drb

Sandik's mention of Ailey brings to mind his "Revalations", surely one of the most performed dances in the world. The Ailey company performs many "theological" ballets, those of the theological-minded (and great) choreographer Ronald K. Brown, in particular ("Grace" is a masterpiece). One can learn more about Mr. Brown and his company, Evidence, at: http://www.evidencedance.com/ Then there are directly theological symbols in ballet, such as Giselle's sign of the cross pose to protect Albrecht in Act 2 of Giselle, a ballet, after all, about forgiveness and redemption. Peter Martins uses a similar image in his Swan Lake Act 4. Balanchine, of course has his famous Prodigal Son.

A long article by Laura Bleiberg of the Orange Country Register gives material on the four Kings and Christopher Wheeldon, including a set of seven photos. They discuss the state of ballet in American culture, the preparation of the new Wheeldon ballet, and changing from Jeune Homme to The Lesson, including Kobborg's playing Cojocaru's role in rehearsal! http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/enter...icle_993952.php A quote: "After much agonizing, it was decided the classical variations made the whole show too physically exhausting; instead, they were videotaped this past week for broadcast during the performances." Note that Orange County prices are half those in New York. You may also want to click on "kings of the dance" in the article. It will give interviews with each dancer and four more photos.

Thrill to a new generation of dare-devil youngsters, while old favorites touch your soul with profound artistry. You'll fall for them, as they fall for you!

If you Google her name you will happily find she's sung recently both in the wester USA and in England. Seems to have had a great Norma, in particular.

Let's give Helene a 6.0 for explanation!

Having seen Vishneva's with Corella last summer, that's a pretty sure choice. Although, given her special emotional relationship with Vladimir Malakhov, that could be a deep one also. [Ferri is not dancing Giselle this season.]

Heroic dancer award to Kristen Sloan, vis. her full report in The Winger, including a photo: http://www.phontographer.com/winger/archiv...01271.html#more In part, she reports "Last night, about two hours before the new Martins ballet was scheduled to premiere, I came down with either food poisoning or some evil stomach bug. I hoped in vain that whatever was causing my body so much trouble would be fully ejected before showtime, but no such luck. I managed to keep it together for the length of the ballet, with extra focusing help from Tommy, but once we were through, my body couldn't keep it in any more. I ended up spending the night and some of the morning getting rehydrated in the emergency room at Beth Israel.... The things we do for the art that we love! In addition, it was great to see Friandises be so well received...."

Suzanne has fallen on stage, and found that the experience has improved her quality of life! ".... I've had situations where my partner has forgotten to come in, to catch me. So you have to think on the spot. I've fallen down onstage. Believe me, you don't know how fast you can move, how quick you can think, and how smart you can become, until you are in a situation where you have fallen, and people are looking at you. Those are the situations that you learn from. .... If I can handle something like that in front of people looking at me, then I feel I can handle anything. Maybe I don't know how, but I know I can, and that's very good." The full quote can be found at: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/far0int-3

For those wishing to prepare in advance for Friday's premiere of the Peter Martins ballet "Friandises," the Playbill preview that appears in NYCB's program is now online: http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/3811.html

Ten new pix up on the site, including Kyra Nichols, Ana Sophia Scheller and...SEE ASHLEY FLY!

A great idea, but lets complete the deal, and in a way that should make both orchestras happy. NYCB's Spring season ends rather early and the theater goes dark for a while. Why not have PNB visit here for a week, working with NYCB's orchestra, to make up for NYCB's week in Seattle, with PNB's orchestra? Whether as subs add-ons or on their own, probably both would fill the respective houses. Both orchestras would get an extra week's pay, both companies would get exposure to experienced, knowledgable audiences. There's even enough rep overlap so that neither orchestra need get terribly overloaded with rehearsal time. If this could be managed quickly enough we NYer's would get one last look at the great Patricia Barker, as well as get to see what Peter Boal is doing (in itself enough to sell out the theater!).

There's an especially favourable review of Ansanelli by Debra Craine in The Times: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/art...2027581,00.html [Acosta and Lamb in Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun]..."are a hard act to follow, but Alexandra Ansanelli and Federico Bonelli managed to make a tremendous impression in the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. As a former dancer at New York City Ballet, Ansanelli has Balanchine in the blood and it shows. We rarely see his choreography danced with such exciting panache or intoxicating speed. Ansanelli, who has just joined the Royal, was clearly determined to make her mark..."

Currently the high-priced watch is represented by three dancers, Angel Corella Lopez (ABT), Sylvie Guillem (RB, sans Bejart), and Yuan-Yuan Tan (SFB). You can see and read about them (click on site map, then on name: center column under Artists) here: http://www.rolex.com/en/ It is interesting to learn about Angel's charity work, Sylvie's defiance, and Yuan-Yuan's career being based on a coin flip.

Thanks for the links, Dale. And it is wonderful to read of Darcey Bussell's success with Balanchine. I remember years ago when she guested with City Ballet and frequently out-Balanchine'd our own! Also one summer RB visit where, in a matinee performance of Cendrillon, she was the closest thing to Farrell I've seen since Suzanne retired.

It would be great to have the Ashton bits, but just to avoid confusion ENB's site says "Swan Lake Derek Deane's arena version tours to Madrid and Edinburgh MADRID Teatro Real. On sale from 5 April www.teatro-real.com 19 – 25 April"

Abi Stafford looked just fine in the fourth variation of Divertimento 15, dancing with more ease and freedom than earlier in this, her comeback season. The Andante also seemed fine, but she seemed to twist an ankle during a turn. Let's hope her absence from the finale was just precautionary: she's shown every sign of being even better than she was pre-injury, and surely is due her fair share of luck this time. Ana Sophia Scheller displayed speed, vivacity, and a smile (nothing stagey at all) that surely expressed the joy of dance in the first variation. Sterling Hyltin danced the second variation, and especially impressed with a floating lyricism in the Andante. It has been quite a week for Rachel Rutherford (third variation), who followed her success in Friday's In the Night with more space-filling amplitude today. Ashley Bouder's second go as the leading lady found her in prime form, so at home in variation 6 that one would swear she was improvising, just plain dancing for joy. In no way rushed by the tempo (beautifully measured by Maurice Kaplow again), she had plenty of time to breath in grace notes with magical arms and hands that would make you think NYCB was becomming an "arms" company! Philip Neal was her partner and he too seemed very much at home in Mozart, delivering some beautiful accents with his arms as well. Jason Fowler and Andrew Veyette flawlessly completed the stellar cast. Interesting point, Violin Concerto, about Klavier seeming much shorter this time. I found the costume improvement significant, but I wonder if Mr. Wheeldon may have made subtle alterations in the choreography too. Probably I'm just a slow learner. But this time one could really see the fit between movement and music, which I'd especially missed with the two BGB triplets. Having caught his musicality this viewing, I can't wait till next season to have a chance to experience the emotional depths that must be there as well.

Daily LA casting is online at http://www.ocpac.org/onstage/Event.asp?EventID=584 The magic date is Feb 17, when the real-life couple, Alina and Johan, will dance together. By the way, you can click on a lengthy photo gallery of the Kings.

No news yet, but Nina is certainly keeping busy with her Georgian company. Bart Cook is scheduled to arrive in Tblisi next week to set a third (!) all-Balanchine program. This time three "black-and-white" neoclassical works. Georgia Today reports the program will debut on March 4. Also, her former partner Alexei Fadayechev (and his wife Tatyana) are preparing the company for Giselle, which will premiere March 17. For more details: http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=908

Johan Kobborg's site now gives the casting for The Lesson. In California the Student will be Alina Cojocaru and the Pianist will be Zenaida Yanowsky. In New York they will be Gudrun Boejeson (RDB) and Dierdre Chapman, respectively. Since this is his production, I suspect he knows...

Tonight the story surely was Kyra Nichols in In the Night. I think this may have been her first appearance this season. Partnered with Philip Neal as the second couple, she did not disappoint. This was full-out dancing, not marking, precise pointe work, upper body free and fully integrated with lower body, warm, expressive, nothing held back, everything given. Rachel Rutherford and Tyler Angle danced the first couple with the space-filling amplitude of principals (this guy is some kind of partner!). Whatever may have been the problem earlier this week, Wendy Whelan, partnered by Sebastien Marcovici, was brilliant, risk-taking and thrilling. A splendid performance of this Robbins ballet, so often second-fiddle to Dances at a Gathering. The program began with Episodes, already well-reviewed in an earlier performance. Again, here, Whelan danced at full-throttle. Abi Stafford and Darci Kistler both seem to have found a comfort level in this ballet. Obviously, I was crazy about Tess Reichlen's ultra-appropriate hyper-flexibility. She and Jason Fowler solved Balanchine's puzzles as if, and in the spirit of, child's-play. The program concluded with Wheeldon's April in Paris. I haven't seen it before, so I can't compare Ellen Bar's debut with Carla Korbes's interpretation. But everything seemed to go well. I know everyone dislikes this ballet, but it is pretty. And is a chance to see Damian Woetzel and Elizabeth Taylor--er, Jeni Ringer. Well danced, although not the goose-bumps you might expect from this pair plus Christopher Wheeldon. The audience loved it. [Added for general information] The February NYCB Playbill has some interesting articles. First, information on the forthcoming ballet by Peter Martins, Friandises (little bits and pieces). Christopher Rouse's ballet score is also being choreographed by Adam Hougland for Juilliard's Dance Ensemble (Feb. 22). Admirable mutual risk-taking by the two choreographers! A preview: " (Martins' version) matches the youthful flair of the music with a lively abstract dance that sends a large cast flying with disciplined virtuosity." Second, interviews with four recently promoted soloists. Adam Hendrickson: He's a Robbins fan and especially loved being in N. Y. Export: Opus Jazz. "The process of putting that ballet together was the most enjoyable time I've ever had." Ask La Cour: Since promotion he's focused on becoming a better partner, with Jock Soto as his role model. His high point as a soloist was partnering Tess Reichlen's Sugarplum. Teresa Reichlen: It is noted that her "immaculate phrasing extends to her fingertips," and she's a born ballerina. She feels risk-taking doesn't come naturally, and it is something she must work on. (Performances I've seen show she must be an incredibly hard-worker!) She looks forward to dancing Bizet (second movement), Diamonds, the duet in Violin Concerto, and O/O. Daniel Ulbricht: He studied gymnastics and Karate before beginning ballet at age 11. He looks forward to more acting parts and more partnering. His wish list includes Prodigal Son and Harlequin, and something new in the upcoming Diamond Project.

It is Derek Deane's 1997 "arena" production. As described by David Dougill in The Sunday Times: "Deane’s great achievement was to deploy massed forces — the company enlarged to a strength of 120 — to fill the arena, and cleverly adapt the choreography to face all round, without losing the poetic heart of the work. Amid the swirling, watery light on a lake of dry ice, his formations for a vast flock of 60 swans are especially affective and lovely. The price to pay here is that the noise of so many pointe shoes, when they are running, suggests the Household Cavalry cantering by, but we have grown to live with that." This production will next be seen in Madrid (April) and Edinburgh (May). Photos and an Act-by-Act description can be seen at: http://www.ballet.org.uk/ref_swanlake_story.htm

Kudos to Paul Kolnik. We owe our thanks to him and to NYCB for this weekly gift. From the look on Mr. Askegard's face, it is probably a good thing Firebird doesn't come back at the end: he'd probably have set a record for the fastest Royal divorce in history! Still, whether it is La Sylve or Ms. Bouder, I wish she did come back... p.s. I wonder how long till they toss in a weekly video clip...

From a review of the film "Bringing Balanchine Back" appearing in NJ.com: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/times/inde...6220.xml&coll=5 Author Ann Levin describes a scene involving Ansanelli which she seems to suggest may have a bearing on why Ms. Ansanelli left NYCB: "Principal dancer Alexandra Ansanelli is among the most prominently featured in the film, preparing for her debut in "Serenade" at the Maryinsky. When she rehearses in front of company director Peter Martins, she makes enough mistakes to cause Martins to replace her with another dancer. His tough treatment of the young Ansanelli is an eye-opener. She left the company last year." At any rate, Alexandra is scheduled to dance the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux with Frederico Bonelli at The Royal Ballet tomorrow, as well as 23 and 28 February. Merde!, Dear Alexandra.

Suppose that the guests are coming to check out the company and Seattle. And that the company and audience are similarly checking out the guests? Isn't that step 1 in a potentially interesting process? America clearly has two major companies, but there is no reason not to change this number to three. What other American company is better than PNB in terms of audience, talent pool in place, and quality of leadership to effect such an upgrade? What other company, including the 'majors', has an AD who even begins to compare with Peter Boal in terms of prestige and ability to attract talent? It would not be an overnight process, and it would be presumptuous to begin with a fanfare of trumpets. It would be a shame to abort such a possibility with parochialism. What is wrong with trying to get better?

Somehow, when entering the above post I managed instead to replace an earlier post regarding the opening drop/painting of the Firebird by Chagall. The question was why was her human head on upside-down? http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_art...l-firebird.html