DaniGirl

Actually Laine Habony was (instead of Marika Anderson) in La Valse soloist cast and she was gorgeous, as always! Still one of my favorites! and I love Habony’s little doggie, Poppy, who is apparently an honorary Swan and stealing the show on NYCB’s IG take over today! Bring on the swans!

Revisiting the principal casting for Nutcracker 2021 to-date .... Takahashi had a debut the first week, Mejia has Cavalier debut this week, Read had a debut as Mother Ginger, Boisson as demi-Flower (finally), Zuniga debuted Candy Cane, Nadon will debut Dewdrop this week. Nothing new for Jones, Kitka, the VonEncks, Bradley, Mackinnon but all 6 AND Miller, Manzi, Sell, LaFreinere, Habony , Staker, Segin, Hod, Maxwell, Dutton-O, Nadon, Boisson are dancing featured/soloist roles all season. I would love to see Bologna and Maxwell as a demi Flowers or Bologna as Marizpan!!! I would love to see Miller, Kitka, Maxwell, Boisson and Habony as SFP and Dewdrop. I would love to see Staker, Dutton-O and Habony as Coffee. I'm sure there are more I've missed. So many talented, beautiful dancers! Note: Habony has been dancing featured roles since her first year. I am sure she is understudying, as well. I saw the principal cast with her in the Fall with Russian Seasons - an incredibly hard ballet. She was the perfect technician, as always but more importantly her gift is musicality - being able to interpret music without traditional counts. Maxwell and Woodward are both equally as gifted. Not a role I can imagine Bradley, Mackinnon, Jones being able to master. Anyway. Its getting old defending the talent of this amazing company. I would hope we can all agree to hope for every dancer to have the best careers possible.

Forth week casting up. Excited to see Nadon as Dewdrop. I would really like NYCB to put Laine Habony in as Sugar Plum Fairy this year - finally. As we all know from IG, she started rehearsing that with Martins before his departure. I saw last year she danced this with Steven Loch (he has left PNB and is now a principal dancer with Miami City) and looked literally royal. I miss the days when Martins gave us SFP debuts and Habony has surely earned it, waiting in the wings for years and years. She has an incredible maturity and feminine strength that has been sidelined for years. Let's all cheer for her this year! Why not cheer for the dancers? They surely deserve the support!

Agree, agree, agree. What an amazing week - they are back! I was able to see both shows yesterday ! I loved the cast for Russians Seasons - Mearns, Laracey, Hyltin, Habony, Maxwell, Woodward! I also think Laine Habony is very special - has incredible musicality, movement ... she is a natural Balanchine ballerina which is why she looked so strong in Ratmansky. She pulls off Robbins (yesterday's Glass Pieces). She has some serious feminine strength like Mearns. Let's hope the next year provides her better opportunities to cultivate her. And let's hope Laracey and Woodward get a much deserved promotion. Laracey might have missed a window with the loss of Martins, the transition years and Covid. My heart goes out to the lost generations of the NYCB. Regardless - they are BACK! What a week!

Well said .... I have been moved to tears more than once over such dancers. Let's hope this discussion continues and we do not lose such treasure.

That's my old stomping ground! I plan on returning for one show. Ill share a report!

Yes !! And Clara Miller (Instagram) is injured so Ashley Hod moved into the third movement and LeCrone stepped in. Great job to all!!!

I almost replied they are all favorite .... and in a way, they are! But yes, there are some I believe to be extra special. Both Adams and Habony were also in Not our Fate, both in the Times, Habony has an Anatomy of Dance video and several other publications such as Teen Vogue.... they all seem very plugged in during and out if season. And I guess my post came across wrong. And I’ll keep rooting for my favs too! And that’s a bunch!

This is a very complete analysis and I agree. I want to share a post I saw about the student I mentioned earlier, as a quick follow up. But first I want to share I caught NYCB last night. To start, the crowd was insane for Serenade. The crowd energy was so electric you could feel it as the curtain rose. There were guest clapping before a single dancer had moved an arm with the ethereal light. Serenade is always a justly favorite and it was a treat to be surrounded by so many enthusiastic admirers. Last night might have been one of the best corps performances I have witnessed - so together, great timing. What magic! Summerspace was iconic, not my favorite. But I was glad to see it. Quick notes on Ballet Imperial - Bouder's shoes squeaked the entire time which was a distraction to her beauty. Most of the corps was a disaster - so disappointed - specifically Mira Nadon and India Bradley, neither could stay on a line, use the arms effectively or keep up with timing. It is a ballet that shows those that can and those that cannot keep up with the attack needed for Balanchine. Maybe it was a bad night but I was very disappointed some of the corps. But on a very positive note - Lauren King stole the show once again. She is the embodiment of a Balanchine ballerina. She is effortless, energetic, musical and performance quality exudes joy. And the two corps members that caught my eye were Ashley Hod and Laine Habony - same reasons .... attack, speed, musicality all with a smile exuding confidence and joy - both in Serenade and Ballet Imperial. So back to the dancer that prompted your great breakout. It's my opinion that Laine Habony along with several other dancers hit a bad-timing with NYCB - which has to be a disappointment for a dancer that had so many opportunities available, chose NYCB, on-stage every day and is also an embodiment of a Balanchine ballerina (and the sacrifice made by her family to support that). Sara Adams, Jaqueline Bologna, Laine Habony, Ashley Hod, Preston Chamblee, Ghalab Kayali ..... this generation that was slowly being cast up when Martins was going out. I hope that NYCB does not pass over this group of talent and it is my concern they will. Yes, some of the dancers have been injured on/off but not enough to leave them out. It is also my opinion that the years with the interim team the casting was 'friends casting friends' and unless you were on that friend list, you were out. Not that we dont love Indiana Woodward! Or Unity Phelan. So back to last night (and all season really) - as the season closes I am once again confirmed that NYCB is amazing! I also hope they will get out of this box of casting the same people over and over and over. And they will look back to some of the dancers that have been workhorses and cultivate them to the next level.

I agree, I am sure there is some financial contribution sway with the younger students at SAB, but I do not believe it is the case with the professional level training. Most of the dancers are not from NYC, attending on scholarship or financial assistance. Although it is not a new story, Ashely Bouder is a great example. She did not come from privilege and had complete support from SAB for both in dance training and academic support. What a gift for her and for us now - I cannot imagine NYCB without Ashely Bouder. I also saw an interview years ago about another dancer whose parents had taken out debt on their credit cards to support the girl coming to SAB. She had been offered scholarships to every elite summer program she auditioned for and chose to take her scholarship with SAB. She then stayed for the school year, trained during the year and spent summers away, always on full scholarship. She was invited to the company - and she could have obviously had a career at any company. She is white. is someone saying she to be passed over because she is white instead being rewarded for her merit? I think the decision makers are aware of the need for diversity. I do not envy them, as they are still limited to the students presented to them every year. I have followed the NYCB diversity effort and think they are doing all the right things by recruiting students into the school at every age from every skin color and ethnicity. And I do not believe anyone is being excluded over skin color. As for things that happened in the past, well it cannot be changed (DTH) but I believe things are much better in 2019 - and that's all anyone can do. I love these tough conversations and think all of you are courageous to share your thoughts - everyone is right in the end. Its being able to talk about things which is right. It's what makes us better. Hey - NYCB is the my favorite. I am a New Yorker. And I hope they have a killer last week of the season! I cannot wait to catch EWG and Serenade and Dances at a Gathering this week!

Taylor Stanley is performing Opus 19/The Dreamer on Oct 2nd and 6th. It's very possible Bouder requested to do Wrens - she seems to be exploring herself more and more, different roles, etc. That would be my guess.

And the Wednesday show was outstanding. It was exciting to see the debut of Jovani Furlan (former principal with Miami City Ballet). Gretchen Smith had a last minute injury and Laine Habony had to step in for her as well. It was a great cast, big music, big movement. His debut was Wednesday and it was fantastic. Looking forward to seeing him again and again!

Sterling is literally amazing in every way. She always steals the show!

Hello to the Ballet Alert community! Thank you for including me. I just returned to NYC after 10 years and a friend suggested joining the forum. Currently looking for new opportunities and looking forward to reading up on the what's happening in the dance world on Ballet Alert.