sneds

It's late (very late), so just some quick notes...

A typo in the program had more than few eyebrows raised when Fayette appeared on stage in "Concerto Barrocco" rather than the listed Askegard. But, just a typo. Solid performance.

Fairchild made her debut, and Ulbricht his State Theater debut in "Tarantella". Ulbricht really pushed all out, and got gorgeous height, and was delightful with his impish "mugging". Fairchild looked a little nervous, but was well-matched with Ulbricht and danced with a zesty zip. She's definately well suited for the role, and I think both of them will be even better with more rehearsal and performances under their belt. I do agree though that Ulbricht does have a tendency to push the bravura-I love seeing him leap, but lately I've been missing the crispness that makes his dancing so special. He seems to be getting a good number of roles, but bravura alone won't "fill" his casting schedule. He's got oodles of talent and I look foward to seeing him in the years to come.

Wheeldon's Carousel has been slightly re-choreographed, but is still a pleasant piece to watch. Millepied debuted in Woetzel's role, and he & Ansanelli were superb in the central pas de deux. She danced with abandonment-had me holding my breath to see if he would make it in time to catch her in one of the "swoons". I almost like these two better than Woetzel & Ansanelli-Millepied is well matched with Ansanelli, and with nice ballon.

Reliquary was fine. Kudos to Dana Hanson who looked great, after having a scary fall in the role last time I saw it performed.

"Who Cares" with Askegard, Ringer, Van Kipnis and Somogyi was simply fabulous (best perfomance of it I've ever seen) and it was a shame that the whole middle section with the various demi-soloist pas de deuxs was cut (otherwise it wouldn't have ended until close to 11pm-as it was things ended at 10:40). All three of the female soloists pulled out all stops, with Ringer & Askegard especially moving in their pas de deux. The whole cast seemed energized-how different from the last performance of "Who Cares" that I saw.

All in all, a great night!

Kate

Yuck.

Exposure (media exposure that is...) is great, but there are better ways to get one's name in print.

I would hope that Seth, especially, gets some prompt and educational feedback about his quote-talk about TOTALLY inappropriate and offensive.

Frankly, I'm not so offended by Orza's quote, (no bad language, and well, yet, it's probably true) but it makes me suspicious because it sounds very familiar-another article, book or movie maybe?

One has to wonder if this is a case of a journalist "creating" or creatively re-phrasing a quote. It's certainly been done in much more respectible media than Details.

A question for those with more media knowledge...while the company probably can't control the interviews done by members of the company, can the dancers be held accountable for using the NYCB name. In other words, can a dancer say "I am "X" and this what I have to say", but have to deal with repercussions if they say represent themsevles as members of the company- "I am x, a NYCB dancer and this is what i have to say".

Also, I haven't seen the articles, but doesn't the company/Balanchine Trust have control over any photos including choreography. The picture mentioned sounds a lot like one of the company press photos (or at least a section of one blown up), and I can't imagine the company or the any of the company photographers allowing the photo to be used (unless the were totally unaware of the content of the article).

In general, I agree with other posters that the dancers probably lacked press experience, and that it would be a great idea to have a "class" for the new dancers (or/and at SAB). The national skating organization, USFSA, does workshops for all the members of the national teams (those who will be skating in international comps) about the media and how to handle interviews etc. It doesn't prevent all bad press experiences, but it does help.

Kate

Kate

Hi!

I actually thought Tewsley's performance in "Vienna Waltzes" on Friday was wonderful, especually in the beginning of the section/movement . In comparision to his dancing in other ballets, he seemed to soar and be much quicker on his feet. I think it is a great role for him!

Kate

Changes already...

I will double-check tomorrow, but if my memory is correct, as of yesterday, Woetzel had been "scratched" from all of his performances for Week Six.

I'll look at the casting at the State Theatre tomorrow and report on any changes-hopefully there will be time between matinee and evening performances for me to go online at the Performing Arts Library.

Kate

It was Antonio Carmena with Janie Taylor on Saturday, not Ben Millepied.

Kate

More comments...

I didn't think Stiefel came across very well on tape-he's definately interviewed better than that before. And, IMHO, it's not manly to ride without a helmet, it's just plain stupid.

Very striking to note the difference in the segment on Corella-no ballet school, no ballet teacher. He mentions his Cuban teacher, but other than that we just see the front door of Victor Ullate's school/company building. And how he talks about ballet being nothing in Spain, and having danced for the President of the US & the Queen of England, but not the King & Queen of Spain. I also noted how American Corella sounds-probably because he spends more time in the US than the other two foreign-born men, and came to the US at a much younger age.

I found the segment on Malakhov the most interesting, with the train ride and his description of growing up at the Bolshoi school.

BTW, does anyone know when & where the performance of the Morris Ballet took place, and who the audience was (was it advertised to the public).

Was I imagining things or were there a few other dancers present, marking the steps in the background, perhaps a "second" cast?

Kate

Hi!

Actually from my seat in the orchestra, it didn't appear that Taylor was making any eye contact with Carmena at all.

Kate

Hi!

I wasn't trying to speculate. Just, that given the events and the number of uncharacteristic performances, I wanted to make sure that my comments were read with the events of the day in mind-for Taylor and other dancers.

I did not intend to indicate anything further-just a point to keep in mind when reading the review.

Kate

I just wanted to add that, as Taylor is a native of Houston, TX, the events of today may well have affected her performance....

Kate

Hi!

Kammermusik was very uneven. The women were fine, but Neal & Askegard got very out of synchfor a long stretch in their duo, and Antonio Carmena, very uncharacteristically, missed a split leap while dancing alongside Craig Hall.

Whelan and Tewsley were individually solid in Ballade, but their was almost no connection. Tewsley has a wonderful attention to detail, but doesn't seem to have adjusted to the speed of Balanchine's choreography yet.

I actually enjoyed Symphony in C, except for the third movement. Antonio Carmena was a late substitution for Ben Millepied, and it seemed like he was getting very little "help" from Taylor (I don't think he's done the role this season, and not sure whether he did it before with Taylor). Given, Carmena was probably a little off the music, but it seemed like Taylor was dancing to her own beat, almost being kicked by Carmena a few times and never seeming to try to work with him. Also, in the ending section, Taylor was slighly, but distinctly off in timing from the other three ballerinas. I hope this is not an indication of illness or injury (

Kudos to Carmena for doing a good job in a difficult role, and for smiling through out! He's been used a lot recently, and it's not an easy role.

I thought the corps looked stellar in the finale-and the ballet well performed.

Kate

Hi!

Just wanted to point out two corrections to the roster in the "Face Book". Kipling Houston, of course, has retired from NYCB.

Also, Kurt Froman has departed from NYCB to join the cast of "Movin Out". (Which means that in casting lists now will just read Froman).

Kate

Hi!

I noticed today that Kurt Froman has left the company. He had been replaced by his brother in a number of Nutcracker roles, but I didn't realize that he was leaving.

Kate

In re: Ask laCour

When you say uncredited, do you mean he was dancing, but someone else was listed in the program. Or simply, that because he was in the corps, there was no way to know he was dancing unless you were at the performance, saw the program and put names together with faces?

The reason I ask, is that there is a fairly tall, lanky blond apprentice, Christian Tworzyanski, who has danced in Hot Chocolate. Could that have been him and not Ask?

If it was Ask, might I ask which performances you saw him in...just curious to put a face with the name, as I really look foward to seeing him dance.

As for Martins casting him in his ballets-Ask isn't related at all to Peter Martins, so aside from both being Danish and being trained at RDB, there's nothing to suggest that they would be similiarly suited dancers.

Kate

Acosta & Corella & Herrera & Wiles & Murphy& Malakhov & Reyes etc. in the opening night of "Le Corsaire". One unbelievable night of dancing!!

Dan Ulbricht's debut in "Mozartiana"

Ulbricht, Alexandra Ansanelli and Damien Woetzel in the Fall section of "The Four Seasons"

David Hallberg, especially in "Grand Pas Classique"

Albert Evans as Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto in the 2nd Act PdD from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Angel Corella in just about everything at ABT

Albert Evans & Peter Boal in "Red Angels"

Getting to see "Symphony in C" at NYCB for the very first time

Hi!

I may be wrong, but I don't believe Acosta is attaching himself to any one company. Stevenson or not, he'll probably continue to guest with Houston Ballet, as well as the Royal Ballet, Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet, perhaps ABT, and of course still fulfill his duties with the National Ballet of Cuba. He's a dancer of world class stature, and just as he left Houston Ballet to places where he could be noticed more, he's unlikely to commit to any length of time in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Kate (who will never forget Acosta & Corella in "Le Corsaire" and who's hoping that Acosta will dance in New York or Washington sometime in the new future)

Hi!

In Jack Anderson's review of the weekend Nutcracker debuts in today's NYTimes, he mentions that Jonathan Stafford partnered Janie Taylor in the Saturday matinee. According to the cast list online, Carla Korbes should have made her debut as the Sugarplum Fairy at that performance (with Taylor as Dewdrop). Did Anderson goof or did Korbes not dance??

Kate

Hi!

NYCB just posted a press release about Tewsley joining the company. He makes his debut as the Cavalier on (Friday) the 13th.

Carreno is still listed online, so he may eventually join the company... Acccording to a recent article in the NYTimes, laCour will make his NYCB during the Nutcracker season.

Kate

Hi!

Millipied is dancing...

More debuts...

Robert Tewsley has officially joined the company and is dancing the Cavalier on the 13th.

Carla Korbes & Jonathan Stafford are making their debuts at the SugerPlum Fairy and the Cavalier at the matinee on the 14th

Kate

Hi!

I don't remeber Hanna being cast as the Cavalier-isn't Orza is the only corps member to be the Cavalier in recent years?

I would think casting is partially dependant on how the roles are being distibuted this year, partially on height, and partially on ability to walk on stilts (great dance skills do not necessarily translate to good stilt skills!).

It's not such a bad deal anyway, because it's considered a "hazardous" (or whatever the contractual term is) role, so the dancer gets paid at a higher rate for each performance and rehearsal.

Actually, I think the more interesting choice is Adam Hendrickson as Drosselmeier.

Kate

Hi!

Next week's Nutcracker casting has been posted and there are some interesting debuts. Jonathan Stafford is the newest Mother Ginger, and James Fayette and Adam Hendrickson (!) are debuting as Drosselmeyer (sp?).

The two dancers still not being cast are Millipied and Weese. Does anyone know if they are injured, or just dancing elsewhere in the beginning of December?

Kate

Hi!

Remember, the earliest of these performances are more than six months away. The casting will probably be very different by May anyway. Dancers will get hurt, get sick, leave and join the company.

Also, only the principal casting is listed-Malakhov and Part may well be doing other large roles, just not the main roles. Plus, there are several ballets with no casting indicated. Also, Malakhov is artistic director a ballet company in Germany (the name escapes my mind now), so he may be more focused on that responsibility than dancing lead roles for ABT.

Kate

Hi!

Well not exactly the minimum-just short shorts.

The article also mentions that the long awaited "Dance in America" segment on Corella, Stiefel, Malakhov and Carreno will be shown on Feb. 3, 2003 at 10pm. It includes a look at their backgrounds and a newly commissed 8 minute ballet for the four men choreographed by Mark Morris.

Kate

Hi!

I suspect that she may have gotten a fellowship, which sometime goes to an older dancer-dancers like Seth Belliston, Carlos Acosta, Gonzalo Garcia, Jared Angle, Alexandra Ansanelli and Miranda Weese have all gotten fellowships later in their careers.

Kate

hi!

I finally found the list: ballet and dance

David Hallberg-ABT !!!

Jennie Somogyi-NYCB

Nicholle Rochelle-NCDT

Rachel Less-Julliard

Michell Jiminez-Washington Ballet

Hi!

I don't think Acosta is going to be back in Houston for any length of time. If my memory is correct, he's dancing a few performances at the Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet (new home of his mentor Ben Stevenson), and I believe he's also doing a few performances in Houston.

Besides Texas, Acosta still dances with the National Ballet of Cuba, guests with the Royal Ballet and I read somewhere that he is producing/choreographing some kind of dance show in Cuba (possibly loosely autobiographical??). I also remember reading that his spring/summer stint with ABT in 2002 was possibly a trial run for a more formal affiliation with the company. But, it doesn't seem that he will be returning to ABT anytime soon.

Kate