Amy Reusch

A phenomenon like Balanchine would throw off any data curve...

I kind of thought there were many!

Thank Heaven, I can finally uncross all those fingers and toes! I'm coming! Tickets on sale yet?

I do know of a public school teacher on NYC who won awards for his choreography on school kids... He had no dance training.... But I don't think this is quite the venue you were thinking of...

You are what you eat?

Footnote regarding ballet companies and profit... I have been given to understand that two dance companies operated outside the non-profit club... Perhaps not ballet but not so very far off: the Trocks and Denishawn.

Without creating new works a company dies... What is the joy of forever dancing ballets created on someone else? Not every choreographer in the world had Balanchine's high rate of success and even Balanchine had some failures. The point is to keep creating and the works that prevail become the next generation's " classics". We can only hope NYCB lands some new resident choreographers, but lambasting initiatives to premiere new work is no way to encourage that...

I agree with you about dramatic ballet but can we please not equate dramatic intelligence with artistic intelligence? In story ballets, it is true, but not all ballets are about the drama... One could murder some very beautiful artistic choreographies by imposing drama on their interpretation. Not every piece of music is a tone poem, nor every ballet a drama...and yet there are artistic intelligence elements involved in the dancing that do not involve acting skill. That said, there are some very fine dancers who are not suited to dramatic ballets.

Are they better shot/directed than the 3D Giselle was? I would not want to recommend sight unseen again....

Yes, it is. It's always a limiting factor when determining who you're dancing with. There's a pas de deux in Balanchine's "Bourree Fantasque" for a short man and a very tall woman (originally Jerome Robbins and Diana Adams), but you can't count on that kind of role always being available. Simkin is also a very strong and able dance actor, so that somewhat offsets the height issue. Also, the average height of professional dancers has been increasing since Nureyev and Baryshnikov. Simkin would have had an easier time regarding his height 30 years ago.

I am glad you have been doing it and love when there are video links. I've always felt Limon was the modern dance direction ballet companies should head in.

I suspect the huge number of 4th ring seats was part of some mission to bring art to all of us...not just the wealthy patrons.

It is curious how impressive the venue seems from the top ring, as opposed to how small and intimate it seems from the orchestra. I know they are trying to solve financial equations, but truly, most people I know in the top ring will simply stop going, not upgrade. It is nice that the subscriptions offer deals, but that appeals to lower ring style thinking... The top ring audience's financial situation usually does not allow for the appeal of "spend more to save more".

Does no one want to see Wheeldon's Alice or are we just hoping Royal Ballet or Canada tours it?

I saw the Friday evening performance from the nosebleeds (and this show was truly sold out was it not? I saw people in seats who could not have seen much of the dancing). The Carmen? Count me with those who thought the choreography was not top shelf. I liked the percussion in the sc ore but thought it was over-miked or at least over amplified. The stage design was very sticking but then the choreography never quite fulfilled that early promise. I need to read Maya's autobiography... I suspect she was very collaborative in the PDF choreography... Is there any discussion of this? What a treat for my first Symphony in C! I expected not to like Samova having seen her on video and in Ballerina, but when those long limbs streaked out it took my breath away way up in the Family circle. Perhaps some subtlties of her line were lost, but from that distance her unique line was stunning. The men were wonderful too, though something seemed off pairing tall principal between less tall demisoloist... It did a weird disservice to the shorter men as if height was what defined a principal. What is with the Russian tutus lately? I've been noticing this on you tube... They are like folded over paper circles... No flounce at times when flounce is important. Beautifully trimmed but something looks cheap in the structure. What is it? I though the corps looked beautiful, with feet that looked drawn in, the line so beautifully obvious... The principals to dream for... But the demi-soloist women looked a bit clunky...from the distance I couldn't see what the problem was... Was it just a matter of the costumes? It was dissonant. Balanchine's genius glinted through the intricacies up to the top ring so beautifully it again made me sad that NYCB is closing it off in the State Theater. (yes, I hear the space has a new name, but you know, we still call it that road the West Side Highway and Joe DiMaggio was a much better man than Mr K.)

What I don't understand is why they don't try just closing the third ring... That price level is such that those people could choose between spending a little more or joining the 4th ring....

I would too like to see ABT do theater ballet ( dramatic work)...it seems close to its soul and one reason why Ratmansky is a good fit... Would it not be possible to do one act theatrical sketches again? Is it so much easier to raise money for big full evening works? Is there no way to frame an evening of one acts that would appeal to the large donors?

If it is satellite delivered, did it play at different times across the US? I'm also curious how admission prices varied across the country... It was $12 for the Matinee here not far from Hartford.

Which reminds me, why is it Osipova who is dancing? Isn't she with the Bolshoi not the Mariinski? (I'm happy it is Osipova, but still wondering... if it was to bring in a big star to anchor the movie, why did they not bring in another major star to play Albrecht?)

Has the Joffrey settled it's labor dispute in time to perform?

I have lots of unkind things to say about the framing, but let's give credit where credit is apparently due... Cutting the feet off seems to have been a talent of the projectionist not the person behond the camera. And thank you Sandik, I had never thought of the hair letting as therapeutic before...

Please: Ratmansky choreograph Firebird for Osipova. Consider the Seo/Bolle R&J request seconded...

I noticed a satellite reference in the credits... Was this a live broadcast at some point in its history?

And sadly no hounds....

I figure in ten years he'll really be something... But just now he is a little vacant... Lovely line and technique, but not enough for a drama... And. This IS Giselle after all.