oberon

Wednesday June 1 Edge & Abergel & the corps provided much appealing dancing in BAISER DE LA FEE. de Luz also gave a very beautiful performance but I think that he and Fairchild need to be paired with others. There is not much chemistry in their partnership and I feel more variety will be good for both of them. Nearing the end of her very impressive performance as the Queen in THE CAGE, Rebecca Krohn took a very bad fall; I am amazed and thankful that she did not injure herself; she got up, resumed dancing and took her calls like a pro. She makes a wonderfully predatory impression in this role. Few individual dancers over the years have made a role as much their own as Wendy has as the Novice. She simply IS...adjectives are superfluous. The Whelan/Soto partnership was on magical display here; huge response from the audience. CONCERTINO provided a showcase for three of the Company's sexiest, large-scale dancers. Sylve with her strength and ungodly extension and flexibility was put thru some complex partnering by Hanna & LaCour, all of them on dazzling form. Each then has a solo, and the boys re-appear at the end of Sylve's "aria" and the piece comes to a rather sudden & amusing stop. In sleek body tights, the three looked jazzy and interacted well. AGON received a magnificent performance tonight. I have seen Jock & Wendy dance the pas de deux so many times and this will be my last encounter with them (together) in the piece; it was one of their finest renditions, Wendy at the extremes of stretch and precision, Jock in total harmony and control. Seeing Peter Boal for the last time tonight; his beauty & artistry as a dancer will be sorely missed. Over the decades many dancers have come and gone and many leave behind enduring memories but few have matched Boal for easy technique and the nobility, generosity and sheer humanity of his dancing. And while these three dance titans were making their indelible marks on this piece, the younger generation held their own with the deluxe legs of Reichlin, the beauty & elegance of Ellen Bar & Jennifer Tinsley and the contrasting masculine allure of Amar Ramasar & Andrew Veyette. The boys were especially sharp in the final toss of Reichlin into Amar's arms as Veyette hit the floor perfectly on the music. The last time I yelled myself hoarse at the ballet was a Fracci/Nureyev GISELLE but I'm hoarse now after this AGON. How wonderful to be able to really salute the dancers with a long ovation; after coming out 3 times as a group, they came out in 2 trios and then Jock & Wendy together. Really a memorable performance in every respect.

carbro, I think you have defined what it was about Lowery in the RUBIES role that made me less-than-enthusiastic about her; she may be too wholesome looking! I have tried to think of other girls at NYCB now who might be fun in this piece and come up with Tinsley, Bar or Krohn. And yes, I do see Eddie V in Sean's face. And yes, Glenn Keenan is a treasure...

Saturday matinee 5/28 Many, many years ago BAISER DE LA FEE was the first ballet I saw at NYCB; I have not seen it often since then. The score is beautiful, and the corps looked very pretty. Amanda Edge and Dena Abergel were both very fine. Fairchild & deLuz danced the steps very well but I did not feel the sense of mystery & romance surrounding this couple. When it was announced that TALA GAISMA would replace GUIDE TO STRANGE PLACES I was not happy; I did not think much of Peter's new work at the Gala, and liked it only slightly better when I saw it a second time. My partner warned me that he might fall asleep during the piece this afternoon. As it turned out, we were both drawn into it and found many passages to enjoy. It is not a masterpiece by any means but today I realized I do not have to add it to my "avoid" list. It showcases Jock Soto's partnering skills and provides a great role for Sylve, who dances so excitingly here - their duet is the high point of the piece. Carla Korbes replaced Darci and her dancing was both very strong & very feminine; her beautiful hair is an added attraction. Was this the first time she & Jock danced together? They seemed very at ease together...I imagine Jock immediately puts any ballerina at ease. Special kudos to Miranda Weese, who excelled with her wondrous turns and the swiftness & clarity of her steps. Splendid violin solo by Kurt Nikkanen and the fascinating score lovingly played under Andrea Quinn's baton. Audience seemed very taken with the piece and the dancers won a much-deserved extra call. So nice to see Kyra again, dancing with remarkable elegance and musicality in the opening segment of B-S QUARTET. She is what she has always been, a dancer to whom the word "lovely" most truly applies. Stephen Hanna took immaculate care of her and seemed to realize she is a special lady; his solo passages showed his increasing comfort & control in virtuoso moments. And he's handsome to boot. Gorgeous performance by Ellen Bar...in her deeply feminine and lyrical dancing I see many echoes of Kyra, and that is a high compliment. Bevy of beautiful corps girls. Then when Golbin, Korbes and Krohn came on for the Intermezzo, I could not decide who to watch. If this were a beauty contest, they would all win. But then Jenifer Ringer came on and just gave an incredible Intermezzo. Jenifer always seems to find the most entrancing details of hands, arms & facial expression that sets her performances in their own realm. Just thoroughly wonderful! Fayette's a great partner, and Jenifer's swoons had the depth and abandon of real passion. Yvonne Borree and Nikolaj Hubbe renewed their long partnership in the refined Andante, and Amanda Edge & Elizabeth Walker were joined by Ashley Laracey who is a dancer I love to watch: unconventionally pretty, she is techically adept with a nice breadth of phrasing. Again, too many pretty girls in the corps to keep track of...Glenn Keenan did catch my eye several times with her enchanting smile. Then Wendy & Damian polished off the afternoon in high bravura form; they seemed to be having a grand time and I love Damian's casual devil-may-care multiple air turns and Wendy's sauntering gypsy lass with her legs that hypnotize me. New tall guy in corps, William Lin-Yee; we always need tall guys. Excellent guest maestro Colin Metters who gave wonderful weight and body to the Rondo section. Big response, 3 calls.

JEWELS 5/26 I really dislike the new sets; in my opinion only the EMERALDS setting is a success. RUBIES is too dark and DIAMONDS looks cheap. The settings in all 3 sections tend to dwarf the dancers. EMERALDS has, over the years, become my favorite of the three segments. The music is so beautiful and the choreography is cohesive, elegant and refreshingly free of "tricks". A year ago if anyone had suggested Bouder in this ballet I would said "miscasting". But something has happened to her lately, a refinement and new romantic attitude which made her very appealing in this subdued piece. That she danced it to perfection hardly needs to be said. Jared Angle partnered her very well; Jared is a big dancer who manages to be lyrical without being in the least bit affected. Excellent. Sylve was just engrossing to watch, a sophisticated dancer of enormous personal appeal. Ask LaCour's partnering was attentive and noble; any questions as to his being promoted on merit or otherwise should have been silenced by his recent performances. Very nice pas de trois from Suozzi, Dronova and Keenan. Ansanelli was at her most audacious in RUBIES; blazing multiple turns and nearly hitting herself in the nose with her extension. She takes huge risks as a dancer and once in a while seems about to go off track but she extricates herself from any potential traps and plunges ahead. Seeing her in this and in her incredible solo in POLYPHONIA within one week speaks volumes about her range. To say nothing of Columbine. She & Millepied were having fun, teasing and tempting one another. Ben is one of those dancers who can give the illusion that he can momentarily stop in midair. I was not really taken with Savannah Lowery in the pencee-girl role. RUBIES drew an excited ovation from the crowd. I've seen Wendy in DIAMONDS countless times and find it a very satisfying interpretation. She is so musical and refined, and puts a lusutrous finish on everything she does. I simply love watching her dance; more so than any other dancer past or present. Nilas was an affable partner; they seem very comfortable together. Rebecca Krohn did not materialize among the demi-solistes and was replaced by Gwyneth Muller AND Saskia Beskow at various points in the ballet.

Good to see David Hallberg is back in action...

Stopped by the lobby today and there is an interesting cast change for this Saturday's TALA GAISMA posted: Carla Korbes will dance in place of Darci.

Carol, If you scroll down thru the topics under NYC Ballet to week 2 and week 3, there are some notes about TALA GAISMA. In a nutshell, I loved the music and it was beautifully danced but it is not terribly interesting to watch - after a while the choreography just meanders on. Actually, in the original programming you would have been seeing GUIDE TO STRANGE PLACES this week but it has been dropped and TALA GAISMA substituted. So I'll be seeing it for a third time Hope you enjoy the performances and please write your impressions here at Ballet Talk! Oberon

...hopefully in ten years we'll still be seeing POLYPHONIA with people who are at present in the corps or the School dancing the leading roles! Saw it twice this season and it is a wonderful piece to watch and - I imagine - to dance.

Thursday 5/19 Waiting for the programme to start, I was thinking, why am I here tonight? I just saw 2 of the 3 ballets with identical casts and Bouder's BALLO is still fresh in my mind from the Winter season. The answer came when the curtain rose: why would I be anyplace else? Those girls in BALLO all looking so fresh and lovely; Bouder & Benjamin M put on an airy and dazzling display of virtuosity. The audience was a bit smaller in numbers than at recent performances but more expressive of their enjoyment: both dancers reaped applause as they swept through the tricky combinations. And: three calls at the end - something of a rarity these days. They deserved every bit of it. Ben is the epitome of "tall, dark & handsome" and his breezy footwork is balanced by astute partnering. Anyone who needs their passion for dance refreshed just needs to go see Ashley Bouder. She'll perk you up! And the four soloists: can you find any prettier girls anywhere? One lovelier than the next...Sterling Hyltin has a touch of Darci in her looks and a clear, crisp style; Amanda Edge with her fluent dancing and radiant joy; Carrie Lee Riggins, her smile & eyes would captivate anyone - and then there's her legs; and the jewel-like brilliance of the diminutive Ana Sophia Scheller. Tuesday's POLYPHONIA was magnificent but it looked like a dress rehersal compared to tonight. Everyone was notched up another level (seemingly impossible) and the audience was drawn in; during Alexandra's solo the feeling of pure silence in the house was almost eerie. If I say that it was probably the finest dancing I have seen from Alexandra that would be saying alot about the level of this performance. Her balance was unreal, her line hypnotic and she seemed to dance in her own private world. Unforgettable. Craig Hall is one of those corps dancers who would be a principal anywhere else: massive star quality, immaculate partnering and radiating a sense of calm control. Weese and Veyette look other-worldly with their alabaster complexion, but there is nothing pallid about their dancing which is commited and beautiful. Tinsley and Ramasar jazzed up the scherzo and played off one another to fine effect. Jock and Wendy have simply gone beyond...can't say any more about them; the second pas de deux is just - there are no words that suffice. Audience was so tuned-in to the piece and enthusiastically demanded a third call. Wendy & Robert Tewsley were wonderful in GLASS PIECES, dancing with a great sense of mystery; as if they had beamed in from some distant galaxy. Great! Ethan Stiefel and Gillian Murphy were there, looking elegant.

I'm a big admirer of Tewsley and it really was a pity that injuries plagued his tenure as a Company member. His success in MUSAGETE (whether one liked the piece or not) was one of the great personal triumphs in ballet. It's great that NYCB has brought him back for the Eifman and that he picked up GLASS PIECES and next week 4 TEMPS while he is here. People who transplant themselves to NYC are not always happy. Christopher Wheeldon mentions in the Playbill interview how disoriented he sometimes feels here. It's a hard, noisy, dirty City and not to everyone's liking.

Great RUBIES reports, Bobbi and Michael...and thanks! Was DIAMONDS really all that bad?? Michael, I share you admiration for Genevieve LaBean...and am very glad to be seeing her onstage again. Aside from her technical gifts, she is a very attractive young lady.

Tuesday 5/17 When Andrew Veyette & Faye Arthurs stepped onstage at the start of 4 TEMPS last night, they seemed emblematic of the whole Balanchine black & white world. What a masterpiece this is, and how fortunate I feel whenever I see it, especially in a performance such as this where one magnificent display of dance follows another. After Veyette & Arthurs finished their cool, polished duet, Carrie Lee Riggins and Amar Ramasar brought a sexier edge to their dance. And then Jared Angle and Rebecca Krohn seemed a bit romantic - yes, even in an abstract ballet. Krohn seems to me such a very appealing dancer, her slender yet womanly figure, her sense of line and her expressive face always draw me to watch her. Unless there are unexpected changes in the next week, this will be my last Peter Boal Melancholic - what a role this has been for him! I can't count the number of times I've seen him do it and it remains as perfect an expression of the human body in motion as any I can think of. Bravo & thank you, Peter Boal!! Sylve was replaced by Ansanelli; watching Alexandra grow up at NYCB has been a total joy. Her parents were there, as they so often are, and I was thinking they must be not just proud but deeply grateful that she recovered from that injury and resumed her trajectory in the dance world. She is a beautiful, strong but ultra-feminine dancer with a huge range (COPPPELIA to MUSAGETE - just think of it!) a virtuoso technician who has become a forceful actress and can be a charming comedienne as well. She and Charles Askegard might seem a bit mismatched but they brought off the pas de deux with striking clarity. Albert Evans in Phlegmatic brought sex appeal and strength to the role; Albert's a big man but his dancing is so "quiet"; his landings like velvet, his extension generous. Reichlin repeated her very fine Choleric. Special kudos to Golbin & Edge who hovered gorgeously around Boal, and to Ana Sophia Scheller as one of the high-kicking girls. Excellent guest conductor Carolyn Kuan gave the score a wonderful layered feeling. Wow, I wrote all that about one ballet? Sorry...I'll try to restrain myself. But POLYPHONIA was equally stimulating, again Alexandra was captivating making her solo a high point in his mysterious ballet. Craig Hall is a strong & charismatic partner for her. Veyette & Weese also made a good match; she has such a fluent technique and Veyette always looks cool & calmly takes care of his ballerina. Tinsley is a dancer I always like and she & Amar Ramasar seemed to enjoy dancing together. Wendy & Jock have made their second duet one of those memorable moments one anticipates at NYCB. Last night it held the audience enthralled. SUITE #3: Ask LaCour gave a perfect interpretation of the sad, dreamy man in the abandoned ballroom. He is an accomplished dancer with a big jump, a very astute partner and best of all a real presence not just physically but emotionally. He was able to express his joy at the fleeting pleasure of finding his ideal in a subtle and striking way. The entire ELEGIE had a wonderful windswept feeling; Ellen Bar follows beautifully in the footsteps of Karin, Monique & Helene in this role. Rachel Rutherford in the Waltz reminded me a bit of Darci in her depth of lyricism. Rachel seemed to me a woman with a burning passion just below the surface; very intriguing. Fayette is, as ever, the ideal partner and his eyes express everything. Tom Gold brought a sprightly energy to the Scherzo where Ashley Bouder simply gave an astonishing performance. Her speed, boldness and clarity left me feeling dazzled - her dancing is so vivid. Remarkable. After all this, THEME was a letdown. Fairchild got the steps but seemed stiff to me, and de Luz ended his series of multiple pirouettes a beat too soon and was on his knee in the final pose already when the punctuating chord sounded. At the end, he hoisted Fairchild to his shoulder with some effort but could not produce the "hands off" effect that gives the moment its ultimate thrill. Fairchild is small but she may be a bit too big for de Luz; I would like to see him dance with Scheller. Luckily I had four dreamy demi-solistes to admire: those luscious beauties Golbin & Abergel, and the Dresden pretttiness of Sarah Ricard. Hanson being out, she was replaced unannounced by Abi Stafford. Abi is such a sincere dancer and it's so good having her back. And good that she's taking it slow. In the back row, Vincent Paradiso made me think he'll be in the front row pretty soon. Leaving the theatre, Peter Martins kindly held the door for us.

Sorry to see GUIDE TO STRANGE PLACES has been dropped - one of Peter's more interesting ballets. The B-S Q casting seems pretty stellar.

Carbro, the truth is: I want to interview Golbin myself! Nice photo of her with Suozzi accompanies the interview...to say nothing of the super picture of Sean with Andrew Veyette and Ashley Bouder in TCHAIK PIANO #2...three of the brightest young things at NYCB today. I immediately put on the music; am thinking of how I could blow up the photo to wall-size for my apartment!

A second Golbin interview has appeared, this one with Sean Suozzi. It's really interesting. Of course I would love to read a Golbin interview with every single dancer in the Company but there are four dancers I especially want to read about and they are Elizabeth Walker, Amanda Edge, Carrie Lee Riggins & Jason Fowler. One thing that has struck me about the Dena & Sean interviews is the fondness the dancers seem to have for one another, not just as colleagues but as human beings. That's nice to think about when watching them dance.

Imagine being chosen as an Apprentice and then getting injured. What a sad situation! Hope she's dancing again soon and that we'll get to make her acquaintance onstage.

Was looking back over some old topics and recalled this discussion of Kaitlyn Gilliland who was supposedly to be an apprentice at NYCB. I've never seen her name in the programmes. Does anyone know what became of her?

bobbi, A year ago the thought of Bouder in EMERALDS would have struck me as a bit odd but watching her this season, there is a wonderful new sense of both glamour and romance about her. So: Bouder/EMERALDS = yes! And DIAMONDS no doubt will come...diamonds are a girl's best friend, after all.

Since people seem to be wanting "different" casting in JEWELS, I dreamed up the following: EMERALDS: Whelan/Neal, Ansanelli/Millepied; A. Stafford/F. Arthurs/Hendrickson RUBIES: Bouder/deLuz; Krohn DIAMONDS: Reichlin/Hanna or Korbes/Angle I know, not all "new" to their roles but I think it would all seem pretty fresh.

Friday 6/13 One of the most enjoyable nights at the ballet in recent seasons, starting with the beautiful ALLEGRO BRILLIANTE. Jenifer Ringer danced like a breath of Spring, she practically "sings" the music with her body. Philip Neal's looking near peak form; he has thrown off the caution that marked his earlier post-injury appearances. Super demis: welcome back Abi Stafford! Rachel R, Carrie Lee Riggins and Dana Hanson supported by Craig Hall, Kyle Froman, Christian Tworzyanski & Andrew Veyette, all of who seemed to be dancing in a state of joy. The score was well-played by the orchestra but Moredock does not seem a very cohesive conductor. Seeing the Millepied and Evans pieces in a mixed setting rather than a string of premieres made each of them far more impressive. Some people thought the music for DOUBLE ARIA was unpleasant; tonight it sounded almost beautiful to me and surely the virtuosity of violinist Timothy Fain plays an integral part in the success of the piece. What an incredible partnership Maria K and Ask LaCour have formed in this piece...you'd think they'd been dancing together for years. LaCour reminds me very much of Peter Martins as a partner: cool and confident. His beautiful and expressive face and endless legs are the perfect compliment to Kowroski. I have never seen her dance with such elasticity and sheer daring. The partnering demands are extreme - my partner thought some of it was downright dangerous - and these two dancers just sailed. They and the violinist received a loud, whooping ovation which was much deserved. Hardly to be out-shone, Ashley Bouder & Stephen Hanna responded with a breath-taking performance of Evans' BROKEN PROMISE. I don't sense Albert has let us down with this piece after HAIKU...not one bit. It's exciting, lyrical & edgy by turns, and demanding great precision, stretch and emotion from the dancers. Ashley & Stephen danced with total technical command and a trememdous sense of risk at certain points. The fact that they are two of the Company's most attractive and sexy dancers is an added advantage. Watching them I sometimes felt: can human beings really do this stuff? Again, big & enthusiastic audience response. And the excellent quartet of musicians gave a polished performance of Matt Fuerst's score. Darci bowed out of BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO so we had Wendy in a double header, two ballets which play to her remarkable presence and hypnotic technique. The adagio of the Barber shows her vulnerable, lyrical side and the mesmerizing, extra-terrestrial duet in GLASS PIECES is pure Whelan mystique. She had excellent partners: Albert in the BARBER and Robert Tewsley in the GLASS; both men danced beautifully while exuding their individual brands of charisma. Bouder had her own little triumph as the pesky, bare-footed girl and Askegard as the put-upon visionary was perfect. Abi danced in the sextette of "aliens" (or angels?) who materialize in the opening section of the Glass. She seemed happy to be back onstage. Always a treat to see Rebecca Krohn & Rachel; Jared Angle and Ask LaCour looked great and Adrian Danchig-Waring, subbing in the second duet, danced very well and then sportingly took on his regular corps part in the third segment. It was really good to see the audience response to the two newest ballets; sort of made up for the uninteresting Martins & Wheeldon offerings this Spring. I hope Albert's, Benjamin's and Ed Liang's pieces all find their niche in the repertoire. I'll be happy to see them several more times in coming seasons.

We seem to be beating a dead horse here. Since I joined this group there have been several "how terrible does NYCB's Balanchine look?" threads. The same people basically write the same things. As for "professional" writers, I would think by now everyone here knows Gottlieb doesn't like much about the current state of affairs at NYCB while Kisselgoff likes almost everything.

{Week 3 being May 10-15, I think...} Tuesday 5/10 Still don't like AMERICAN IN PARIS, but Jenifer Ringer, Carla & Damian give it their all. Giving Peter's TALA GAISMA another look; liked it better than I did last week esp. the Sylve/Jock duet but then it just went on and lapsed into vagueness. Jock was warmly greeted at his bow. Darci & Miranda were lovely but to no avail. Miranda's turns are superb. This ballet, with it's luminous score, could be improved IMO with: plain blue cyclorama backdrop, the girls in silver body tights and uniform hair-dos, and some sort of corps participation. The piece is too long to watch the four (excellent) dancers go through the same-y routines. Eddie Liang's ballet DISTANT CRIES - my 3rd viewing - is intriguing and a wonderful "snapshot" of the Boal/Whelan partnership. Beautiful clear & clean APOLLO to start the evening. I have no problem with Nilas as Apollo...he looks like a young god and his partnering is fine. The three very well-matched Muses (Ansanelli, Bouder & Rutherford) all danced very well and the four dancers seemed to be beautifully integrated. The final sunburst pose drew appreciative murmurs from the (very large) audience. I would just like to add a special note about Ashley Bouder: in APOLLO and last week in Albert's BROKEN PROMISE, she seemed to exude a wonderful new air of maturity and self-containment. The huge technique is there - and amazing - but now the artistry is blooming also.

I usually think most of the people in the NYCB Corps would be stars in any other Company. Apparently this very thing has just happened to Riolama Lorenzo (see Links) at Pennsylvania Ballet. Golbin caught my eye several seasons ago and I just love watching her; she is a very beautiful woman, glamourous and yet not aloof - great smile! Love the "hat" photo of her & Abergel (yet another very attractive lady!) It'll be fun to read these interviews and get to know a little more about the dancers.

I would never forget Abi; she was dancing really well just before the injury problem developed. It's been a long time - there was a brief try at a comeback at one point but it was too soon. I'll be hoping to see her in GLASS PIECES and after that I hope she'll have smooth sailing. Also hoping to see Pascale van Kipnis and Jennie Somogyi back in action soon. van Kipnis was at the Gala and she looked magnificent.

If Jock is not appearing at Saratoga, it will be interesting to see who dances his role in AFTER THE RAIN.