christine174

Has anyone been to Swan Lake yet? I would love to hear reports on Reichlen and Bouder.

Kajiya and Simkin are doing principal roles in Don Q in Japan. It seems like the objective was to present everyone at the conference who was undertaking principal roles, irrespective of their official rank within the company.

You're right, I'm sure. I did a "google translate" on the page. Can't help but laugh at some of the renderings! Cory becomes "Collie Stearns." Anyway, it's good to see Hallberg on his feet!

Indeed, a translation would be welcome. I see Simkin and Kajiya posing with the principals. Is there some news here?

Thank you ksk04. We in NYC are having withdrawal symptoms, your reports are much appreciated.

So true! Thanks, ksk04!

I'm glad the guy Nanushka describes (I was way upstairs) enjoyed the performance. I found it be be pretty lackluster. The season is limping to a close. If I were in charge, I would give Marcelo Gomes a huge huge bonus and a round-trip ticket to Hawaii for everything he has done this season.

Many of us wanted to see Osipova and instead wound up with two tickets to see Cojocaru and Kobborg. It would be a huge plus for ABT customer relations if they would allow those of us with tickets for both performances to return one for credit to City Center or Nutcracker. Wishful thinking, I know, but what a huge gesture of goodwill towards loyal customers... and giving ABT a reputation as a company that cares about its loyal fans, unlike another nearby company, which will remain nameless.

Thanks everyone for the astute analysis. I would be interested to hear more thoughts about the women soloists. I've been baffled as to why Kristi Boone and Misty Copeland have gotten so few opportunities, and even those for Sarah Lane have been limited and sporadic. I certainly hope the newer soloists -- Seo, Messmer, and Boylston -- don't get similarly stuck and stalled. It would be so depressing to see them dancing the same roles three years from now.

As for the men, just a few seasons ago Eric Tamm was looking like a future David Hallberg. I don't know if he really hasn't developed since then, and/or just hasn't had the opportunities to shine.

By the way, thanks for all the great analysis, commentary & performance reports, everyone! The board has been very vibrant this ballet season.

I didn't cast a vote because either is fine with me -- what matters is that they're good, wherever they trained. However, it's hard not to like the idea of promoting from within, assuming the guys have enough coaching and traning to be up to principal-level work.

Full tweet (@DavidHallberg): "Sprained ankle from Von Rothbart in Carreno's farewell performance. Siegfried Sat. night canceled with Semionova. Bummed and in a boot."

Frankly, I'd rather see Hallberg, but you won't hear me complaining about the substitute: the website now lists Marcelo Gomes.

So.... comments on tonight's performance?

I also wondered what happened to Gennadi Saveliev and if he became injured during the performance. Hope it's not serious.

Completely full house tonight. It looked sold out. Great! But wouldn't it have been more strategic to do SL earlier in the season? I'm assuming the sellout was because of the movie. Many of these people may be new balletgoers. If they enjoy SL, they may want to see other ballets, and at this point there's only Sleeping Beauty left. Doing SL earlier in the season would have captured these new balletgoers sooner, and given them more chances to experience more ballet.

As I think about it, I realized that Don Q often starts the season, followed by a rep program, and that Swan Lake (and R&J, the many years they've done it) typically end the season. Is there some rationale for that particular order?

The corps looked particularly bad. They were so off that sometimes it looked like crazy modern choreography and timing. When two girls are supposed to grand jete together, and one is in the air while the other has yet to get off the ground, that's really jarring. Wait -- it was worse than that. One had completed the jete while the other had yet to get off the ground. That happened at least twice.

Despite that, it's a great story, great music, and great principal dancing. DON'T GO TO NEW ZEALAND, GILLIAN!!!

And let me put in a word of appreciation for Renata Pavam, who did the pas de trois. Such a lovely dancer, carrying (almost) the load of a soloist for years without ever getting the promotion. So light and sparkling and musical, with a smile big enough to light up the whole auditorium. As with Anne Milewski, I sure will miss her when she retires!

Simkin's website says that he is doing Blue Bird on July 5. I bought tickets accordingly...

Did he say who he was doing it with?

It doesn't say.

This isn't an ballet I feel a need to see, but I am interested to hear that Kristi Boone and Luciana Paris are doing the stepsisters. If anyone can report on the other casts of stepsisters I would be interested to know who and how they did.

I received a letter from NYCB directed to Fourth Ring Society. They say that the "new program will give you similar but broader access throughout the house." If by "broader access throughout the house" they mean those seats over on the extreme sides, NO THANKS!! Why not just close the 4th ring and make 3rd ring the new 4th ring?

Simkin's website says that he is doing Blue Bird on July 5. I bought tickets accordingly...

The article focuses on the "ire" of fourth-ringers and that we're "burning mad." I'm not so mad. I'm just sad. Really sad.

I was there Friday night. Even such excting performers as Osipova and Simkin couldn't breathe new life into this relic (I know I'm quoting someone on BT but I forget who). I really have no idea why this is still in the rep. I'm foggy on my ballet history so if anyone can fill me in on the enduring appeal I welcome it.

And then Cinderella. No thanks. The ballet sched has been so overloaded I welcome the break before resuming multiple-performance mania with Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

Puppytreats please don't stop posting. I have felt my words were twisted too so I know how you feel. I understand your point better now. Perhaps we could agree that where one sits has no bearing on one's degree of fan-dom. Ardent ballet fans are all over the house front and back.

I just know that my ballet budget can't be extended any further, so if prices go up in the fourth ring I will be at that many fewer performances and there will be an empty seat where there could have been one very happy balletgoer.

This is in response to puppytreats, who suggests that people who pay less for tickets and sit in the back, are not "true" ballet fans. Au contraire!

I am someone who has newly discovered NYCB, and in my thrill, verging on euphoria, I attended many, many performances over the past six weeks. I had been planning to attend several nights a week for the upcoming season. It hadn't occurred to me that Fourth Ring Society might be discontinued. I am not rich, or even all that well off. Ballet and the occasional opera constitute virtually the entirety of my discretionary budget. I don't need to sit close to the stage in order to get deep satisfaction from a performance. Fourth ring are not "bad seats" to me. I certainly have my favorite dancers, but so many dancers at NYCB are so good that I'm really happy to see almost anyone. I just want to see ballet, Balanchine ballet and Balanchine dancers. I am happy to buy in advance based on programming. Then I can check out the casting when it's posted and add in any desired performances that I'm not already holding a ticket for (anything with Teresa Reichlen, for example, or if Ashley Bouder and Taylor Stanley do "Square Dance" again). That was the plan, and I have been eagerly anticipating it. Now this about 4th Ring being discontinued. That is really crushing. I know ballet is expensive, what with the dancers, musicians, house costs, etc, etc. I'm very sympathetic to that, and I wish the government did more to support the arts here. But from a personal standpoint, I had anticipated so much joy from so many performances, and now that is being severely curtailed. It's very sad.

I'm not clear if this is an actual report or a wish list. In any case, I cast my vote for a return of last year's terrific all-Ashton program, especially The Dream.

What a totally fun evening! I was laughing so hard I was crying. I don't know what was funnier -- Daniil Simkin flitting across the stage like a Wili, Craig Salstein's encounter with the dog, or watching the Grim Reaper get hounded off the stage. I sure hope we can see more of Osipova and Vasiliev! What a great spring it has been for ballet in NYC. On to the Danes!

And Reichlen was great!

Kowroski: She was obviously startled after the spill, as were we all. After a brief pause of disorientation she quickly got back to work and looked totally fine.