Buddy

There is one other duet in the Guggenheim program (second video posted above at 19:00). I overlooked it but am enjoying it more and more with each viewing. This is Joshua Beamish's Waltz Epoca. For one thing it just flows so nicely and Wendy Whelan nuances it beautifully. Both Brian Brooks and Joshua Beamish are very exciting and interesting dancers. It's to Wendy Whelan's great credit, being a newcomer to this sort of thing, that she really hangs in there. Not only that, but with real praise to her dancer/choreographer partners, she very prominently and equally shares the spotlight. [last sentence was reworded]

This clip shows Wendy Whelan and Fang-Yi Sheu, former principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company, working on a Christopher Wheeldon piece set to "This Bitter Earth/On the Nature of Daylight" (2011). You see a direction that Wendy Whelan and Christopher Wheeldon are moving in and their bringing classical and contemporary more together. Fang-Yi Sheu, shows us a contemporary dancer entering the same world from the other direction. Wendy Whelan says to Fang-Yi Sheu, "You made Chris's choreography look like it's different than he's ever done, ever, and that was really cool to see, so I think that you took Chris to a new place." (posted by the Vail International Dance Festival) An expanded version can be seen on Vimeo. This lovely ending, with Wendy Whelan, to Christopher Wheeldon's Liturgy is similar to what I once saw in a Chinese 'classical' dance, perhaps another direction for these two artists and western dance to explore. (posted by official source)

I've been watching the second clip above and I'm liking it very much starting at 1:03:40. These last several minutes are perhaps the most interesting and show a lot of promising future direction. There have been four short clips posted by Wendy Whelan's new production, Restless Creature, and they give a brief insight into how she is working with the four choreographer/dance partners she has chosen. In this clip with Brian Brooks she seems to be the most comfortable and the closest to her old self. This might be confirmed by the fact that it is the piece she chose to present at the Works & Process at the Guggenheim*. Here rather than trying to enter the world and minds of her contemporary dance choreographer/partners, which is her stated intent, she seems to play off what he is doing. Each with their own style seems to work together and compliment each other, rather than be each other. In addition the explorations into motion and meaning that Wendy Whelan is making seems to show up quite well in these last several minutes of dance, blending very well with her long existing excellence in airy elegance and sensitivity. What also interests me very much is the way that she has been carrying ballet sensitivity and beauty outside of ballet. For instance in Christopher Wheeldon's After The Rain (first video above) there is little if any pointe work of the feet. Working with Christopher Wheeldon and now perhaps somewhat parallel they are both extending the range of ballet. * There was at least one other work performed as well.

I'm very interested in where Wendy Whelan is headed dance wise. Wendy Whelan in slow motion is the Wendy Whelan that I love most. This is my favorite dance clip of her, of which I've seen very few. This is the only complete work that I've seen of her from her new Restless Creature effort. It starts at 56:00 and relates to the above video best starting at 101:00. Any thoughts or comments on this and where she's headed. (both dance clips are official releases)

'Aggressive outreach to people who are currently on very tight budgets *and might never be able to easily afford a ticket* just seems important to me for all kinds of reasons.' I remember seeing a Mariinsky "Swan Lake" in Chicago put on for free (I paid) for students (maybe four thousand or more) and completely financed by a very generous lady. I thought it was a very fine gesture. I think that a lot of young folks may have upped their appreciation of ballet and orchestra considerably that afternoon.

Natalia, I knew that I love you ! Abatt and nysusan, the reason that Viktoria Tereshkina won't be there is that she's been traded to the Bolshoi that week for three pitchers and a slugger. Please don't despair. Any one of the now scheduled ballerinas is capable of setting off Fireworks ! Added comment: Reference to the Bolshoi has nothing to do with current news events. It was only meant to be a bit lighthearted.

Thanks, Birdsall, for the update. Any of the ballerinas, from my viewing experience, can deliver an unforgettably great performance. Alina Somova, I've always felt, has the ability to be one of the very best. Anastasia Kolegova, along with being the more quiet one that you fall in love with, has extremely fine technical ability that you may not grab you until it's time to applaud, and then the audience unexpectedly can go crazy. Olga Esina can perform like an ethereal gem. If it weren't for living at the other side of the continent and having gone through my ballet funds several times over this year, I would surely be there . I still haven't ruled out making it somehow.

I can understand the political aspects that are being discussed here and I don't mean to dismiss them. My point was mainly to call attention to the popular importance and love of a particular art form in a particular country.

As perhaps a somewhat brighter aside, where else in the world would a debate over the appointment of the head of a dance school actively involve the office of the president of the country ?

I could lift quotes from the series for quite awhile. From the most recent of the ongoing clips (Tuesdays and Fridays), Sarah Jessica Parker interviewing Peter Martins: Peter Martins on George Balanchine: "He would sort of break rules. Two or three hundred year rules. "There are many stars at the New York City Ballet. There's not one prima donna….I give George Balanchine credit for that." Sarah Jessica Parker: "It's not just an intellectual endeavor. If you think that you don't know the world of ballet and it's daunting to you, seems rarified….What you don't know doesn't matter." (in essence, you can 'just enjoy') Added comment: Paul, in further reference as to whether dancers are interesting to talk to, it would be great sometime to hear about "how I made my port de bras so interesting."

I take parts of a collection of postcard size photos with me when I travel. Among them is one of Vivien Leigh, age 25, in The Sidewalks of London (with Charles Laughton). Absolutely charmed by that performance.

Paul, as to whether dancers are interesting to talk to, I would say that they've expressed themselves extremely well. Also, you used the phrase "their hearts are in the right place." That's what captivates me about everyone in the series. No matter what negatives they face, which someday hopefully will be resolved, they're in love with creating beauty.

Rave comments, totally justified, about a *Heart-Warming* series. https://twitter.com/nycballet

I've been watching this from Europe and it's coming in fine. I'll do something that I normally wouldn't. I'm writing this without yet seeing the ending. The reason is that I don't want to rush through any of it so that I can comment. This is a very sympathetic and comprehensive documentary that I would definitely recommend viewing.

Thanks everyone for these very interesting points of view. Sarah van Patten's comments give me some new and sympathetic insight. I've seen very few of Christopher Wheeldon's works but what's always impressed me very much, and it's a common sentiment, is that it's the almost 'ethereal' pas de deux (duets) that he creates so well. Polyphonia perhaps contains his most famous. I've seen his Liturgy twice, performed by the Miami City Ballet with the wonderful Haiyan Wu, and I was enchanted. Here is a lovely duet, After the Rain with Wendy Whelan and Craig Hall. And perhaps illustrating what Quiggin and sandik have written, is a brief solo from Polyphonia that I saw (first two minutes of video).

An interesting thing, carbro, is that whoever I've seen Marcelo Gomes cast as he has always made me smile and feel good inside (never to be taken really seriously as a heavy). In this case I would say that he can "make any role fit him" and it works just great. Added: In further reference to Rolando Sarabia, I've seen him perform a few times with the Miami City Ballet and I've watched some videos. In a dance-wise and dance related acting sense, I think he can do just about anything. I once saw him on the street and told him that he could be (present and future tense) the best [male] dancer in the world. This was a few years ago and I haven't seen him perform since, but my feelings related to back then haven't changed.

I love the expression, pherank, on Maria Kochetkova's face in the picture above. It so sums up her knowing loveliness.

I certainly agree with you, carbro, about Marcelo Gomes and Leanne Cope. I have to admit that I don't recall ever seeing Robert Fairchild perform. I've just looked at some of his videos and he does seem fine for this. In one (NYC Ballet Screen Test: Robert Fairchild) he says, "I'm the biggest Gene Kelly fan out there." Bigger than life is what Gene Kelly and definitely his aura and legacy are. Marcelo Gomes and Rolando Sarabia, for me, are also a step beyond in ability and star charisma. Helene, what's "Mericun" ?

Congratulations ! Gene Kelly http://cdn.history.com/sites/4/2013/05/938634361gene-kelly-hero.jpg Marcelo Gomes http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/01-2009/abts-marcelo-gomes-to-star-in-dances-patrelles-com_16981.html Gene Kelly http://blueopossum.homestead.com/files/gk/genekelly_3web.jpg Marcelo Gomes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ctckentgomes1ro.jpeg Also: Both men could certainly be called High Personality Performers, along with Rolando Sarabia, who could probably dance/act his way through anything.

She does, and her partner even looks like Marcelo Gomes. Good start guys. Now hopefully we'll be moving into somewhat cheerier material for 'American.'

I would feel seriously remiss as a dance lover kibitzer if I just let these names slip away. Marcelo Gomes Rolando Sarabia Alina Cojocaru Marcelo Gomes and Alina Cojocaru seem to be quite busy and probably not available, for a long term commitment anyway, but they both seem like the type of person to want to give it a try. Rolando Sarabia is probably available. Leanne Cope (cast in the current workshop) from the little I've read about her might be just fine. And it's magic if the music is groovy It makes you feel happy like an old time movie (John Sebastian) Added thought: If singing is an issue, maybe a professional singer could appear on stage, while the dancers pantomime their way through it. Jerome Robbins' "Ives, Songs," might be an example.

Thanks for posting this, carbro. It's a charming memory. The New York Times article from Oct. 16 says, "The musical will have its own lengthy ballet sequence, completely reconceived by the show’s director and choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon…." -- so literal recreation does not seem to be the idea. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/an-american-in-paris-is-planned-for-paris-and-may-head-west-to-broadway/?ref=arts&_r=0 And what sidwich wrote also makes a lot of sense. "I don't think there's any way a stage adaptation could be anymore than "relatively" faithful to the film. Just the concept of the ballet alone, dancing through famous paintings... that would be extremely difficult to recreate anything like it onstage. Just the mechanics of moving all the sets necessary and getting the costume changes in in a timely fashion, let alone the wear and tear of dancers performing every night. I just don't see how it would be possible." Trying to literally translate the movie may not be desirable or as you and sidwich suggest even possible. I would hope that there's a recognizable resemblance and that it's the Charming Spirit and Delightful Brilliance of the Movie that they preserve along with an emphasis on what Chris Wheeldon so far creates best -- Dance. [last paragraph slightly reword]

Thanks again, sidwich. All that you've just written makes very good sense. Quite early on they must have known about the multi-million dollar investment and the mere fact that they entrusted this to Christopher Wheeldon is quite a compliment. I'm becoming as curious about the original concept as I am about the outcome. I'm holding out for a *Dance-Oriented-Wheeldon-Kelly-Caron-Signature-Piece-State-Of-The-Art* Production and nothing less.

I've been going back and forth with a lot of video clips of current Mariinsky oriented ballerinas. Mainly I've been returning to the video clip that I posted here of Oxana Skorik's Act IV "Swan Lake" (starting at 22:00 minutes). I'm just more and more impressed. I've written several times that Anna Pavlova may be Woman's answer to Michelangelo. More now than before, I think of Mozart as I watch Oxana Skorik develop. I focus on her hands and the remarkable beauty in the 'simplicity and economy' and the brilliant articulation of how she uses them. I can see those hands and his notes as being so much of the same fabric. Also she seems to be more refined generally each new time that I see her, the last live performances being in Naples, Italy, a few weeks ago. Another factor that continues to set her apart is how deeply and beautifully she goes inside herself. Added: And technically -- now consistent and flawless single, double, single fouette spins, lengthy balances....

You've made very good points, sidwich. As for more songs though, why has the "workshop" casted two ballet dancers? Your response probably might be, "they can recast." So we'll see. Also, I guess I'm just liking very much the possibility of a dance oriented production. That idea for this dance lover is exciting and this is what Chris Wheeldon is, and Gene Kelly was, brilliant at, although Chris Wheeldon may turn out to be a fine musical director as well.