The Traveling Ballerina

1 hour ago, manhattangal said:

I especially loved his journal-scrapbooks, chock-full of not only notes but clippings, tiny photos, ticket stubs, etc.

As a dedicated bullet journaler, I too really appreciated this part of the exhibit!

15 minutes ago, abatt said:

I recently sat up in the fourth ring for Jewels, and the difference in perspective helped enhance my appreciation of the placement and formations of the corps.

Me, too! And it was wonderful.

35 minutes ago, alexL said:

I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I've also noticed some sloppiness in Diamonds as well (throughout the 1st and 3rd act I sorely missed the Bolshoi demis from last yr). The principals were mostly good but also very out of sync in the 4th movement. I'm seeing it again in October at the City Center so hopefully they show some improvements. 

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts after City Center. And I'll most likely be seeing Symphony again when the company tours to DC in April.

12 hours ago, FPF said:

It's one of my favorite ballets, so I'd suggest giving it another try if you didn't absolutely hate it. It sounds as though you thought that it maybe looked under-rehearsed ("but for much of the time the rest of the stage is often in disarray")? 

Yes, I think I will and may have another opportunity when they're in D.C.

11 hours ago, canbelto said:

Hmm can I ask where you are sitting? Symphony in C is one of those ballets where sitting high enough so you can see the corps patterns is absolutely necessary to appreciate the piece.

I was sitting in the third ring which provides a wonderful perspective, viewpoint which allowed me to see that the corps was not quite cleanly executing the patterns. 

Thanks all for your response - at this point I think I'll chalk up my experience as it being an off-night and hope to see the ballet again sometime

13 hours ago, Helene said:

What is it that you didn't like about "Symphony in C"?

I think my overall experience was marred by the fact that the corp dancing was not IMHO up to par, and I'm referring to both technically and their attention to formations.

I had the fortune of being in New York to see two of NYCB's programs and I wrote reviews on both of them - Jewels and All Balanchine. I would love to hear your opinions, especially about Symphony in C because it's a ballet that I wanted to like but just didn't. Do I give it another chance?

9 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Cool site! It looks like some real care went into building it!

 

Thanks so much, Kathleen, for taking the time to have a look and appreciating the effort! It's definitely a labor of love with the hopes of facilitating more people finding live performances to attend.

44 minutes ago, Helene said:

I am always happy to read reviews of "Jewels" -- it makes me feel like I was there.  I don't get to see NYCB often, but I have seen most of the dancers you reviewed in other roles or in short videos of "Jewels," so I was able to envision them in your descriptions.

PNB tends to do the two-peat or three-peat when they have the rights over a limited time, to get the most out of their contracts.  I haven't read or heard (in Q&A's or lectures) that the Balanchine rep has these time restraints, and while I wish "Jewels" were performed as regularly as "Swan Lake," it isn't.  I've got my fingers crossed that, because PNB invested heavily in Jerome Kaplan's redesign that we'll see it more often.  (Although that hasn't happened with their custom and gorgeous "Giselle.")

So in the meantime, I live vicariously through reviews.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to see the ballet in its entirety. Aside from limited engagements, I feel that many companies often only perform one of the sections at any given time. I will think of you when the time (hopefully) comes to post a listing of PNB doing "Jewels"!

Yay - how opportune! Did you have a chance to read my review? Would love your feedback.

I'm going to see the All Balanchine program tomorrow - can't wait!

Unfortunately, I am only a NY for a visit so won't be able to attend these events. Thanks for sharing, though!

I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit at the NYPL tomorrow! I imagine it will be packed opening day but seems a good prelude to NYCB's performance

Thank you so much for accepting me into this community, Helene!

Hello Everyone!

I am former professional ballet dancer, ABT National Training Curriculum Affiliate Teacher, and recently-established ballet magazine editor! I have just created a website called The Traveling Ballerina as a resource dedicated solely to all of us ballet lovers out there. It includes a growing database of performances as well as a magazine containing relevant news and reviews.

I'm also an avid traveler, who loves to attend performances whenever possible. Have you ever been planning travel or already in a place and wondered if there’s a ballet performance near you? You can search The Traveling Ballerina by location, company, or date to find the answer! Or...if there is a particular ballet or choreographer you want to see or a specific theater that you want to visit, you can filter results by those keywords as well. You can also leave ratings and reviews for any of the ballet performances listed. Perhaps you have seen that company or ballet before, or maybe you’re on the fence whether to go or not.

I hope you all will have a look - thank you for your support!