Dale

Is this February's issue or March's? Gee, the men in ballet are getting all the ink these days.

I am planing to attend the Pennsylvania Ballet in March and another dance event at the Music Academy in April. I wanted to know if there are tips for things to avoid or look for when purchasing tickets. I tend to sit upstairs, in the less expensive seats, but I might to decide to splug to sit closer. Are there any sections to avoid (particial viewing etc...) and are there must-go-tos as far as gift shops or restaurants?

Program and Casting Subject to Change *First time in role +Guest Artist FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2003 TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25 AT 7:30PM [Fiorato] Coppélia: BORREE, *MILLEPIED, La FOSSE Waltz: *EDGE Dawn: *A. STAFFORD Prayer: HANSON Spinner: van KIPNIS War & Discord: *ASH, HENDRICKSON WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26 AT 8:00PM Soirée: TAYLOR, KÖRBES, MANDRADJIEFF, MILLEPIED, ORZA, ULBRICHT [Walters] Intermission The Steadfast Tin Soldier: BORREE, GOLD Pause Sinfonia: MARCOVICI, KÖRBES, TAYLOR, FAIRCHILD [Grant, Nikkanen] Intermission Who Cares?: NEAL, WEESE, ANSANELLI, A. STAFFORD [Chelton] THURSDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 27 AT 11:00AM [Kaplow] Interplay: KÖRBES, RIGGINS, ASH, MANDRADJIEFF, HANNA, A. HENDRICKSON, ULBRICHT, J. STAFFORD [Chelton] Pause Tarantella: ANSANELLI, GOLD [McDill] Intermission Hallelujah Junction: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED, MARCOVICI [Grant, Moredock] Intermission Who Cares?: NEAL, WEESE, ANSANELLI, A. STAFFORD [Chelton] THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 27 AT 8:00PM [Kaplow] Coppélia: *RINGER, *ASKEGARD, La FOSSE Waltz: *MANDRADJIEFF Dawn: *RICARD Prayer: *ABERGEL Spinner: *RIGGINS War & Discord: *BAR, *ORZA FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 28 AT 8:00PM Concerto Barocco: BORREE, SOMOGYI, FAYETTE [ingraham, Danielson] Pause Tarantella: FAIRCHILD, ULBRICHT [McDill] Pause Carousel (A Dance): ANSANELLI, MILLEPIED, RUTHERFORD, van KIPNIS, HIGGINS, ORZA Intermission Hallelujah Junction: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED, MARCOVICI [Grant, Moredock] Intermission I'm Old Fashioned: RUTHERFORD, RINGER, van KIPNIS, HIGGINS, NEAL, MARCOVICI SATURDAY MATINEE, MARCH 1 AT 2:00PM [Fiorato] Coppélia: BORREE, MILLEPIED, La FOSSE Waltz: EDGE Dawn: A. STAFFORD Prayer: HANSON Spinner: van KIPNIS War & Discord: ASH, HENDRICKSON SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 1 AT 8:00PM [Kaplow] Coppélia: RINGER, MILLEPIED, La FOSSE Waltz: MANDRADJIEFF Dawn: RICARD Prayer: *NATANYA Spinner: RIGGINS War & Discord: BAR, ORZA SUNDAY MATINEE, MARCH 2 AT 3:00PM Who Cares?: MARTINS, WEESE, SOMOGYI, A. STAFFORD [Chelton] Intermission Hallelujah Junction: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED, MARCOVICI [Grant, Moredock] Intermission I'm Old Fashioned: RUTHERFORD, RINGER, van KIPNIS, HIGGINS, NEAL, MARCOVICI

Thank you for the review Doris R. We don't have many people posting about Pennsylvania Ballet, but many of us are interested in the company.

Thank you Mikhail for your impressions. Is Alexandrova not considered Odette-Odile material in Russia? Since learning about how she is viewed in Russia by her public and by her bosses, I was thinking of roles that she could do and came up with Swan Lake. I don't know what is considered usual in Moscow, but I've seen many taller, more robust ballerinas dance the lead and found them to be wonderful, such as Martine van Hamel and Monique Meunier. Or is it a matter of finding a partner? That has been a problem for many a tall dancer, yet I saw many tall men when the Bolshoi last came to New York.

Michael, from what I've always remembered, even when watching as a young child, the corps parts in the third movement of Symphony in C went to the taller ladies, while the smallest were in the 2nd movement. Was this true in the 60s and earlier?

Borree has done that part several times, most notably at the 50th anniversary gala. I was hoping Kowroski would do it again this season and the 2nd movement symphony in c, but it was not to be.

*First time in role +Guest Artist FEBRUARY 18-23, 2003 TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 18 AT 7:30PM [Fiorato] The Steadfast Tin Soldier: BORREE, GOLD Pause Ballade: WHELAN, TEWSLEY [Chelton] Intermission Hallelujah Junction: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED, MARCOVICI [Grant, Moredock] Pause Sonatas and Interludes: KOWROSKI, SOTO [Chelton] Intermission I'm Old Fashioned: RUTHERFORD, RINGER, van KIPNIS, HIGGINS, SOTO, MARCOVICI WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 19 AT 8:00PM [Kaplow] Concerto Barocco: WHELAN, SOMOGYI, ASKEGARD [ingraham, Danielson] Intermission Chiaroscuro: RUTHERFORD, SOMOGYI, van KIPNIS, SOTO, FAYETTE, GOLD Pause Soirée: TAYLOR, KÖRBES, MANDRADJIEFF, MILLEPIED, ORZA, ULBRICHT [Walters] Intermission Symphony in C: 1st Mov.: A. STAFFORD, TEWSLEY 2nd Mov.: KISTLER, SOTO 3rd Mov.: TAYLOR, CARMENA 4th Mov.: van KIPNIS, FOWLER THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20 AT 8:00PM Square Dance: BORREE, BOAL Intermission Reliquary: TAYLOR, ANSANELLI, MARCOVICI, ORZA Pause Sonatas and Interludes: KOWROSKI, SOTO [Chelton] Intermission Vienna Waltzes: RUTHERFORD, FAYETTE, WEESE, TEWSLEY, ASH, HIGGINS, RINGER, ASKEGARD, NICHOLS, NEAL FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 21 AT 8:00PM [Fiorato] Interplay: RICARD, RIGGINS, ASH, MANDRADJIEFF, HANNA, HENDRICKSON, *CARMENA, ULBRICHT [Chelton] Pause Sinfonia: MARCOVICI, KÖRBES, TAYLOR, FAIRCHILD [Grant, Nikkanen] Pause Ballade: RINGER, TEWSLEY [Chelton] Intermission Vienna Waltzes: RUTHERFORD, FAYETTE, BORREE, MILLEPIED, *EDGE, HIGGINS, RINGER, ASKEGARD, KISTLER, NEAL SATURDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 22 AT 2:00PM Reliquary: TAYLOR, ANSANELLI, *HALL Intermission The Steadfast Tin Soldier: BORREE, GOLD Pause Sinfonia: MARCOVICI, KÖRBES, TAYLOR, FAIRCHILD [Grant, Nikkanen] Intermission Vienna Waltzes: RUTHERFORD, FAYETTE, BORREE, MILLEPIED, EDGE, HIGGINS, RINGER, ASKEGARD, KISTLER, NEAL SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22 AT 8:00PM [Quinn] Concerto Barocco: BORREE, SOMOGYI, FAYETTE [ingraham, Danielson] Pause Tarantella: *FAIRCHILD, *ULBRICHT [McDill] Pause Carousel (A Dance): ANSANELLI, *MILLEPIED, RUTHERFORD, van KIPNIS, HIGGINS, *ORZA Intermission Reliquary: TAYLOR, ANSANELLI, MARCOVICI, HALL Intermission Who Cares?: ASKEGARD, RINGER, SOMOGYI, van KIPNIS [Grant] SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 23 AT 3:00PM [Fiorato] Interplay: RICARD, RIGGINS, ASH, MANDRADJIEFF, HANNA, HENDRICKSON, CARMENA, ULBRICHT [Chelton] Pause Valse-Fantaisie: BORREE, GOLD Intermission Hallelujah Junction: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED, MARCOVICI [Grant, Moredock] Intermission Symphony in C: 1st Mov.: SOMOGYI, TEWSLEY 2nd Mov.: KISTLER, NEAL 3rd Mov.: TAYLOR, CARMENA 4th Mov.: van KIPNIS, FOWLER

Calliope, I too had read NYCB was going to Russia this summer. I will try to get confirmation from the company.

As Alexandra said, Alexandrova has a lot of American fans, including me. I'm thankful for the comments about her. I saw her only in three things - Sym. in C, 3rd movement; one of the soloists surrounding the Don Q pas de deux; and as Myrta - but she had tremendous impact. I had never seen a big dancer do the third movement in the Bizet and now, having seen her, I long to see another grand dancer soar through those jumps. I can understand the comments several of you made about her looks, but she seems just fine and pretty enough in the pictures on Marc's site. And her legs look quite long. In addition, I found her musical and tasteful. Is Agon still a part of the Bolshoi's rep.? Because she'd be fabulous in either the 2nd pas de trois or the pas de deux. It's a shame she's not popular with the current administration.

Ooohh, this poll is sort of tastless... I voted for Carreno, but I really would have liked to voted for Marcelo Gomes. I don't care that he just came out in the Advocate, he's the sexiest thing on the ballet stage. Just watch him as the purple pimp in McKenzie's Swan Lake or the pimp in Taylor's Black Tuesday -- very macho! But forget the pimps, he appears most manly when he is lovingly partnering the ballerinas in Tchiak pas de deux, Giselle or Theme and Variations.

When Tewsley guested with the company a few years ago, he partnered Somogyi in the third movement. She's gone on to the first movement and I wish he would too, instead of having N. Martins do the role. Bouder and Millepied were fantastic together in the third movement last year. With Bouder out right now, I'd love to see a dancer such as Carrie Lee Riggins in the part, partnered by Carmenia. It wasn't so long ago Riggins was doing a few solo parts here and there, like Winter in Four Seasons, and gave nicely detailed performances.

Program and Casting Subject to Change *First time in role +Guest Artist FEBRUARY 11-16, 2003 TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11 AT 7:30PM Burleske: KISTLER, TAYLOR, ANGLE, BOAL [Walters] Intermission Antique Epigraphs: KÖRBES, RUTHERFORD, RINGER, KOWROSKI Pause Chiaroscuro: WEESE, SOMOGYI, van KIPNIS, SOTO, FAYETTE, GOLD Intermission Agon: WHELAN, EVANS, MARCOVICI, McBREARTY, van KIPNIS, KOWROSKI, HANNA, FOWLER WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12 AT 8:00PM [Fiorato] Interplay: KÖRBES, RIGGINS, ASH, *MANDRADJIEFF, HANNA, *HENDRICKSON, *ULBRICHT, J. STAFFORD [Chelton] Intermission Piano Pieces: *CARMENA, SOMOGYI, ANGLE, ANSANELLI, MARCOVICI, KOWROSKI, HANNA [Grant] Intermission I'm Old Fashioned: RUTHERFORD, KOWROSKI, RINGER, HIGGINS, NEAL, MARCOVICI THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13 AT 8:00PM Antique Epigraphs: *van KIPNIS, RUTHERFORD, RINGER, KOWROSKI Pause Soirée: TAYLOR, KÖRBES, MANDRADJIEFF, ANGLE, ORZA, ULBRICHT [Walters] Intermission Porte et un Soupir: KOWROSKI, GOLD Intermission Agon: WHELAN, EVANS, BOAL, McBREARTY, van KIPNIS, SOMOGYI, HANNA, FOWLER FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 14 AT 8:00PM Reliquary: *TAYLOR, *ANSANELLI, *MARCOVICI, *ANGLE Intermission The Steadfast Tin Soldier: BORREE, WOETZEL Pause Antique Epigraphs: van KIPNIS, RUTHERFORD, RINGER, KOWROSKI Intermission Vienna Waltzes: RUTHERFORD, FAYETTE, WEESE, *TEWSLEY, ASH, *HIGGINS, RINGER, ASKEGARD, NICHOLS, NEAL SATURDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 15 AT 2:00PM Soirée: TAYLOR, KÖRBES, MANDRADJIEFF, ANGLE, ORZA, ULBRICHT [Walters] Pause Valse-Fantaisie: BORREE, MILLEPIED Intermission Opus 19/The Dreamer: WHELAN, BOAL [Nikkanen] Intermission Chaconne: KISTLER, NEAL, FAIRCHILD, HENDRICKSON, KROHN, BAR, HANNA, RIGGINS, ABERGEL, GOLBIN, la COUR, ROBERTSON SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 15 AT 8:00PM Interplay: *RICARD, RIGGINS, ASH, MANDRADJIEFF, *ANGLE, HENDRICKSON, ULBRICHT, J. STAFFORD [Chelton] Pause Sinfonia: *MARCOVICI, *KÖRBES, *TAYLOR, *ANSANELLI [Grant] Intermission Opus 19/The Dreamer: WHELAN, BOAL [Nikkanen] Intermission Vienna Waltzes: RUTHERFORD, FAYETTE, WEESE, TEWSELY, ASH, HIGGINS, RINGER, ASKEGARD, NICHOLS, NEAL SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 16 AT 3:00PM [Fiorato] Mozartiana: WHELAN, NEAL, GOLD Intermission The Steadfast Tin Soldier: BORREE, WOETZEL Pause Tarantella: ANSANELLI, MILLEPIED [McDill] Intermission Symphony in C: 1st Mov.: A. STAFFORD, *ANGLE 2nd Mov.: KISTLER, SOTO 3rd Mov.: TAYLOR, TEWSLEY 4th Mov.: van KIPNIS, HIGGINS

Didin't Homans go to New York University? Looking for a connection between the two, I searched for Emily Fragos in yahoo and only found that she's a poet and creative writing teacher.

According to the NYCB press department, Nikolaj Hubbe underwent surgery on his knee and is "walking around." Millepied and Neal, replaced in roles this week, are just getting a rest. No word yet on Robert Tewsley's height.

Thanks for this. I will add it to the ABT useful links section. GM's web site also lists performances in California this summer - Don Q and a program of mixed rep.

Carbo, that little part in Symphony in C, third movement, is a make-or-break section for me when watching a company perform the ballet. It is right a "london bridges" moment where Balanchine has 1 demi couple makes a bridge or treliss with their arms, and the other demi couple goes through and then it is repeated with the other couple making the bridge etc... It is a little jazzy (the little turned in knee half-curtsie also occurs in other ballets, such as Rubies and Square Dance), but also has a whiff of social dancing or baroque form dance. And it matches the music at that point, which has the lower strings sort of sawing away (with the high woodwinds chimming in) in what I always think of as ho-down music. What makes it a telling moment for me when I watch other companies do it, is whether they get that little jazzy or (if you will) non-ballet inflection. Some play it completely straight, thus failing to highlight Balanchine's recognition of that moment in the music. Of course, you don't want to over do it either. I thought Dena Abergel, as one of the demi soloists in the most recent performance at nycb, did it just perfectly.

A few changes, Millepied is out of Valse-Fantaisie, replaced by Angle in a debut. Neal is out of Sat. matinee Who Care's?, replaced by Askegard. Program and Casting Subject to Change *First time in role +Guest Artist FEBRUARY 4-9, 2003 TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 4 AT 7:30PM [Fiorato] Concerto Barocco: WHELAN, SOMOGYI, ASKEGARD [ingraham, Danielson] Pause Valse-Fantaisie: ANSANELLI, *ANGLE Intermission Porte et un Soupir: KOWROSKI, GOLD Intermission Symphony in C: 1st Mov.: A. STAFFORD, MARTINS 2nd Mov.: KISTLER, SOTO 3rd Mov.: TAYLOR, TEWSLEY 4th Mov.: van KIPNIS, HIGGINS WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5 AT 8:00PM Opus 19/The Dreamer: RINGER, BOAL [Nikkanen] Intermission Sonatas and Interludes: KOWROSKI, SOTO [Chelton] Pause Burleske: KISTLER, TAYLOR, BOAL, ANGLE [Walters] Intermission Agon: WHELAN, SOTO, MARCOVICI, McBREARTY, van KIPNIS, KOWROSKI, HANNA, FOWLER THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 6 AT 8:00PM Mozartiana: NICHOLS, WOETZEL, GOLD Intermission Kammermusik No. 2: KOWROSKI, SYLVE+, ASKEGARD, NEAL [Grant] Pause Ballade: *RINGER, TEWSLEY [Chelton] Intermission Who Cares?: MARTINS, WEESE, SOMOGYI, TAYLOR [Grant] FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 7 AT 8:00PM Concerto Barocco: WHELAN, SOMOGYI, ASKEGARD [ingraham, Kuo] Intermission Antique Epigraphs: *KORBES, *RUTHERFORD, RINGER, KOWROSKI Pause Chiaroscuro: WEESE, SOMOGYI, van KIPNIS, SOTO, FAYETTE, GOLD Intermission Chaconne: NICHOLS, MARTINS, *FAIRCHILD, *HENDRICKSON, KROHN, BAR, HANNA, RIGGINS, PAZCOGUIN, CICCONE, ZUNGRE, DRONOVA, ABERGEL, GOLBIN, la COUR, ROBERTSON SATURDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 8 AT 2:00PM Mozartiana: NICHOLS, WOETZEL, ULBRICHT Intermission Burleske: KISTLER, TAYLOR, BOAL ANGLE [Walters] Pause Chiaroscuro: WEESE, SOMOGYI, van KIPNIS, SOTO, FAYETTE, GOLD Intermission Who Cares?: *ASKEGARD, RINGER, ANSANELLI, van KIPNIS [Grant] SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8 AT 8:00PM Kammermusik No. 2: KOWROSKI, SYLVE+, ASKEGARD, NEAL [Grant] Pause Valse-Fantaisie: ANSANELLI, MILLEPIED Intermission Porte et un Soupir: KOWROSKI, GOLD Intermission Agon: WHELAN, EVANS, BOAL, McBREARTY, van KIPNIS, SOMOGYI, HANNA, FOWLER SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00PM Square Dance: BORREE, MARTINS Intermission Opus 19/The Dreamer: RINGER, WOETZEL [Nikkanen] Intermission Agon: WHELAN, SOTO, MARCOVICI, McBREARTY, van KIPNIS, SOMOGYI, HANNA, FOWLER

Official site: www.nycballet.com Official school: www.sab.org New York Choreographic Institute: www.nycballet.com/nyci/nyci_about.html Saratoga Performing Arts Center, official summer home of the New York City Ballet: www.spac.org Official site of the Balanchine Foundation: www.balanchine.org Official site of the Jerome Robbins Trust and Foundation: www.jeromerobbins.org Kate Snedeker's excellent chronicle of the SAB workshops: http://www.sabworkshops.org/

I enter this thread with my head hanging in shame -- I work for ESPN. I brought up the ad, and the street-side editing it received, to some of my co-workers, and they thought it was great. But I think they were laughing about the cheerleaders-trophies connection. I like my job, I like getting a paycheck...but, I think it's safe to bring this up, in the New York Post last year, Phil Muchnick (the sports TV columnist) brought up how the company has very strict rules about harassment and treating women fairly in the workplace, but then consistently has misogynist content on its shows and in its magazine.

Of course, this was the cliffnotes version of their lives, but with regards to Corella's early ballet education, he still seems pretty angry about the way he was used at Ullate's company, at least from the interview he did about a year ago on Charlie Rose. The people behind this show might not have wanted to go there. And the program kind of didn't delve into the harder parts of being a dancer, although Malakhov's section did a little bit. His trip back to Moscow was very interesting, especially how he was considered a foreigner from Ukraine at the Bolshoi. Yet, many of the Russians I interview in sports consider Ukraine, Belarus and even Georgia and Uzbekistan part of "Russia." But they also told me about how if you're not from Moscow or St. Petersburg, you got descriminated against. So Malakhov's segment showed a peak at something that is very interesting to me. And I loved him telling Grigorivich, "Too late." Other dancers during that time - Ananiashvilli is one - has spoken of slights she received because she was Georgian. And seeing those Cuban boys with their tattered shoes was heartbreaking.

Add another vote of agreement with Anna Kisselgoff's accessment of the show. It came off as very good public relations for the four stars of ABT, and had as much depth. But I liked it. I guess I wouldn't be so hard on it if only we had more opportunities to see ballet on TV. But this (and the non-ballet ballet Othello by SFB in June) is it on PBS. I liked going back to each dancer's hometown, but I found the bits with Morris a little bit precious. It was nice to drag D'Amboise into the show, but it could have been made clear that he was once one of the top male dancers. And while it was appropriate to mention Baryshnikov as an inspiration for male dancers, I thought it remiss not to bring up Edward Villella, who also greatly extended the profile and technical skills of the men in ballet. There also were a few omissions from the bios that should have been corrected, even considering the limited time (and why only 60 minutes? Couldn't Dance in America have squeezed another 30 minutes from Antique Road Show), such as how Stiefel makes it seem like he went straight to SAB from Wisconsin. Didn't the family first move to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he studied at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (the school that gave ballet the LeBlanc sisters, the Staffords, Zahorian, Lavery, and Bouder etc...). As for the performance clips, the snips of home movies were great. I saw Stiefel in that SAB workshop in which he also danced the 3rd movement of Symphony in C. Everybody knew then that he was going to be a star. And the shots from festival in Cuba were great fun and, oh my god, a ballerina was shown. Isn't partnering a huge part of being a male ballet dancer. Yet none of the men's partners from ABT or elsewhere were interviewed. Did they boycott the production, hoping for a "Girls Gone Wild" video of their own (you watchters of late night cheesy TV know what I mean)? Of course, the general audience might not have seen the clips from the previously aired Le Corsaire, but I have. And I'm sure Judy Kinberg found it cheaper to get clips from shows she produced herself rather than get a camera over to the Met or City Center to film the men in parts that might have shown them in a greater variety of styles within the classical reperatoire such as Prodigal Son, Onegin or even Stiefel's solo from Black Tuesday. This show has been in the works for about two years, so they certainly could have done some more in-performance filming. Of course, I'm seeing this as a glass-half-emtpy situation. The men came off very well, it showed them in a strong light. And if this show can get a few more people to accept men in ballet, if they liked what they saw and go to the ballet or write to PBS that they want to see more ballet programing, then it was a great show. Also, Morris Neighbor, Christopher D'Amboise no longer runs Penn Ballet, Roy Kaiser does.

TV guide listed the program as being 60 minutes.

Leigh, I will get on that request on Tuesday. And a big Amen, to Manhattnik on his rant. Will post more later...

Tchiakovsky wrote something regarding Romeo and Juliet. I remember playing it in an orchestra, but I can't remember whether it was a fantasy or an overture. It did have very beautiful sweeping melodies.