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Actually there was nothing good-humored about it. Martins corrected her without so much as a smile. Stahl is a fine, respected journalist , as you say,and seems like a lovely person, but her questions were a little odd. First she asked him why we were "ready" for yet another Romeo and Juliet, which was a good but tough question that he didn't really answer. But after asking why he'd chosen teenagers for the lead roles, she wasn't satisfied with his reply, but kept pressing him on the subject. "But, but, as dancers, what do you think you gained . . . ?" (he'd just told her), followed by "but you don't think you lost anything?" (he'd just told her he'd gained everything). It was as if she was second guessing his decision. And then she compared Paris' smacking Romeo to child abuse ("it's almost like"), and asked him to explain that. It was another good question, but tactlessly phrased. And then she asked him what we should look for in the second act, prompting him to reply in part "I don't have to tell you what to look for; the public knows what to look for." I don't about anyone else, but the whole interview made me uncomfortable. There were things about this production I didn't like: the set reminded me of the Stonehenge prop in "Spinal Tap;" the courtiers preceding Juliet's parents into the ballroom reminded me of characters on "Star Trek"; at the end of the balcony scene, the emotional height of the production so far, we're distracted by the moving of the set, and then denied a chance to savor that scene in memory because the ballet continues without intermission there with a scene of far less emotional weight; and how in the world do Romeo's friends get away with groping Juliet's nurse as they try to get their hands on Juliet's note? Having said all that, I largely enjoyed the ballet, and my far more stronger feelings are of admiration, not just for the beautiful dancers, but also for Martins and his collaborators for having the courage of their convictions and working hard to bring their ideas to fruition.

Bart, there were a couple of moments in the first swordfight scene where we got a view on the diagonal with the camera very low to the ground that I thought quite effectively put us into the middle of the fight. Rewatching that, though, I just noticed that one of the Montague's is wounded in this scene, and no one goes to his aid. Strange.

I missed that one, but I thought the election night, neon-red-bisected-with-black thing was a flamboyant eysore. Perhaps it looked better in person. Otherwise, yeah, to flip the image, she's usually a sight for sore eyes, and her support for and evident love of the performing arts is ever so heartening. "Michelle O" indeed!

Bart has already mentioned Michael Popkin's nice long interview with Christopher Wheeldon in the Spring 2009 DanceView. Like the rest of the articles in this and other issues, the interview is liberally illustrated with large black and white photos -- nine of them! Also in this issue, Leigh Witchel gives a detailed account of Mimi Paul coaching Sara Mearns and Jonathan Stafford in Emeralds, and along with John Clifford coaching Megan Fairchild and Jared Angle in Valse Fantasie. The cover features a photo from the collection of Robert Greskovic of Tamara Karsavina as Columbine in Diaghilev's version of Le Carnaval. More historical photos from Greskovic's collection accompany Alexandra Tomalonis' article, "Remembering Fokine," subtitled "100 Years Ago, a new choreographer was introduced to Paris." This issue also features Carol Pardo on NYCB's 2009 winter season. Jane Simpson reports from London on Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant, The Royal Ballet's Isadora and Other Ballets, and ABT's Swan Lake. Rita Felciano reports from San Francisco on San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Auditions, Elizabeth Streb, Blacj Choreographers Festival Here and Now, Jerome Bel and Pichet Klunchun, Heidi Shweiker, and ODC/Dance. DanceView is the print big sister of danceviewtimes, and a subscription helps support that online magazine as well as Ballet Talk; both were founded and are sustained by Alexandra. Get one for the living room, one for the bedside table, and one for the guest bedroom is my advice.

Thanks for posting this, Jack. I especially look forward to the Donizetti-Faun-Dream-Apollo program. Isn't it rare for Apollo to be programmed last? It's one of my favorite ballets, but it doesn't exactly make for a rousing, crowd-pleasing finale. Good for Farrell for putting where she wants it anyhow, and I think I'll like it all the more there, and come to think of it, I think she put in last when her troupe was up in the Terrace Theater. But after Donizetti there isn't much variety in the pacing, is there? It stays mostly on the dreamy side.

Great question. PBS did give us a Diamond Project broadcast a few years ago, and the Balanchine tribute was obviously a worthy broadcast, even if it wasn't forward looking. But I sure wish they were giving us Ratmansky and Wheeldon this month instead of a poorly received Romeo and Juliet.

They may blur on the programs, but did they blur when Farrell followed Adams in Agon? When Villella followed Moncion and Tomasson in Prodigal Son? I wasn't there, but I can't imagine so. Aren't great works of art ever vital if they're alive to talented interpreters?

If I remember correctly, Kaufman speaks of the early 90's as a time when NYCB danced Balanchine indifferently. I saw a good number of Balanchine ballets for the first in '92 and '93 at the State Theater, and they enthralled me. I suspect the difference isn't length of immersion, but knowledge through experience of what plumbs the depths and what doesn't.

Wow, such wise and heartening words. Thanks, Sandy.

Not if the characters were well drawn.

Bart, are you possibly thinking of Great Performances instead of Live from Lincoln Center? The latter is --- at least usually -- broadcast live, and I think the name would be rather strange if it wasn't.

I agree. As Mel and Bart noted, "mane" means "maniac." And I'm very happily guilty as charged.

I just ran across the following: NYCB dancers will appear in "Russian Seasons" and "After the Rain" at this year's Spoleto Festival on July 3-4. Members of Random Dance will dance McGregor's "Erazor."

Here

Yes, thanks a lot, jllaney. I'm glad you understand this better than that blogger does.

What month is this? The article reads like an April Fool's Day story. If anyone here is familar with copyright law, perhaps you can explain by what legal logic Disney thinks it has a right to do this.

Jack, that was thoroughly enjoyable; thank you. Would that Part would appear with Farrell's troupe at the center next March! Perhaps in Afternoon of a Faun? We can dream.

That was quite a list. Is Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" still popular?

That's what I love about this site . . . passionate, knowledgeable people.

Simon, I can only envy your greater familiarity with the Cunningham company, and I agree that in terms of legacy the firings look counterproductive. And I've read the Farmer interview and my heart goes out to her, and I'm not defending the way the firings were handled. But when you note that relatively few people care enough to read about Merce Cunningham or even know who he is, that's basically my point. The casual reader will think Farmer and company were fired because their artistry is lacking. But there aren't too many of these people around, and people who love dance will know better.

One has to read only a very little about these firings before discovering that the fired dancers had been favorites of Merce and that the "artistic reasons" given for their dismissal amount to his following his usual pattern and, as it were, falling in love with new dancers while falling out of love with others. Carlson's statement could have been more sensitively written, but no one who follows the company would believe dancers were at fault; I find it hard to imagine he's so dumb as to try to impugn their reputations. And it is wonderful that Merce is still creative enough to want to work with new people. Carlson was emphazing the positive.

Very interesting. I guess that explains the following from Macaulay in the Times recently (italics mine):

I don't suppose they'll show extra footage, but according to the Met's Twitter page, PBS will show the film this fall. They show all the HD broadcasts eventually; I saw Lucia di Lammermoor Sunday.

I can't say I've been in this situation often, but when I have I've tried to disregard the overall choreographic patterns and instead study and better get to know individual dancers. Or I've tried to sharpen my eye by comparing dancers doing the same steps, to see who I like best and why.

I think it's kind of like when Ballet Talkers implore McKenzie to make this move or that, except that in this case people have the money to finance their hopes. They're doing nothing wrong, it's just up to McKenzie to accept or decline their request based on its artistic merit. Ratmansky looks like a pretty good bet, no?