canbelto

Congrats! But what did he dance tonight?

Well there's the practicalities of using "expensive" fabrics for tutus. I once got a backstage tour of a ballet company where they took us briefly to where the costumes were kept. The main thing that struck me was how DIRTY the backstage area was. So much dust, sweat, chalk, dirt, hair, trash, and an up-close of the scenery also showed piles of dirt, chipped paint, sweat, dust, and bugs (yes, bugs). Nowadays also maybe Svetlana Zakharova gets her own costumes. Other costumes have to be passed on from ballerina to ballerina. Not a surprise that tutus love sparkly stuff (easily pasted on), use polyesters (easily washed), tulle fabric (easily cut, rearranged), and are often a pastel (or dark) -- hides stains. Deep rich fabrics in primary colors also absorbs sweat, heavier to dance in, less easily readjusted for said ballerina. IIRC the Bakst costumes might have been beautiful but the enterprise was a financial disaster.

Yes, Mearns wore it for both Green and Mauve. Actually the only dancers to recreate the 1970's look of simple hair and period makeup were Sterling Hyltin/Tiler Peck (pink), and Megan Fairchild (yellow).

I don't think the ABT is a good advocate for this ballet at this moment. For a better idea of what this ballet can be, watch the 2005 DVD from the Royal Ballet. Much stronger performance than I saw from ABT.

One thing that's bugging me about the way DAAG is done nowadays is that almost none of the dancers try to recreate the late 60's/early 1970's look of earth tones, simple hairstyles for the women, and makeup that emphasizes the brows/eyes than the lips. When I saw Sara Mearns in a fancy updo, blood red lipstick, and modern pancake makeup I thought it looked so wrong. Here's some pictures of the original DAAG cast:

Also to be fair I think a lot of the ABT's spring programming has to due with the super-conservative of the ABT core audience. This is not a slight against them -- there is a place for the classics in the repertoire, and for that to happen there needs to be a built-in audience. But a large portion of the ABT audience would really only like to see the warhorses. R&J, Giselle, Swan Lake. Those three are never out of rotation for long. Part of this is the touristy crowd ABT tends to draw in the spring, part of it is the star system which has been in place since, well, forever. But Ashton's Sylvia is a great favorite among balletomanes but it's not something the Swan Lake/Don Q/Giselle/R&J only audience want to see.

I saw a double header of DAAG and WSS Suite. Peter Martins seems determined to dance Chase Finlay back into another injury -- he's now Blue Boy AND Tony, which meant dancing three times in one day. Sterling Hyltin (Pink), Sara Mearns (Green) and Megan Fairchild (yellow) were IMO more idiomatic than Tiler Peck (Pink), Megan Fairchild (Green), and Lauren Lovette (yellow). Both Mearns and Krohn are now overdoing the angst of the Mauve Girl solo. R. Fairchild was a disappointment as Brown Boy. More thoughts here, plus opening night Sylvia and a second cast of all-Balanchine: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/spring-season-diaries-part-3-sylvia-and.html

This year Roberto Alagna had about two weeks to learn both the role and the new production for Manon Lescaut when Jonas Kaufmann canceled at the last minute. Other last minute subs: believe Bouder made a last minute debut in Firebird (turned out to be a major role for her) when someone got injured. In fact, she had only a few hours to learn it: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/28/arts/dance-to-be-so-young-and-also-so-good.html?pagewanted=all

I saw tonight's performance and was generally horrified at the indifference and emptiness of the theatre. Rows and rows of empty seats everywhere, orchestra sounded like they were sight reading, the corps making their entrances at different times, and (most depressing) sloppy performances from both Gillian and Marcelo. Gillian's usually such a strong ballerina that it was depressing to see her shortening steps and simplifying footwork. (In the pizzacato polka she didn't even bother to stretch into full arabesque.) Marcelo also added no energy. A very damp start to the season.

Fairchild seems out of shape. Not in the sense that he's overweight, but more like he has no stamina and you can see the effort in almost everything he dances. His performances have become rather glum and formulaic too. The joyful all-American dancer isn't there anymore.

I saw tonight's program of American Rhapsody, Mothership, as well as Belles Lettres and Concerto DSCH. I found American Rhapsody completely uninspiring and worse, Fairchild and Peck were also uninspired in their dancing. DSCH was the greatest piece of the night and it inspired Sara Mearns to do some of the best dancing I've seen her do in ... well, awhile. More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/05/spring-season-diaries-part-2-listless.html

This is funny: https://www.instagram.com/p/BFC61SVp5Ho/

I know at NYCB Jennie Somogyi for one was kept on the roster despite rarely dancing because of two horrible injuries. Jonathan Stafford also retired (and joined SAB) because of many injuries. Wendy Whelan as well. It seems to be the NYCB custom to give longtime dancers a "farewell" after it's clear their careers can't continue because of injuries. Don't know what the backroom conversation looks like but I imagine having a big farewell gala makes the whole contract renewal/nonrenewal process less bitter.

Jack, the original Bourree Fantasque had Tanny LeClercq and Jerome Robbins (!!!):

Anyone see the all-new Emeralds/Rubies cast today? How'd they do?

Kaysta, Everywhere We Go (I think) was intended to have a deliberately retro jazzy feel. But Peck fell into Trap 101 when choreographing to jazz music, which was that he didn't really have a mix of uptempo and contemplative jazz. The commissioned score tended to sound the same after awhile, and so did the choreography. I wonder if Peck would have done better with actual jazz music than faux-jazz.

Maybe the most frustrating is Paul Taylor's aversion to YT. The last couple years I've noticed the aging audience and dwindling excitement for his new works, and it's a shame he's so strict about pulling his works off Youtube. I agree about Cranko's vigilance. I'll add Ratmansky as well. He's extremely vigilant about getting his stuff pulled from YT.

The Trust has become WAY more relaxed about YT videos. Not going to point out the links but many full versions of Balanchine stuff is easily searchable on YT, just sayin'. As for Devin Alberda, don't know what happened but there's no such thing as bad publicity as the last 24 hours NYCB dancers have been inundating their instagram with backstage pictures he took. It's sweet to see such solidarity against an order from up above, but I have a feeling this is some sort of internal turf war between the official CB photographers and Alberda with a lot of office politics.

I saw two casts of Jewels and a mixed bill. Highlights: Reichlen will forever be the best Tall Girl, but she was equally wonderful in Diamonds. Indiana Woodward and Anthony Huxley continue to be the most fastidious about practicing the Bournonville style. Sterling Hyltin is amazing in Symphony in 3 Movements. More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2016/04/spring-season-diaries-part-one-shiny.html

Well Angel has given yet another statement on why these dancers were fired. http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/arts/20160428_Dance_world_reacts_to_large-scale_Pa__Ballet_dancing_staff_changes.html Uh, at this point maybe he should just stop talking. As I said, if he's looking for dancers who can dance everything, will never get cranky and tired at the end of rehearsals, and whatever other reasons he's given, then he'll be canning 40% of his dancers every year. Considering how he's gutted the staff as well maybe a better statement would just be "Because I'm the AD and I can."

I'm startled by this quote. I'm afraid if Angel is looking for a company where dancers don't get cranky and frustrated after long rehearsals, he's going to be firing 40% of his company every year.

Sorry I forgot to paste the link. Posted in NYTimes this morning. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/26/world/europe/ap-eu-romania-opera-dispute.html

The mess gets bigger: JK and AC are banned from entering the opera house.

Well this is depressing. Julie Kent just posted this on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BEo-3BTo37N/?taken-by=juliekentofficial I assume Julie Kent wouldn't have posted this unless she felt it was a last resort.

The role used to be a specialty of Ashley Bouder and if she's in shape I imagine it will go back to her.