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matilda

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
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  1. I agree that ABT's limited dancing opportunities compared to in the past must be frustrating.... but with the exception of NYCB, does ABT really have significantly fewer performance opportunities than other top American companies? SFB, for example, has nine programs for the 2023-24 year, including Nutcracker and two "encore" programs; Houston has eight. Philadelphia Ballet only has five programs for the upcoming year including Nutcracker. Seems like by US standards, ABT is still probably the best, or at least one of the best, one can do outside of NYCB and without going to Europe.
  2. I agree that Coker should be pushed up to soloist, probably Fanqi Li too among the women. I don't think either is any less talented than, say, Betsy McBride or Breanne Granlund, both of whom McKenzie promoted retiring. Or Luciana Paris, Katherine Williams, or Zhongjing Fang for that matter. Patrick Frenette has indicated via Instagram that he'll be dancing in Woolf Works, so maybe he's on the promotion track for the next round.
  3. Here is proof that it's Unity: https://www.nycballet.com/discover/special-projects/slowdancing-nycb First slideshow under "stills" header at bottom, 6th image. GEORGE BALANCHINE LA SONNAMBULA (1946) Unity Phelan, David Gabriel
  4. I am 100% confident it is Unity in the giant Sonnambula video. I saw her in the ballet twice and follow her on Instagram, and that is exactly what she looks like in closeup with her hair down.
  5. Saw the show tonight, although I left before Carnival of the Animals. Stars and Stripes was good! Pereira has lost some of the pep in her step from a few years ago, but her dancing was clean and her signature cutesy demeanor works here. Agree with those who think Alston MacGill, dancing right behind her, would have brought better precision and energy though. Hod was her usual glamorous and long-legged self in the second movement, although I think the originally cast Olivia MacKinnon would have shown more personality, like she did in Western Symphony last fall. Takahashi is having a breakout season. I used to think his dancing was too muted but now he commands the stage like a future principal. I didn't see Fairchild and Gordon last night, so I can't say whether or not they improved, but it was a solid if not exactly wowzer performance. (Mejia is the company's current El Capitan standard bearer.) Gordon is more of a turner than a jumper but his jumps were buoyant and elegant. No jumps in the seconde tours, but he ended cleanly with multiple pirouettes. Liberty Bell is still a good role for Fairchild at this point in her career and plays well to her soubrette strengths, however, I don't think that will be the case for much longer and next time, it's time to see Von Enck or Woodward! SPEAKING OF WHICH.... wow, wow, wow to both. Von Enck in Tarantella was such a burst of joy, tearing up the stage with Ulbricht, who is 40ish going on 20ish. He looked like he was going to leap right off the stage in his menage turns. Woodward and Huxley had a terrific debut in Tchai pas; it's crazy these two wonderful classical artists are just debuting this ballet now. Both were exciting, detailed, elegant, musical and technically sound with bold attack. My only complaint was that the tempo oddly slowed down during Woodward's fouettés (maybe it was planned this way), so the only thing missing were the ultra-fast turns I'm used to seeing Tiler Peck do. Still an amazing debut and well worth the ticket.
  6. Agree about the Von Enck and Gabriel debuts. She sparkles through every inch of her limbs while moving at lightening speed. It's true that Gabriel is a technical wizard but he also projects on stage and partners extraordinarily well for someone so new to the corps. He's in a similar vein as Joe Gordon and Anthony Huxley, and I hope to see him rise the ranks fast. The "middle act" of In a Landscape and Hallelujah Junction was for me a pleasant throwback to 2000s-era NYCB. I don't necessarily need to see these works again anytime soon, but I enjoyed them and feel they are worth keeping in rep. In a Landscape was a bit too long and the music on its own did not hold my attention, but the bendy Agon-inspired choreography was interesting enough, and Afakansenkov moved like melted butter in Knight's hands. Hallelujah Junction was well danced by the leads but the four corps couples really stood out. I probably don't need to see the Concert more than once every ten years or so, but Maxwell was really, really good as the lead ballerina. She's been at the company for over a decade; why are we only getting to witness her acting chops now?? Appreciate that she's finally having her moment, doing so well particularly in roles previously danced by Hyltin and Lovette.
  7. Saw the matinee today. Thought Ratmansky's Solitude was brilliant and moving, exploring the stages of grief from denial to acceptance against a larger backdrop of unfathomable human tragedy. I did not see Gordon in this so I have nothing to compare Adrian DW's performance to, but his performance was emotional, technically secure. The whole cast was amazing but Nadon as usual was an absolute standout with her signature volume and attack. In Opus 19: This ended up being an interesting and appropriate complement to Solitude, both ballets being solemn and focused on the emotional / psychological state of a lead male. Gordon is a first-class artist in this and brought extra virtuosity with beautifully controlled turns. Peck was somewhat more earthbound than ethereal but I will never complain about her casting in anything! She definitely brought speed and drama. Symphony in 3 Movements: This is one ballet where I was disappointed to not be seeing Peck, but Ashley Laracey, though not an obvious fit for this role, was better than I expected, or at least better than when I saw her fill in for Hyltin a few years ago. Her skills and style are more suited to the bendy pas de deux than the first and last sections. Stanley, Von Enck, Gerrity, Takahashi, and (to a lesser extent) Villarini-Velez brought the necessary attack, and the corps was in good form. This is one of my "desert island" ballets no matter who's cast and I can't get enough of it.
  8. This phenomenon has been discussed at length here, but ABT has an unfortunate pattern of pairing great ballerinas with not-so-great (or past their prime) male principals, or vice versa. It's been mentioned that Cassandra Trenary is rehearsing Kitri per her Instagram, in the ABT studios. Of course this could be for an upcoming guest performance, but it's very possible the ballet will be back at the Met in 2025. Not many prime Basilios to choose from if so.
  9. Just curious, who were the four dancers that were replaced?
  10. The Titania roster is a bit crowded right now, with Phelan, Mearns, Gerrity, and Miller, and only seven performances to go around. I feel like any debuts would probably go to Nadon or Lafreniere over Maxwell. Hope to see Maxwell in Dances at a Gathering though, and I think she'd be great in Symphony in 3 Movements.
  11. I saw the show last night too. First, a rant: I hate Rotunda. It's a total snooze and the music and costumes are nearly unbearable. Note to choreographers: if you choose terrible music, I'm not even going to be interested in the choreography. Not even this mostly-good cast (Sebastian Villarini-Velez was OK but lacks the lushness and introspection for that ending solo) could make me enjoy this. Not sure why it was brought back--was it because reviews were positive when it premiered? I should note that I'm far from a Justin Peck hater; I do like a lot of his other work. Thankfully, Concerto for Two Pianos was a total delight and absolutely worth keeping in repertory. Mejia literally soared as the virtuoso solo lead, and Miller and Bolden made a successful and vibrant debut as the lead couple despite one precarious--but saved!--overhead lift. Bolden totally held his ground sharing the stage with Mejia, looking like a principal. I thought the contrast of Von Enck dancing side by side with Bradley worked well. A major triumph for Tiler Peck and one of my favorite premieres of recent years. Thank god NYCB decided to bring Odesa back after its original New York Times reception because I think it's one of Ratmansky's best. Overall an amazing cast, with pyrotechnics from Von Enck and Gordon, lushness from Mearns and Angle, and delicate drama from Maxwell and Veyette. Gordon is a total gem of an artist and I'm thankful to be watching him at his peak. In the end, a great, great night at the ballet after a mediocre start!
  12. Well we know that in some cases, height / proportions influence who gets promoted and when -- Megan Fairchild has spoken about having risen the ranks fast because at the time, Joaquin de Luz needed a partner of his size. I have zero doubt that Peter Walker got promoted largely because he's very tall, even though he's arguably less talented than his wife, soloist Kikta (nothing against Walker; I actually like his dancing more than some people on this board). So why shouldn't height be a reason dancers are sometimes not promoted to principal? Looking at Emily Kikta's rep, she does mostly non-partnering, or minimal-partnering, roles: Choleric, Dewdrop, Rubies tall girl, Lilac Fairy, PC2 soloist, and others. I think there is an obvious reason for this.
  13. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Maxwell gets promoted along with Von Enck. She's gotten a lot of debuts lately, many of them in Sterling Hyltin's former rep. I would argue she has a niche to fill with Sterling gone, while Von Enck would be filling more of a Bouder/Fairchild void (I assume both will retire within the next few years). Maxwell is also a height-suitable partner for favored male principals like Huxley, Gordon, Mejia, and the up-and-coming Gabriel. I would love to see Kikta and/or Miller promoted, but if it doesn't happen, I think height will be the reason. Afanasenkov and Sautter are probably too new for imminent promotions but I expect both to rise through the ranks relatively fast.
  14. In Unity's defense, I have seen some excellent performances from her in the past year -- Sugarplum Fairy, Apollo, and Namouna to name a few. Her Agon was very well received too. I think she's very capable of being not-bland but is cast in too many ballets to do all of them justice.
  15. Yes: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131882106
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