Dale

On 4/16/2024 at 9:59 PM, volcanohunter said:

Speaking as someone who now visits New York as a tourist, I'm sorry that there is less variety in programs each week. This year, the fourth week of the winter and spring seasons feature five different programs over 7 shows (which proved irresistible when one of the repeating programs was Four Temperaments plus Liebeslieder). Next spring the Innovators and Icons II program will be performed six times over the span of seven days. Perhaps it is easier on the dancers to have a smaller number of ballets in rotation at any given time.

It is occasionally possible to see a larger number of programs by straddling the weekend. The second weekend and beginning of the third week of winter 2025 will feature five different programs. It's just a matter of finding something else to do on Monday night.

I agree, volcannohunter. I used to load up on Saturdays with maybe two different programs but the pairings in the coming seasons aren't as interesting to me. 

On a different note, finally got around to reading the NYT story on the new seasons and I guess I missed this news: "Alexei Ratmansky (Feb. 6), the company’s artist in residence. He will stage a suite of dances from Petipa’s full-length “Paquita” that incorporates the “Minkus Pas de Trois,” Balanchine’s restaging of the ballet’s pas de trois." Again, another rare Balanchine is being brought back. I think it's interesting that Whelan herself performed in some of the works revived for the historic 1993 Balanchine Celebration season. I'm pleased to think that maybe Wendy, having that experience, has led to her bringing those ballets back. She was in the cast for the revival of Haieff Divertimento in 1993. I don't believe it was performed thereafter before being brought back more recently. Whoever is responsible for these revivals, kudos. I'm looking forward to seeing these works, again.

Agree with you, cobweb. Lots to look forward to on the schedule. I thought the Divertimento No. 15/Vienna Waltzes program seemed light. I don't think I've ever seen Vienna Waltzes on a two-ballet program unless it was paired with another long ballet like Liebeslieder or Dances at a Gathering. 

On 4/14/2024 at 3:28 PM, maps said:

Suzanne Farrell programmed Tzigane for her company's last show at the Kennedy Center December 2017, Forever Balanchine.  Two casts and the KC premiere by her company was in 2002.  I'd love to see Peck+Mejia smolder through this.  NYCB did Martins Zakouskie, Tzigane light, in early 2018 at the KC.   6 years later Woodward had her Tch pdd debut.

My program states "The performances of  Meditation and Tzigane are presented by special arrangement with Suzanne Farrell, copyright holder"   I guess discussions on the renaming were between Suzanne Farrell, NYCB, and the Trust.   1975 Ravel Festival also included Rapsodie Espagnol - anyone remember that?  

I saw it performed with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and when it was revived in 1993 for the Balanchine Celebration. Kistler did the lead and Farrell coached her. It did not go well. A few dance critics covered the coaching for that celebration by the former Balanchine dancers. Anita Finkel was one but her story is not online. This feature on Kistler a few years later gives a little hint on how it went: "In this case, the apostolic succession went awry. ''Maybe it was too soon for Suzanne to give over that role, in her theater,'' said Ms. Kistler, who began to feel that everything about herself ''was wrong, down to the color of my tights, and we all have the same color tights -- pink.'' (A month after the Balanchine Celebration, Ms. Farrell, who had been working in strained circumstances, was dismissed by City Ballet. She did not return calls for this article.)"

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/27/arts/life-down-on-earth-for-everybody-s-darling.html

Put me down as another who, while I understand the need to change the name, does not like using the name of a different, previous ballet. I would have been OK with "Ravel Violin" and just called it a day. Knowing how Farrell likes portents and signs, I wonder if she didn't like the idea of using the name of an old, very lost Balanchine ballet. 

 

Yay! Looks like Suzanne Farrell will be back to set another one of her roles at NYCB: Variations for Orchestra (with the help of her ballet master Michael Cook - don't want to forget his assistance). I'm really hoping this relationship grows to the point where Farrell will have City Ballet be the depository of all the work she revived for her company: selections from Don Q, Clarinade, Divertimento Brilliant etc..  And another seldom seen Balanchine ballet at NYCB is also returning: Sylvia Pas de Deux. And Andrew Vedette is retiring. I must have missed that announcement. I think he's been dancing as well as he ever has. I will miss him. 

Press release: 

 

NEW YORK PREMIERE OF WAYNE MCGREGOR’S WOOLF WORKS TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE, JUNE 18 – JULY 20, 2024 

 

FORMER ABT PRINCIPAL DANCER ALESSANDRA FERRI TO APPEAR AS GUEST ARTIST IN WOOLF WORKS 

 

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE BEGINS MONDAY, APRIL 22 AT 12:00 P.M. 

 

NEW YORK, NY (April 8, 2024) – Tickets for ABT’s 2024 Summer season go on sale Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House box office. Performances will run from June 18 through July 20, 2024, and will feature the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’sWoolf Works, as well as repertory favorites Onegin, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet, plus the return of Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate. 

 

Principal Dancers for the 2024 Summer season include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, and Roman Zhurbin. 

 

New York Premiere 

ABT will present the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. featuring ABT Guest Artist and former Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Enmeshed with elements from Woolf’s letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a freer, uniquely modern realism. It brings to life Woolf’s world of “granite and rainbow,” where human beings are at once both physical body and uncontained essence.  

 

Woolf Works has received notable recognition and outstanding critical acclaim. The full-length contemporary ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and McGregor was awarded the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography for the work. 

 

Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, Woolf Works is structured into three acts: “I now, I then,” “Becomings,” and “Tuesday,” each starkly distinct in visual design and choreography. Woolf Works features concept, direction, and choreography by Wayne McGregor and music by Max Richter, with set design by Ciguë (“I now, I then”), We Not I (“Becomings”), and Wayne McGregor (“Tuesday”); costume design by Moritz Junge; lighting design by Lucy Carter; film design by Ravi Deepres; and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed. Woolf Works is produced in association with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. This production was first seen at the Royal Opera House, London on May 11, 2015. 

 

The ballet will receive its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on April 11, 2024, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. During ABT’s 2024 Summer season, Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29. 

 

In addition to the opening night performance, Ferri will make a guest appearance on Friday, June 28, during ABT’s 2024 production of Woolf Works at the Metropolitan Opera House. This performance, as one of ABT’s 2024 Summer season celebratory evenings, will be dedicated to honoring Ferri and her career. 

 

2024 Summer Season Celebratory Evenings 

This season, ABT unfolds a series of celebratory evenings, complete with a post-show toast on the Grand Tier of the Metropolitan Opera House. Admission is extended to that evening’s ticket holders with the purchase of an additional reception ticket. 

 

In the month of June, ABT will celebrate Opening Night of the Summer season on Tuesday, June 18, the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday, June 25, and an evening honoring Guest Artist and former ABT Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri on Friday, June 28. 

 

During July, the Corps de Ballet Celebration will take place on Friday, July 5, while Herman Cornejo’s 25^th Anniversary Toast will take place on Friday, July 19. 

 

Reception tickets can be purchased for $98. For more information, visit www.abt.org/SummerEvents.  

 

Full-Length Productions 

ABT’s Summer season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the verse-novel Eugene Onegin by Alexandrer Pushkin. Onegin received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965, by Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. The ballet received its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York led by Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir Malakhov (Lensky), and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010, at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada, and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Onegin is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. Opening night at the Metropolitan Opera House on Tuesday, June 18 will conclude with a post-performance toast to kick off the Summer season.  

 

Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first performance of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-Odile) and Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried) in the leading roles. The ballet will be given eight performances this season. Complete with a post-performance toast, the Friday, July 5 performance of Swan Lake will be a Corps de Ballet Celebration to honor ABT’s world-class talent in the corps de ballet.   

 

Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965, and was given its ABT Premiere at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985, with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles. Romeo and Juliet will be given seven performances through July 13 at the Metropolitan Opera House. 

 

The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. Based on the bestselling novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman who is overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition. Tita’s only form of expression is through cooking, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her neighbor Pedro. From the award-winning team of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and composer Joby Talbot, this co-production with The Royal Ballet features scenery and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, and video design by Luke Halls.  

 

The ballet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, led by Francesca Hayward as Tita and Marcelino Sambé as Pedro. It received its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 29, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, led by Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. The Friday, July 19 performance of Like Water for Chocolate will mark the final 2024 Summer season celebratory evening in commemoration of Herman Cornejo’s 25^th Anniversary with American Ballet Theatre.  

 

Family Programming 

ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet for families, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M. with ABT Principal Dancer Misty Copeland set to host. A limited number of $150 VIP tickets are available for purchase that include premium seating, a souvenir gift bag, and a post-performance meet-and-greet with an ABT dancer. All other tickets for the ABTKids performance are $30. ASL interpretation will be provided. 

 

The 2024 Summer season will also include the return of ABT’s Pre-Performance Workshop series at the Metropolitan Opera House. Young fans will have the opportunity to participate in an hour of hands-on activities, designed as an introduction to the works they will see on the Met stage. Workshops will take place at 9:15 A.M. before the ABTKids performance on Saturday, June 22, and at 11:00 A.M. before the matinees of Swan Lake on Thursday, July 4 and Saturday, July 6. Workshop tickets are $20 and require a corresponding performance ticket. 

 

ABT Masters Series 

This summer, ABT launches the ABT Masters Series, a day long immersive experience for ballet fans to study one of ABT’s 20^th century classical works. Designed for adults 20-years or older with beginner to advanced-beginner ballet experience, participants will start the day at ABT’s 890 Broadway studios for body conditioning and ballet technique classes before diving into a 90-minute repertoire workshop, exploring the history of the session’s ballet, its movement, and characters, all taught by ABT Artistic Staff members and notable ABT alumni. That evening, participants will attend a pre-show talk with an ABT dancer before watching the corresponding ABT performance in an Orchestra seat at the Metropolitan Opera House.   

  

The 2024 ABT Masters Series will run on Saturday, June 22 and Saturday, July 13 alongside performances of Onegin and Romeo and Juliet, respectively.  

  

The day-long experience can be purchased for $250, including workshop fees, pre-performance talk, and one Orchestra ticket to attend the evening performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. For more information, visit ABT’s website.  

 

Single Tickets 

Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House will be on sale beginning Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 212-362-6000, in person at the Met Box Office, or online at ABT’s website. Tickets start at $30. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64^th and 65^th streets in New York City. 

 

Ticket holders for the 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House may exchange tickets up until noon the day of the performance at no charge, minus any difference in the ticket price. We regret that there are no refunds or cancellations. 

 

Discounted Tickets and Student Ticket Policy 

American Ballet Theatre offers $12-30 advance tickets and day of rush tickets for any full-time undergraduate or graduate student. A valid student ID is required. Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website. Limit two tickets per person, per performance. 

 

American Ballet Theatre offers $35 orchestra day of rush tickets to the general public for all performances. Two tickets may be purchased for one performance every seven days. Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website. 

 

American Ballet Theatre offers theatergoers under 30 years old $30 advance tickets to select performances. A limited number of tickets are available. Tickets are subject to availability and require an ID for pick up. Limit two tickets per person, per performance. 

 

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. 

 

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. 

 

Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein.  

 

American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold.  

 

Leadership support of ABT’s New Works Initiative is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.  

 

Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. 

 

Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.  

 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.  

 

Press release: 

ABT STUDIO COMPANY CONCLUDES SPRING U.S. TOUR AT THE JOYCE THEATER IN NEW YORK CITY, MAY 1–5, 2024, WITH THREE NEW YORK PREMIERES AND ONE WORLD PREMIERE

 

NEW YORK, NY (April 2, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre Studio Company returns to New York City to conclude their 2024 Spring U.S. tour with five performances at The Joyce Theater, May 1–5, 2024. The performance series will feature richly varied programs of original commissions plus classical and neoclassical favorites, including the New York Premieres of choreography by Amy Hall Garner, Jamar Roberts, and ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside, and the World Premiere of a pas de deux by ABT Studio Company dancer Brady Farrar. 

 

Led by ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, the central mission of ABT Studio Company is to prepare its pre-professional dancers – currently ages 17-22 – for careers at American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. 80% of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including 14 Principal Dancers and 9 Soloists.  

 

Each year, ABT Studio Company commissions new works from emerging and established choreographers and engages the broadest possible ballet audience by performing varied repertoire in a range of venues around the globe. ABT Studio Company’s 2023-2024 season features performances in 15 cities across the United States and in Córdoba, Mexico. 

 

ABT Studio Company dancers performing at The Joyce Theater are Max Barker, Kayke Carvalho, YeonSeo Choi, Brady Farrar, Elijah Geolina, Lilia Greyeyes, Daniel Guzmán, Arisu Hirata, Chaeyeon Kang, Audrey Lynn, Vince Pelegrin, and Trinity Santoro. ABT Studio Company Trainee and current ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School student Sooha Park will additionally appear in the performances.  

 

ABT Studio Company welcomes four recent alumni to perform alongside the group at The Joyce, courtesy of American Ballet Theatre: ABT corps de ballet member Alejandro Valera Outlaw and ABT apprentices Madison Brown, Kyra Coco, and Sylvie Squires. 

 

ABT Studio Company’s repertory at The Joyce will include the following New York Premieres: 

Within the Sunset by Amy Hall Garner, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Lawson Rollins, and Estas Tonne. 

In the Face of Darkness by Jamar Roberts, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Franz Schubert. 

Young & Beautiful by ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Lana Del Ray. 

Night Falls (World Premiere) by ABT Studio Company dancer Brady Farrar, a new work commissioned for ABT Studio Company, with music by Frédéric Chopin.  

 

Lighting for all new works is designed by ABT Studio Company Production Manager Audrey Schultz. 

 

Additional repertory works presented by ABT Studio Company at The Joyce will be The Seasons pas de deux by Alexei Ratmansky, Known By Heart Duet © by Twyla Tharp, “Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © by Tharp, Flight of the Bumblebee by Brady Farrar, excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake after Marius Petipa, and the Diana and Acteon pas de deux after Agrippina Vaganova.  

 

Tickets starting at $12, including fees, can be purchased online and at The Joyce box office at 175 Eighth Avenue. 

 

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. 

 

Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 7:30 P.M. 

Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) 

Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) 

The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) 

“Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) 

Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) – New York Premiere 

Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) 

“Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) 

Night Falls (Brady Farrar) – World Premiere 

Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) – New York Premiere 

 

Thursday, May 2, 2024, 8:00 P.M. 

Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) 

Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) 

The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) 

“Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) 

Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) 

Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) 

“Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) 

Night Falls (Brady Farrar) 

Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner)  

 

Friday, May 3, 2024, 8:00 P.M. 

Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) 

Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) 

The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) 

“Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) 

“Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © (Twyla Tharp) 

In the Face of Darkness (Jamar Roberts) - New York Premiere 

“Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) 

Night Falls (Brady Farrar) 

Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) 

 

Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00 P.M. 

Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) 

The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) 

“Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) 

Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) 

“Country Gardens” from Brief Fling © (Twyla Tharp) 

Night Falls (Brady Farrar) 

“Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) 

Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) 

Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) 

 

Sunday, May 5, 2024, 7:30 P.M. 

Diana and Acteon pas de deux (after Agrippina Vaganova) 

Flight of the Bumblebee (Brady Farrar) 

The Seasons pas de deux (Alexei Ratmansky) 

“Neapolitan Dance” from Swan Lake (after Marius Petipa) 

Young & Beautiful (James Whiteside) 

Known By Heart Duet © (Twyla Tharp) 

“Rose Adagio” from The Sleeping Beauty (after Marius Petipa) 

Night Falls (Brady Farrar) 

Within the Sunset (Amy Hall Garner) 

 

For more information about ABT Studio Company, please visit ABT’s website and follow @ABTStudioCo on Instagram.  

 

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. 

 

American Ballet Theatre recognizes the following donors for their extraordinary giving in support of ABT Studio Company: Sofia Elizalde, Patricia R. Morton, James M. and Nora C. Orphanides, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund. Additional support provided by Edward "Chip" Beam in loving memory of John and Jack, Sandra and Charles Carmeci, Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin, The Agnes Varis Fund, Constance A. Woo, and four anonymous donors.  

   

Commissions and presentations of new work by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal.  

  

Leadership support of ABT’s New Works initiatives is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. 

  

Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company's mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

 

 

Thank you for the excerpt. New release date is March 12. 

 

https://www.academicapress.com/node/611#:~:text=Balanchine and Me is dedicated,to lead for 35 years.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Balanchine-Me-Peter-Martins/dp/1680536265/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AVDDNZ7UIXVE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rSYwLjBUrjJQZ-oPUKJ6X5qZ7ZGwbUws7tjwgmy_wjylWI1gHXIk-IRHnogw6YkO1i3K43Tibl_ysRSYGdGkWo7l3a0GTT1SUHU3my1XHyLv8Q_6AdoHBCeWVW7zDiIFDvCXni8kFQZ9aUwWNp16q7uqV9w2wbUt9v-xuqgQ4E8J3jDH25qH8_MV48Uy7Iiq8MbD5vJmdb_FIhXjwbQ3CqaGSUGy2AvErfthicwbfMs.xFPoBumw7Q-r04oyTV2Xg3_AY-a6NHljJEWzmZMx_pg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Balanchine&qid=1711490227&s=books&sprefix=balanchine%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1

 

A news release: 

 

Gala news:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE TO HOST 2024 SPRING GALA: BALLET BRILLIANCE TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024, AT CIPRIANI 42ND STREET

 

NEW YORK, NY (March 25, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre will host the 2024 Spring Gala: Ballet Brilliance on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 6:30 P.M. at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Performed by ABT’s extraordinary dancers, this one-night-only program will feature a curated selection of excerpts from ABT’s upcoming 2024 Summer season, including a preview of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works ahead of the New York Premiere.

 

Repertory for ABT’s 2024 Spring Gala will include the pas de deux from Acts II and III from Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake with music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky; two pas de deux excerpts from John Cranko’s Onegin with music by Tchaikovsky; excerpts of “Becomings” and “Tuesday” from Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works; the Act III pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet set to music by Sergei Prokofiev; and the Act III pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate with music by Joby Talbot.

 

Dancers scheduled to perform are Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, Chloe Misseldine, and Jake Roxander.

 

Following the performance, Gala guests will enjoy dinner and dancing.

 

The Gala evening will honor Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi for her incomparable commitment to artistic excellence and innovation as a filmmaker, as well as her fervent advocacy of classical ballet.

 

Honorary Chairs for the 2024 Spring Gala are Susan Fales-Hill, Elizabeth Segerstrom, and Blaine Trump. Gala Chairs include Sarah Arison, Amy Astley, Avery and Andrew Barth, Emily Blavatnik, Hamish Bowles, Malcolm Carfrae, Mr. and Mrs. Austin T. Fragomen, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman, Jenna and Paul Segal, Melissa A. Smith, and Sutton Stracke. Casey Kohlberg, Lilah Ramzi, and Zachary Weiss will serve as Junior Chairs.

 

To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit ABT’s website or contact ABT’s Special Events Department with any questions.

 

Complete casting follows.

 

ABT 2024 Summer Season

ABT’s 2024 Summer season will run from June 18 – July 20 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles.

 

The New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works is set for Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29.

 

Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first of eight performances of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Next, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles, running for seven performances through July 13. The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16 at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro.

 

 

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change.

 

 

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®.

 

Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein.

 

American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold.

Leadership support of ABT's New Works Initiative is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.

 

Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal.

 

Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.

 

2024 SPRING GALA - CASTING.pdf

 

Other news:

 

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE WELCOMES BARRY HUGHSON AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

 

NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2024) – American Ballet Theatre and Andrew Barth, Chairman of the Board of Governing Trustees, are delighted to announce Barry Hughson's appointment as the Company's new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2024. Hughson, known for his transformative leadership within the arts sector, joins ABT with an impressive track record from his previous tenure at The National Ballet of Canada, where he was pivotal in strengthening the company’s financial foundations and international stature. 

 

Hughson’s career is distinguished by his commitment to the arts, demonstrated through his strategic leadership roles at some of the most respected ballet companies, including the Boston Ballet and Atlanta Ballet. His achievements encompass a broad range of initiatives to expand audience engagement, enhance financial health, and foster artistic collaboration. At The National Ballet of Canada, he led significant projects that elevated the company’s profile and ensured its sustainability, underscoring his ability to merge artistic vision with operational excellence. 

  

Andrew Barth expressed his enthusiasm for Hughson’s appointment, emphasizing the alignment of his experience with ABT’s mission: “It is a great honor to welcome Barry Hughson to ABT. His commitment to the arts and his visionary leadership are exactly what ABT needs as we move forward. Barry's ability to balance artistic excellence with operational acumen promises an exciting new chapter for our beloved institution.” 

  

Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director, shared her anticipation of collaborating with Hughson: “What a profound honor it is for me to work alongside Barry as we chart ABT's future. His leadership and dedication to the arts will undoubtedly enrich our Company, furthering our commitment to excellence and innovation.” 

  

Barry Hughson shared his vision for ABT’s future: “ABT is an American treasure and holds an important place in dance history. It is a profound honor to help navigate post-pandemic challenges, pursue opportunities for growth, and protect a Company that I have loved from the time I was a young ballet student dreaming big dreams. I look forward to working with the exceptional team at ABT, Andrew Barth, and Susan Jaffe to continue the legacy of excellence and to introduce our remarkable artists to wider audiences. Together, we will write the next chapter in the storied history of this remarkable Company.” 

  

With Hughson, the Company looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence and innovation in the world of ballet. 

 

For more details about Barry Hughson's professional journey and vision for American Ballet Theatre, please visit abt.org. 

 

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. 

I did eventually get it sent to me. Yes, they said "check your junk folder" but it wasn't there. That's fine. About the pictures of Farrell and d'Amboise from Apollo. It's so weird that they're credited as from 1972 when Farrell was no longer in the company. They are probably either the 1960s when the two were filmed performing Apollo. Anyway, I really do hope this book comes out. The forward talks about Croce's mastery as a critic but that in her book, she's grappling and wrestling with a swarm of thoughts on Balanchine's work. I'm totally there for that. 

3 hours ago, Peg said:

I ordered and paid for the PDF only evening before last.  I was charged, and received an email acknowledgment of my order, but nothing more. I wrote to Eakins Press by email inquiring about when I would receive the PDF and have not received a response. Any similar experiences?

Yup. Same. From Helene's experience, I figured somebody forwards it by hand, so I waited until business hours the next day. When I didn't receive anything, I emailed. But never heard back. I'll try to track it down next week if it doesn't come. 

I've been picking my way through this. Pleasant nighttime reading. I do find it interesting where Homan goes heavy on a topic and where she just glosses over. For example, she had a page or so on the composer Xenakis and practically nothing on Gelsey Kirkland. She looked closely at Balanchine's use or non-use of Black dancers, quoting from an interview she did with Mel Tomlinson before he passed away in 2019, yet didn't mention Debra Austin, for whom he made an indelible solo in Ballo della Regina. Homan writes a lot about Arthur Mitchell but never mentions the charming pas de deux Balanchine created for him and Mary Hinkson for The Figure in the Carpet. Seems odd not to mention, in the context of a discussion on Balanchine and race, the two times he did choreograph parts on Black women. 

 

Official release: 

 

NEW YORK PREMIERE OF WAYNE MCGREGOR’S WOOLF WORKS TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S SUMMER SEASON AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE, JUNE 18 – JULY 20, 2024 

 

FORMER ABT PRINCIPAL DANCER ALESSANDRA FERRI TO APPEAR AS GUEST ARTIST IN WOOLF WORKS 

 

SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 12:00 P.M. 

 

NEW YORK, NY (November 15, 2023) – American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House, June 18 – July 20, will feature the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, as announced today by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. The season will also see the return of Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, as well as beloved classic productions of Onegin,Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. 

 

Principal Dancers for the 2024 Summer season include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, James Whiteside, and Roman Zhurbin. 

 

New York Premiere 

ABT will present the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Enmeshed with elements from Woolf’s letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a freer, uniquely modern realism. It brings to life Woolf’s world of “granite and rainbow,” where human beings are at once both physical body and uncontained essence.  

 

Woolf Works has received notable recognition and outstanding critical acclaim. The full-length contemporary ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and McGregor was awarded the Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography for the work. 

 

Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, Woolf Works is structured into three acts: “I Now, I Then,” “Becomings,” and “Tuesday,” each starkly distinct in visual design and choreography. Woolf Works features choreography by Wayne McGregor and music by Max Richter, with set design by Ciguë (“I Now, I Then”), We Not I (“Becomings”), and Wayne McGregor (“Tuesday”); costume design by Moritz Junge; lighting design by Lucy Carter; film design by Ravi Deepres; and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed. It is set to receive its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on April 11, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. Woolf Works will be given seven performances through June 29. 

 

Alessandra Ferri, former Principal Dancer with ABT from 1985 to 2007, will make a guest appearance for two performances, on Tuesday, June 25 and Friday, June 28, during ABT’s 2024 production of Woolf Works at the Metropolitan Opera House. The performance on Friday, June 28 will be dedicated to honoring Ferri and her career. 

 

Full-Length Productions 

ABT’s Summer season will kick off with seven performances of John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday evening, June 18 at 7:30 P.M. with Devon Teuscher and Daniel Camargo in the leading roles. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the verse-novel Eugene Onegin by Alexandrer Pushkin. Onegin received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965, by Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. The ballet received its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York led by Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir Malakhov (Lensky), and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010, at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada, and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012, at the Metropolitan Opera House. Onegin is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. 

 

Week three of ABT’s Summer season will open on Monday evening, July 1 with the first performance of Swan Lake, led by Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile and Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-Odile) and Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried) in the leading roles. The ballet will be given eight performances this season. The Friday, July 5 performance of Swan Lake will be a “Corps de Ballet Celebration” to honor ABT’s world-class talent in the corps de ballet.   

 

Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will open on Tuesday evening, July 9 with Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965, and was given its ABT Premiere at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985, with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles. Romeo and Juliet will be given seven performances through July 13 at the Metropolitan Opera House. 

 

The final week of the 2024 Summer season will feature seven performances of Like Water for Chocolate beginning Tuesday evening, July 16 at 7:30 P.M. with Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. Based on the bestselling novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman who is overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition. Tita’s only form of expression is through cooking, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her neighbor Pedro. From the award-winning team of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and composer Joby Talbot, this co-production with The Royal Ballet features scenery and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, and video design by Luke Halls.  

 

The ballet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, led by Francesca Hayward as Tita and Marcelino Sambé as Pedro. It received its North American Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on March 29, 2023, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, led by Cassandra Trenary as Tita and Herman Cornejo as Pedro. The Friday, July 19 performance of Like Water for Chocolate will celebrate Herman Cornejo’s 25^th Anniversary with American Ballet Theatre.  

 

ABTKids 

ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet for families, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M. All tickets for ABTKids are $25. 

 

Subscriptions 

Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House, on sale beginning Monday, November 20 at 12:00 P.M., or online at ABT’s website www.abt.org.  

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change. 

 

 ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. 

 

Swan Lake is generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein.  

 

American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold.  

 

Leadership support of ABT’s New Works Initiative is provided by Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. 

 

Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. 

 

Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.  

 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.  

 

13 hours ago, cobweb said:

Interesting comment, Dale. I guess, since she's called the Sleepwalker, that does imply she's a real woman, just very very asleep. But don't you think that, given the intensity of the sleep, not to mention her return to find and carry away the Poet, she seems to be supernatural? Curious if you are making this comment based on a reading or understanding of what Balanchine intended, or your own interpretation. I am very intrigued by the question of her nature. She doesn't seem human to me, but I don't really know how to understand her. 

Mmm. That's an interesting question/point. I certainly don't think she should be played in some earthy way, some commonplace way. But some dancers sort of sketch in the steps seemingly in an effort to appear barely there. I thought it was interesting that Phelan noted that she had been trying to make herself to nonexistent and she was corrected by Kent. 

From the NYT article: The heroine may be walking in her sleep, but “she’s not expressionless,” Kent said. “You can’t come in like a zombie.” ... “You are sleepwalking, but you’re aware,” Kent said. “You’re in another realm but there’s something going on within you. A great tragedy that is not explained.” ... “You can still be active, but if it gets all tense then it looks like you’re putting on a show instead of it coming from a genuine place,” Phelan said later. “If I’m just being myself and actively doing something, I’m not sensing everything in my body. So that’s what I’m trying to bring it back to.” When she first danced the Sleepwalker, Phelan wanted to prove that she could be ghostly, waiflike, light. “What I’ve discovered from Allegra is that I may have been going too far with that,” she said. “You let yourself be involved emotionally. I think I was trying to stay so disassociated.”

And then I think of the atmosphere of the gathering. It's slightly sinister. It's not a wholesome gathering. This isn't a good place. And what the Poet represents in Balanchine's work. What the seeker represents. And what the seeked (or the woman pursued) represents. So, yes, more than just a woman. But not a fairy. 

But I think the mischaracterization of the Sleepwalker was part of a larger change that was going on within the company's dancing in the previous 20 years. I think there has been a reversal, but during this period, plies became shallow, batterie so microscopic as to appear not to be there, arabesques were given short shrift. Always the emphasis on the up and not the down, which is not the way Balanchine wanted it (see some of the coaching videos on YT). In comparison to this, were other companies coached by people like Villella or Farrell with deep plies and digging deep into the floor to rise up, the steps always fully done. I first saw LS with Kent, McBride and Farrell. Kistler and Nichols were also good. Then those wispy performances. Janie Taylor was a natural for the role but it was given to her too late and sporadically. Seeing clips of Lovette perform the duet in Vail made me think she should have had a chance at the part, too. Meanwhile, I did see excellent productions with the Cincinnati Ballet (coached and reconstructed by Frederick Franklin [with help from Bart Cook] with Kristi Capps as the Sleepwalker) and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet (with Chan Hon Goh), performed right after 9/11. 

I loath the new Who Cares? costumes with the force of a thousand suns and have been in a snit about them all day! They are too long, too heavy. They aren't opaque so you can't see the legs. A good portion of the ballet is the women's legs. The skirt should be at mid-thigh and should float. Not only that, they are completely unflattering to the women I saw in them. Only Peck looked remotely attractive. For the others, the bodice and neckline was unflattering and the tule tufts coming out from between the heavy jeweled panels, made everybody look heavy around the middle, rectangle-like. Just a complete disaster. If you had never seen Who Cares before and saw it now, you'd wonder "what's the point of this?" The dresses completely obscure the dance. And it's worn with bare legs. I'm not against bare legs in ballet, but you have these bridesmaid-like, tackily jeweled 60s-era looking cocktail dresses and then bare legs. I'm very salty about this!

I was much happier Wednesday. Apollo, however, was a bit off. Danchig-Waring danced beautifully in a sculptural way but he was a mature Apollo throughout, there was no progression. Maybe that's what we get in Balanchine's last truncated version of the ballet. It is harder for some dancers to make the first solos confidently danced but with a hint of gawky youth required without having that initial birth and wobbly earlier moments. The three muses...maybe they rehersed the ballet faster than it was played Wednesday night because I found all of them had to insert little bitty steps to fill out the some phrase because they finished early. Or something. I definitely saw steps I don't normally. Like, Phelan's Terpsichore. When she first comes out for her solo, she paws at the stage with her toe and then does a shift this way and that. But she added a few steps in there so that she pawed less and shifted more or maybe it was the other way around but I was like "huh?" The same in the middle of the solo when she sort of steps out in a circle and comes back where she is. This has gotten very exaggerated over the years - and now it's almost like a harkening back to the longer version of the ballet when Apollo makes his first gawky steps. The opening of the pas de deux also had an unwelcome change. When Apollo ends up on the ground then holds out his finger, Terpsichore walks on and as she does, Apollo looks away. She touches his finger and then she looks away. Then the high strings come on to begin the pas de deux, Apollo turns to look at her and then she looks at him. But on Wednesday night, I noticed he looked at her throughout. I don't remember if he eventually did look away but I definitely noticed that he didn't look away when he was supposed to. Sort of ruins that moment. Beyond that, the pas de deux was well done. 

I love La Sonnambula. There's an old thread somewhere on the board about ballets we love that are seldom done well. And this, for me, is one of them. I have felt in the past with some casting that the Sleepwalker was being done as some apparition, a Sylph or Willi. And because of that it was danced in a light, lightest, lighter way, with the steps sort of sketched in. She is not supernatural. The Sleepwalker is a real woman. Not a vision. Not an apparition. It is best when danced full out with proper weight given to the steps. I thought Unity Phelan, especially fresh off being coached by Allegra Kent, gave a marvelous performance. For once, there was minimal laughter during the pas deux, maybe because, like me, they had their heart in their throats. I admit to swallowing down a cry after the deep backbend and the way Unity stepped out of his encircled arms. The rest of the ballet could use some fresh eyes on it. The entertainment pas de deux was quite lovely with Jacqueline Bologna and Davide Riccardo. And Daniel Ulbricht lived up to his high standards as Harlequin. The Pastorale was a little underpowered as it was and then there was Lars Nelson's unfortunate injury. I do glory in any moment to see Olivia Boisson (and Kristen Segin) dance a soloist part.

Andrew Veyette projected the authority of the Baron well. I usually find Ashley Laracey's instincts quite good but is there a movement to make the Coquette a sympathetic character now? Maybe nobody likes playing the bad guy. Not that I think she should be played as some one dimensional vamp but her name is Coquette! I also think there was way too much reluctance to go into dinner with the Baron rather than the Poet now, with some extra bit of clutching at him before being swept off stage. The Coquette weighs her options pretty quickly and while there maybe a backwards glance, she's made her choice in that moment. The best move is to be the Baron's dinner partner, not stay behind with the Poet. I don't like this new change where she is seemingly torn from the Poet's arms with no agency. 

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 was transporting. Loved Sara Mearns, as always. Tyler Angle provided way more than just able support, looking good in his solos. And Emily Kikta makes a statement in the solo role. I also loved seeing India Bradley and Bologna guide the cavalier and be guided by him in the 2nd movement as the corps rush through the arbor they provide. Now, these costumes I wasn't sure about. But I think they look better on stage than they do in photographs. I'm a convert on these. (although I do think that contract with Swarovski is a deal with the devil - everything now is bedazzled within an inch of its life). 

 

I think it's just something one gets used to seeing. I'm used to seeing Tyler with this look and so after the first nod of recognition Wednesday night, it blended in for me. I really liked him in Tschaik Piano Ct No. 2. ETA: people used to say the same thing about skin color or large hair, short hair. My feeling is, the more you see it, the more it just blends into everybody else. For example, one of the male dancers in La Sonnambula had naturally relaxed hair. There's a movement now to be more culturally sensitive on the issues of hair and tights etc... It wasn't a problem for me. But I think maybe 20 years ago or earlier, people would have complained. Same with tattoos. Used to be, those were always covered up. Now people are leaving them (mostly in modern roles). There have been male dancers at NYCB that wore hair pieces or bald spot coverups and I'm OK with people embracing how they are now. As long as they're fit to dance and are neat, clean etc...

3 hours ago, Drew said:

I can imagine how wonderful to be back in the theater. Sounds like a largely terrific performance too 🙂.

I hope  to make my first return to NYCB since the pandemic struck at the end of the season--though health-and-travel variables seem increasingly daunting to me as I get less and less hearty. But I do have tickets and airplane booked!

Yes, that was a consideration for me. Not to get too off topic here. I'm still masking. Took MetroNorth in, then the Shuttle over, then the 1. Due to a combination of luck and commuting savvy honed over decades of experience, I had an empty car on the Shuttle and then I finessed a seat on the 1. Took a taxi back to GC. It was expensive but a person pissed off at my driver cutting them off threw a bottle into the car - at least it was entertaining! Yes, I realized a lost a lot of city walking energy and stamina. And it was a lot of mask time. Going again but I'm going to drive in. I hope you enjoy your trip!

I thought that the open class was just a fund-raising thing. I doubt it will happen more than once a season. (Doesn't the Miami City Ballet have one of their rehearsal rooms open to the street outside?) Probably just a little bone to throw those who contribute at the $250 level or something like that. I was a member for a few seasons and the company doesn't really have much to give you other than watching rehearsals. They don't want to give you a discount on your tickets. And I didn't contribute enough to get into the nice lounge that's open during the performances. I loved watching the coaching sessions. As for viewers watching orchestras warm up - happens all the time! Most warm up in the pit while everybody comes into the performance. And the NY Phil has had open rehearsals and run-thrus. 

1 hour ago, BalanchineFan said:

How does it undercut anything? Whatever they agreed to is contractually stipulated. They didn’t actually fire Martins, so he’s entitled to whatever exit/retirement pay is in his contract. They have to pay. They’re not paying him out of the goodness of their hearts. 
 

I must have been at the same performance as you, Dale. I think Peter Walker is newer to Agon than Miller, who, iirc, performed it as an apprentice or shortly after she joined NYCB. In the ppd, when she’s in penchée arabesque (on pointe!) and he goes to the floor on his back, he is not supposed to move her hand. On Sunday, he moved it and she struggled to stay on pointe. That had gone much better on their previous performance, on Saturday.

Agree. I had seen Miller in Agon with other partners and really like her in this. I forgot who said it but I remember a male dancer lauded for his partnering said in an interview if your partner comes off point while you're partnering her, it's your fault. Period. Hopefully, Walker will sort that out. 

I finally returned to NYCB for the first time since the pandemic on Sunday. I was thrilled about nearly everything. I had been aching for the company to bring Bourrée Fantasque but with proper casting (and I hope it stays in the rep). Mira Nadon and KJ Takahashi were fun, sharp, stylish in the first movement. The two had all the fun details down but also looked natural and not contrived. I love the 2nd mvt Prelude. It's just one of those Balanchine dream movements and everything was flowing and rippling. I was sort of surprised that the audience continued to laugh in this movement. I suppose it's because the program notes said it was "comic" aim at ballet "conventions." Mmm. Emilie Gerrity had just the right swoon power and Gilbert Bolden was ardent with some of the smoothest partnering. There's some tricky partnering and he made this one great save that made a would-be fluff into something triumphant. Alexa Maxwell and David Gabriel led all the jumping in Fete Polonaise with verve. The finale is so much fun. Love the patterns. Love the costumes. And the music. Hope it stays. Several years ago, I interviewed Susan Pilarre when she staged the ballet for SAB (and then later MCB) and she said that in the 50s and 60s, it was regular rep and everybody would have been in it at one time or another, like Symphony in C.

The program ended with Slaughter and it was just so much fun. Sara Mearns gives the best performance in this. I know some reviews says she's more "Vegas" than Balanchine but she's the only dancer I've seen (several companies) in this in decades who doesn't dance as if they've got a running plan of the steps/movements in their head like "Now I bump my hip, now I thrust out my leg, now I put my foot down..." The movement flows out of her naturally as if she's dancing in a club. But the steps are all there. Andrew Veyette was one of the best all-around Hoofer I had seen in awhile. Sometimes, it's hit or miss if the the guys have tap or jazz dancing in their background and the steps are sort of tailored to hide that away. Not saying Vedette was another Savion Glover but I didn't watch with my heart in my throat worrying for cringe moments where we all just pretend he's tap dancing! 😁 He also was a good partner for Mearns and they danced with fun and abandon. The whole company looked good. Another nod to Bolden as the Boss (me thinks somebody is going to be promoted to Soloist soon). 

Saved Agon for last because it wasn't a wholly satisfying performance. I would say the first pas de trios was the most realized, especially the dance with the two women --Meaghan Dutton-O'Hara and Ashley Hod (although they could still use more epaulement - there's been a flattening out over the years). I'm not sure what I thought of Jovani Furlan's solo. For the most part, good. Could use refining. The second pas de trios started with a bang with Isabella LaFreniere seeming to hang in the air. But there seemed to be timing issues overall and in the men's duet. Isabella's solo was very elegant and musical. It almost stood out weirdly from the rest of the section. Everybody seemed sort of tense in the rest of their section. The pas de Deux had some things...I liked Miriam Miller. She has the beginnings of performing it in a very cool detached Diana Adams way, rather than the scorched earth style some later interpreters had. But, and I feel badly pointing this out, I didn't find Peter Walker the right fit. I feel badly because I just don't think I've seen enough of him in principal parts to make a judgement on him overall. The partnering bit where the man drops down on the floor didn't come off well. He's not particularly flexible nor strong in the upper body (again, I don't want to say this with so much certainty because maybe he has a ton of strength in a role I haven't seen him in). I think maybe not the best part for him but he's tall and Miller needs a tall partner. 

All in all I was delighted to be back in the state theater. I used to live near the center of the NY metro area and could pop in whenever I wanted AND DID! Now I'm on the outer edge and while not impossible, it takes more planning, more time to attend. I was feeling a little sad to miss the big alumni reunion (I had been there for the 50th - God, I can't believe it's been that long) and for various debuts and retirements. But it was good to be back. 

 

 

25 minutes ago, California said:

I'm a Medici subscriber and it doesn't seem to be available. But I've marked my calendar for the PBS showing. 

It's a geographic exclusive. Not available in the US but in Europe for Medici subscribers. (you can play around with your location to possibly gain access)

It seems like it was a Medici TV recording and already available to watch (with some VPN magic and an account). Still, the first time the NYCB is going to be on PBS in a long time, although we were spoiled with those YouTube videos during COVID.

ETA This was originally announced in the season press release but without a date. The New York City Ballet is going to be seen on PBS Great Performances on October 27, 2023. It was filmed in Madrid and features George Balanchine's Serenade and Square Dances as well as The Times Are Racing by Justin Peck.  

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/new-york-city-ballet-in-madrid-about/15047/

The casting is here: 

https://www.medici.tv/en/ballets/new-york-city-ballet-performs-george-balanchine-justin-peck-serenade-square-dance-times-are-racing-teatro-real-madrid

Square Dance excerpt: 

 

Full release: 

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 2023 FALL GALA TO BE HELD AT THE DAVID H. KOCH THEATER OCTOBER 24  

 

2023 FALL GALA FEATURING ABT PRINCIPAL DANCERS, ABT APPRENTICES, ABT STUDIO COMPANY, AND STUDENTS OF THE ABT JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS SCHOOL 

 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 

 

NEW YORK, NY (September 18, 2023) – American Ballet Theatre will host its 2023 Fall Gala at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, October 24 at 6:30 P.M.  

 

The Fall Gala will feature a one-time-only program of beloved classic and contemporary excerpts showcasing ABT’s roster of Principal Dancers. The evening will also highlight talented young dancers from ABT’s Training Programs. 

 

ABT is proud to honor The Shubert Foundation, the nation’s largest funder of unrestricted grants to not-for-profit dance and theatre companies, at the 2023 Fall Gala. The Foundation’s unstinting commitment and magnanimous philanthropy have sustained and advanced live performing arts in the United States, including ABT, for nearly 50 years. ABT is grateful to have this occasion to celebrate The Shubert Foundation’s exceptional grantmaking as a singular champion of dance and theatre. Alongside peer organizations, also supported by The Shubert Foundation, ABT extends its heartfelt gratitude. 

 

Honorary Chairs for the 2023 Fall Gala are Amy Astley and Blaine Trump, with Chairs Sarah Arison, Avery and Andy Barth, Emily Blavatnik, Melanie Hamrick and Mick Jagger, Stewart R. Smith and Robin A. Ferracone, Sutton Stracke, and Chai Vasarhelyi supporting.  

 

ABT apprentices, ABT Studio Company dancers, and over 130 students from the ABT JKO School, including over 60 students from the Children’s Division and 75 students in the Pre-Professional Division, will perform a pièce d’occasion set to excerpts from Camille Saint-Saëns’sCarnival of the Animals, choreographed by Lauren Lovette and Rubén Martín. 

 

ABT’s Training Programs provide young dancers with the industry standard in ballet training, preparing them for careers in American Ballet Theatre’s main Company or other leading national and international companies. Notably, over 90% of current ABT dancers are alumni of either the ABT JKO School, ABT Studio Company, or an American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive.  

 

In celebration of the 2023 Fall Gala, ABT’s Principal Dancers will perform a special mixed repertory program, beginning with Devon Teuscher and Thomas Forster in The Sleeping Beauty pas de deux with staging by Susan Jaffe and Irina Kolpakova after choreography by Marius Petipa, set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal III will perform the Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux by Kenneth MacMillan with music by Sergei Prokofiev. The Act II pas de deux from Kevin McKenzie’s production of Swan Lake will be performed by Christine Shevchenko and James Whiteside to music by Tchaikovsky. Skylar Brandt and Joo Won Ahn will make their debuts in The Leaves Are Fading pas de deux by Antony Tudor with music by Antonín Dvořák. Isabella Boylston and Aran Bell will perform in the World Premiere ofDanzón No. 2, a new work choreographed by ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside, set to music by Arturo Márquez, transcribed by Leticia Gómez-Tagle. Hee Seo and Cory Stearns will make their debuts in the pas de deux from Concerto, choreographed by MacMillan, set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich. With choreography after Petipa and Alexander Gorsky and music by Ludwig Minkus, the Don Quixote pas de deux will be performed by Catherine Hurlin and Daniel Camargo. Finally, Gillian Murphy, Joo Won Ahn, and Herman Cornejo will perform an excerpt fromÉtudes with choreography by Harald Lander and music by Carl Czerny, arranged by Knudåge Riisager. 

 

For more information on ABT's 2023 Fall Gala or to purchase tickets and tables, please contact Megan Stahlberg, Associate Director of Special Events, at mstahlberg@abt.org. 

 

Additional performances during ABT’s 2023 Fall season will run from October 18–29 at the David H. Koch Theater featuring three programs and eight ballets. Tickets, beginning at $30, are available for purchase online, in person at the Koch Theater box office, or by phone at 212-496-0600. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. 

 

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. 

 

Leadership support of ABT’s New Works Initiative is provided by Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, and through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. 

 

Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. 

 

Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT Today Fund, advancing the Company’s mission; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. 

 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.