tutu

30 minutes ago, SandyMcKean said:

BTW, at the Q&A after one of the performances I saw, one of the dancers (an apprentice) said that the entire company was so committed , and so working as a team, they KNEW they were going to "nail it". And they did!

One of the things that struck me about the performance was that it seemed like a number of the principals were part of the organism, not performing solos or pas de deux, but were so wholly committed.  I’m not sure how many companies I can think of where that would be the case, so I’m struck by the level of teamwork and camaraderie at PNB — kudos to the leadership team for fostering that culture.

Wow, the Pite really was spectacular, monumental, moving.

What a feeling it must to have been to see it live.  
 

Edited to add one more thought:  I’ve watched a few times, and I just keep seeing Clara Ruf-Maldonado as Persephone and Amanda Morgan as Demeter.

Thanks for the reports!  You’ve convinced me:  I’m springing for a digital ticket.

Any reports?  Especially curious to hear about the Pite.

On 11/3/2022 at 10:07 AM, nysusan said:

 

I'm not so keen on R&J, esp since IMO ABT does not have a great Juliet at the moment and great artists in the lead roles are the only thing that makes R&J interesting to me. But it is very popular with the Met audience so I can see why they'd program it again.

I know it’ll never happen this season, but I’d love to see some debuts from the new generation coming up — Zimmi Coker comes to mind.

Based on the recommendations of those in this thread, got one of the last few tickets to today’s matinee.  I could only stay for ITUR but oh, it was magnificent.  Best I’ve seen it look across countless performances and companies.

30 minutes ago, DPell said:

ABT is running a 30 under 30 discount for the fall season. 

Is there a rush program as well?

3 hours ago, Olga said:

Totally agree.

Watched it on digital today and agree as well — the new Ratmansky is an exceptional work and brought me to tears. 

Any word on whether Peck has another Tchai Pas coming up?  I didn’t see any on next week’s casting.

6 hours ago, California said:

I'm very interested in reports on Ratmansky's new Wartime Elegy, which I plan to see on the digital subscription. Was he there for the bows?

Same here!  From a video posted by Peter Boal, it looks like Ratmansky was present, and waved the Ukrainian flag.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ci4QpYIsdkG/?igshid=NjZiMGI4OTY=

8 hours ago, cobweb said:

Hey @tutu, I haven’t seen Scotch Symphony all that many times because NYCB doesn’t do it all that often. I think my first time seeing it was at the SAB Workshop about 5 years ago, which was also my first introduction to Mira Nadon. Then NYCB did it a year or so later and I saw it a few more times, I think with Bouder. Laracey had one performance which very sadly I had to miss. But it’s clear to me that both Nadon and Laracey, and let’s throw in Phelan too, have the airy, mysterious qualities that would elevate this entire piece. 

Thanks for the color here.  Would to have been at that Nadon workshop performance…

2 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Bouder, not so much. I found her stiff and underpowered, not to mention this role is not a good fit for her even at her best. The magic of Scotch Symphony would be greatly enhanced with a dancer who can bring some mystery to it. I look forward to seeing Hyltin, but really think Laracey and Nadon are very obvious choices here. This is a missed opportunity that does a disservice to this work. MHO. 

Funny how you and I left with opposite impressions!  It’s my first time seeing Scotch Symphony (I know, I know…) so maybe that’s part of our different reactions here.  Who have you really enjoyed in the role in the past, Cobweb?

1 hour ago, springnemesia said:

Very excited to hear how tonight goes! I can't believe I'm considering doing the matinee AND evening show on Saturday just out of desperation to see TschaiPas..

Good showing from the company tonight.  

Divertimento looked clean, and Joseph Gordon was especially excellent, making a huge impression in his short solos.  

Bouder is BACK indeed in Scotch Symphony!  Didn’t think of it as a natural role for her, but she was absolutely lovely — gorgeous épaulement, and her movements seemed to extend beyond the tips of her fingers.  Bouder’s changed a bit, but the technique and charisma is very much still there.  You wouldn’t think that she’d just spent a year away.

Sonnambula was a dream.  The drama worked and, despite the ridiculousness of the story, didn’t feel overwrought, because Mearns, Hyltin, Stanley, and Veyette struck exactly the right balance acting-wise.  Divertissements were stellar, particularly Ulbricht as the jester.  Hyltin was absolutely stunning as Sleepwalker.

Edited to add:  There was a before-curtain announcement that Lars Nelson would be replaced in both his featured roles tonight.  Here’s hoping that whatever took him out tonight will be short-term!

2 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

I see on the casting sheet that they're only doing the fourth movement of the ballet, so her role will be much more limited. What a truly odd thing to program for the start of a gala; I can't imagine what it would be like to watch that movement in isolation, without proper buildup to that big finale.

So if I’m reading the casting list correctly, does that mean Gerrity’s debuting in the fiendishly difficult fourth movement principal role on gala night?  Talk about pressure.

10 hours ago, Barbara said:

I agree this didn’t seem a prudent thing to say to an interviewer but I do think she was referring to former partners being physically weaker, not weaker dancers - that since she is tiny in physique she was then paired with smaller partners and that her partner in Houston lifted her as if she were flying. 

But physical strength is a really important component of a leading male dancer’s dancing ability.  Very hard to make this not sound like a slight.

Oh, how I wish that Lane would get some media training — for me, many of her more imprudent offstage public statements detract and distract from her onstage performance.  Wish it weren’t so.

12 hours ago, naomikage said:

Xander Parish is now listed as a dancer at Norwegian National Ballet and is scheduled to dance Albrecht in Giselle. But the roster does not mention him as a principal.

https://operaen.no/en/about-us-oslo-operahouse/the-norwegian-opera-and-ballet/norwegian-national-ballet/

Also Vasilii Tkachenko, former dancer at Mariinsky is listed here. 

Norwegian National Ballet really has gotten to be just a spectacular troupe of dancers.  I got the chance to see the company live in their (awe-inspiring) home theater a few years back and they were just fantastic.  Glad Parish found a good home.

On 8/18/2022 at 8:46 AM, Buddy said:

Thank you very much for this information, Naomikage. She graduated the Vaganova in June 2020 (thanks to Jeannette at BalletcoForum for this information) and  I was sure that she’d have a fine career at the Mariinsky. Does anyone know what the attraction of the Staatsballett Berlin might be ?

Staatsballett Berlin has taken a number of Vaganova Academy graduates over the years, particularly those focused on careers outside Russia.  
There’s also quite a bit of reporting on a large increase in young people — particularly multinationals (believe Avsajanishvili is Georgian) — leaving Russia, given the political situation and the way life has been changing inside the country.  Of course, saying that Avsajanishvili is part of that trend is pure speculation; she may simply be seeking out a different repertory, director, or even pay scale.  Dancers move around, and we just don’t always know why.

There’s a new video going around of Renata Shakirova’s debut in Paquita and Shakirova is just stunning — a throwback to another era.  While there’s only so much you can tell in a video of excerpts, this seems to have been a debut to remember.  

I don’t know if Americans and Europeans will have the opportunity to see these dancers on stage during the remainder of their careers — certainly the Kennedy Center tour days are over for those of us in the U.S. — so I’m quite grateful for videos like these being available.

5 hours ago, Victura said:

Having read the podcast transcript more thoroughly now, I thought Jaffe had some good ideas for the future of ABT.

I was a bit disappointed with some of the ways that she was talking about increasing audience education and engagement (the podcasts vs filming vs etc.) — was hoping for something a bit more visionary — but the more I think about it, the more that seems like it’ll be a function of effective hiring in marketing and PR.  
ABT’s already come miles from where they were a couple years ago on that front and hopefully the upward trajectory continues.

Oh thank you @canbelto @Heleneand @California, my anticipation is only building!  I’ll be there with bells on 

I’ve never seen Sinfonietta but I will put in a hearty “Yes, please!” to ABT doing more Kylian — or doing Kylian at all!  I can’t remember when, if ever, I’ve seen ABT perform Kylian in the past, but I figure that they must have at some point, right?  Would be a criminal omission not to have the work of one of the late-20th-century masters in the repertory.

And if Sinfonietta is to the gorgeous Janacek Sinfonietta?  Oh, I might just die and go to heaven.

4 hours ago, Roberta said:

I recall an amazing ABT Facebook post a while ago, featuring Sun Mi Park rehearsing Kitri in Don Q pdd's balances. OMG! Just found the link. Hope it works:

Facebook Watch

Likewise was blown away by the maturity of Park’s performance in Seven Sonatas, which was recorded and is available on YouTube.
 

15 hours ago, abatt said:

Added - I think that in terms of stature and demeanor, Juliet could be a good fit for Brandt.

With those big eyes?  Yes please.  Could be really interesting.

I think I’m only going to be able to get in one R&J, and I’m thinking I’ll make it the Seo/Camargo performance if I can get the timing to work.  Sounds like it’ll be a perfect way to appreciate Seo’d strengths, and I can finally see Camargo in action.

12 hours ago, maps said:

    I saw Summerspace on pointe with NYCB a very long time ago.  Loved it and comparing my memories plus any video with/out pointe confirmed my preference for pointe extending the line and not grounding the birds.   

Oh how I wish I could see this!!!

17 hours ago, Helene said:

I've seen plenty of chaff in my half century of ballet-going, and for most of that time, white men were making almost every last bit of it.  I don't see any higher percentage of chaff made by people who aren't white men. 

Amen to that.  Names may change, but the amount of forgettable new work never seems to…

Helene, are there choreographers who you saw produce chaff who then went on to produce effective work with more experience?  I get in theory the idea that choreographers become better choreographers by, well, choreographing, but I can’t really think of any dance-makers whose work I found forgettable for, let’s say, three years, who then turned around and wowed me down the line.  (By contrast, I can certainly think of many dancers who all of a sudden catch my eye as if I’m seeing them for the first time)