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tutu

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Posts posted by tutu

  1. 4 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

    Anyone happen to know who is doing peasant pas tomorrow? And big swans?

    7/4 pas de trois was planned to be Fang/Waski/Sumitani, according to one of Waski‘s Instagram posts.  7/5 and 7/6 evening were scheduled to be Misseldine/Park/Han, according to a Misseldine post.  Unclear who 7/6 matinee pas de trois will be, as it certainly can’t be the remaining cast, Hurlin/Waski (replacing Williams)/Hoven, performing for Hurlin’s O/O debut.  Maybe Fang/Waski/Sumitani again?

    Of course, given the several demanding weeks already completed and the amount of COVID in NYC right now, we may already be into the “bleeding casting sheet” phase — that is, when injuries and illness mean substitutions run rampant.  At this point in the season, I think no casting is a guarantee.

  2. 16 hours ago, JuliaJ said:

    The level of polish and finish Brandt brings to her dancing is just stunning, in addition to her amazing technical abilities.

    Agreed, and I think the NYT review does a good job of describing the seamlessness and polish she brings (especially in transition steps — she’s so crisp in the in-betweens):  “She’s tiny, but her dancing is so fleshed out that she isn’t exactly diminutive; Brandt doesn’t just hold shapes vibrantly, she expands them, gliding from one step to the next with a fluidity that allows her to indicate the trick without commenting on it.”  

  3. 1 hour ago, DPell said:

    How were Brandt and Cornejo tonight?

    Good!  I’ve seen them both deliver more jaw-dropping performances in the past, but tonight was a solid run overall and well worth the price of a ticket.  (Both have an excellent baseline, so even when they’re not pushing superhuman limits, they’re pretty fantastic.)  Brandt’s not a natural jumper in the same way that she’s a natural turner or balancer, but she maximizes what she has and certainly doesn’t feel earthbound; Cornejo’s doesn’t have quite the power that he used to but he’s certainly no slouch.

    Trenary was a luscious Mercedes/Dryad Queen (though she had to fight for her Italian fouettés), and Shayer was clearly enjoying Espada (though I, too, miss some of the stylish Espadas past).  Zimmi Coker and the young apprentice Elwince Magbitang—boyish in a way that reminds me of young Simkin—were more than serviceable as the Gypsy Couple.  Overall, corps was clean, but I do wish that they’d bang the shoes a bit more beforehand to quiet them down.

    Edited to add:  I might be imagining it, but it seemed as if they’ve either refurbished or deep-cleaned some of the costumes this season; colors seem a bit brighter than seasons past (in a good way).

  4. The New York Times season review is in, and Gia Kourlas’ last lines are a perfect encapsulation of how I feel about this season:  

    “Farewells are not just for goodbyes but for new beginnings, a fresh start for a new generation led by dancers like Chan, Furlan, Woodward and so many more. What did the spring season show us? That talent is overflowing through the ranks. Proof was on the stage.”

     

  5. 58 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

    What makes you want to watch a dancer? What makes you think they should (or should not) be promoted.

    This wasn’t directed to me, but these are such fun questions so I’ll answer.

    As to question 1, I wish I knew what it was!  I can identify the appeal of long lines (like Miriam Miller and LaFreniere now, Maria Kowroski then), superhuman tricks (like Tiler Peck, Ashley Bouder), go-for-broke bravura (like Sara Mearns), gorgeous upper-body movement (like Indiana Woodward), but there’s also a kind of confidence and charisma onstage that catches your eye and you have no idea why (Lydia Wellington was always this way for me, and Gerrity is now; Janie Taylor also had it, and India Bradley, who reminds me so much of Janie Taylor, does as well).  
    As to question 2, I think there’s a difference between the promotion to soloist and principal.  Soloist for me makes sense when they’ve got the charisma and the technique to have handled a leading role (and I think all of the recent soloist promotions are completely appropriate).  The most satisfying principal promotions are consistent technique night after night, across a range of roles, with charisma, showing range, and showing good judgment in their other public-facing media (such as social media or promotional appearances).  
    For me, Gerrity’s a no-brainer for principal for me because I trust that it will be a strong performance when I see her name on the casting sheet:  Gerrity’s proven that she’s got the technique, flexibility, charisma, and stamina to get through principal roles—often the really tricky, pure technique exposure roles—by any choreographer in the rep (Balanchine?  Check.  Robbins?  Check.  Ratmansky?  Check.  Wheeldon?  Check.  Peck?  Check.  Cunningham?  Check.), and my eye is always drawn to her when she’s onstage (wasn’t always true, but a couple years ago, something seemed to completely blossom and she just came alive). Reminds me a lot of Rebecca Krohn, who I adored and miss seeing onstage.  Now that Gerrity and Chan are beginning to establish a fruitful (and hopefully long-lasting) partnership, it just seems like the right time.  

  6. 11 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

    EVERY SINGLE TIME the dancers get to find out more about themselves without measuring themselves against what anyone else did in the role.

    I’ve never really realized how rare this must be — ballet is such a physically and psychically punishing industry, but to have new work must provide both a developmental opportunity and acceptance of the dancer for themself.

    When I saw Mearns and Janzen in the new Tanowitz ballet this season, I was struck that their dancing was unlike anything I’d seen them do before, but the movement also seemed utterly familiar to them.  Maybe that’s why.

  7. Russell Janzen has published a really thoughtful piece on navigating partnering in the New York Times:  

    Quote

     

    “There is release and exhilaration, though, in embodying characters (and characteristics) foreign to me, and it wasn’t difficult to find ways to be authentic and fulfilled in cavalier roles — to build meaningful connections with my partners. But as my career went on and as City Ballet underwent changes, my acceptance of the straight romance implied in the works I danced weakened. And so did my understanding of how I wanted to be a partner on a ballet stage. In the wake of my company’s very public reckonings with how power and sex shape our workplace, some ballets began to feel restrictive and outdated.

    When four prominent men in my company left in 2018 amid accusations of sexual misconduct, my instinct was to be overly performative in my respect for the women I danced with. I was determined to show an audience convinced of our company’s moral rot, the integrity of our art form.

    But the accentuated manners and devotion began to feel like an entrenchment of existing problems. To always treat my partners as delicate felt like it denied them their strength and their humanity, reduced them. The choreography we execute demands that I lead them around the stage: Turn, push, pull, move them in a way that isn’t violent, but at times necessitates force and even discomfort. Like when I try to touch my partner’s foot to her head.”

     

    Highly recommend reading the full article — for me, it really opened up a new perspective on the partnering relationships.  I’ve been a fan of Mr. Janzen’s dancing for a while; now I’ll also keep an eye out for his writing.  How lucky we are to have such multidimensional performers and thinkers onstage and in print!

  8. 14 hours ago, abatt said:

    I'm not so sure NYCB will pony up settlement money to get out of the case.   I'm with Helene on this one.  I would have never expected this result.  

    I'm a little surprised this hasn't made the news yet.  This is the kind of publicity NYCB does NOT need.

    My thought was that both sides are probably more likely to settle and closer on bid-ask than they were two — make that four — years ago.  On NYCB’s side, they know they’re not necessarily the right/best-funded institution for a test case here, there’s substantial publicity risk, and the follow-on risk associated with getting a Court of Appeals-level decision affirming the Appellate Division (both in what discovery would look like here and what it could mean for other incidents that are more common in ballet than in other industries) could be pretty disastrous.  On plaintiff’s side, she’s probably more resolution-focused and eager to move on with her life than she was four years ago, and counsel doesn’t necessarily want to risk getting this win of a decision smacked down by the Court of Appeals.  

    But I’m not a litigator, so my thinking may be totally off here.

  9. 1 hour ago, abatt said:

     

    The New York Appellate Division has issued the attached decision and order in Waterbury's lawsuit.  New York City Ballet is back in the case.  The Court found the allegations against NYCB  are sufficient to state a claim for  negligent hiring and retention of Chase Finlay.  

    https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=a3guoKQkWOkXUDsHh2Cjew==

    It will be interesting to see if NYCB takes an appeal to the  Court of Appeals, based on the dissent's reasoning.  Some very important issues at play here regarding employer liability.

     

    I’d be shocked if the parties can’t reach a mutually agreeable settlement after this ruling.  This a big-deal decision.

  10. 10 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

    Has Sterling Hyltin announced her retirement? She looked great in The Goldberg Variations. There has been a noticeable changing of the guard with all the retirements, new principals, newly promoted soloists, but Sterling Hyltin is flying the flag for experience, depth and glorious, fully realized dancing. If more often seems to be happening when she dances, it's because she gets more into the phrases.

    Haven’t seen an announcement from Hyltin herself, but an announcement was slipped into a recent Broadway World summary of the 2022-2023 season announcement.  D-day is December 4:

    “The 2022-23 Season will also feature a farewell performance for Principal Dancer Sterling Hyltin who will retire from NYCB after 20 years with the Company. For her final performance, Hyltin will dance the role of the Sugarplum Fairy in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® on Sunday, December 4 at 5pm.” 

    Agree with everything you say.  Hyltin’s at the top of her game and I’m just heartbroken, but I guess it’s up to the ballerina to decide when she hangs up the boots 🥲

  11. Miriam Miller and Ashley Hod debuted in Serenade (Dark Angel and Russian Girl, respectively, with Sara Mearns’ Waltz Girl) last night.  Both were good, clean performances — a bit tentative in places, but that can probably be chalked up to debut nerves.  Mearns, the veteran, was extraordinary as always in the role, and against the shadow of Hyltin’s impending retirement, I can only pray that we get more time with Mearns bringing us into her world onstage.  The Miller/Mearns/Sanz trio was especially striking with Miller and Mearns’ mirrored blonde hair.


    The dancers looked great in Goldberg Variations (an especially nice debut for Indiana Woodward!) and Walters plays the Bach well, but my word, that is a long ballet.  Worth it to get one more chance to see Sterling Hilton (please don’t go!) but I don’t think I’ll seek this out again unless it’s presented as an excerpt.  Maybe this is just because it’s my first time seeing it — would be happy to be told that the length holds up better on subsequent viewings!

  12. On 3/29/2022 at 10:37 AM, fun en face said:

    Wonderful reviews and notes everyone! Thanks for posting. 
    Agree about Noah. And of course Ashton’s trajectory is well deserved and exiting to watch. 

    I saw several performances the second weekend. Melissa’s caught was outstanding. As was Kuu’s.

     

    To have this much talent among the newer members of the corps… what a gift!

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