Drew

Thank you --

And yet perhaps it's as well to remember that ten years ago one would log-in to this site and the discussion was often about the crisis at NYCB with people saying they were no longer attending as many NYCB performances as they used to because the Balanchine was danced horribly, the new works were deadly, and Martins just HAD TO GO! Am I exaggerating? Maybe a wee bit...but anyone is welcome to check.

Thank you for the link. If anyone who knows Russian has the time to summarize what she says about the Mariinsky and her move to the Bolshoi, that would be much appreciated.

Without having all the familiarity with the corps de ballet that others do, I also think ABT has outstanding talent in the pipeline. And I am also strongly inclined to agree that coaching could make a huge difference to what happens with these dancers. (I am always struck when ABT dancers who win various fellowships and prizes use the money to hire additional coaches.) Perhaps one can hope that some donor will consider making support for coaches and teachers a priority. But I do think boards of directors would (and should) be extremely wary of ABT drawing talent from NYCB for guest performances especially now that NYCB has its own storehouse of nineteenth-century classics. (I know it happened with Veyette in Theme and Variations.) For myself, I have to admit, too, I don't favor moves in any direction that would homogenize the two companies . . . and don't know that I think the results would be artistically convincing. (I wouldn't mind seeing Mearns or Peck or Bouder do ANYTHING, but I think in less neo-classically inflected versions of the classics performed in a theater considerably larger than the Koch they would not necessarily look the way they look at NYCB. They would likely need multiple performances to make the experiment a success. And that hardly serves ABT.) At NYCB, I have sat next to (quite nice) fans of the company who were adamant ABT was just dancers "walking around" in fancy costumes; they would not even entertain the possibility of going to see them. This attitude would not have surprised me except that we were at a performance of Martins' Swan Lake. They had no problem with NYCB dancing a full length Swan Lake or with Martins' production, but had no interest in seeing ABT's version (and even repeated the "walking around" business several times when I asked about it). This was 8-9 years ago, and they may not have been altogether typical, but the conversation did make an impression on me. Re ABT's Swan Lake...Do people think Teuscher might have Odette-Odile potential? I was wondering about that after watching her this season in the Shostakovich Trilogy. And last year, in the Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty, I thought she carried off the huge Lilac Fairy headdress very well. That's a minor thing perhaps, but speaks to stage carriage and presence. (I don't know her exact height, but she has lovely legs.)

Thanks for information about the tour--nice to learn that Lendorf is back on stage.

Roland John Wiley's Tchaikovsky's Ballets is a very good source on these works as they were originally performed. Cyril Beaumont The Ballet Called Swan Lake is an older classic also worth a look. (If you use the Amazon search box at the bottom of this website's page a small percentage comes back to the site.)

I saw that too! I just looked it up and the choreography was by Peter Darrell. (Can't say from what I remember I would be much interested in a revival...)

I have sometimes wondered (influenced by others on this site I should say) why ABT can't aim some marketing at the NY classical music audience -- if there were going to be a Strauss ballet at the Met next year, then what if performances of Strauss operas at the Met (or any Strauss programs at the Philharmonic) in the months beforehand were to include inserts/ads in their programs about ABT's new version of his 'unknown' ballet? Perhaps marketing types may have already researched this sort of thing and learned it doesn't work...??

Perhaps she has been promoted! But the article also says Filin has left the Bolshoi theater which I believe is not true (unless something has changed in the last week or so, he is there working with new choreography/choreographers)...so I'm not sure one can count on the article being accurate in fine details whether the problem is translation or just a journalist's sloppiness.

This review of the Ratmansky seems to refer to a different Strauss-Kröller collaboration as its (musical) source -- but I can't say I really know what may be in the offing... http://lod.kfs24.de/2014/07/in-honor-of-richard-strauss/

Not predictions, but thoughts: a couple of years ago Ratmansky did a Richard Strauss Ballet for the Semperoper ballet. I didn't see it, but it would be interesting if he were to return to Strauss in future. I actually can picture Copeland as Giselle more easily than I can picture her as Myrtha. (I bow to no-one in my love of a Giselle with a high-flying jump, but romantic style and dramatic pathos are still more important to the ballet and, based on her Lise, I think she has the chops for those.) I also very much hope next season has big opportunities for Trenary, Brandt, and Teuscher. Loved the Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty but am not a convert to reconstruction purism and would just as soon the company kept some of its classics in a traditional vein. I was rather hoping, though, for ABT to acquire the Ratmansky Paquita reconstruction, since that is not a ballet we typically get to see at all. Whatever the box office issues, I would be sad to see next year's ABT spring/summer season completely without Ashton whether in a mixed program or a return for half a week of Fille. And may the ballet gods send healing energies to David Hallberg and bring him back to the stage.

I don't remember the pas de trois in the Ratmansky-Burlaka production either. (I saw it in London). The pas des Eventails by Ratmansky was pure Petipa-esque pastiche, and I enjoyed the dancing, but found it odd to see Medora with a cavalier when she was at the same time supposedly guarded by eunichs. For me, the highlight was certainly the Jardin Anime along with some of the character dancing. And the costumes. I also had some questions about how the ballet hung together as a whole. Unfortunately I won't be seeing it again any time soon.

What do you think of the Ratmansky/Burlaka reconstruction?

Thanks for your comments on the performance. Four Temperaments is one of my favorite Balanchine works. (I have never seen Varied Trio.)

Very sorry--I will indicate that I was wrong and note that you corrected the mistake...

Thanks for these cast lists. A lot of debuts for a major tour. I assume the various ballerina pregnancies are playing a role, but still...interesting.

I was wondering if--in addition to different social/cultural mores--that was, in small part, because of the very recent Acosta precedent (even if male and female dancers face different obstacles etc.). And of course Copeland discussed the issue in her book--and has taken it into her public persona in a way Hayward doesn't seem to have done. A relatively recent feature on Royal Ballet soloist Eric Underwood talked about race, gender and the Royal briefly: "He is one of only five black dancers out of 96 at The Royal Ballet company (Carlos Acosta is about to retire). Does he feel that he’s had to work harder to prove himself? ‘You have to work harder in anything if you are different in something where everyone else is the same.’ Still, there are plus sides. ‘I never had to worry about how to stand out.’ Things, he says, are more challenging for black women in the corps de ballet where cookie-cutter uniformity is prized. ‘It’s a double-edged sword for a ballerina. If you look the part, you are right for the corps de ballet. But then how are you special, how are you unique?’" http://www.standard.co.uk/es-magazine/royal-opera-house-ballet-star-eric-underwood-i-want-to-be-a-great-dancer-regardless-of-my-colour-a3091036.html The British press also showed a lot of interest in Celine Gittens' Swan Lake debut at ENB [JMcN corrected me below--she dances for Birmingham Royal Ballet] --interest that also took account of race. Here is a piece on Gittens/Singleton that foregrounds the historic character of their performance: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/sep/23/celine-gittens-tyrone-singleton-interview Having read so much about her, I was sorry that Hayward didn't have more in the way of featured roles when the Royal visited NY last year.

Perhaps Mussel you were thinking of women dancers, but the now retired Cuban Royal ballet star Carlos Acosta is also partly of black African descent.

Thanks for these reports. I am very curious about this production. Golden Cockerel does sounds much as it did in reviews of the production at the Royal Danish Ballet. It's hard for me to know what I would think in the theater--I certainly wish I could see it. But I wanted to add that with the 6 ABT performances I was able to see, I have quite enjoyed this season. Of course as a visitor I just get a snapshot, but as someone who sees just a handful of performances and has to regret missing others...When I look back over visits to see ABT this century-- I even consider this one of their more interesting and memorable seasons. I write as someone who unabashedly has loved seeing many of the great guest artists they have invited over the years. And who woudn't mind a chance to see, for example, Osipova or Cojocaru dance with the company again...(What I don't love is the full-length Macmillan/Cranko rep.)

Forgot to say -- whatever performance you go to, please share your thoughts!

If how strongly a ballerina balances is your criterion for Aurora, then Seo is not a good choice, but I thought that she danced very beautifully as Aurora last year throughout--really differentiating the three acts--and showed an especially engaging crisp classical purity in her dancing with Stearns in the final act. This year she has Hammoudi as a partner and I can't say how that will work. At this point he doesn't have Stearns' experience and that would be a question mark for me. I consider Murphy as close to a 'sure thing' as ABT has, though I know she had a minor injury early in the season. I enjoyed her Aurora very much last year. Abrera and Trenary are both Aurora debuts--well, Trenary has danced it once on tour (one fan reported on that performance and liked it a lot). It's a very challenging role and seeing a debut could be exciting. Both are beautiful dancers as I'm sure you know. Abrera obviously the more experienced one (she is celebrating her 20th year with the company). Aurora is, I believe, Trenary's first big classical role. I personally would be happy to attend any of these performances, but my expectations might be a little different for each one. All of the casts also seem to feature excellent dancers in secondary/tertiary roles, though different ones. Regarding those roles: Part is a gorgeous Lilac Fairy, but dances a different (simpler) variation than the others who have been dancing an extremely intricate one that Ratmansky and his collaborators found/reconstructed. Don't know what other dancers will do this year, but I'm pretty sure Part will still be doing the simpler one. That said, I found Part by far and away the best Lilac Fairy of three I saw last spring. Similarly, of the men dancing the prince at the performances you mention, Gomez, could not be less suited to the super intricate male variation reconstructed for this production. (It's all about footwork...) I am not-so-secretly hoping Ratmansky has decided that it would be in the spirit of Petipa to give Gomez a different 'traditional' variation that is better for him. But with Gomez you DO get the strongest most reliable partner (by far...and more) as well as a gracious and princely presence -- qualities that are even more important to a great Sleeping Beauty -- last act in particular -- than the one male variation. On the extravaganza front: I think the weakest part of this production is the lack of truly magical scenic transformations and the sometimes lackluster drops. The costumes are altogether fantastical and often beautiful.

I remembered Croce's review. But I admit your bringing it up makes me curious what your view is? I remember, from this discussion, you judge Leaves as a suspect choice for POB--but what do you think if it as a ballet? I haven't seen it in many years, so I am not in a good position to offer a detailed defense, but I know I have never thought my time was wasted (or ballet as an art trivialized) by one of the Tudor works I have seen. Completely agree with Ashtonfan noting he is not part of the Royal tradition; don't exactly agree with any implication the Royal might not reasonably revive one or two of his works. I agree that respect for traditions is a (mostly) good thing in ballet companies. (I guess that means respect for Mcgregor in the Royal's future.) I can't decide if I think Millepied and, even more so, Stretton, and much, much more so Kobborg, building their programs more slowly would really have made a difference to their ultimate fate.

I was trying to make a narrower point. For my taste it's a shame the Tudor has been cancelled. But of course, I write solely from the outside.

The leadership of POB and Royal Ballet (or for that matter the Kirov/Mariinsky and any other company) of course will make the decisions they judge best for their companies. And as fans we can debate them . I can't speak to the reasons for cancelling Leaves at POB, but I do disagree with any suggestion that the ballet is somehow undeserving of international interest or, for that matter, unsuited to it. (I would have though it is a rather more "translatable" Tudor ballet than, say, Undertow or Pillar of Fire.) And it genuinely surprises me that it isn't staged more often even at ABT. With a Kylian program the company maintains its commitment to major contemporary dance.

The Royal Ballet and the Kirov/Mariinsky are other major international companies that have danced Leaves are Fading in the past. If it isn't performed that much anymore (I don't know whether that is so or not), then I would say all the more reason to stage it.