art076

Hm...looks like I'll just have to go to all 7 performances in Orange County. Too bad, though, that we'll be missing out on Bussell, Anthony Dowell and Wayne Sleep - all three of whom are cast in New York. Not that I'm complaining about our castng though; you can only squeeze so many stars into one week of story ballets.

Here's another West Coast voice, but I'll be in New York for two and a half weeks in at the end of May. So what to do while "trapped" in NYC for two weeks? I'm looking forward to the Balanchine repertory - it'll be a great way to see a many different company members doing very crowd-pleasing, yet much-more-artistically-satisfying-than-the-Harrison-piece dancing. And they'll be doing it in an all-night long parade of similarly crowd pleasing works, so even if its not the most ideally programmed mixed-bill evening, it should be fun regardless. The scheduled casting already looks fantastic - from seeing tried-and-true principals to night 3, with Part/Beloserkovsky in "Mozartiana" and Ananiashvili and Meunier in "Ballet Imperial." I'll be wanting to see Svetlana Zakharova in "La Bayadere," even if she's not exactly ABT; I keep hearing great things about her Nikiya, especially the Shades act. I'm also looking forward to seeing the new "Raymonda," but with reservations since the Grand Pas preview excerpts have not been very well received this season. Hopefully the full production will be much more improved than the reports say, but I am keeping an open mind. That's all I'll get to see in my New York time, but the rest of the season doesn't seem to pack quite as many potential thrills as the first four weeks. And I've been seeing quite a bit of the company this week, with ABT taking up residence for the week in downtown LA, so the "Romeo and Juliets" at the end of the season are taken care of on my end (gotta love $15 public rush at the Music Center!). --art

I saw the last 2/3 of ABT's opening night here in Los Angeles tonight (I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it to the first part, since curtain was an early 7:30 and I wouldn't get out of my commitments until 7:30, then race down to the Music Center). It is the same repertory program that will be performed at the Metropolitan Opera House this spring as Rep Program I - Petite Mort, Sechs Tanze, Pillar of Fire, and Within You WIthout You. Missed Petite and Sechs Tanze, but I'll go back to see those later this week. I thoroughly enjoyed Pillar of Fire. It's my first Tudor experience, and the Pillar is just plaintively beautiful. Everything is so simple and clearly drawn, and the choreography brilliantly captures the essence of each character. With the character of Edlest Sister, for example, she is aloof and motherish - and the choreography has her in this giant dress and she largely swishes it around like a huffy grandmother. Hagar's choreography is similarly simple in portraying her suffering with hunched over, inward poses, then opening up to a more classically ballet style with the Friend by the end of the ballet. I'm not one to judge individual performances in this ballet since its the first time I've seen it, but I did enjoy Amanda McKerrow as Hagar. Monique Meunier was particularly strong as Eldest Sister, and Xiomara Reyes was appropriately bright and perky as the Younger Sister. Marcelo Gomes was the Young Man from the House Opposite and Gennadi Saveliev was the Friend. Now, as for Within You Without You - there were parts I liked and there were parts I really didn't like. The whole thing had the feel of a ballet school recital, even though the dancers themselves were whipping out tricks like the professionals that they are. It's a disjointed work that high voltage performances can only go so far to fix. However, isolated pieces were very fun to watch - "I Dig Love" choreographed by Natalie Weir, with Gillain Murphy the female in an athletic pas de trois; and "Isn't it a Pity" by Stanton Welch for a large portion of the company had some particularly interesting ensemble work. I felt like Anne Reinking's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was just a whole bunch of thrashing and throwing around of the two dancers, while "Within You WIthout You" by Natalie Weir was an oddity that had Ethan Steifel convulsing around on a darkened stage. The closing, "My Sweet Lord" looked more like a classroom exercise, with the dancers doing series - impressive series, I must say - of tricks while bounding across the front portion of the stage. So overall, I guess its a decently amusing work, but placed right after Pillar of Fire, you wonder what American Ballet Theatre is doing with such a trivial space filler. I'll definetly be going back tomorrow and next Wednesday to see Gillian Murphy and Michele Wiles in Pillar of Fire - I'll be sure to write in (that'll be for you, nysusan!). And there are five cast changes for Romeo and Juliet over the next week and a half; we'll see how many of those I'm up to after my first R&J on Saturday night!

NYCB will be part of Orange County's normal subscription season for 2004-2005 (along with ABT in November, Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! in December, Alvin Ailey, and a return visit from the Eifman Ballet); the anouncement of the season was sent out via newspapers and is up on their web site in early February. However, they haven't begun dance series renewals yet - and thus haven't sent anything out directly to subscribers, which is probably why you haven't gotten anything in the mail about that. But I found out by looking at the Center's web site (www.ocpac.org). As for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion dates, those were anounced just this morning alongside the rest of the Music Center's 04-05 season - and that, too, includes more ABT in addition to NYCB. The Music Center does have a subscription series also, but its only their second full dance season (they've self presented individual dance companies before, but this will be part of a full season).

Woo hoo! West Coasters will be getting a nice big dose of what you folks on the East Coast have been seeing for quite some time. Full rep programs for NYCB in California are now available, at both venues the company will be performing. They'll be here Sept. 29 to Oct. 10. (I'm predicting two rather crazy ballet-going weeks for me.) ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, COSTA MESA Wed., Sept 29 at 8 p.m. Jewels - George Balanchine / Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Thurs., Sept 30 at 8 p.m. Serenade - George Balanchine / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Stravinsky Violin Concerto - George Balanchine / Igor Stravinsky Stars and Stripes - George Balanchine / John Philip Sousa Fri., Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. Polyphonia - Christopher Wheeldon / Gyorgy Ligeti Thou Swell - Peter Martins / Richard Rodgers Symphony in C - George Balanchine / Georges Bizet Sat., Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. Jewels - George Balanchine / Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Sat., Oct 2 at 8 p.m. Serenade - George Balanchine / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto - George Balanchine / Igor Stravinsky Stars and Stripes - George Balanchine / John Philip Sousa Sun., Oct 3 at 12:30 p.m. Rubies – George Balanchine / Igor Stravinsky Stars and Stripes - George Balanchine / John Philip Sousa Sun., Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m. Polyphonia - Christopher Wheeldon / Gyorgy Ligeti Thou Swell - Peter Martins / Richard Rodgers Symphony in C - George Balanchine / Georges Bizet DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION, MUSIC CENTER, LOS ANGELES Wednesday, October 6, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. Program A - Balanchine Program "Who Cares" "Agon," "Symphony in C" Thursday October 8 at 8 p.m. Program B "Concerto Barocco" (Balanchine) Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux (Balanchine) Peter Martins Work To Be Announced "I'm Old Fashioned" (Jerome Robbins) Friday, October 8 at 7:30 pm. Program A - Balanchine Program "Who Cares" "Agon" "Symphony in C" Sat Mat October 9 at 2 pm Program B "Concerto Barocco" (Balanchine) Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux (Balanchine) Peter Martins Work To Be Announced "I'm Old Fashioned" (Jerome Robbins) Saturday, October 9 at 8 pm Program C "Serenade" (Balanchine) "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" (Balanchine) "Carnival of the Animals" (Christopher Wheeldon) Sunday, October 10 at 2 pm Program C "Serenade" (Balanchine) "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" (Balanchine) "Carnival of the Animals" (Christopher Wheeldon)

Re: Dale's post -- Do we know where intermission will go for Program 2? When I first saw the rep I assumed they'd go "Theme and Variations" and Tchaikovsky Pas de deux, intermission, "Mozartiana," intermission, "Ballet Imperial." I thought "Theme" would be short enough to add a pas de deux after that before sending everyone away to the intermission bar, even though "Mozartiana" is pretty short too - but I feel like that is a more standalone than "Theme." Anyone know for sure?

Zakharova looks interesting as a guest for Bayadere; it will be fun to watch even if its not really someone from the company proper dancing the role. Looks like there are still some slots missing in the casting calendar though, most significantly in who will be dancing the opening night of "Raymonda." The Balanchine reps look like they will be particularly fun to watch. Some good casting, and great works. Doesn't it seem, though, that the pieces on the programs are very similar to each other? "Theme" and "Imperial" are both very grand tutu affairs, Tchai Pas is showy technical work (which could be said of "Theme" possibly as well), and "Mozartiana" might be a bit different, though still uses a theme and variations format musically - much similar to "Theme and Variations" the ballet. Just doesn't look like the program has that variety that is so sought after on mixed rep programs, especially considering the variety that can be had with Balanchine...looks like very much ABT grand ballet style extravaganzas similar to the story ballets that dominate the Met Season. Not that I really mind that all of these pieces will be on the same program though - just thinking that some might see it as a three hour evening of sameness (all plotless, all tutus, all the time! - and yes I know Tchai Pas doesn't necessarily have tutus...).

Ballet fans in the United States - namely, those in Southern California - should be thrilled to know that the Royal Ballet will be performing this "Giselle" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa from July 5 to 8, 2004 (just anounced by the Center and through a link in this board's links section!). The Royal will also perform Ashton's Cinderella on July 9 and 10. Casting will be anounced "at a later date." --Art

This weekend's Balanchine centenial screening at the Museum of Television and Radio is probably the most satisfying screening thus far in MTR's Balanchine series. Unfortunately there is only one day left to go and see it at the museum, but I believe the individual programs are available in the museum's archives for individual viewing and in New York at NYPL as well. This screening was a 1990 Great Performances special featuring "Serenade" and "Western Symphony" on NYCB, paired with the Kirkland/Baryshnikov "Theme and Variations" performance with ABT. It's a very strong program of great works in full with some really great performances on top of that. The clear highlight is Kirkland and Baryshnikov in "Theme and Variations," worth the effort it takes to get to MTR alone (the screenings are free - at least in Los Angeles, but in LA you pay by fighting through traffic to get to the museum). "Serenade" is also a particularly noteworthy performance, this time by the entire ensemble. The taping is led by Darci Kistler and Kyra Nichols, with a strong corps de ballet as well. It was a very precise, very musical, great performance - well filmed, etc. Try and catch this screening if you can...the other screenings have been excerpts and compilations (some of then overlong and out of context), but this one was great in seeing the full works.

As a point of discussion - how do people suggest arts organizations go about raising money? Donations and giving make up a large - and integral - portion of any major arts organization's budget, so the importance of keeping up the cash flow is of vital importance. Major gifts are becoming fewer and farther in between, and costs are rising, so they might see this "hard sell" approach more beneficial if it brings in money than a more passive approach that would not quite so proactively bring in cash. Let's face it, if they don't go after donations, those donations might not actually come in. What would effective alternatives to a telemarketing-type approach be?

Ouch...the postings and now the review in the Washington Post today don't make it look like things went very well on Tuesday night. (I guess ABT hasn't been very lucky with its press coverage this week, with this review and the piece in the New York Times about the company's financials). For those of you who have seen the Washington performances of the "Raymonda" snippet: did it look like the flaws are fixable? I mean, does this spell a possible disaster come Spring Season with the full production? (I certainly hope not...it seems like the kind of production that ABT should excel at considering what they are known for doing at the MET and otherwise). From the reviews and postings I can't tell if it was under-rehearsed or just plain bad... Hopefully "La Bayadere" will go better over the weekend. Looks like some excellent casts are lined up for that, if nothing else.

ABT has announced more details about its performances in Los Angeles, April 1 to 10, 2004 - and its really great news for Los Angeles ballet fans, with some good looking casting lined up. I suppose it mirrors what will be seen in New York for the Met season, but it's exciting for California to be getting some major casting as well (Alessandra Ferri will give one performance on April 10 with Angel Corella). Count on my being there a few times. Here's the full rep: Romeo and Juliet Music by Sergei Prokofiev; Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan Six performances – April 3-4, April 8-10 Casting headed by Xiomara Reyes and Ethan Stiefel Sat. Apr. 3 – 7 pm Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes Sun. Apr. 4 – 2 pm, Fri. Apr. 9 – 8 pm Ashley Tuttle and Angel Corella Thur. Apr. 8 – 8 pm Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky Sat. Apr. 10 mat – 2 pm Alessandra Ferri and Angel Corella Sat. Apr. 10 eve – 8 pm Program of Mixed Repertory Four Performances April 1, 2, 6, & 7 “Petite Mort” Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Choreographed by Jiri Kylian “Sechs Tänze” Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Choreographed by Jiri Kylian “Pillar of Fire” Music by Arnold Schoenberg; Choreographed by Antony Tudor “Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison” Choreographed by David Parsons, Ann Reinking, Natalie Weir and Stanton Welch SIDE NOTE: Tuttle is cast for Los Angeles, and is also given quite a few roles in New York for the spring season. Which I'm assuming indicates that she might be stepping out of "Movin' Out" on Broadway soon? Does anyone happen to know how long she is in "Movin' Out"?