Manhattnik

Paul Taylor? Try The Rockettes -- Christmas in July! Or Riverdance XVII! Or Fame on Broadway, The Roadshow! Just wait and see.

The Albany Times-Union provides a bit more insight than the Saratogian's sketchy attempt (can't their features editor even spell Peter Martins' name right?). Times-Union Story It's been painfully clear that Chesbrough has been working hard to find excuses to drop NYCB, while doing nothing a competent manager would do to promote NYCB, like, say, advertise. He's probably going to cry alligator tears all the way to Clearchannel Entertainment (the scourge of ballet companies throughout the country), and shortly announce a "wonderful" deal to let Clearchannel handle SPAC's classical bookings, just as he signed over SPAC's pop and rock bookings to them a few years ago (after he got a hefty raise to compensate him for how hard he works). In order to do this, he had to free up a block of time, and now he's done so. It seems if he had been truly interested in keeping City Ballet around, he could have done much more than he did (other than asking NYCB to accept less money, what HAS he done?) to hold onto them. I think Chesbrough wanted NYCB gone, and mismanaged their tenure to ensure they would be gone. It's not for nothing that we heard more and more rumblings from the SPAC board in recent years about how "expensive" NYCB is. Well, sometimes if you want the best, you have to pay for it. There was a time SPAC was the best. The question I have (and also asked obliquely by the Times-Union's reporter) is what is Chesbrough doing to justify his $300,000-plus salary? Handing a wonderful public asset over, lock, stock and barrel, to a nasty entertainment monopoly? For this he should be rewarded? No wonder Marylou Whitney, who'd been instrumental in the creation of SPAC in the Sixties, recently resigned from the board. Doubtless she could no longer bear to see her handiwork destroyed by the country club SPAC's board has become.

Once again last Friday Andrea Quinn seemed to let her enthusiasm overcome her better judgment. It wasn't fun seeing the Snowflakes rush around like they were performing some exotically garbed form of step-aerobics. Sheesh. Ansanelli is a sweet, if a bit wild, Sugar Plum. She danced her solo beautifully, finishing with a priceless and surely unintended "Oh, hi there!" grin to the little angel on top of whom she'd almost landed. In the pas de deux, she showed her almost metaphysical attachment to the music -- there's nobody who can ride Tchaikovsky's crests quite like Ansanelli -- but she faded a bit as towards the end of this very long and tricky adagio. As noted, the second shoulder-sit required some effort from Woetzal to rescue. Woetzal's latest trick seems to be concluding his multiple turns a la seconde by pulling into fast, multiple turns in attitude tightening into passe. He did this twice, finishing the second combination by eking out a few extra turns while falling out of the pirouette, then finishing to the knee with a big, "I-meant-to-do-that" flourish. Sloppy, but fun. I was a bit disappointed in Somogyi's Dewdrop. She's certainly strong and, while she didn't shortchange the choreography, it was still a very safe and contained performance. She didn't devour the stage as do many of the more exciting Dewdrops today (or as I recall she did herself, when I saw her last year). I don't know when Dewdrop turned into the machisma go-for-broke role it's become today, but I'm always disappointed when I see dancers play it safe, unless they bring something else to the table, which Somogyi, as much as I admire her elsewhere, didn't. Perhaps Quinn has met her match in Ashley Bouder, who, if she'd chosen another occupation, might've said of Quinn's frightful tempi, "bring 'em on!" As one of the lead Snowflakes, Bouder seemed totally at ease with a pace that had the other girls scrambling. Her Marzipan was one of the best I've seen. Bouder exudes power, and made short work of Marzipan's tricky pointe-work, and I can't recall when I've seen the gargouillades and other leaps bigger or clearer. There must be tempi too fast for Bouder, but I haven't seen (or heard) them yet. Adam Hendrickson started out a bit low-key, but rose to the challenge of Quinn's rapid-fire conducting of Candy Canes by dancing ever more quickly, becoming almost a whirling Dirvish by cramming in even more hops over his flipping hoop than normally might've fit into the music. Ulbricht did his usual rocket-assisted job in Tea, and Teresa Reichlen appears to have the beginnings of the right idea for Coffee, although she seemed to become less sinuous and more punchy as she progressed. It was a nice Nutcracker, but certainly not a great one.

Having seen the press screening of The Company last night, I must say that although I'm a big fan of Altman's, this was not the ballet-world Nashville for which I'd hoped. There's only the briefest glimpse of anything remotely classical (a variation from the Pas de Six from La Vivandiere, in which a veteran ballerina [Deborah Dawn?] sustains a severe injury). The rest is modernistic stuff of various ilks, starting with a bit of Nikolais, a lot of Arpino, a Lubavitch duet, and finishing with that Desrosiers thing which is awful beyond description. The dances are shot from odd angles, usually in close. There's little sense of the choreography, which, in these cases, is pretty much a blessing. The angles distort the dancers physiques, and the bit from Arpino's Light Rain has a crotch shot so blinding you may want to bring sunglasses. There are lots of crotch and butt shots, actually. What is Altman trying to tell us? Altman tells the various stories with his familiar deft and understated touch. Malcolm McDowell is beyond over the top as Mr. A, the Joffrey's fictional artistic director, but at least he seems to be enjoying himself. About the only people who don't look like fools are the dancers.

There are dancers who have totally repulsed me at first viewing, only to grow on me as time goes by; Irma Nioradze is one. She was very, very miscast as Aurora when the Kirov was here in '99, but her Giselle was very moving and nuanced. And she's strong as heck. There are others whose careers only proved that an unfortunate first impression was, alas, correct. I can think of no better example than that City Ballet dancer (long retired) whose every movement was the kinetic embodiment of the screech of fingernails on a blackboard. Mentioning her name, even today, would be unkind and hardly welcome.

It's a good deal, but last year for Nutcracker standing was $10 for peak and $5 for off-peak performances. This is a disturbing trend. I've also been told that Marzipan is more difficult than Dewdrop, or even Sugar Plum. Of course that depends somewhat on whether or not one bails on the triple pirouettes.

Not being one to waste time working when I could be engaging in the lastest Ballet Alert parlor game, "Where's Robert?," I feel a moral obligation to add my own contribution to the speculations which have appeared on the Nutcracker thread (but first let me dispel the rumor that De Luz will be replacing Bart Simpson as the spokesperson for Butterfingers candy bars). Surely we can do better than blaming the flu or the weather! I couldn't come up with ten (help me out folks, please!), but here are my suggestions, in no particular order: 8. Abducted by aliens. 4. Waiting in line for the first showing of Return of the King. 3. Understudying Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz and forgot to tell Peter. 7. Locked in dressing room by Philip "Here I come to save the day" Neal. 5. Used T-Mobile to call the rehearsal/casting number. 1. Woke up backstage at Covent Garden saying, "oooh, what a dream I had."

So I'm listening to WQXR while I should be getting ready for work, and the DJ has hit upon what the Classics might become were they not safely in the public domain and free from corporate sponsorship. So we have: The Sleeping Beautyrest A Little Nytol Music Samsonite and Delilah. I've been wracking my brains, such as they are at this hour, to come up with something similar for ballet. Haven't succeeded yet. Any takers?

... I can settle old scores. ... I have even more Internet crazies after me (unless it's all the same one!). ... I am even less productive at work (at what they pay me for). ... Peter and Kevin tremble in fear at my every word. ... I get even less sleep.

Denby's description of Ulanova is one of the finest things I've ever read. Well, then there's his description of NYC vistas, that famous description of a lost moment from Barocco "deliberate plunge into an open wound..." or just about anything he ever wrote. I remember rather enjoying Moira Shearer's breezy biography of Balanchine until she decided to use Denby as an example of all that's wrong with dance writing, citing what seemed to me to be a brilliant passage on Apollo as an example of bad writing. Excuse me? Good thing for the people on the sidewalk I wasn't near an open window at the time. Then when Shearer ventured to give her opinion of Balanchine's style, and his strengths and weaknesses, I realized her big problem: she had no idea what she was talking about. Hmm. I wonder what Denby had to say about Shearer?

Serenade: I don't mind the SAB kids. I actually thought some of them danced very beautifully. I wish I knew who the blonde with the big jump is. Kyra was divine -- musicality personified. Sylve was a Presence in her first solo, and the Dark Angel part. It's going to be quite a ride seeing her this season. Borree found ways to add drama to steps where no other dancer would find it, like glissade. Yes, Fayette is a great partner, as is Neal. Bugaku: I thought Kistler redeemed herself for the horrible job she did with this 2 years or so ago. Kistler has clearly been working herself back into shape over the past year or so, and if this was a quirky Bugaku (although Bugaku is nothing if not quirkiness personified), it was a powerful and credible interpretation. I also thought Jock looked magnificent. Symphony in C: Somogyi looked about the best I've seen her. Strong, confident, musical. I can't help but think she's psyching herself to give Sylve a run for her money as reigning Queen of the Killer Roles. Tewsley started out great, but ran into problems with his turns. Kowroski looked surprisingly wan and weak in the second movement, and frighteningly so in the Fourth Movement, where her lack of control came close to turning the four-ballerina pirouette to the knee into ballerina bowling pins. In the third movement, Millepied looked shot from a canon, and Taylor somewhat less so, although she perked up after the killer jete - saute de basque combinations. Her stag-leap exits weren't up to her usual dramatic standard, though. As noted, Quinn did Van Kipnis no favors in the fourth movement, although Van Kipnis managed just fine. Although I like her usual animation and warmth, I did think she was a bit too generous with the soubrettish flirty eyes. It's nice to see Albert Evans doing some "real" dancing; let's hope we see more of him in the year to come. Although in many ways that picture of Balanchine demonstrating a tendu is truly archetypical of the man, I am already getting tired of it. I was hoping that perhaps the company might've sprung for one of those celebrated vodka toasts for patrons on the way out, but no such luck. Perhaps in January.

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Oh, what the heck. I want to see Ashley Bouder dance Aurora, alternating with Janie Taylor. Tess Reichlen as Lilac. Albert Evans as Carabosse. Is that too much to ask?

I read about the Wang situation and shudder, because I see the future of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Until a few years ago, the director there was responsible for all bookings, ballet, symphony, pop, jazz, whatever. Not long after he negotiated himself a substantial salary increase from the very, very uncritical board, he signed over all control of bookings except New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra and a few odd Sundays to Clearchannel Entertainment (he retained his raise, however). Not only have locals decried Clearchannel's much less friendly "user experience," but it's become clear that since Clearchannel also books a big theater near Albany, it will not book a group into both SPAC and the other theater, as there's substantial overlap between local audiences for the two. While this may be a good thing for Clearchannel, it's not a good thing for the consumer, who loses flexibility he might otherwise have. I would say that this is just pop music and has nothing to do with ballet, except for some ominous recent developments from SPAC. Although for years Chesebrough (the director) has emphatically stated that NYCB and the Philadelphia Orchestra will always be coming to SPAC in the summer, he has recently changed his tune. He now complains of the million-dollar losses each season costs SPAC, and tries to paint a picture of a dedicated SPAC organization doing everything in its power to make hopeless moneylosers profitable, or at least sustainable. These crocodile tears would be less unconvincing had SPAC done even the most rudimentary marketing of these attractions. As has been noted in other discussions here, you won't find much, if any, notice of the SPAC seasons in Northeastern media (not even mentions in listings, which are free!), unlike, say, Tanglewood or Wolf Trap. Hand in hand with these brave pronouncements, Chesebrough has changed his tune about the ballet and orchestra, saying now only that SPAC will present first-class classical dance and music. Ominously, there's no committment, not even at the handshake level, for either of these companies to continue at SPAC past this summer. It's hard not to look at recent history at SPAC and conclude that the current administration is working, passively if not actively, to make the ballet and orchestra appear to one and all as hopeless money-losers, so that a decision sometime next year to hand over all performing-arts bookings to Clearchannel (or a similar institution) can be presented as the only solution to keeping SPAC afloat, and, regrettably, NYCB and the Orchestra will have to go. Apparently SPAC has already used this useful "tide of red ink" to negotiate lower fees from both organizations. There was a lot of attention in the Saratoga press last spring when Marylou Whitney, the most prominent member of SPAC's board, resigned. She made little comment, but given the events that transpired since, it's hard not to wonder if perhaps her resignation was in response to the announcement of a plan to replace the ballet and orchestra in 2005, much as Wang has done to the Boston Ballet.

Have you seen many films of Soloviev, Paul? There was a Russian documentary about his life shown at Walter Reade Theater a few years ago with many amazing clips from his dance career. Also, in the early Seventies he made a film of Grand Pas Classique with Gabriela Komleva which must be seen to be believed. I've never seen such batterie, ever. This film is actually available on a video, The Glory of Russian Ballet, Vol. 3 (or is that 2?). These are fantastic compilations. One has a film of Vera Koralli dancing a very Art-Nouveauish Dying Swan from 1911, which makes me think that perhaps there is something to Isabel Fokine's assertion that everybody is doing it wrong these days. But I digress.... From the films, Soloviev is astonishing, and would surely elicit gasps today, even from crowds used to the fireworks from the men at ABT. It's sad to think of what he might have accomplished had he defected.

Yeah, God forbid Kevin should cast dancers who actually have a clue what they're doing out of deference to his much, much richer competition. That would certainly make for a level playing field between the companies. I do think after a rocky start ABT's Symphony in C became quite respectable, although I never got used to the applause at every lead's entrance. I shudder at the thought of what Balanchine we'll see P*l*m* H*rr*r* tackle. Since McKenzie seems to cast her in everything, even when she's clearly phoning it in, I guess we'll find out. Sigh. I do think that even if Murphy is actually the right height for Stiefel to partner, he's a bit slight for her (she's a big, strong girl), and not known for his great partnering skills. (I am still astonished that McKenzie cast him to partner Meunier in 3rd Mvt. Symphony in C, even though they never actually performed together). On the other hand, Murphy looks just perfect with Hallberg.

PC No. 2 hackneyed? (Spews coffee on keyboard.) Hackneyed? (Throws coffee mug in general direction of where the cat would have been.) Hackneyed!? Excuse me, Kaye, I sometimes deal with sudden shocks very poorly. Let me put on my recording of Pletnev doing PC No. 2 (sadly, there aren't many recordings of this work at all) and try to calm down.... Perhaps in the world beyond the Hudson PC No. 2 is neglected, but as the offspring of Ballet Imperial (isn't ABT going to do this?) it's much admired, even adored, by many NYCB cognoscenti. It is one of the grandest of Balanchine's grand ballerina roles, and one of the most difficult, and I am drooling at the prospect of seeing Sofiane Sylve do the lead when City Ballet puts it on. There are many princess roles in the classical repertory; as the ballet's original name implies, this is a role for an Emperess. I will admit it doesn't always reveal its gifts readily, and it's easy for the ballet's moments of sentimentality and even kitsch (all those chainé turns to the piano's glissandos seem a bit, er, obvious) to obscure, at a first viewing or so, its many glories. I can't, of course, speak to how it was danced by the RDB. I've never seen Cavullo, but here she certainly has some very large toe-shoes to fill. I do hope you'll give this ballet a chance to work its magic on you. Leigh has written quite lovingly about this as one of Balanchine's "Tchaikovsky gut-busters," and perhaps one day you might find yourself at the edge of your seat anticipating the moment when the ballerina tackles those murderous pirouettes, and even find your heart beating a teeny bit faster when the moment arrives, as do many, many here in New York. PS. One of the things I always admired about Balanchine is how he made it OK to like kitsch. It wasn't until I started going to NYCB many, many years ago that I realized that liking Tchaikovsky was nothing to be ashamed of.

I am already picturing the ABT Mozartiana women: Dvorovenko, Herrera, Murphy. And Reyes. Part and Meunier might get Symphonie Concertante, if Kevin's feeling generous.

Hope springs eternal and all that but the last time Darci danced Bugaku, a couple of years ago, it was, well, unfortunate. It is true that this spring and summer she seems to have pulled herself into better shape, so perhaps this time her Bugaku won't be such a debacle.

Yes to both. I think Boone is a wonderful dancer. She's strong and fearless and commands attention whenever she's onstage. I see her as becoming more of a featured soloist than a ballerina -- she could use a bit more hauteur. As for Sarah Lane, she could certainly dance up a storm with ABT II, but I'd prefer discussing her prospects at ABT after she's a bit more seasoned there, that is, after she's actually danced a step onstage as a member of the company. I've heard a lot about Bystrova, but given her meager opportunities, I haven't had a chance to form an opinion one way or another. If she's even half all that, her lack of employment by McKenzie is puzzling, unless he was using her as a warm-up for his casting of Meunier and Part.

Far be it from me to speak ill of the departed, but I didn't see any signs that Natanya was coming into her own at NYCB, rather the opposite. In her last few seasons her dancing seemed to grow weaker and less engaged, and her botching of the unsupported penchee as Prayer in Coppelia was just one example of many. I do hope the change of scenery, and styles, will do her good.

Of the established ABT women, Dvorovenko is currently the most interesting. Second is Wiles, although she needs some serious coaching if she wants to mature past her current spunky athleticism. It should go without saying that both Part and Meunier have already had liberal applications of Ballerina Polish. I can't fathom their current lack of employment by ABT. ABT must look to their future, and immediately. McKerrow is retiring, Kent is out, and may not dance long after her return. Regular guests Ferri and Ananiashvili are both getting up there, too. Herrera seems content to phone in most of her performances, and Tuttle is, at best, a good utility infielder. While ABT has some promising corps and soloist girls, I can't see any of them becoming major ballerinas. As for Fang, it's far too early to tell. I imagine McKenzie will follow ABT's time-honored tradition of grabbing established stars from elsewhere. I would not at all be surprised should he offer someone like Lorna Feijoo a juicy contract, or Alina Cojucaru.

As I recall, the story was that during a tour of Japan, Kriza diplomatically omitted the plane-shooting-down mime. As it appears that the second sailor has been doing the pas de deux for about a half-century, through many, many restagings of the ballet by Robbins, if one must bemoan the change, such moanings should be directed squarely at the ghost of Robbins past. A quick call to a Robbins-scholar friend of mine elicited the information that while Robbins did indeed do the third sailor and the pas de deux, as soon as he passed the role to others, such as Michael Kidd, Robbins decided, based on the dancers' personalities, who should do the pas.

My take on last night: I managed to miss Diversion of Angels, because I thought houses only had 7:30 starts on Tuesdays. I should pay closer attention to what's printed on my ticket in the future. In Pillar, McKerrow was a big disappointment. Her dancing was fine, but she seemed utterly, and unrelievedly, miserable throughout. When she finally hooked up with the somber, poker-faced Gennady Saveliev as the Friend, they looked like newlyweds sharing a stroll to the gallows. I saw nothing in this Hagar to indicate why the Friend would find her the least bit interesting. Ashley Tuttle's Younger Sister was so determinedly, relentlessly up that the results were more than a little frightening, like this was a deranged Younger Sister who'd take an axe to the neighborhood one evening. Monique Meunier was a welcome sight indeed as the Older Sister, with her familiar arresting presence and intensity. I don't think she really had a clear grasp of the role, though, much as Maria Bystrova didn't. This sister thinks it would be the best thing in the world for Hagar to forget about men and s*x. Rather than reproach Hagar for her indescretion, the Older Sister offers her a way out. Meunier, much as I adore her, was a bit too stern and matriarchal. Between the scary Younger Sister, the simmering Older Sister, and the relentlessly morose Hagar, this family seemed to have come from the hand of Charles Addams more than Antony Tudor. I did like Kristi Boone and Adrienne Schulte as two of the Lovers in Experience. They dance large, and I like that. I can only second what everyone has said about Fang and Abrera in Symphonic. Gomes was a bit too weighty and ponderous. Not that he's heavy or leaden, but there is nothing empyrean about him. Dvorovenko was to die for in Raymonda. Yes, her feet have problems, and her bourreing is a bit on the clunky side, but it is a delight to see someone who understands that this is a Hungarian princess, and who handles her upper body with such perfect contrast between steely tension and fiery release. If you can't hit those hand-behind-the-head poses instantly and with utter conviction, you might as well not bother. I did miss Belotserkovsky's solo. Where did it go?

You create a bold new version of Swan Lake in which Siegfried and Benno are lovers. Go to Jail. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go! Do not collect $100.