, and could barely stand on pointe. But she's ALESSANDRA so we'll cheer till midnight. Blech.

I saw Ferri/Cornejo. I hated every minute of it. It was like watching a mummy dance. More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/06/ferris-juliet-proves-you-cant-go-home.html

These are some observations. In general: ABT audiences more conservative (politically and artistically), more dancer-oriented and less ballet-oriented, and more newbies/tourists. I mean, it's hard to just plop down never having seen a ballet before and jump right into 4 Temperaments or Liebeslieder Waltzes. I've noticed many balletomanes move on from ABT after a few years, with many revisits for special occasions. Certainly that's been the case for me -- I go to ABT much less than I did in the past and spend more time at NYCB.

I was there last night too. I think to enjoy this you really have to accept it not as a ballet, but more a dance-inflected folk/fairy tale. Ratmansky got some great acting out of the usually stolid Cory Stearns and Gary Chryst was wonderful as the Tsar. More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/06/spring-season-diaries-ratmanskys-golden.html

I think POB did a great job with Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and The Concert. DAAG requires the same kind of studied spontaneity and simplicity as Tudor (anyone who worked with both men talked about how were merciless and tireless in getting their dancers to achieve a sort of "unaffected" naturalness). An issue Dupont will have to handle is the training of the students at the conservatory. She's complained loudly and publicly about the type of training she feels she received there (although that was with Claude Bessy), so let's see if she presses for changes.

Well I think it's a sad day when Tudor's The Leaves Are Fading is considered unworthy of POB. It's an absolutely beautiful ballet. Here's a clip from the Mariinsky. And actually, it's the sort of thing I could have imagined Aurelie Dupont doing masterfully when she was dancing.

I think this week's performances demonstrate that Ashton is both the most delicate of choreographers and the most resilient. Delicate because many of his steps are not nearly as important as excellent acting, mime, and really FEELING the story. But this also makes it resilient -- if you have the heart, and the spirit, for Fille, you basically have the audience. Last night's performance simply had so much heart and spirit.

Last night's Fille was basically the greatest thing ever. Marcelo Gomes' Widow Simone was absolutely a joy to watch, as were Abrera, Whiteside, and Scott. More thoughts here, plus impressions of Wilde Times: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/magical-fille-mal-gardee-not-so-wilde.html

I was there one horrible night in February last year when Andy was clearly struggling through Donizetti Variations. Finally after a painful landing he winced visibly, walked offstage and Ashley Bouder improvised a coda alone for the remainder of the ballet. He was pulled from Rodeo the next night and was out for the rest of the season. In one recent instagram post he thanked Sterling Hyltin for "pulling the old man through." https://www.instagram.com/p/BEujL2oFL6r/?taken-by=andiev1 I think if anything Andy overdances and goes out too hard and then sometimes runs out of stamina by the end of the ballet. Considering all the injuries dancers at NYCB have suffered in the past and present that have curtailed their career, I'm glad Andy is still dancing and fairly well, even if he has off nights.

NYCB has maybe one of the most generous subscription privileges of any company. Free exchanges, discounts, and often (if you go up to the box office before curtain time) some upgrades to better seats. You really can't go wrong. All subscriptions are in the orchestra, first or second ring. I'd avoid orchestra side seats.

The Met is not a great theater for dance. The wide horse-shoe shape of the auditorium with the tall, tall ceilig is the gold standard shape if you want good acoustics, but it also means very poor sight lines for dance and in the upper rings, even poorer sightlines if you want to see dance nuances. With that being said, Fille mal gardee's pleasures (comedy, props, charming little village story) plays even poorer in the vast auditorium of the Met since so much of it is about detailed acting and small comic moments.

Gina Pazcoguin on instagram is rather ambiguous but seems to be implying that her departure from NYCB is permanent: https://www.instagram.com/p/BF9WCRmJsup/?taken-by=georgina_pazcoguin

I caught the Cornejo/Copeland performance Wednesday. Thought it was delightful. I'm not sure Misty is an O/O, but she's a wonderful Lise. More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/spring-season-diaries-part-5-classic.html

I caught two performances of MSND. In the 5/26 performance Anthony Huxley was amazing, but I think Miriam Miller needs to get stronger before she essays the role again -- she had difficulties holding the poses and shapes of the choreography. Harrison Ball made a wonderful debut as Puck. Abi Stafford in the pas de deux ... no comment. Friday night's performance was much stronger. Mearns has the strength, technique and personality for the role, and Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle were sublime in the pas de deux. More thoughts here, as well as thoughts about ABT's Fille with Copeland/Cornejo ... http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/spring-season-diaries-part-5-classic.html

Hi, I have a ticket for Monday, May 30's Fille mal gardee. It is in the orchestra, cost of ticket is $55, will accept best offer. Please PM me if interested.

Craig Hall suffered a number of injuries over the years which he has talked about. It's good that he was able to transition to the second part of his career. Jonathan Stafford was able to make a similar transition when his career was also stalled because of non-stop injuries. Faye Arthurs, a senior corps member, has announced on her blog Thoughts From the Paint that she is expecting. Gina Pazcoguin is joining the Broadway revival of Cats, Robbie Fairchild will be leaving soon for American in Paris in London. There's definitely room for movement into the principal, soloist, and corps groups (for apprentices who want to get that corps contract).

I went to the Friday night performance of Concerto DSCH to see the quadruple debuts of Hyltin, Danchig-Waring, Ball, and Gordon. They did not disappoint. Great debuts. This and more thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/spring-season-diaries-part-4-dsch-debuts.html

Nycb has announced via Twitter that tomorrow's performance of After the Rain will be Craig Hall's farewell to the company.

I think that there will be more promotions at the end of the season. There is definitely some room in the soloist and principal level. Predictions: Joseph Gordon and Unity Phelan or Indiana Woodward to soloist.