oberon

As I cannot get to the ballet until Saturday, I am hoping someone goes Wednesday night and reports here on Kyra's appearance in MOZARTIANA.

There are often people selling tickets outside before a performance. Also, check at the box office from time to time for returns...sometimes subscribers can't make it and they re-sell the tickets. I should also add that 2nd & 3rd Ring are really good for watching ballet at the NY State Theatre, especially if a large-cast work is on the programme. You can see the patterns more clearly from higher up.

That's a great story, sandik...and I have imagined ballets to Eine kleine, every time I hear it...

Mel, thank you for clarifying the Firebird's final appearance (or non-appearance, as the case may be)...it certainly makes sense for her to sweep thru, both musically and in terms of the story. I would leave out the flying apparatus, but surely a few jetees and a final arabesque are called for. I seem to recall a performance that ended with the Firebird center-stage in a sort of Lilac Fairy pose as the court paid hommage to her. It was really attractive and brought everything full-circle. After all, it's her ballet...

Nijinsky & Wendy Whelan...

The king of partnering now (but not for long) is Jock Soto. Peter Martins was a superb partner...tall, strong, big hands, reassuring. As for females, it is less clear what makes a ballerina a great partner...I suppose being light-weight and flexible and having your own strength so that if the man falters slightly you are not in danger. And of course, trust...if the ballerina looks nervous or insecure, the man can get jittery or over-solicitous and spoil the flow of things. Also, if there is a minor glitch, the ballerina should never show by her facial expression that anything is amiss...she can slap the guy silly once they get offstage, but onstage she should look cool & serene all the time. On these terms, Wendy Whelan would be the ideal partner today. One ballerina, now retired, was quite unrestrained in her expressions when the partner made small mistakes, or what she felt were mistakes. Ironically, at her farewell, she danced a signature role with a partner she had seldom (if ever) danced with and the harmony was amazing. Lots of rehearsing and lots of working together build a great partnership, though even that is no guarantee that all will go well onstage. When you think about it, partnering glitches and people falling are far less frequent in this high-risk occupation than the percentages might indicate. And the art of covering up mistakes is part of what makes a dancer great.

glebb, did the Firebird re-appear at the end to bless the wedding? I really miss her fly-by in the current NYCB version...

Yup, Ballet Talk is the place to be!

Years ago when I worked with a small company on Cape Cod, the director/choreographer began working on a ballet to Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony...we spent many an evening sitting around the studio with a few dancers on hand as she tried various things, the music playing beautifully in the background. Sadly, it never developed as financial woes caused her to disband the group. It would make a teriffic ballet. As would his piano trios...either one, really. Carbro, I agree the Dvorak "American" cries out for choreography. I once "invented" a very dark piece for 8 men to Britten's "Lachrymae"...it was at the height of the AIDS devastation and was to be a reflection on suffering and loss. I even cast it, using 8 guys from NYCB...my notes about it are still here...somewhere...

Maybe this topic has gone around before, but does anyone else tend to visualize a ballet while listening to music? I do it constantly; I have imagined so many ballets...if I only had talent, I could give Chris Wheeldon a run for his money. Maybe someone can tell me if Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #1 has ever been made into a ballet? To me, the music cries out: "Dance!!"...I have the whole ballet ready as a concept. It has the most sultry adagio you could imagine, including a musical quote from Wagner's Liebestod. If no one has set it yet, someone should... Anyone have a similar feeling about a piece of music?

I think NYCB draws a very respectable number of young people...not just kids who have been brought to the ballet by their parents, but twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings. And there is usually a contingent of dance students, both from SAB and other schools ...I've sat among them and they are spellbound during the dancing and discuss things passionately between ballets. Unlike the opera, where you hardly ever see anyone under 50, or the Symphony where (it sometimes seems) you never see anyone under 80, I think ballet somehow builds its own audiences...maybe not like during the boom years, but surely enough to sustain itself.

For me, the great pair in recent years has been Wendy Whelan & Jock Soto...but with Jock retiring that will be coming to an end. Another frequent and beautiful partnership has been Kyra Nichols & Philip Neal.

I seem to recall in Suzanne Farrell's book she tells about how she and a friend practised fouettes together (back in their student days) and I think she said she got up to 128!! She added: "...quality didn't count." Still....128???? Wheee!!!!

Farrell Fan, the letter made ME dissolve in tears! It is very nice of you to share this personal message with all of us... Oberon

Ferri & Kent would be my first choices...

I'm starting a thread for this week even though, due to a big crunch at work, I won't be able to go to the ballet. I'm hoping others will go and post their thoughts so I can keep tabs on everything. Newbies: don't be shy...give us your impressions!

Taylor and Bouder would probably both have been principals earlier had not injury and illness caused setbacks for them. I am so happy that they both emerged with flying colours and I think we can look forward to many years of watching them in a huge variety of roles. Clearly there will be changes beyond the departures of Soto & Boal in the next year or two. What a treat that we have Janie & Ashley, along with Ansanelli (another survivor, come to think of it) bringing a new generation of talent to the fore. Stephen Hanna has "prince" written all over him, he's also very interesting in the black & white ballets, both facially & physically. I think Edwaard Liang is a fascinating dancer, so vibrant and everything always so perfectly placed...I do hope he is the next promotion. LaCour will be of real value because of his height, to say nothing of his expressive face...Reichlin is going to need her own cavalier, just as Kowroski has Askegard. LaCour may need more technical refinement, but I think he & Tess would be a good pairing. If Ellen Bar continues on her current trajectory it would not surprise me to see her moving up...she is tall..and glamourous. Then there's Rebecca Krohn... Overall, things are looking good.

I think the dancers smiling at one another and a sense of camaraderie onstage are genuine. NYCB, probably more than ABT, seems like a family to me (one in which I like to think of myself as a very distant cousin)...I often see the dancers trekking up and down Broadway in groups or sitting outside the stage door in nice weather, having a cigarette or walking their dogs (everyone seems to have a dog). There doesn't seem to be any rank discrimination; principals, soloists and corps dancers mix and mingle. It was kind of sweet, on Friday night in DIVERT 15, Bouder & Taylor - both brand new principals - were thrown together is several courtly passages and were beaming at one another. Only once did I see a dancer pointedly ignore a colleague onstage; I thought it was kind of blatant but no one else seemed to notice.

Saturday 1/22 matinee & evening Happy Birthday Mr. B!! Matinee: an all-Balanchine birthday cake served to an intrepid gathering of fans who braved the blizzard. Anyone feeling a chill was instantly warmed when Jenifer Ringer and Philip Neal appeared at the beginning of LA SOURCE. Ringer gave just such a beautiful performance...other adjectives could describe her dancing but "beautiful" says it all. She is the kind of dancer you want to send a Valentine to, along with roses and champagne...bravissima! She and Neal reached a rapport within seconds; Neal, who has understandably been dancing a bit cautiously since his injury, here seemed to cast off his reserve...his smile lit up, and the two dancers created a fine romantic atmosphere. Ashley Bouder was on top form and transported the audience with her virtuosity. Beautiful bevy of corps girls, again Ricard capturing my attention... Coming out to the Promenade at intermission, the outdoor view was a wall of white snow...some people packed up & left but they missed a splendid AGON in which Teresa Reichlin paralyzed my opera glasses with her leggy presence, and the great Peter Boal danced one of his signature roles. Wendy & Jock have danced many AGON duets over the years and today they again captivated the audience with their uncanny strength, stretch and daring. Dana Hanson, Jennifer Tinsley, Jason Fowler & Steve Hanna completed the cast and showed AGON afresh as the great masterpiece it is. Sylve repeated her dazzling performance in CORTEGE HONGROIS, this time with the affable Nilas Martins. A treat today was the fresh casting of Melissa Barak and Eddie Liang leading the czardas brigade. Articulating the tricky steps with precision, Barak & Liang seemed to be having a grand time...few dancers project the sheer joy of what they are doing like Ed Liang. His irrepresible grin says it all. It is so good to see Barak stepping out more this season. The big corps, with the Glenn Keenan and Dana Hanson doing the two solos, were exciting. Evening: OCTET, Peter Martins' latest, is a pleasant ballet...the pas de deux for Darci & Steve Hanna, while very nicely danced, is just a bit too long for its content. Bouder and Millepied turned on the fireworks...Benjamin sometimes literally seemed to be flying. I half expect that one day he will simply go up and never come down...amazing! The six corps boys are given more work in this ballet than you would normally expect in a full-length classic. To really see what they are doing, you have to pick one and follow him...so tonight I watched Andrew Veyette and, my God, what a workout! In the full-stage picture you note that the boys are doing lots of jumping and turning, but when you really focus on a single dancer, you are just knocked out. Wheeldon's IN THE RAIN drew a huge reception, much deserved by the excellent dancers...but I was a little mystified by the piece. Aside from the music all being by Part, the two sections really seemed like 2 totally different ballets. After the darkish opening segment, beautifully danced by Kowroski with Ask LaCour, Sylve with Edwaard Liang, and Jock & Wendy, the stage brightens somewhat...the orchestra in the pit is replaced by solo violin & piano onstage, and Jock and Wendy reappear. They have shed their blue body tights and Wendy wears a plain pink leotard and Jock wears baby-blue pajama bottoms. Wendy, in soft slippers, no tights and with her hair down looks incredibly vulnerable. They dance a slow, hypnotic duet which revels in Wendy's uncanny flexibility and fluidity and Jock's strength...in the end they slowly collapse on one another and seem to go to sleep. This was, of course, fascinating to watch and won an enormous ovation but I was not sure how it related to the opening section. I'll have to see it again. In a birthday-capping performance of spectacular bravura, Janie Taylor danced SQUARE DANCE with revelatory clarity and brilliance. I'm sure Mr. B, watching from the heavens, would have been more than pleased. Nilas may not be a virtuoso but he knows how to show off his ballerina and he gave Taylor the kind of support that allowed her to dance with real freedom. Taylor received an enthusiastic reception, much deserved. The corps again did some fine work, and I love watching Amanda Edge, here paired with Sean Suozzi. During the intermission at the matinee, I overheard a young man ask one of the volunteers at the information table: "How old is Balanchine?" The woman replied, "He would be one hundred and one if he were still alive..." There was a pause and then she said, "Well, he IS still alive..." How very true.

Friday 1/21 Wonderful DIVERTIMENTO #15...the cast remained unchanged from the first week, with the exception of Jennifer Tinsley replacing Megan Fairchild. Tinsley is a dancer I always enjoy and here she fit in perfectly with the other women: Weese, Bouder, Rutherford and Taylor. Jared Angle is looking good since he returned from injury. In the corps, I am finding Sarah Ricard irresistable this year. POLYPHONIA is for me the most impressive of the Wheeldon ballets to date. He uses the music so well. Jock & Wendy's two duets remain the high points, but there is much to appreciate from the other couples as well, and Alexandra Ansanelli - who has really the only solo passage in the piece - danced with great clarity. Seth Orza partnered her, replacing Craig Hall. Miranda Weese and Edwaard Liang are interestingly paired, and again Tinsley made a vivid impression, dancing with Jason Fowler who has been taking advantage of his opportunities this season with some stage-filling dance. STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO seemed remarkably fresh & was very stronlgy cast, Alexandra & Nikolaj Hubbe bringing a kind of offbeat lyricism while Sylve & Albert Evans were expansive and sexy. The corps, notably Reichlin, Arthurs, Ricard & Amar Ramasar, provided plenty of eye-catching vignettes.

Tomatonose has written exactly what I was going to write!

I never saw ABT's SYMPHONY IN C but friends who go to both companies complained that ABT's was so slow it was almost like a different ballet. Kaplow's tempo for T & V last night was just about right...I did notice that Sylve seems to start each phrase just a fraction of a second before the music...this gives her dancing an added breadth, to my eyes at least. Do the principals and conductor discuss tempi? One season when one of the ballerinas was having a bad foot I thought the conductors were wonderfully accomodating in giving her faster tempi so she didn't have to sustain certain passages. Likewise, some of the senior ballerinas seem to like a more languid, comfy tempo so they can get all the steps in without looking frantic. In general I would rather see the dancers pushed slightly than to have a sluggish feeling. When they were questing about for new conductors a few seasons back, I recall that Kristian Jarvi led a few performances and that he made an especially vivid impression...the Jarvi family have music in their blood and if he is available, I would like to see him on the podium again and, possibly, succeed Quinn. I think the musicians really like Andrea Quinn, and I have loved having a lady in the pit.

Thursday 1/20 Over the years, I have had mixed feelings about GOLDBERG VARIATIONS...sometimes I feel it is a veritable treasure chest filled with dance goodies...other times it seems overly long and not especially inventive choreographically. Tonight, I felt both ways at times but in the end a very strong cast prevailed and left me feeling satisfied. Miranda Weese was on sparkling form, particularly her climactic solo passage which starts off with a couple signature Miranda-balances and evolves into a series of whirlwind pirouettes. Peter Boal seemed to be really enjoying dancing with her. Kowroski was at her most lyrical and serene, and Neal has a very good role here, both as her partner and in his solo with its humorous winding-down conclusion. Wendy Whelan articulates everything to perfection, meanwhile allowing herself to stretched and manipulated by the cool and sexy Albert Evans, who also danced his solo passages with a flair that makes me regret he is not often cast in more bravura parts. The earlier group of soloists was highlighted by Joaquin de Luz in a role that might have been created for him, and by the excellent performances of Janie Taylor and Ashley Bouder. Seeing these two girls together, both clearly headed to the upper echelon, made me feel good about the future of NYCB. Likewise, Steve Hanna is heir apparent to the cavalier roles and Jared Angle was having an especially fine night - both here and in the Waltz of SUITE #3. Arch Higgins completed a strong roster, and corps standouts were too numerous to mention. Teresa Reichlin & Jason Fowler were ideally matched in the Theme. The boys look great in their elegant costumes at the end. The opening Elegie of SUITE #3 received an engrossing performance from Ellen Bar (replacing Korbes...what has become of her?) and Ask LaCour. Bar's glamourous face & figure simply radiate star quality while LaCour was an ardent partner and facially able to project the dreamy, and later the bereft, qualities of the role. Jennier Tinsley in the Waltz (with Jared A) again raised the question: why is she not cast more often and in a wide variety of roles? Tonight she was just wonderful. Then came Ashley Bouder's electrifying performance of the Scherzo...she might have been born to dance this part...I was aware of Tom Gold leaping and spinning his way thru the steps but Bouder just mesmerized me. Brava! Despite one tiny miscalculation at the end of her solo, Sylve was the T & V ballerina deluxe...grand-scale dancing and simply radiant. Askegard took care of her nicely. I was especially glad to see Rebecca Krohn in the corps, she has been absent for a while...I realized what it is that I like about her: she looks like a ballerina should look...if that makes any sense. I dd notice tonight that some of the girls seem to be over-doing the makeup and false eyelashes...perhaps Sylve could give a masterclass in stage make-up...her's was just right.

It's nice to see Rebecca Krohn's name listed for AGON...she's been out for a while.

Myself, I would choose Ferri... I saw Nina in the role and she was excellent & very moving, however since she has been "on leave" for a while it might be a bit risky to buy tickets in advance just to see her...in the event her "leave" needs to be extended (hopefully not!) If there is a chance of waiting til the last minute before buying, you could wait to be sure Nina is appearing...but by that point the week will have passed by and your choices will diminish. Many times in the past I have banked on announced dancers/singers showing up and been disappointed. These days, exchange options seem a bit more relaxed...esp. at the Met (for opera; not sure how they feel about exchanging ballet tix). Of course, on any given night you run the risk of a cast change...it goes with the territory. And cast changes are sometimes unexpectedly rewarding.