uptowner

In a unionized company, as I understand it, there is a very strict timeline for renewing contracts and informing dancers of non-renewals. Perhaps he was contesting it or hoped they would change their mind (though writing that op Ed would be a weird way to go about that). But it seems very unlikely to me that the company could inform someone at this late date. 

Has anyone gone to this? (Particularly interested if you have any experience with how early its necessary to show up?)

http://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/s/BAAND Together Dance Festival
"See five of NYC’s most iconic dance companies—Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem—together on one stage as the BAAND Together Dance Festival returns to Damrosch Park for five midsummer nights! From July 25–29, audiences will experience an exciting program curated collaboratively by the artistic directors of the companies. Each afternoon, one of the companies will also bring its unique teaching style to campus with daily Education Workshops, appropriate for all ages." 
 

In the season wrap-up episode of “City Ballet The Podcast” Whelan does talk a little bit about why she chose to program the 75th anniversary season the way she did. I don’t know enough to summarize or comment on what she said, but I still was interested. A lot of the episode is looking back but she and Stafford are also talking about future plans.

 https://podcast.nycballet.com

I could be remembering incorrectly, but I think the apprentices are usually announced when when the fall season begins (September) or later if they start for Nutcracker. Is it always “announced”? I think sometimes their names just show up on the roster. I recall that in recent years SAB usually does a little feature on Instagram congratulating them and showing now/then pics of when they started at the school. 

Klesa was promoted to corps this spring 

Agreed about the photographs of newer corps members. And not even that new, I just pulled up one dancer out of curiousity and saw she was promoted to the corps in November 2019-- and has no picture. 

SAB has been sharing some videos of rehearsal:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CstfiMvOlWo/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsoSesqPoct/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsRivC7MbmY/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

At the last minute I got tickets for the Saturday night show (balcony)- my companion was a dancer (who will be a working professional in a few short months; currently still a serious student). We really enjoyed it. I liked seeing the Dawson piece from the balcony, watching how the dancers were in different formations across the stage-- and for me the costumes worked really well from there, creating a kind of optical illusion of each dancer splitting into two, or transforming, when they turned. The young dancer I was with was really taken by the partnering. I didn't find the dancing repetitive but at some point I felt like the music was not going anywhere new.

The second piece, Concerto, was pleasant to watch, "feels dated, but not in a bad way". It had a kind of sunny feeling, matched by the warm, simple costumes. (dancer also particularly liked the second movement.)

We both really liked the Pite, its only the second time either of us have seen her choreography. I think that might have been a little better viewed from lower down (for more immersive visuals of the projection in the back), though she uses the bodies of the dancers across the stage in interesting ways that were very clear from above. It seems to us her work is very dramatic and theatrical in a way that we rarely see in ballet and it captured our attention (though granted my experience with ballet is limited). I thought the company looked great, orchestra sounded excellent, and happy we went. It was funny when the mayor popped up to make a speech! 

Has anyone gone to see National Ballet of Canada at City Center? The tickets seem to be selling really well and its only a few performances. I am curious about any reports from the audience! 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/ballet-review-copland-dance-episodes-justin-peck
review of the full length Peck in The New Yorker 

Yes, children at SAB are generally in the children's roles in the ballets. During covid there was an exception. Those children are cast by the children's rep directors (Abergel and Higgins) and are limited to specific levels in the school. Teenagers are not eligible for those kinds of roles and there are strict height limits. Its not quite true that upper level students never perform with the company, occasionally they do, in corps roles (in the big ballets-- Nutcracker for snow, right now there are two male students performing in the garland dance, they may be uncredited in the program, I am not sure because I saw the dress rehearsal yesterday which didn't have a program). However, it is unusual and not a normal part of their training at the school. (Teenage students also get cast in "human scenery" roles, of which there are quite a few in Sleeping Beauty. So the people lounging around on the stairs, the kings guard, etc.) 

22 minutes ago, vipa said:

Another thank you Pirouette! I also wonder what's happening withTroy Schumacher. He's listed as a soloist but doesn't perform much, if at all, unless I'm missing something. I believe he's married to Ashley Laracey and been the director of  a company called BalletCollective for a number of years. Is he actively performing?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZoqkERO4iJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This is a post from about a year ago on his Instagram about a lengthy absence due to injury. I think he also danced in Midsummer? (He does also seem very active running BalletCollective.) 

3 hours ago, abatt said:

I think if they hired Taylor Swift to create a new work the ballet, first time attendance would also be off the charts.  Tickets sold because the composer of the music has a huge following.  It is unrelated to race.

good point. I haven't re-listened to this since I caught it on the radio the other morning, but my recollection is that the reporter is thinking broadly about "diversity", not limited to racial classification. So-- bringing in new audiences as part of that. Anyway, just an interesting little 6-minute listen, not a big commitment. 

https://www.wnyc.org/story/seeking-relevance-and-new-audiences-nyc-ballet-companies-embrace-diversity
Here is a link for a 6-minute radio piece from WNYC that I heard this morning-- about diversity in ballet, focused around audience interest in the Solange Knowles composition. 
"According to a New York City Ballet spokesperson, first-time attendees accounted for 73% of single-ticket sales for the performances that featured “Play Time.”" 

(I am not confident this belongs here in this thread, but it is about programming in the 22/23 season and NYCB, as an example of a broader issue/discussion) 

Tons of rehearsal footage on the NYCB Instagram stories today! 

well I would love to see Nadon in a featured role, maybe I will try to go next week

https://podcast.nycballet.com/episode-76-new-combinations-copland-dance-episodes

The City Ballet Podcast has an episode out today where Wendy Whelan discusses the experience of working on the new Peck piece. 

I went to check for a pair of tickets for Nutcracker and 😮 it really is sold out (one or two ADA seats available for a few of the remaining performances). Good for NYCB, I hope they are making lots of money and can spend it on promotions! Looks like audiences are coming back to the theater in a big way again.  

21 hours ago, abatt said:

I think Kikta is very deserving of promotion.  She and LaFreniere are essentially the inheritors of the Maria K. rep.  There are tall men in the company who can partner these ladies. 

I know at least one corps man is in the range of 6'4" or 5" (Samuel Melnikov), the new apprentice Owen Flacke is also similar height, and several others in the corps are definitely at or above 6'2". Here is to hoping that partnering won't hold Kikta back because she is phenomenal. 

https://fjordreview.com/new-york-city-ballet-the-nutcracker/

Just read this (from Dec 6-- my apologies if its been shared here already and I missed it). I won't get to see some of my favorites in the Nutcracker performance that I am attending (with a young relative, for his first time!) but it is nice to read about them here. I am looking forward to attending some winter season performances to see some of these rising talents. 

Thank you for explaining! I am very pleased, my young relative is very interested in the Nutcracker and I think this will be an excellent gift which he can enjoy (and, I can enjoy with him), and I will contribute no clutter to his apartment either 😉 

I expect we will end up purchasing other streams, what a great idea. I saw PNB when they were on tour in June and they were just phenomenal. 

I have a question about how the digital streaming works, which isn't clear to me on the PNB website: if I purchase the stream, are we limited to viewing it once in one sitting, or can we watch it multiple times (or watch sections multiple times) during the screening period? Can we skip around, or take breaks, etc? I am considering purchasing it as a gift for a very young relative, and I think he will get more out of it if that is permitted. And, thank you for sharing about the stream! We are not local to Seattle so as an added treat, it would be fun to get to see this production. 

I believe the student shows are free for the participating schools. They were doing 2 of them for a while— not sure now. Those shows are not open to the public. 

I couldn’t agree more about the ticket prices. I understand that it makes a lot of money for the company but any arts organization should also be building the future audiences. And while the Nutcracker is the only ballet many people will ever see, it can also be the gateway for future ballet lovers (and future dancers!) 

NYCB has posted clips on their Instagram stories from rehearsal and performance. I don't recall them doing this in the past, maybe I just missed it. Anyway, fun to see.  (I am not sure if it was just for opening day-- though I suspect it was.)