FPF

The Miami production really made me appreciate how much the Chagall sets and costumes add to the NYCB production. It doesn't really matter that not much is happening in the final tableau at NYCB because there's so much to look at. The Miami production just doesn't have the visual splendor to complement the music.

Yes, that's correct.

There's a clip from this performance from the Pillow website (also posted upthread; Rose Petals), and you can see that there is no problem there with the dancers feet being cut off, so the original footage should be fine. It is too bad that, for whatever reason, they couldn't/didn't make the YouTube version as good. https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/lori-belilove-isadora-duncan-dance-company-featuring-sara-mearns/rose-petals-art-isadora/

There's a comment in the live chat that the feet are there in the original and the cutting-off happened when the video was reformatted for YouTube.

This is exactly how I felt. I have no dance background, other than as an audience member, and there are some concepts in modern dance related to gravity and the floor that I had read about but never really understood. When I saw this performance, I remember thinking, oh, that's what they were talking about. I remember thinking that the dances were individually lovely, but they weren't very different from each other. I'll see if I change my mind when I watch it again.

Just wanted to say that I saw this year at the Pillow and although I didn't love the choreography, I thought Sara was beautiful. Here's a sample: https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/lori-belilove-isadora-duncan-dance-company-featuring-sara-mearns/rose-petals-art-isadora/

As per email from SPAC and the SPAC website , the NYCB summer season in Saratoga is cancelled. https://spac.org/coronavirus-update/ If you have tickets, there are options to donate, apply to future tickets (good for 5 years), or get a refund.

There's an article in Broadway World that says that the NYCB streams will be available for 45 (!!!) days. No mention of the other companies. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Lincoln-Center-Announces-Dance-Week-Featuring-New-York-City-Ballet-American-Ballet-Theatre-and-More-20200514

I don't know if anyone has posted this yet, but the upcoming Dance week at Lincoln Center looks great: http://lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/series/dance-week Welcome to Dance Week at Lincoln Center at Home from Saturday, May 30 to Thursday, June 4. The offerings, which will be streamed at LincolnCenter.org and on Lincoln Center’s Facebook Page, were filmed during more than 40 years of performances on the Lincoln Center Campus by such renowned institutions as Ballet Hispánico, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The School of American Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Some of the broadcasts have not been seen in decades, including landmark New York City Ballet works by George Balanchine, the company’s co-founder, with some dancers in the roles that Balanchine created for them. Dance Week will include special themed Pop-Up Classrooms, with a full schedule to be announced soon. Saturday, May 30 at 2:00pm ET Dance Week CARMEN.maquia and Club Havana (2015) Live from Lincoln Center Ballet Hispánico Ballet Hispánico will “whisk us away to contemporary dance’s hottest spot“ (Washington Post) in this showcase of Latin-inspired contemporary dance at its best. Add to Calendar Saturday, May 30 at 8:00pm ET Dance Week A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1986) Live from Lincoln Center New York City Ballet George Balanchine’s enchanting ballet based on Shakespeare’s comedy comes to magical life in this 1986 Live From Lincoln Center broadcast with the New York City Ballet. Add to Calendar Sunday, May 31 at 8:00pm ET Dance Week American Ballet Theatre at The Metropolitan Opera House (1978) American Ballet Theatre An evening of repertory includes the Act III Grand Pas de Deux of Don Quixote, Fokine’s Les Sylphides, Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, and Fokine’s Firebird. Add to Calendar Monday, June 1 at 7:00pm ET Dance Week Virtual Workshop Performance Celebration School of American Ballet Outstanding highlights of SAB’s annual Workshop Performances, with commentary from the school’s leaders, faculty, and distinguished alumni Justin Peck and Maria Kowroski. Add to Calendar Tuesday, June 2 at 8:00pm ET Dance Week Coppélia (1978) Live from Lincoln Center New York City Ballet George Balanchine’s and Alexandra Danilova’s comic ballet, with music by Léo Delibes, centers on a mechanical girl with whom the hero falls in love. Add to Calendar Wednesday, June 3 at 8:00pm ET Dance Week Tribute to Balanchine (1983) Live from Lincoln Center New York City Ballet A month after the great George Balanchine passed away, New York City Ballet threw this loving tribute to its co-founder, with dances set to Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Gershwin. Add to Calendar Thursday, June 4 at 8:00pm ET Dance Week Chroma, Grace, Takademe, Revelations (2015) Live from Lincoln Center Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Witness a masterpiece of American dance, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, in a program including Wayne McGregor’s  Chroma, Ronald K.  Brown’s  Grace, and Robert Battle’s  Takademe. Add to Calendar

This was a waste of time for anyone interested in seeing ballet and I don't think it reflects well on the company that this was apparently the best they could come up with for their 80th anniversary gala.

The Saratoga Jazz Festival at SPAC at the end of June was just officially cancelled (email from SPAC). Things are not looking good for the summer NYBC season.

There's nothing officially decided yet, but I would personally be surprised if Cuomo allows it to open--he's made remarks in the past few days about not having the state fair or opening the racetrack at Saratoga. This is the latest interview with the SPAC president from a couple of weeks ago. https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/SPAC-CEO-Health-a-top-concern-but-ready-for-15202767.php

Jacob's Pillow has cancelled their entire summer season: https://www.jacobspillow.org/updated-statement-from-director-pamela-tatge-regarding-covid-19/

I actually did start watching Das Rheingold at around 6 pm Tuesday. I went to the site to see if they were listing next week's operas and it was already up and available to play.

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but the Bavarian State Ballet will be streaming Jewels on Saturday: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/news/online-schedule-until-19-april.html

Just noting that I only got to watch act I of Carmen last night and started watching the rest this afternoon and finished at 4:30--it didn't just disappear at 3:30.

Gramophone has a free download available of a special Ballet on Screen issue. Articles are by dance critics including Alastair Macaulay, Sarah Crompton, and Jan Parry. There are also reviews of recently released ballet DVDs. https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/86991/spread/1

I just received this email from ABT: Following the advice of public health officials and the Center for Disease Control, we will be delaying the on sale dates for single performance tickets for the 2020 ABT Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. We will announce the new dates for Members Advance Sale, Subscriber Exchange Week, and Single Ticket On Sale soon.At this time, there are no changes to the performance schedule for our 80th Anniversary Season at the Metropolitan Opera House, May 11 to July 4, including ABT’s 80th Anniversary Gala on May 18.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal has postponed performances of Luna scheduled for March 19th-28th. The National Ballet of Canada has cancelled the remaining peformances of Romeo and Juliet.

NY Theatre Ballet's performance of Sleeping Beauty on 3/15 at The Egg (Albany) has been postponed.

Boston Ballet is rescheduling all performances of Carmen from March 12-22 to August 20–30, 2020 and all Boston Ballet School classes have been suspended March 12-29.

Car accident. https://www.eonline.com/news/1129062/so-you-think-you-can-dance-s-danny-tidwell-dead-at-35

You and your daughters are sure to have a good time--the dancers are great, 2 Balanchine ballets (Brahms-Schoenberg alone would be worth it), plus the Graham solo. Tell us all about it after you see it.

There is an ongoing civil case. The defendants have asked that charges be dropped. There were oral arguments last month (January 21) and now they are awaiting the judge's ruling. https://nypost.com/2020/01/21/lawyer-for-ex-ballet-benefactor-calls-clients-lewd-texts-obnoxious/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/arts/dance/amar-ramasar-west-side-story.html

NYT obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/arts/dance/tobi-tobias-longtime-dance-critic-dies-at-81.html “Sometimes I felt that she was uncomfortably brutal,” the dance writer Mindy Aloff said by email, “but she provided a beacon of integrity to the field. She was open to elements of darkness, even ugliness, as well as to beauty, as long as the choreography and performance met her standards of craft and accuracy.”