Waelsung

I would definitely go to Lane/Simkin, and actually wish I could go, but unfortunately, I have to work during the day, so matinees are out of reach for me.

I was stunned (not surprised at all but still stunned) by Macaulay calling Don Q "a flimsy and formulaic piece of nonsense." He's most certainly entitled to his opinion; I just can't help but wonder why somebody who hates classical ballet so much has been chosen to be the chief ballet critic of the supposedly the most authoritative newspaper in the U.S. if not the whole world.

Tonight's performance was really so-so. Semionova is always a delight to watch but Kitri is simply not her type of role. I agree with Nyankeesy01 and also kept wishing she were dancing with Whiteside instead of Stearns. Everybody else was pretty mediocre and unremarkable.

How was it? Would anybody care to report?

I assume it's not a commercial video, as I could not find any trace of it on Amazon.com

Was it a private one?

It seemed to be on You Tube for maybe a week in December, I thought I would be able to study it carefully but then it was gone. As a production it seemed a bit more focused and finished and maybe "untranslated". The Prince was Matthew Golding and I think Anna Tsygankova played Cinderella.

I see, thanks! Maybe they are planning to release it commercially, that is why it's been removed.

A big problem I felt – which didn't seem to be the case with the video of the Dutch production – is that the Prokofiev score was played so politely and respectfully that it didn't sound like Prokofiev.

I assume it's not a commercial video, as I could not find any trace of it on Amazon.com

Was it a private one?

I don't know if you find Alastair Macaulay helpful, or a hindrance, but he's reviewed Wheeldon's Cinderella. The good news? The SF Ballet fairs well. The bad news? He doesn't like Wheeldon's approach. However, it does seem as though the majority of reviews have been quite positive. The stage production itself sounds like it is fascinating to the eye.

Although all three women make the most of their roles, Mr. Wheeldon’s most is too little for dancers of this caliber or for the other two Cinderellas I saw, Maria Kochetkova (Sunday) and Yuan Yuan Tan (Saturday evening). The repeated joke about one stepsister’s halitosis is lousy, anyway; when applied to an important ballerina, it’s doubly irksome.

http://www.nytimes.c...cinderella.html

Thank you so much, pherank! I rarely find myself in agreement with Mr. New York Times Most Important Ballet Critic, but it was an interesting read.

There was a thread on this topic a few weeks ago under Press Releases and Season Announcements. That thread had info on who would be appearing w. Bolle.

Thanks a lot, abatt - found it now.

http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionNew.aspx?performanceNumber=7440

Anybody know anything about this? Participants? Program?

Could be a very interesting event, but could a bait-and-switch as well.

Thanks in advance!

A change to program:

PROGRAM CHANGE ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF

SHOSTAKOVICH TRILOGY AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Shostakovich Trilogy, a three-part work choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, will feature Piano Concerto #1, set to Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, in place of the originally planned music from Symphony No. 1.

Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy will be given its World Premiere on Friday evening, May 31, 2013. In addition to Piano Concerto #1, Shostakovich Trilogy includes Chamber Symphony and Symphony #9. The full evening of works features scenery by George Tsypin, costumes by Keso Dekker and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House runs May 13 through July 6. Tickets are available at the Met Box Office, by phone at 212-362-6000, or online at ABT’s website, www.abt.org.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if 6 weeks before the opening night of "The Sleeping Beauty" Petipa would announce that it would be danced to the score of "Nutcracker" or "The Swan Lake".

OK, let's forget about the old fashioned Petipa, let's take as an example somebody more modern: would it be possible to perform "Romeo and Juliet" with the orchestra playing the music for "Ivan the Terrible" or "Cinderella"? Would it be conceivable to substitute the "Bolero" score by the one for "L'enfant et les sortileges"?

Speaking for myself, I'm a subscriber, so I see whoever they cast for my subscription.

If I want (and can afford) to see a program again, they don't usually sell out the regular performances, especially the mixed rep, so it's generally not hard to get a decent ticket after casts are announced, and if worst comes to worst, I go standing room.

Anyway, I try not to get all that hung up on casts. Being open minded has resulted in a lot of surprises, most of them pleasant (e.g., Tan's lovely Tatiana; Tan isn't known as an actress, but I love the ballet and already had the ticket, so I went and -- Tan was unexpectedly wonderful); and sure, sometimes not so pleasant.

I hope you get what you want, but these are all good dancers and it's unlikely you'll be disappointed, whoever you end up seeing. Enjoy!

Thank you!!!

Best regards from the other coast!

But if the casts are not announced until one week before the actual performance, what do you usually do? Buy tickets to everything and then try to sell the ones for the casts that you do not find interesting?

I'm asking because I really would love to see Yuan Yuan Tan as Cinderella. I wouldn't mind paying a little extra for good seats, but it looks like by the time the casts are disclosed the best seats might be gone already, or the whole run might be sold out.

Dear San-Franciscans, what do you usually do to get around this predicament?

I had to laugh at the opening language of their announcement:

As part of our mission to share the joy of dance with the widest possible audience in our community and around the globe, . . .

NYC could sure use some Ratmansky-choreographed dancing.

On a more serious note, I wonder when the casting will be announced. Or do they expect us to buy tickets without knowing who we are going to see?

Ardani represents a lot of dancers from many different companies all over the world. This hardly seems a vast conspiracy theory at ABT. What of the new dancer swap program they have instituted? Is this an Ardani plot too?

Just out of curiosity, would you please name any non-Russian dancers that are being represented by Ardani? Thanks!

Anybody having any luck with the Met website? It's 12:10 PM, and it seems to be dead - I can't get through neither from my PC nor from my phone.

What does it look like at the box office? Lots of people? Are you able to get the tickets that you were hoping to get?

Wonderful, wonderful news! All we need now is the right casting.

Thank you, Helene, for such a detailed answer! I wish I could see several programs, but unfortunately, for budgetary and logistic reasons it's going to be just one. Very hard choice to make, and I can't say you made it easier for me

James Moore, who will dance Romeo to Kaori Nakamura's Juliette at City Center at the Saturday, 16 February matinee, was just promoted to Principal Dancer tonight. Since the promotion machine at PNB is about a decade behind, you can be sure that this is well-deserved and in the "It's about time, already" category, and he's brilliant in the role and Nakamura's a divine Juliette. So go see them.

Helene, would you say the matinee casting is the one to see? Is it superior to what is being offered on Fri and Sat nights?

Any news on the NYC castings?

Our collective prayers have been answered!

http://newsru.ru/cin...2013/balet.html

Sorry, the article about Mariinsky gargantuan future plans is in Russian. As far as ballet is concerned, Mr. Gergiev has promised a lot of new DVDs, specifically naming Anna Karenina and Swan Lake in 3D that should arrive at the movie theaters around the world in 2015. No more details were provided.

I know they were planning to film Karenina with Vishneva (big mistake IMHO, but nobody has consulted me again ), but please, dear God, let the Swan Lake be with Kondaurova. I promise to be a good boy from now on, but please don't let them ruin this unique chance.

Happy New Year and my Best Wishes to everybody on this esteemed forum!

Macaulay hates the classical ballet. Always has, and probably always will. But this article must be a new low even for him. To criticize Petipa's masterpieces because they do not adhere to the strict rules of political correctness and do not reflect the exact ethnic mix of the XXI century America as was determined by the latest Census? It really makes me sick.

I don't think this is a fair summary of Macaulay's article and certainly I don't believe that he hates the classical ballet. Specifically, he does not have a problem with Petipa masterpieces in this article ... it is revivals of those works that are full of inaccuracies/revisions or otherwise pastiche (not Petipa at all) that nonetheless retain or, much more problematically, exagerate the racism of the original--even, in the case of the Bolshoi Raymonda he discusses, putting it in where it did not necessarily exist in the Petipa masterpiece. He is also very careful to say that he does not believe in applying a strict "political correctness" to works of the past and even goes so far as to defend national stereotyping in the Nutcracker.

But didn't he object to the whiteness of the Shades? It's not even funny.

Macaulay hates the classical ballet. Always has, and probably always will. But this article must be a new low even for him. To criticize Petipa's masterpieces because they do not adhere to the strict rules of political correctness and do not reflect the exact ethnic mix of the XXI century America as was determined by the latest Census? It really makes me sick.

Shirinkina - Shklyarov - Kondaurova combination looks very exciting and promising.

If it weren't the hapless Ratmansky's production I wouldn't think twice about going.

To answer my own question, tickets seem to be on sale already.

These are all mussel's "predictions", but mussel seems to have an extremely reliable and accurate crystal ball.

I see. Thanks, abatt!