oberon

I think it is the MOOD of SERENADE that makes applause intrusive. The orchestration (no winds or Percussion) has a very transparent texture so and applause during it comes as a jolt.

I do not think it is the "height" or angle of Kowroski's arabesque that elicits the response (in fact, her arabeque at that moment is not especially high...at least not for her). I think it is the beauty of the line she is able to create.

In other ballets, where the orchestration is fuller and the tempo swifter and the mood less "reverential" a burst of applause can be fun and doubtless inspires the dancers. I can't imagine that Balanchine would disapprove.

There is a famous story of Wagner, at Bayreuth, yelling "Bravo" after the Rhinemaidens trio in RHEINGOLD and being shushed by the audience. Today, no one would dream of making a peep DURING a Wagner opera...

I agree...I don't really like applause during SERENADE at all. A murmur of delight passing thru the audience is nice, though.

However, during things like Oberon's scherzo or Dewdrop, when the various "solo" segments are applauded as the dancer flies offstage, applause is fine.

Sometimes people see something so beautiful or exciting and they just react spontaneously...I guess it's a nice tribute to the dancer at the moment. I wonder how Mr. B felt about mid-ballet applause?

At the opera, there have been individual phrases or even single notes that have caused eruptions of Bravos at basically inappopriate moments. These reactions (to people like Corelli, Callas & Caballe) are now operatic legend.

I've been at SERENADEs in the last few years when Kowroski's arabesque got applause and appreciative murmurs from the audience. Once a woman behind me whispered: "Gorgeous" under her breath. I turned and smiled at her.

This afternoon's SWAN LAKE was a great success for Maria Kowroski...she has always danced the part very well but now she has found a greater depth, a more poetic quality as Odette. The first lakeside scene was a revelation for me as the elements of fear and desire which Odette must convey were perfectly portrayed by Kowroski. The Black Swan adagio was likewise mesmerizing and though she didn't get thru all the fouettes, it hardly mattered. It is always a thrill to see a great dancer raise her level and that's what I felt Kowroski accomplished today.

The other singular triumph of the afternoon was Hendrickson's Jester...I've always enjoyed his dancing but he too seemed to reach another level today, the various progressions of steps clearly and musically delivered while not overdoing the "cute" qualities built into the part. His buoyant leaps and dazzling turns had the audience cheering him all afternoon.

Ringer, van Kipnis and Tinsley were especially fine in the Pas de Quatre, their synchronized turns making the coda another applause-winner. Ringer is an especially lovely dancer. Jon Stafford replaced Neal in the Pas de Quatre and had a good go at it. Seth Orza was a handsome Benno without quite the bravura technique the role requires (wasn't it made on Benj. Millepied?)...Fairchild and Riggins were very fine in the Pas de Trois; Borree excellent in Russian and Edge a brilliant Neopolitan girl. The would-be Brides were Bar, Reichlin, Krohn, Arthurs, the exotic Golbin and a luscious Carla Korbes, holding her balances to fine effect.

The Swan corps were notably "on" today, the Cygnets (Edge, Walker, Fairchild, Riggins) well-applauded, and Fayette has darkened his portrayal of Rotbart a little but still he is not as sinister as the perfect Henry Seth.

The house was nearly full...the many small children were for the most part very quiet. Some of the adults were less so.

Yikes! What's happening to my ballet company??? So many injured dancers...and in this, the Balanchine season when I was so looking forward to seeing them all. It's really sad...seems like each day someone new goes on the "missing in action" list. Hey, Monique & Helene...Samantha Allen...Aesha Ash: if you girls aren't busy can you come back and help out?

How will they get thru 2 weeks of SLEEPING BEAUTY? Peter's head must be spinning...

Has anyone seen Cavallo dance? I wouldn't mind having Gitte Lindstrom back, too...she did an especially nice SERENADE on her last guesting stint. Does Isabel Guerin still dance?

Tempus, I'm glad I was not the only one to notice Mandradjieff's turns in COPPELIA! Beskow seems to have bloomed lately. Krohn, Golbin and Korbes are three dancers I always keep an eye on...and Amanda Edge has more than proven she can hold the stage in SOIREE, TIN SOLDIER & HARLEQUINADE so I'd like to see her get more opportunities. Of the men, Craig Hall, Orza, Hanna and Sean Suozzi deserve all the opportunities they can get and I always like the way Adam Hendrickson gets a touch of darkness into parts like Puck and SWAN LAKE Jester.

Hankes & Arthurs are intriguing...but where is Sarah Ricard?

Wendy & Albert in BUGAKU

Wendy in LA VALSE and as the "black widow" in VIENNA WALTZES (think about it!),

Siren in PRODIGAL, in PRISM, and a new production of GISELLE

Albert in APOLLO and OPUS 19

Pascale van Kipnis as Lilac Fairy

Janie Taylor in OPUS 19, CHACONNE, WALPURGISNACHT

Amanda Edge as Columbine in HARLEQUINADE and Swanilda

Kyra and Darci in EMERALDS

Janie Taylor & Craig Hall in SONATAS & INTERLUDES

Wendy & Adam Hendrickson in PORTE ET SOUPIR

Sylve as Odette /Odile and Elegie in Tchaik SUITE #3

Abi/Janie/Ashley B and Carla K as Aurora

Miranda Weese in anything she wants

SERENADE, with SYMPHONY IN C a close second...

Perky,

Aside from Karin von A, I saw Robert LaFosse in the audience. The crush on the Promenade during intermissions was so bad you could not really see who was there and who wasn't. The stage full of dancers at the end seemed mostly to be the current roster though I am sure there were other former dancers there.

Oberon

So, did anyone tune in for this chat? Tell us about it...please!

Balanchine's Birthday...yes, Farrell Fan, seeing Barbara Horgan was a true delight,

and along with having Fiorato on the podium and Kyra, Darci & Peter Boal onstage, provided a link to the rich history of NYCB. And from my vantage point I was able to see Karin von Aroldingen in the wings during PRODIGAL SON.

I thought APOLLO was good and I have enjoyed this ballet this year, it seemed fresh. In SERENADE, I most enjoyed seeing my many favorite corps beauties close up...the principals were fine but there were minor partnering glitches from both Neal and Fayette; Kyra brings a poetic beauty to this ballet that cannot be taught...others to come will dance it, beautifully, but for me she will remain the ideal. Jennie Somogyi and Kowroski were very satisfying. Peter Boal's triumph as the Prodigal was the highlight of the evening. Darci danced the Siren well enough but I do not find her the seductive type. James Fayette was a moving Father, his luminous eyes catching the light with an eerie radiance. The "fighting duet" as danced by Suozzi and Hendrickson was a highlight of the evening. Golbin & Abergel were very attractive sisters.

It was nice seeing the company onstage at the end. The tiny cakes that everyone received were very generously laced with liquor...between that and the vodka, one could brave the winter night. Heading out, we saw Maria Kowroski clutching her enormous bouquet and trying to get a cab.

More than a tribute to a departed genius, I felt the evening was a snapshot of a moment in the ongoing flow of Dance...watching the girls in the SERENADE corps, I was thinking that in ten years some of them will be principals. And some will stop dancing, for whatever reason. But tonight they were all there, recreating Balanchine's masterpiece. The couple next to us were seeing SERENADE for the first time and seemed thoroughly awed by it. And I, who have probably seen it three dozen times, felt the same way.

Happy Birthday, Mr. B...and many more!

Wednesday 1/21 - CHOPINIANA seems a little sterile after you've seen SYLPHIDES. SYLPHIDES creates its own world while CHOPINIANA looks like so many other ballets. The students danced well enough, notably Sara Means who made a very nice effect with her sustained balances. Tyler Angle was a lithe and attractive cavalier. It was nice to see Cynthia Gregory, who staged the work, being presented with roses by Peter Martins. Did Gregory & Martins ever dance together?

HARLEQUINADE with the second cast was less impressive than the opening last week. I am not averse to Yvonne Borree as lots of other folks seem to be. I see things in her dancing that I like. But Columbine may not be her part; the choreography is demanding and while Borree danced many passages perfectly well, there was a lack of flair or brilliance. Hubbe was OK but missed the lightness and romantic longing Millepied brought to the part. Reichlin was not steady in her balances and pencees as Bonne Fee, and she did not seem to understand this exotic, mysterious character. The two dazzling highlights of the evening were Ashley Bouder's brilliant Alouette (I am not a big Bouder fan but she was super in this) and the enchanting Pierette of Amanda Edge. Edge brought more fluidity to her dancing in this part than Fairchild (though Fairchild was excellent, too)...and Edge has a shining quality that can't be taught: it comes from within. I find her a most enjoyable and under-valued dancer.

This is a time to be cautious if you are going to see specific dancers...Wendy, Abi, Janie Taylor and Sylve appear to be side-lined at the moment so there is bound to be shuffling going on.

I remember about 5 years ago there was a period when, due to injuries and pregnancies, only Borree, Weese and Whelan of the principal women were dancing...one night I think Wendy danced 3 ballets.

It's a shame that these dancers are missing the Balanchine season but if you are injured you have no choice. There is added pressure on the uninjured dancers who have to rehearse more and be ready to go on without alot of notice.

I'm sort of wondering how they will manage 2 weeks of SLEEPING BEAUTY with a depleted roster of ballerinas...there may be some good opportunities afforded to some of the up & coming dancers.

I'm sure Peter is praying every day that no one else calls in with an injury.

Now that Balanchine's 100th birthday is upon us, does anyone have any personal recollections of him they'd like to share?

Here's mine, such as it is:

Back around 1975, my partner (at the time) and I were at NYCB often. We liked to sit on the ledge above the stage door on warm Spring evenings and watch the dancers come and go. We were especially thrilled to see Merrill Ashley, then an up-and-coming ballerina. One day, just after she had passed by (giving us a nervous grin...she may have thought we were stalkers!) we saw Balanchine coming down the sidewalk with an attractive young lady on his arm. We were speechless until he was directly in front of us; them my friend blurted out "Oh, my God...it's HIM!" Balanchine tilted his head back a bit and seemed annoyed, but then suddenly gave us a courtly little half-bow and proceeded into the theatre.

We glimpsed him a few more times as the season passed by, on the plaza. Always with a young lady. And never the same one twice.

I'd love to chat up Wendy & Albert but I'll be...at the ballet!!

January 17 matinee...the house was full of kids, but they were spell-bound by SERENADE. I don't think I have ever heard such "silence": no coughing, no candy wrappers. There were 5 teenage girls sitting in front of me and I thought they might be chatty during the ballet but they were enraptured and a couple of them were crying at the end. It's great to see young people reacting to this timeless masterpiece in this way. The cast was uniformly strong (Darci, Somogyi, an especially poetic Kowroski, Askegard & Fayette) I love the look of wonder in Fayette's eyes as the various girls come hurtling towards him. The corps were lovely, Glenn Keenan and the other demi-soloists esp. fine. This ballet always leaves me awed, slightly depressed and exhilirated at the same time.

HARLEQUINADE was good, with its attractive and "dancey" score. Benjamin Millepied was perhaps a shade reserved as Harlequin but impresive nonetheless.

He has the necessary lightness and charm. Ansanelli made the most of her difficult role...one or two very minor miscalculations (she ended one combination almost against the scenery)...she pulled off the big moments with flair. Fairchild has a perfect role as Pierette, de Luz a funny & floppy Pierrot. Sylve was a striking, athletic Bonne Fee and Jennifer Tinsley (Alouette, replacing Bouder) was very impressive. The Scarmouches girls (Korbes, Krohn, Muller & Beskow) were especially attractive in their black dresses a la MOZARTIANA.

Thursday (15th) MIDSUMMER was really enjoyable...it was nice to see this "summer" ballet on the coldest night of the year. Kowroski has the perfect role here, showing her big extension, sweeping (yet womanly) grandeur and touches of wry humour. Her tendency to "break" her wrists was less evident last night...hopefully she is working on it, the only slight smudge on her wonderful presentation. Joaquin deLuz had some fans in the audience and he deserved the bravos in mid-variation. His landings are a bit heavy, and his phrasing sometimes seemed a little less musical to me than Boal's, but these are not major drawbacks. Ulbricht was a mercurial Puck, HIS landings light as a feather. Korbes was a luminous Helena, Tinsley very fine as Hermia...and Megan Fairchild and Teresa Reichlin both impressed (Butterfly and Hippolyta respectively)...the glory of the evening was Miranda Weese's pas de deux in Act II...she is in miraculous form now: her dancing flows and she is a gorgeous woman. Marcovici partnered her quite well.

I saw Janie Taylor in the audience; it must feel odd to watch a performance in which you were scheduled to dance! Hopefully she will be back in action very soon.

I echo Michael's comments on Korbes...she was really impressive. It was good to see Reichlin & Fairchild both dancing very well, and let's not forget Jennifer Tinsley (Hermia) who is not used often enough and always makes a fine effect when she does dance.

I will write more about the performance under Week 2, in case anyone's interested.

Dale, you are so accurate when you mention Ringer's "perfume"...she really gives her roles an undeniable appeal that goes beyond her mere physical attractiveness. In SERENADE, and especially in IN THE NIGHT and OPUS 19 she has made a memorable impression...more emotional resonance than I had expected. Far more. When you are that pretty, it might be easy to get by relying on that alone, but Ringer has shown there's alot more to her. I always look forward to her performances.

It is inevitable that we compare current performances with performances we have seen in the past, or that are availale on video. This is true in the ballet world and even more so in the opera where each succeeding generation believes the art form is washed up and there are no viable interpreters to compare to those they saw/heard 30-40 years ago.

When I started going to NYCB, giants like Farrell, von Aroldingen, Ashley, Colleen Neary, Patty McBride bestrode the stage and they were GREAT and I have many wonderful memories of those days. But the ballets are living works of art and it is important to watch them with an open mind; and to remember that every night there are people seeing BAROCCO or SERENADE for the first time and being just as captivated by them as we were a quarter century ago.

I find the dancers today just as fresh and unique as those from the past; no, Maria is not Suzanne nor is Wendy a replacement for Karin. They have their own qualities for us to enjoy.

No, the ballets are not the same as they were when Balanchine was here to keep them in order. How could they be? However, they are no less beautiful or exciting and I would certainly prefer seeing them and having them available to having them all stashed away somewhere in mothballs.

Just a note...I stopped in to buy some tickets today and there was a long line, longer than any NUTCRACKER line I've ever seen. It's nice to see the interest in this company which I think alot of New Yorkers take for granted.

Well, the other big "gay" topic recently has been regarding the relationship of Frodo and Sam in LORD OF THE RINGS. People love reading it into their close friendship. But the stories to me are totally without sexual undercurrents. There are the 2 big love affairs, and Wormtongue's lusting after Eowyn, but all very above-board.

What will they think of next? That Rhett was really in love with Ashley Wilkes?

It looks like Taylor is not doing the DREAM pas de deux, she's been replaced by Weese...

I was reading this topic (VERY) belatedly...but as I just watched the video, I wanted to mention one tremendous moment in Miranda's Odile. In the coda of the pas de deux, she is hopping backwards on pointe and after three hops she takes this ungodly balance and just stands there. You'd almost think the tape had paused. Then her left hand moves, so slightly...like the involuntary fluttering of a bird's wing.,..and then she continues. I have watched this segment dozens of times and it gives me a thrill every time.

I believe Darci created this production in Copenhagen, danced it once at Saratoga and once at State Theatre. On the night of the telecast, Miranda replaced Darci at very short notice. The Sills/Kistler/Woetzel/Martins interview had been pre-taped so they used it even though Darci didn't dance.

Does anyone know if there will be a telecast this season? Like...on Balanchine's Birthday???

We are not allowed to "gossip" in this forum so you may not get a reply.