Roberta

18 hours ago, abatt said:

I think a part of the problem at NYCB is that Peter Martins hired choreographers who were steeped in ballet and who employed ballet vocabulary in their works.  Now the trend at NYCB is to hire choreographers who have no training or background in ballet, and it it evident in their new works for the company.  I'll use Kyle Abraham as the example.  Yes, the solo he created for Stanley was great (but more modern dance than ballet).  Take a look at the choreography in the rest of the work, and it looks like it was made by someone who has a very limited knowledge of ballet vocabulary.  Abraham is far from the only person hired at NYCB in recent years who has almost no background in ballet.

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head, abatt. When I buy tickets to a ballet company, I expect to see traditional, recognizable ballet vocabulary and way of movement. Preferably, the ballets will be performed to traditional classical music but I also love the new-age masters, such as Glass.

It's supposed to be the "Kennedy Center  ballet" season, New York City Ballet,  American Ballet Theatre; not "American Modern-dance theatre" and the like.

At least NYCB continues to program and package great traditional ballets in some mixed programs such as Masters at Work: Balanchine and Robbins or All Balanchine, which will continue to pop up in 2022/2023. I'll stick to those or maybe All Peck if it's the works not performed in sneakers. I also need to pay attention to what music is being played. Need to be extra-careful on how I spend money and time because, in our case, travel and hotel costs are also involved.

Some oddities - mostly deserved. CHLOE MISSELDINE to Soloist!!!!! I can live with all else.

Wendy DID program Farley. No complaints with NYCB on that front. Only complaints about the rest, such as Nelson and Bell. Hope Boykin and the raised fists at ABT Studio. That sort of thing.

Isn't it about time to sift the wheat from the chaff? An end to calling exclusively on choreographers who fill an Affirmative Action agenda. USA ballet companies in general should end Woke Racism, please. Just go for choreographers of quality - the best, regardless of gender, color of skin, nationality, etc.

14 hours ago, YouOverThere said:

They are retiring from performing, but both will be staying on in some capacity (both acted as rehearsal assistants this year).

Good to know.  With the low audience turn-outs throughout the USA -- in all that I've seen in places like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cinci, NYC, here -- I'm bracing for a lot of downsizing around the country. Or we could see more audience-friendly programming - more DRACULAS, ALICES and, of course, NUTCRACKERS. How can mixed-bill programming as we saw with TWB last week be sustained, unless heavily subsidized?

Amazingly, Washington Ballet, begins its 2022/23 season in October with yet another NEXTSteps. I hope that the audience turn-out and the ballets presented are, on the whole, better. Maybe the lovely Beethoven Serenade will be encored?  I also hope that choreographers will be selected for their talent and potential compared to all, irrespective of their skin-color or gender. Unlike this silliness at the Joffrey Ballet - whites need not apply!  :  

Winning Works | Joffrey Ballet

"...The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces a national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy’s Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition ..."

Little Ashtons, Petipas, DeMilles or Nijinskas need not apply. No ALAANAS among them, unless you count Ashton having been born in Ecuador because his dad happened to be posted there.

On 6/24/2022 at 6:23 PM, YouOverThere said:

15 percent off tickets to remaining performances using promo code PRIDE15

It didn't help. Yesterday matinee's turn-out was truly pathetic...for a Saturday matinee, no less. I was one of TEN (10) seated in the Mezzanine from the get-go. (Nobody moved to Orchestra/Stalls during intermissions.) I counted about 110-120 in Orch/Stalls...so about 130 total in the public. Harman Hall in downtown DC seats 775. Sad.

The show? A mixed bag. Besides the very pretty and brief Moonlight (a pdd by Tamas Krizsa for himself and Sona Kharatian who are leaving the troupe), the only work that I would want to see again is Jessica Lang's Beethoven Serenade - exquisite classical movement, pretty costumes (off-white tulle/gauze skirts for ladies, pointes, etc. vaguely Scottish longish red jackets for men). There's even a section in which the leading highland lassie, Brittany Stone, is surrounded by six highland guys...just as in Balanchine's Scotch Symphony. Pure joy -- complete opposite of Lang's pop-schlock ZigZag for ABT. I especially loved the lyrical trios for Maki Onuki (unannounced replacement for Victoria Arrea), Oscar Sanchez ad Javier Morera.

The least said about the other two works, the better: Brett Ishida's home-coming (no capitalizing) and Mthuthuzeli November's Where Do We Go Now (no question mark in the official title) . The former is about an old lady remembering her dead husband and others who have departed. It is so poorly lit that it's almost impossible to see details...except that one guy in the ensemble jumped brilliantly at one point...perhaps Masanori Takiguchi? The latter presents a group of orange-clad people preparing to depart this earth...with lots of Ailey-esque jivin' in place and arm-flailing and such. Yuk. 

I'll take the happiness and classicism of Lang's Beethoven Serenade any time. Positivity and beauty forever!

Maybe it's time to blow the whistle on the Diversity Affirmative Action thing and, just once, hold an Old White Dudes (and Gals, like Lang) Festival? 

On 6/22/2022 at 12:47 PM, Papagena said:

Whenever I've seen Forster/Shevchenko he almost seemed a bit ... overpowered by her? It was first evident to me when they did Firebird together, although initially I wondered if it was a stylistic choice. I was never worried for her as Forster can always save and recalibrate an 'off' lift (from what I've seen), but I'm curious to see how they've improved since then. @canbelto 's  review seems to indicate major improvements. 

 

Unfortunately, Forster had to abort one of the two torch lifts in his & Schevy's last performance of OLAR at the Met but, on the whole, he is stronger now.

58 minutes ago, abatt said:

Bell had no trouble with the torch lifts on Monday. 

Indeed, Bell had no problems lifting either Hurlin or Seo in Costa Mesa. Remember - Bell did double-duty back in March 2020, when Calvin Royal III had to bow out. Calvin's debut will be in NY.

56 minutes ago, nysusan said:

.....

Did anyone see the Shevchenko/Forster cast?

I did, in Costa Mesa (Mar 2020). While both dancers were magnificent individually, their pdd-partnering work was a bit shaky, especially in the two high torch lifts. Both were aborted early, to some degree. Hopefully this has been resolved (weight training and such) in the run-up to this Met season.

22 hours ago, nanushka said:

Interestingly, Gia Kourlas seems wholly unbothered by the sexual politics of the work ("a meditation on love, loss and forgiveness") in her very positive Times review:

Brava to Kourlas, not invoking Woke narratives! I totally agree with her review!

I'm glad to read that others share my feelings about young Chloe Misseldine. She was my A-#1 up-and-comer during ABT's most recent Kennedy Center run. Magbitang too, among the younger guys. Keep the reports coming! (Thanks.)

Double Eureka about the upcoming NEXTSteps2022 program of new choreographies!

Not only do we now have all of the vital information on the three new works but TWB has posted the digital version of the playbill-program, with castings and other details!

NEXTsteps | The Washington Ballet

(scroll past the photo of Julie Kent)

Cross-posting from the promotions thread, since this truly belongs here. I'm attending the Saturday matinee (June 25). Some of my friends want to know more about the ballets before buying tix, especially about the music and general style (ballet, modern, etc.).

We now have titles for all three ballets for NEXTSteps, which begins on June 22. According to Jessica Lang's Instagram, her piece is titled Beethoven Sonata.  In sum:

New Ballet 1 - Brett Ishida's home-coming (music still unknown)

New Ballet 2 - Jessica Lang's Beethoven Sonata 

New Ballet 3 - Mthuthuzeli November's Where Do We Go Now? (Music still not announced...but Gloria Estefan's All Night Long was in the background of a Facebook clip last March)

The company's website's page for NEXTSteps is still not updated...but Ballet Alert has it. That's why we are Ballet Alert.

Eureka! Nine days out and we now have titles for all three ballets for NEXTSteps. According to Jessica Lang's Instagram, her piece is titled Beethoven Sonata.  In sum:

New Ballet 1 - Brett Ishida's home-coming (music still unknown)

New Ballet 2 - Jessica Lang's Beethoven Sonata 

New Ballet 3 - Mthuthuzeli November's Where Do We Go Now? (Music still not announced...but Gloria Estefan's All Night Long was in the background of a Facebook clip last March)

The company's website's page for NEXTSteps is still not updated...but Ballet Alert has it. That's why we are Ballet Alert.

On 6/11/2022 at 6:45 PM, nanushka said:

I haven't seen either of the mixed bills mentioned (ABT's or NYCB's), so I have no idea whether there's a connection. But like many arts institutions, the Kennedy Center announced in the summer of 2020 a number of "social impact initiatives," currently featured here on its website. It's reasonable to assume that these have resulted in some changes to programming. Some people will find those changes to be welcome, while others won't.

Correct. We, as they paying public, can chose to not open our wallets to further fund mediocrity...beyond what's extracted from our income in the form of taxes.

But there was zero mediocrity on view at last night's Midsummer Dream, which played before a full house, shouting "bravos" to the fabulous dancers.

Roman Mejia, as Oberon, danced with such gusto that the gold combs came flying off his white wig! The other stand-outs were:

• Emily Kikta's explosive Hippolyta!
• The  ladies of the corps de ballet - each and everyone a beauty straight out of Botticelli's Primavera!
• The kids as bugs, so adorable...and in synch!
• Tiler and Tyler, sublimely leading the A2 Diverts!

And to whoever above mentioned that the Visionary Voices was the only triple bill during the NYCB Spring Season in NY...absolutely not the case. I went to NYC on Amtrak several times during the past two months to enjoy many traditional beloved ballets in mixed bills - two 'Masters' bills of only Balanchine and Robbins masterworks + two of the  Stravinsky Festival bills, such as the Gala Opening Night that included an enjoyable and substantive NEW work - Architects of Time  -  by Silas Farley...who happens to be a gentleman of color. I've been totally impressed by what I've seen from Farley so far (Wash Ballet's Werner Sonata  last summer, as well as another online piece for ABT, to Arvo Part music - Collage and Creed). 

I wonder why Silas Farley's beautiful work was not programed, if they wanted to showcase a talented choreographer of color?

4 hours ago, California said:

ABT opened their KC run with two nights of a so-so mixed bill, followed by five Don Qs. Is it a coincidence that NYCB opened with two nights of a disappointing mixed bill followed by MSND? I'm wondering if the KC management had something to do with this. Quite a coincidence otherwise.

The KC programing folks (like other arts presenters across the USA and maybe elsewhere) have been on an Affirmative Action diversity plan for a while now. It's about presenting choreographers/artists/musicians of diverse genders, colors, etc. Both ABT and NYCB's triple bills included jazz-music commissioned by the KC (music for the Alonzo King for ABT + the Roberts work for NYCB).  Then there's next week's diversity festival (or whatever it's called...Reframing the Narrative).

With the two foreign classical ballet troupes cancelled (China and Mariinsky), it left two classical companies (ABT and NYCB) other than Miami with Nutcracker. So it would have been nice if the two companies that interested me and my family would have provided more classical works, incl more Balanchine and a Robbins or two. But they did not meet the Affirmative Action agenda.

Off to tonight's NYCB AMSND!

On 6/9/2022 at 2:09 PM, Dégagé E. said:

I second this, Roberta. I keep checking each of those socials feeds and have had no luck. 

TWB must read Ballet Alert. This morning they posted a clue to Brett Ishida's piece with a photo of the women's corps in a pose very reminiscent of Nijinska's Les Noces! No clue as to the music but we got a title:  "home-coming" (no capitals).

So, it's less than two weeks to the premiere and we know:

Work 1. "home-coming" - Brett Ishida, choreographer. Music???

Work 2. title unknown  "Beethoven Sonata" - Jessica Lang, choreographer. Music by Beethoven (piece unknown)

Work 3. "Where Do We Go Now?" - Mthuthuzeli November, choreographer. Music appears to include Gloria Estefan's pop tune "All Night Long" as per a FB clip two months ago but...the rest???

On 6/9/2022 at 2:22 PM, California said:

Same here! No KC for me next year. And the only interesting thing at Washington Ballet is the Balanchine program, but I have a schedule conflict, so I'll be skipping that, too!

Pre-COVID, Segerstrom typically had a Russian company, as did LA Music Center. I assume they needed major underwriters, and neither center has announced a ballet schedule for 22-23.

ITA. It's primarily about the paying audience feeling as if it's getting its money's worth. Such a great rep at NYCB and we got that sad mixed bill? Enough. I will end my Kennedy Center subscription on a high tomorrow - Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Can't go wrong there. Speaking of - Did anybody go to last night's opener? Sara Mearns was still listed as opening-night Titania.  Our family will be going Saturday night; Miriam Miller as Titania and Roman Mejia as Oberon. We cannot wait for that.

Less emphasis on European traditional classicism. Fewer tutus and tiaras. Less classical music. More sneakers and jazz. More non-traditional "couplings" depicted on stage, yadda, yadda.

NYCB's run will be followed by something called Reframing the Narrative, as if the Kennedy Center - and the rest of North American arts institutions - haven't been reframing all season. ROTFL. The traditional conservative paying public refuses to support this. I tore our family's 4-ticket subscription package for the paltry 2022/23 KC Ballet subscription...into the trashcan! We will enjoy the very last traditional show of our season subscription on Saturday - NYCB's Midsummer Night. After that, it's bye-bye Wokes.

1 hour ago, California said:

thanks! I've been checking their web site from time to time and never would have found this. Season seems very slim: NEXTSteps, Nutcracker, Balanchine, Sleeping Beauty

The Balanchine program February 22-26 is pretty impressive: Concerto Barocco, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Apollo, and Theme & Variations.

Thanks to both of you, maps and California. Well, it's slim pickin's indeed next season. The funny thing is that the 22/23 NEXTSteps is announced for October while key details about the next edition, happening a couple of weeks from now, remain a mystery -- such as the music for each of the three pieces or the titles/working titles. For ex, do we know anything at all about the piece by Brett Ishida??? I keep checking not only TWB social media but also those of the three choreographers.

40 minutes ago, Drew said:

Wishful thinking perhaps, but I guess a few of those Tier 2 audience members may not have left but grabbed empty seats in the orchestra--seats that can usually be spotted from high up. In my (much) younger days, that's what I would have done with a sparsely attended house, and I sometimes even deliberately waited for second intermissions so I knew it wasn't late arrivals in those empty seats. Uh...I don't have the nerve for that kind of seat hopping now.... 

Hmm...I didn't think about that. However, even Orchestra/Stalls section was far from full...maybe 50-60% full? Only the Box Tier (where the Presidential & Congressional boxes are located) was full. Overall, though, it was a poor program with sparse attendance. Also, I was told that the house had been "papered" with comp tickets but to what degree?

I forgot to mention the other ballet on view, EMANON, was horrible, danced to jazz that had me covering my ears. Worst of all were the tacky female solos that reminded me of the old Miss America talent shows with  "jazz ballet on pointe"! SUSPENDED ANIMATION was horrendous, especially the unflattering costumes - poor Emily Kikta looked like an inflated yellow plush toy. Justin Peck's PARTITA was the saving grace due to the lovely choral-vocal music...but even that one was far from classical, danced in sneakers. Between the terrible ABT mixed bill last month (ZigZag, etc.) and this, I've pretty much had it with the Kennedy Center's ballet programming. Maybe ballet is going to the Woke Crowd? They can keep it. They're not getting our money next season.

19 hours ago, lmspear said:

$39.00 NYCB tickets for this Thursday and Friday!

The Kennedy Center is offering $39 tickets in ONLY SELECT ORCHESTRA PRICE ZONES SEATING on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 7:30pm and Friday, June 10, 2022 at 7:30pm in the Opera House Theater for New York City Ballet: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tickets regularly priced at $89-$129.

 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is dance maker and company co-founder George Balanchine’s first original evening-length ballet. Based on William Shakespeare’s cherished comedy and set to music by Felix Mendelssohn, Balanchine's two-act version is dance storytelling at its finest, portraying the adventures and misadventures of three couples in an enchanted forest. Featuring radiant choreography, bravura performances, and talented young student dancers as swarms of dancing insects, A Midsummer Night’s Dream culminates in a grand wedding celebration and a tender pas de deux that ranks among the most moving in ballet.

 

To purchase your tickets online, visit the event NYCB Midsummer Nights Dream Discount Offer enter "471879" in the Have A Promo Code? Section to apply your discount. (Please note, this discount is applicable in ONLY ORCHESTRA PRICE ZONES C-G SEATING ).  

• To purchase by phone, please call Instant Charge at 202-467-4600 and mention offer number "471879.” Instant Charge is open every day from 10am-6pm. 
• You may also purchase in person at our Box Office, located on site at The Kennedy Center. The Hall of States Box Office is open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 9pm and Sunday,12pm – 9pm

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information: https://www.kennedy-center.org/contact/ 

TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT BY PHONE OR IN PERSON AT THE BOX OFFICE, MENTION OFFER NUMBER “471879”
(202) 467-4600 | Toll-free (800) 444-1324

Not a surprise. Sadly, last night's opening Visionary Voices triple bill at the Kennedy Center was sparsely attended, with maybe 20% of Tiers 1 and 2 occupied. I counted about 30 audience members remaining in Tier 2, after the second ballet of the night, Sidra Bell's SUSPENDED ANIMATION. That's a shame, as those who left early missed the far-and-away-best work of the night, Peck's newest sneakers ballet, PARTITA. On the whole, a rather sad opening with a (mostly) poorly-chosen program of ballets. I suppose that certain boxes were ticked. 

Oh, Kovalyova was gorgeous when I saw her live, both in NY (Diamonds) and in Moscow. We all have preferences! I, for one, never quite understood the praise for overly-cautious/icy Stepanova, who I avoid but others like. Different strokes for different folks.

Yes, Kovalyova is quite tall, isn't she? How Tsiskaridze cast her as title character in The Fairy Doll at her graduation is beyond me. But she somehow pulled it off in the Vaganova performances at home and in Moscow, which led to the invitation to join the BB.

Count me in as an admirer of Kovalyova, who is celebrating her promotion! 

13 hours ago, Buddy said:

You make a good point here, Volcanohunter. I guess that I'm just concentrating on one aspect of the situation because of today's world conditions.

Me too, Buddy. I've found the Georgian troupe to adhere primarily to the classic Vaganova style...even when the USA's own Brooklyn Mack (a Kirov Acad of DC grad, by the way) guest-starred in their Don Q a few years back. The Vaganova language and style seems to cross all boundaries, even when certain dancers, like their ex-prima, Lali Kandelaki, may be more flamboyant than others.

Thanks too, Buddy, for the heads-up on the company's upcoming visit to the DC area. Quite convenient for me! I checked the George Mason arts-series website and the Georgian troupe is scheduled to dance a mixed bill - "Mostly B" - that includes Balanchine's Serenade, among others.

Calendar | Center for the Arts (gmu.edu)  - scroll down to April 15

Next spring should see a number of visits by companies 'in the Russian style but not-quite-Russia'; for ex, I read elsewhere that the Ukrainian National Ballet (the big one based in Kyiv) is planning to perform in the NYC area in early Jan 2023. So we in North America can have our fill of Not-Quite-Russian ballet soon. No disrespect intended but spotlighting ex-USSR-territory ballet companies seems to be good marketing. These are, for the most part, very fine companies, with interesting repertoires.

Even if the Mariinsky and Bolshoi tours resume in a few years' time, it likely won't be the 19th-C classics with elaborate sets & costumes, unless a new Alberto Vilar can be found. We'll be lucky to get the Forsythe triple bill in front of a black background, to canned music.

23 hours ago, Mashinka said:

...., but like others I believe what is happening in Russia makes it highly unlikely any of us will see a Russian company for a very long time, and in my case perhaps never.

Skorik may be the topic of this thread but my heart fell as I read these words. You are quite correct in your feelings that we in the West will most likely not be experiencing the Mariinsky, Bolshoi and other Russian ballet troupes for a long, long time.  Makes us realize how very fortunate we in the West (UK, USA, etc.) were to have had them appear on our stages regularly, between about 1956 until 2019/20. It was almost taken for granted. Now we are about to feel what our grandparents felt - no true Russian ballet from the homeland...perhaps a new Ballets-Russes will come of this, to fill the void?

Husband and I are not renewing our Kennedy Center ballet subscription. Not interested in mostly-modern (fake ballet), danced among minimal sets, with very few pointe shoes and classical tutus in sight. This is not the classical greatness of the past. If I want to see NYCB or ABT 'live' next year, in the ballets that I love, there's Amtrak rail (about 3 hrs away).

Thank goodness for our film collections and memories. I bought an extra multi-system DVD player that should remain in working condition until I leave this earth. 😇

Now I will be fairer to the female students!

Having been able to rewatch the final KAB concert, as the link remained up throughout the weekend, allow me to point out two names among the outstanding ladies:

* Nora Yun Schaefer in her three assignments: Corsaire Pas d'Esclave pdd (with Alexander Nicolosi, named above), Raymonda Dreams Suite - Raymonda's slow solo with developes, and Gamzatti with the Bayadere Act 2 Suite (also with Nicolosi). In all of her dances, Ms. Schaefer truly stood out for her gorgeous technique and musicality, including a series of triple pirouettes-in-attitude during the Gamzatti-solo diagonal.

* Chloe Han with her beautiful long lines and ultra-pliant back in two assignments:  Satanella pdd (with Nasrullah Abdur-Rahman, pointed out earlier) and, especially, an extremely expressive contemporary solo - Elegy of the Dynast - chor. by Adrienne Canterna-Martinez, to Yoshihisa Hirano's music.

Misses Schaefer and Han certainly have the abilities to follow in the footsteps of the Hee Seos and Michelles Wileses who went on to ABT, and Sasha DeSolas and Vanessa Zahorians in San Fco.

To think that I did not see all of the best among this final KAB class, with some of the students and a top pedagogue, Rozanova, being at the Helsinki ballet competition that's happening this week and next weekend. Speaking of...I hope that not only all of the KAB students are being placed in other top ballet schools next year...but also that all of the artistic and academic teachers are similarly fortunate in nabbing jobs elsewhere. Loads of talent among all of them.