Papagena

6 minutes ago, Novice123 said:

And what should ballet dancer post right now?  Shoes?  Tutus?  2024 Election, shooting of puppies, protests?  

Yes those are 100% the only options outside of airing perceived injustices on IG in order to get your echo chamber riled up.

50 minutes ago, bellawood said:

Ashley Bouder is making some big accusations on her instagram stories! https://www.instagram.com/stories/ashleybouder/3359421783440503779?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MTl3ZTFmMjR4djJmOQ==

Maybe the least important problem in the world right now. 
 

17 minutes ago, cobweb said:

So true. When I saw Ulbricht in Stars & Stripes in January, I thought he looked better than ever. Not only is his technique as good as ever, but his artistry and attention to detail, always excellent, have continued to develop. Never before did I particularly, specifically, notice a dancer's landings, but somehow his landings in the men's campaign gave me a thrilling jolt. I can still picture those landings! And more recently, in Steadfast Tin Soldier, he brought great seriousness of purpose to the soldier's woodenness and inner psychology. In my mind this is a slender and painfully precious piece, but Ulbricht elevated it as much as could possibly be. 

Jumping on the Ulbricht praise wagon - he has this intangible quality of fluid and effortless technique, joy, generosity, introspection and lack of ego in his dancing if that makes sense. I can't quite pinpoint his magic on stage, but its there in abundance. He applies his entire career of knowledge into every step, no wasted movements. I really hope they make several programs around his best roles whenever it's time for him to retire. 

3 hours ago, Josette said:

The recent SFB Carmen did not receive across-the-board "very good reviews." It was panned by some.   I sat through it twice. It was choreographically uneven and boring, and had a trite plot with a ridiculous ending.  You can read Balletalert comments under the subject, San Francisco Ballet (including mine). The set and Carmen's red dress were very good; Joseph Walsh stole the show;  the dancers did their best with what they were given, but it was a washout, especially when compared with Ochoa's Broken Wings, which is an exceptional, brilliant work.   

Oh apologies, I meant  Broken Wings - Carmen reviews sort of floated in the back end for me since most people were gushing about Broken Wings. 

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

What a great pairing! This is exactly what ABT needs to get better at - shot program curation. This isn't a Jaffe problem as much as it's just been an ABT problem for a long time. 

SFB just did a Carmen pairing too with the new Frida Kahlo Dos Mujeres ballet. Received very good reviews and is something I'd absolutely buy tickets for. I wasn't able to see it but most reports mention how it feels fresh, relevant, and layered while still using traditionally-inspired ballet choreography. LWFC looks a bit old fashioned by comparison. 

Totally agree about the YAGP effect. A young dancer filming themselves doing 32 spectacular fouttees with extra flair or octuple pirouettes doesn't get me excited at all, because it doesn't necessarily translate to a magnetic dancer who can carry a ballet on her shoulders. 

2 hours ago, stuben said:

In addition, this season feels more like an American Ballet "Tragedy" and selfishly I wish there was a Rodeo or something fun for the entire family to enjoy! There are enough tragedies outside and would love to go into the theatre to see something without someone dying: LWFC, Swan Lake, R&J, WW I know most classics have this ending and I am guessing many won't agree with what I am saying here but one can dream of happiness vs sadness can't one?

Agreed. Even though full length ABT comedy ballets sell abysmally, one acts like Rodeo paired with some other ABT midcentury classics would get an immediate purchase from me. Or another women choreographers program - Helen Pickett did a one-act version of The Crucible, another American-themed piece choreographed by a women for example. 

idk it's easy for me or us to put together spec programs but I'm sure there is some weird blockage in terms of budget / rights / the board. 

But bottom line is yes, a sense of excitement or delight is really missing here. I realllllly really wish they dipped into their wonderful heritage pieces more and mixed them with modern choreographers so that in one night, you get more range.  



 

5 hours ago, FauxPas said:

The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère is a central, historic part of ABT's repertoire.  I shudder at the thought of it being banned from our stages especially since the Russian companies can no longer tour here.

 

So just do the Kingdom of the Shades section. I don't think that's completely off the table as an isolated 1-act. Jaffe may have been talking about the entire ballet - the offensive acts are 1 and 3. Most of us go to LB to see this at primarily anyway. 

12 hours ago, bingham said:

I’m so disappointed with her programming. She should consider what her audience like.

The last few times I went to ABT's La Bayadere they were very undersold. For all the love I have for this ballet, it's hardly a big seller audiences are begging for. 

Giselle and R&J (and obviously SL) do decently for ABT but most of our favorite full lengths (mine included) just don't sell very well unless it's an Osipova or Copeland-level famous dancer now. 

The only tickets I'm buying in advance this year are for Woolf Works because most of the principal dancers don't excite me. I think any issues with programming (so far Jaffe has been at least just as interesting than mckenzie) are compounded by ABT not feeling like a particularly exciting company anymore and lacking ... hm ... a crackle or energy? 

Not sure why they don't dip into their mid 20th century rep more. Tons of expensive warhorse ballets weren't even their primary original identity. 

 

50 minutes ago, balletlover08 said:

I'm unfamiliar with the ballet and the role of Tatiana. Are you shocked that Chloe was cast as Tatiana? Is that a role you think she can do well in? Otherwise, it's just Teuscher, Schevchenko and Seo for Tatiana right? 

Not shocked, but Missledine will definitely be the wild card of the cast. Debuts are always exciting and I'm definitely going to get a ticket to hers. Tatiana is supposed to be a very young teen so it does make sense age-wise, but she also has to carry the ballet from a dramatic, not technique-driven place to sell the character's growth from lovestruck teen to a self-assured woman of status who teeters on the brink of collapse when Onegin comes back to her. 

Years ago it the principal casts were the likes of Vishneva, Ferri, and Abrera (Seo as well), extremely accomplished dramatic ballerinas. Ferri was in her 50s when I saw her and her transformation knocked my socks off (I'll never forget her entrance in Act II). The Onegins at the time were the likes of Bolle, Gomes, and Hallberg - men who can captivate the audience just by walking on stage. It's a high standard I just have to let go of this year and enjoy myself. 

While I very much  enjoy Teuscher and Schevchenko in many things, I'm not as compelled to see them in this. Hee Seo has done this role for years so she is probably the safest pick for a nice, lived-in performance. However Teuscher is partnered with Camargo, who brings a youthful passion and freshness to his work that will probably work well in this ballet.  

Basically, I don't have any solid answers except that the Schevchenko / Streans cast would be the one I would not attend due to dancer style preferences (seeing Schevchenko in SL instead).  

5 hours ago, DPell said:

It looks like Royal will be dancing Lensky.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C40UMqnA5jl/?igsh=MWZjc2p5eGlld2t4MQ==

Fantastic role for him! This season is so unlike 2017 (I think?) when I went 3 times because there were so many great Tatiana/Onegin pairings. This year, the Lensky/Olga role will probably sway my choice pretty heavily. Curley and Roxander seem like no-brainers as well. 

22 hours ago, FauxPas said:

I think that being injured is a hindrance to promotion and that was what probably sidelined Zimmi Coker this time around.  However, Katharine Williams is retiring and Luciana Paris and Zhong-Jing Fang (sadly) are near (or past) retirement age. 

So there is room to advance.

This - Coker and another female corps member will probably be promoted together when Paris or Fang are out, and use this summer season to work out any post injury issues. Also ballet promotions are not dissimilar to promotions in any company or corporation, where they are not just based on someone deserving something, but also very much on need. With the women's ranks so packed, there just isn't room or need for another female soloist at the moment. 

The three men who were promoted were imo, the right choice and very much needed. They each cover a specific niche that ABT was sorely missing (Curley the tall danseur noble, Roxander the long-awaited star who fills the Siimkin void, Gonzales a reliable all-around asset who has a naturally warm and likable leading or secondary man presence). Promoting 5 men doesn't seem reasonable from a budget perspective. 

I'm still shocked Murphy did not opt to retire this year. Since Copeland is not retiring this year, 2024 would have given Murphy her the starring retirement treatment. That would also push Misseldine up and free up more space amongst the soloists. 

54 minutes ago, abatt said:

The Tiler Peck interview struck me in the same way as On Pointe.  Peck walked right into the trap of giving India Bradley an underhanded compliment by stating that management thinks she is limited technically, but Tiler has confidence in Bradley anyway that she will keep up with the most technically gifted Emma V E.  

I feel a bit bad for everyone involved (including Peck). What threw me off was the way she phrased it ..."People don’t think that she can do the hard technical things." No dancer wants to read that a vague group of 'people' don't believe in their technical abilities. Especially a corps dancer who is getting some upward momentum. 

Peck is also a colleague, albeit a senior colleague, which complicates things as well. She didn't word things very well with Von Enk either. "To bring out the fullness of her dancing" might have been more diplomatic than "who needs fullness." I see this a lot with new managers, where they aren't used to the power of words in a new position and it takes some getting used to. 

Do choreographers generally speak like this? I'm thinking high level like Ratmansky or Wheeldon (or even Justin Peck). We've seen Derek Deane do it but his was at a more obviously unacceptable degree. But perhaps it's generally normal and I haven't been paying attention.
 

On 1/25/2024 at 11:26 AM, BalanchineFan said:

Third week casting is up. Tiler Peck is alternating with Megan Fairchild in Ballo. Lots of debuts in the soloist roles.

Also, there's only one cast for Liebslieder. I wonder if they'll stay with that for all four performances.

https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1706053481/NYCB_Casting_February_6-11_2024_lobby.pdf

 

I love the idea of one cast - this is one of my top 3 favorite Balanchine ballets and I always go for the second or third performances so the dancers have time to settle into it. 

Surprised Bouder is not featured here (although I wouldn't want to swap out any of the women listed - I'm so excited about this cast). I do wish Joseph Gordon were in this run, although I think he and Angel both usually play the same role (the man who shields his face). 

1 hour ago, cassieallison said:

I saw on Tiler Peck's insta that she's only doing 2 Dewdrops and 1 Sugarplum all season. I know they allow principals to guest, but shouldn't thee first duty be to the company?

I believe that it's acknowledged and accepted amongst NYCB management that in-demand principals use this time to make some extra $$ in paid appearances elsewhere, thus opening space for debuts, soloists and corps members testing out principal roles. I think the trend of top company primas guesting at smaller regional companies is great. It shares the wealth of talent we are privileged to have in counties where it is not as abundant. 

It's not like ABT, where principals get a very limited number of performances, and thus ABT dancers sort of need these shows in a way NYCB dancers do not.   

I think there was quote from Martins or someone else high in the ranks about how it's expected that principals are leaving to guest in other Nutcrackers - not sure where I read this, however. 

4 hours ago, Drew said:

When I first read the company was doing Woolf Works I instantly thought they could more or less sell out Ferri making a guest appearance AND that it would be an intriguing opportunity for Trenary.  Though Trenary may well have another role in Woolf Works, the news that she isn't cast in the lead is a little disappointing to me especially in view of the fact she isn't being given a shot at Tatianna. I"m disappointed (though not really surprised) Copeland isn't coming back and I agree that the longer she stays out the more it seems as if she has no plans for a genuine return--though perhaps she will still plan with the company for some kind of farewell. Can't help but be Excited for Misseldine...What a huge season for her....

Yes, after all these years, the person I'm still the most excited to see is Ferri. And I know people who are coming to town just to see her one more time. Not even due to nostalgia, just an incredible artist. 

Even with diminished technique Copeland could probably manage a modified R&J as well as Woolf Works. Tatiana isn't the most technically difficult role either (and even though a role like Mama Elena is small, Copeland has sparkled in roles like this ... thinking of her Queen in The Golden Cockerel). 

I'm baffled she's not performing this season. They left out of a lot the ballets with difficult lead roles for women (Don Q, Sleeping Beauty) so I was sure it was going to be a retirement year for Murphy / Copeland. 

13 minutes ago, California said:

Gillian Murphy: yes, please retire. It's painful to watch.

Would you say it's a big dip in quality from the last couple seasons? I expected a gradual decline like Cornejo, but it sounds like the decline has been much steeper. She's dancing Etudes in the Fall gala which is a bold choice. But to hear she had issues with Tatiana is disheartening, as it's not the most difficult role ... 

I wonder if her focus on ARB is taking away from studio time? I assumed next year would be her last Summer season at The Met since she probably wants to retire as O/O, her signature role. 

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

It seems embarrassing for ABT that they are relying on such a young guy for so so much. I mean, it's great for the audience and he seemed to be loving it, but they need a deeper roster. 

They have some amazing up-and-comers! But there are a lot of unexciting men at/near the top (Stearns, Ahn, Forster, Hoven) that they can't sideline completely. I feel bad saying this as Stearns and Forster are the type of likable, workmanlike principal males every company needs to have on hand, but unlike Roxander who can turn a ballet newbie into a fan with one solo, they aren't likely to convert new audiences. 

Maybe I'm just on a high from spectacular newcomers like Roxander and Roman Mejia, but perhaps we're on the cusp of another era of male dancers who are worth shaping ticket purchases around? 

Until then we're probably in for a couple more awkward transitional seasons. 

53 minutes ago, deanofdance said:

2) Orpheus - watching Ashley Laracey dance this season in Emeralds and Orpheus — I get a sense that she made peace with not being promoted to principal and decided to dance for herself and for her love of ballet — and the affect is that her dancing has become more nuanced and notable, and in a way, refreshed. She was always a dependably lovely dancer — but now her dancing has a sweet (bittersweet?) perfume…

Agree wholeheartedly. Her épaulement might now be my favorite in the company. Even newer ballet fans I brought this season have mentioned how captivating they found her. Orpheus isn't much of a dancer showcase (at least not in comparison to most other pieces this season) but she turned it into one!  

38 minutes ago, Belka said:

I remember seeing the entire Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3 at Kennedy Center in 2013 and was absolutely blown away by Ashley Bouder stunning performance of the Theme and Variations portion. I remember it well, because sometime soon-ish before (or possibly after, need to check my records) Michele Wiles performed it for ABT. I think that was my first "Theme" experience, and from what I recall she looked very labored and not comfortable.

Come to think of it I've actually never seen an ABT dancer really nail female T&V lead. I'm always relieved with they just get through it with no obvious issues. Have they had a great interpreter in the past 20 years? 

11 hours ago, AB'sMom said:

I wonder if that’s why there haven’t been promotions yet—no new contracts to sign.

This is why I sort of bristle at all the 'get your house in order ABT / jaffe is slow / I had hopes for certain casting choices and now have lost hope' assumptions because its clear that this is a transitional, important time for the company. This is not an easy process for both dancers and management. 

Take the time needed to do it right, something that will help the company be a better place for artists for years and years (although hopefully the contracts will be in place by performance time as non-contract employment can cause major low morale). I hope they can find a solution everyone is happy with. 

Just now, California said:

I went to the Works and Process at the Guggenheim Sunday night with Susan Jaffe. Two pieces of news I hadn't heard: (1) Alessandra Ferri will do two performances of Woolf Works next summer at the Met, and (2) Chloe Misseldine is prepping to do Swan Lake in February at the Kennedy Center and at the Met next summer. She did openings of white Swan pdd and black Swan with Thomas Forster.

Thank you for this! So happy to have Alessandra back at The Met. 

I wonder if adding such a young O/O (Misseldine) to the already stacked SL slots means one or two of their swans are retiring this year (Murphy/Copeland would be my guess). 

8 minutes ago, cobweb said:

James Whiteside was in the audience at NYCB tonight. Hope he was taking notes! ABT has a lot to live up to after NYCB's recent performances of Ballet Imperial. 

The NYCB men in particular have been fabulous in everything. Roman Mejia is such a star - gorgeous work from Gilbert Bolden III, Jovani Furlan and Joseph Gordon and as well. 

For everyone getting upset about delayed promotions, remember that Jaffe did not choose the rep last Spring - this program is her first and closer to glory days ABT rep. It's and a real testing ground to see how people dance her repertory preferences. 

On 10/5/2023 at 2:21 PM, bingham said:

 I had high hopes when Susan J came in with a wonderful Fall program but apparently has not learned from previous mistakes. 

This is literally the first season she's put together. Why not keep the hopes high? 

16 hours ago, cobweb said:

Emily Kikta was commanding and totally scintillating. (IMHO she should have been promoted instead of Emilie Gerrity.) More please. All in all, such a GREAT PIECE!!

I agree. There are so many different and evolving characteristics of what makes a 'Balanchine Ballerina,' but something about how she can cover so much space + her timeless modernity and commanding presence makes her a top choice when I bring NYCB-first-timers to a performance. So many gorgeous ballerinas of many shapes and style in the company, but when I watch Kikta I always want to be her! 

Gerrity is lovely as well but doesn't stick in the mind as much. I'm looking forward to seeing her in more starring roles - for some reason my performance choices worked out to not having seen her much this and the previous year. 

3 hours ago, Helene said:

I'm not sure Melissa Hayden, for whom Liberty Bell was created, would ever have been called a soubrette :).

Very true - which makes me wonder if our reception to the piece in general has changed and thus why we find an easier time buying Fairchild's firecracker of a performance rather than Nadon's natural glamour and elegance (I did not see Nadon in this so I'm just throwing words out there that may not be true in this instance). 

While it was always tongue-in-cheek, could it be that our overall relationship with this type of patriotism has changed (I would say, soured a bit more)? It definitely works best now as a maximalist bauble with the pyrotechnics turned up to 11.