Dale

Re: The article. I just finished reading it as well, and although I don't like when a review guesses at a performance rather than seeing it, I thought the article was essential bemoaning the loss of the "San Francisco style," as Alexandra point out. It's probably the same thing that people watching the Royal Ballet or a certain segment of ABT's followers cry about. Is it better to have less brillant dancers and have a uniform style or just to amass as many talented dancers and work on making them fit. I've only seen SFB when they've visited New York, so that's not much. And I've gotten an additional view of Lacarra the past three years at the ballet gala held in February, so I don't feel comfortable judging either the company or the dancer. I was, however, impressed with the dancers. I remember thinking during the opening night gala of SFB's last visit to City Center that the company had a very varied and talented roster. I really loved Muriel Maffre and Tina LeBlanc and I never felt that they didn't fit in with the rest of the company, despite not training at the SFB school. Does anybody know what is up with the company school that so many of the principals did not train there?

I was happy Margaret got a chance to dance Balanchine on the State Theatre state one more time on the day of her retirement. She had said in Time Out New York that she believed it would be "presumptuous" to pick Balanchine for her farewell, although she thought she "made her mark" on a few of the works. And she was lovely in Scotch. I always thought she performed it a little too flirty, making little of the part's inherent mystery. But her joy Saturday was wonderful to see and showed off all her virtues.

Although a little maligned now, Tracey was considered a breath of fresh air when she first came on the scene. I'll remember her fondly in many roles -- Aurora, Rubies, Harlequinade, Coppelia, Theme and Variations, Raymonda Variations, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes and Sanguinic from Four Ts.

Dance spirit is a bit wider in range than most of the heavy on ballet magazines and, to me, geared more towards those in high shool and younger who are in dance schools (tap, jazz etc..). There seems to be a lot on classes, competition and equipment. I guess once a month they do a story on a professional dancer, be it broadway, modern dance, music video or ballet.

Re: Asians and string instruments. The Suzuki method was created in Asia and is very popular there. This method teaches the violin by rote -- the children at a very young age are taught to play without sheet music, being spoon-fed one note at a time by memory. There is good and bad in this. The good is that a child will be able to play more complex works at an early age and will usually have a good ear, having to learn the note by sound not but what was on the paper. The bad is not being a good sight reader (something that is very important when either trying to get a job in an orchestra or trying to keep it) and a lagging by in musicianship. Of course, these are just my observations from when I was a musician.

And there were some Asians playing wood wind instruments, but less playing brass.

I guess I need a life, as well, because I feel the same way Mary

Sometimes these things happen by circumstance because I don't think we'd be seeing Stafford in Symphony in C or Theme if Weese were not injured (maybe in one performance, but not the whole run). The casting appears geared more towards having Woetzel do the male role and giving him a partner small enough for him.

I saw Tuesday night's performance and Ringer was lovely in Raymonda Variations. She is the perfect example how technique can be at the service of artistry. It was such a gracious performance too.

I remember a few years ago, the last time it was in the rep, that Natanya was given the first solo (hops on point). She was much too weak for it and would fall off point. But she has grown and improved and I felt like a proud aunt watching her sail through the part, especially with such graceful arms. It's a moment that reminds me why I come to the theater to see ballets I've seen tons of times before. Neal, Riggens and Edge were also excellent. And Bouder -- wow, such beauty in her legs and passion on stage.

On Hallelujah Junction all I have to say is that I'm totally over Martins choreographing to John Adams. All the same. Driving, driving, driving...dancers coming on, going out in that same relentless way as Fearless Symetries, Ash etc (all the same right down to those cut-off tights look and the women's skirts)... One ballet like that is interesting, the rest reduntant. Only Bouder and Millpied kept me awake.

Zakuski was Zakuski. Stafford had a nice moment in Theme when she is with the winding group of women, but I found the rest correct but dull.

I'm afraid I'm in the minority here regarding Stafford's performance and I hesistate to saying things too strongly against her as I feel she's being put in situations beyond her status at the moment. Looking at it from the standpoint of a dancer a few years out of SAB, her work in Theme and Variations was admirable, as it was in Ballo and Valse Fantasie, but I just don't believe she should be dancing parts such as Symphony in C first movement or T&V now. She appears to be working on Allegro Brillante as well, as is something of Merrill Ashley's protege. I agree with Manhattnik about the type of dancer one has to be to dance T&V -- technically astounding during the variations, other wordly during the reverie with the corps dancers, and a meltingly beautiful adagio dancer during the pas de deux.

I'd rather see her work through the soloist rep before taking on the heart of the "ballerina" parts. She was very good as one of the demi-soloists in Cortege Hongrois and I liked her last year in Appalachian Waltzes.

About La Sonnambula -- Manhattnik, I miss that one little moment when the ballerina hesitates before stepping out of the Poet's circled arms after he had done the backbend too. I don't believe it is lost, I saw it when the Suzanne Farrell Ballet presented the ballet at NJPAC. Your comment on the coaching is dead on. When I interviewed Ringer for Ballet Alert, she had said that the ballet was scheduled late in the Spring season and they did not have much time to work on it at that time. Ringer said she didn't want to play a one-dimensional bitch

Michael, I was thinking the same thing tonight about Meunier (and Ash too). I thought she looked more comfortable than in earlier performances of this ballet the previous two weeks, and she was great then. Her musicality tonight was awesome -- the way she would play with a phrase, turn a slight wobble into a grace note. The pas deux with Askagard was notable too in the way that they made all the potential pit falls look easy, like when the woman does a pirouette and the cavalier comes in at the last moment to support her. There's no rushing here because Meunier has such strong turns and balances, Askegard can just come in easy without worrying that she's going to fall off point. And in her hand clapping/hungarian solo, she uses her eyes so well -- knowing when to look at the audience, when to look away...seducing without being precious -- and she draws your attention to her even when standing still.

[ January 16, 2002: Message edited by: Dale ]

After going through the running times of performances listed on NYCB's web site, it appears the idea is to get people out early -- during the week. For some reason, Soire doesn't need an intermission before and after during the week, but it does on Friday night/weekends.

[ January 15, 2002: Message edited by: Dale ]

I'm glad we're talking about this because I've really felt rushed out of the theater, especially with no intermissions.

The 7:30 start time on Tuesday's is not that bad. But it does mean that some people have to leave work early to get to the theater, so it some what evens out. And if you're coming from Long Island (for an example), you've got to leave your office or home between 4-5, depending how far out you live. Personally, I go to the theater after waking up, so depending when I get to sleep in the morning, it's a little tough.

But the lack of intermissions is another thing. I agree that there's no time for reflection, which I think is needed between Momentum/Movements and Duo Concertant. A pause between the three seems to group them all together rather than m/m and then Duo. Just because they're all Stravinsky doesn't mean they should be grouped together.

And doesn't the lack of intermissions hurt the concessions (they re-opened the bars on some of the higher rings, so the intermissions might be shorter too)?

Following Balanchine by Robert Garis devotes a lot of space to Verdy.

Mary, Miami City Ballet brought Verdy in when staging Jewels. Villella had McBride coach Rubies, Verdy work on Emeralds and Farrell coach Diamonds. All three were feted at the premiere. I would love such a program devoted to an individual Balanchine dancer done at New York City Ballet, but I don't see it happening. Maybe somewhere else.

Michael, several NYCB dancers (including Ansanelli, Margaret Tracey, Miranda Weese, Ethan Stiefel, Maria Kowroski) have received the award and there is a * in the program for the year they hold the grant. Gillian Murphy of ABT was a receptient recently, as well. There is a web site: http://www.pgfusa.com/

[ December 25, 2001: Message edited by: Dale ]

Keeping in mind that NYCB is one of the highest paying jobs (if not the highest), the work year is 40 weeks (I thought I read some where it was about 42-46 including rehearsals), and the work lives of dancers is short compared to other professions, a job that pays $52,000 a year is pretty decent, even in New York. Most of the people I graduated undergrad with in 1993 can't afford to live in Manhattan, let alone the Lincoln Center area, do not make $50,000 a year and have heaps of college loan payments. So, on a certain level, these dancers are doing quite well, especially if they know how to manage their money through the 6-10 weeks they're off. I'm sure some dancers are going to come read this with daggers in their eyes, but I remember feeling this way while reading the recent feature on NYCB corps dancers in Dance Magazine. However, many dancers, especially main corps memebers (ones who are obviously not going to be soloists or principals), do not have long performing careers and most ballet companies don't pay as much as NYCB, whereas many of us can continue on rising up the ladder well into our 40s, 50s and 60s.

Getting back to galas, I think that while the night itself might not generate as much money as it has in the past, they will continue during these hard economic times as a reward to those who do contribute a lot of money. In fact, I think that companies can look at other items, things that do not cost much, as a "reward" to those who contribute, espcially during the stretch we're in now where so many different organizations are vying for our dollars. For ex. more rehearsal or dress rehearsal viewings. Or a chance to meet dancers (not in function that would cost money but in the green room). Like I said in another tread, companies need to get a little creative these days. And I think, that yes, they can be a little less elitist in the way they treat the audience.

I do agree with Alexandra about the high wages of the top executives or AD. But it is that way in life, the people below are the ones who take the financial brunt when things go wrong, not the ones at the top -- just look at Enron.

At NYCB -- Ringer ruled last year's Winter season, riding a crest through Divert. #15, La Source, Donizetti, Spring from Four Seasons. Weese did the same during the Spring season in Theme and Variations, Cortege, Act II pas de deux from Midsummer Night, Divert. #15, Fall from Four Seasons and Sanguinic from 4Ts.

Four Temperments stands out for its perfect performances. First off, it was cast perfectly, with all four humors performed by principal dancers (Boal, Weese and Neal, Evans, and Meunier). The result was a classic ballet that was alive in every way.

Other highlights include:

The all-too infrequently seen Meunier in anything she and us had the luck to turn up in, but especially Walpurgisnacht Ballet.

Ansanelli and Marcovici in Afternoon of a Faun. Marcovici exuded pure animal magnitism.

Ansanelli in Polyphonia, Korbes in her debuts in Divert and Midsummer, Kistler and Hubbe in Duo Concertant, production of Monumentum/Movements

Both casts of Divert, Whelen and Hubbe in La Sonnambula, Bouder in La Source and debut in Firebird, Somogyi and Evans in Appalachia Waltz, Boal in everything he danced.

At ABT, I enjoyed the rise of Gillian Murphy in Theme and Variations and Swan Lake, Dvorovenko in Sylvia Pas de Deux, and Stiefel in Symphony in C.

Goh in Scotch Symphony and La Sonnambula with Suzanne Farrell Ballet at NJPAC.

I saw Higgins at SF ballet in September with crutches and a walking cast on his foot.

As for Meunier, I wish I knew what was wrong with her. When she's healthy, she's not cast. And when she's cast in ballets, she always gets sidelined I had read that she was scheduled to do some Nutcrackers in Louisiana, so maybe that's why she hasn't been around.

[ December 24, 2001: Message edited by: Dale ]

Although I am looking forward to seeing the Kirov perform Jewels at the Kennedy Center, I think for a company to become a "House of ..." of a choreographer, I think it has to follow his/her philosophy of dance. I think many companies, especially the Kirov, look good in Balanchine because he made dancers look good But I think a company would have to perform consistently in the Balanchine style, and train in his technique to be a "House of Balanchine." There would also be a question of rep, of temperament.

However, I don't want this to be interpreted as slight to the Kirov. The company performs well in Balanchine and I can see how they would be very successul in Prodigal Son. I would love to see it.

[ December 23, 2001: Message edited by: Dale ]

Riggins and Walker might be short enough. And I think he's doing the gigue in Mozartiana. But I believe Manhattnik might have a point.

Ellis, there might have been women short enough for Daniel where he went to school, but NYCB has always featured a lot of tall ballerinas.

[ December 22, 2001: Message edited by: Dale ]

ABT called a friend of mine the first week in October to renew, pretty early to set in stone what you'll be doing almost a year in advance. However, it is something sports has done for awhile. Teams often ask season ticket holders to renew right after the last season ends.

I think the situation in New York, and around the country, is going to force institutions to look for creative ways to raise money and keep/gain an audience (I hope). I do think some corporations and institutions blame 9/11 for shoddy business practices or poor creative choices -- problems they might have had before September.

Kevin, there's a review in Russian in the links section. According to a russian board, Adrian Fadeyev is/was to have taken on the lead role in Prodigal.

Oh, how sad. Weese will be missed in much of the rep. I felt that she dominated last Spring season. She has become the standard in Theme and Variations, 4Ts, Divertimento No. 15, 1st mvt Symphony in C and the 1st mvt of Episodes. And she is only getting better in roles that one wouldn't necessarily think of her, such as Swan Lake and Mozartiana. I hope she gets well quickly and completely.

People are always asking about acquiring this out-of-print Giselle with Baryshnikov, Makarova and ABT, so this is just a note to say that it is again available at ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?V...item=1489630718

Under the guidelines, add my vote for Pied Piper. It was a complete waste of talent, IMO, and failed on every level except the dancing. In addition, I believe it played a great part in taking down a main component of the administration.

Possibly Snow Maiden -- I did think there were a few redeemable qualities but it cost a lot of money, the choreography was really thin and was never seen after its first season at ABT. Maybe somebody in Houston can tell me if it has had more of a life span at Houston Ballet.

Thank you RG for your view on PAMGG. It has a strange history in the mind of some critics. If I remember correctly from my readings, when it first appeared it was pointed to as proof that Balanchine had lost his touch after Farrell left and that Robbins was now the NYCB's best choreographer. After the Stravinsky Festival of '72, historians looked at the ballet again and saw that perhaps Mr. B used it as a laboratory for some of the things he developed to fruition in Symphony in Three Movements and Violine Concerto. Not having seen the work, I'm not sure. But I remember reading an interview with Diana Adams in which she said things like Electronics and Opus were experiements for later works that were considered masterpieces.

Good review Kate. I second Liebs.

At first I was a bit disappointed with the program -- it seemed a little thin. But after Serenade, some heartfelt words from Martins (who spoke movingly of the healing power and beauty of Balanchine's ballets), Marsalis's playing and Tracy's dancing -- I was won over.

I've always loved Kistler as the "waltz girl" in Serenade, but she has become a bit mannered and, in the words of an eduacated observer I bumped into, she over emoted a bit. She also lacks some of the flexibility and jumps the role calls for. For my taste, Borree is a little short for the "Russian girl", but she fully inhabited the role and Kowroski was magnificent in the "dark angel" role. After one super arabesque, somebody in the fifth ring shouted out, "Brava!" Quite inappropriate, but I agreed.

I got caught up in love of New York and patriotism -- lots of sniffing and wiping of tears in the 4th ring.

Tracy, I thought, was lovely in the Who Cares? pas de deux. I thought she was the perfect dancer to withstand dancing to the improvisations of Marsalis as she is always "full-steam ahead" and never gets flustered, even when Nilas Martin muffed a partnering move (a turn into a supported arabesque) -- the same one he blew twice while partnering Taylor in last year's gala.

I didn't sit close enough to see Somogyi shaking but she was filling in for Weese and just a few days notice. I don't remember her being cast in Stars before (she's done the 1st mvt), so I don't know if she knew the Liberty Bell pas de deux.

My only quibble was I wish they had done the whole of the last section of Who Cares? as it would have afforded the company a chance to cast more of its principal dancers. I do like a gala that trots everybody out so you can make sure they are in working order

Who knows what they'll let in -- I went to the New York Knicks' opening game and we couldn't take in bags, briefcases (including laptop computer cases), purses, binoculars or cameras.

The performance is listed as ending at 9:02 pm.

I'm sitting 4th ring, seat E3. I usually hang at the little table and stools underneath the stairs on the promenade level or by the left stairs at the 4th ring, but I'll probably lurk near the center railing on the first level in order to watch the festivities.

Rumors have it the program will include Serenade with Kistler, Borree, Kowroski. Who Cares? (The Man I Love pas de deux) Margaret Tracy and Nilas Martin and Stars and Stripes.

A new VAI video is out called, "Maria Tallchief; complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances."

Contents:

Adagio from "Scotch Symphony" with Andre Eglevsky

Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote with Eric Bruhn

Pas de Deux from Flower Festival in Genzano with Rudolf Nureyev (already out on the Bell Telephone Hour Nureyev tape)

Allegro Brillante with Nicolas Magallanges (and NYCB corps)

"Balcony Scene" pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet with Conrad Ludlow.

It was priced for $29.95 at Tower Records but was on sale for $5 less.