Sal

I went to Wednesday's Ballet Imperial. The Dream performance. I've read everyone else's comments, so here are my random thoughts...

1. The noisy feet! They were so distracting! I found myself wondering why the ladies didn't bang out their pointe shoes, but maybe they had!! I'm so used  NYCB dancing so quietly in that theater and really disliked the thunks of the shoes.

2. Ballet Imperial. I Must say that PC2 at NYCB was the first ballet I saw the company dance when I first moved to NYC. Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar were the leads (I can't remember who the soloist ballerina was), and it was so beautiful I was surprised to find myself getting choked up with emotion. Everything about it was moving: the music, the flowing costumes, the dancers, the corps de ballet -- I'll never forget it. To see the same ballet done in, to me, such a  stodgy, stuffy manner was jarring. I felt the tutus inhibited the dancers' movement and distracted from the line and patterns they were creating. Isabella and James were out of their league technically, unfortunately, in my opinion, lacking the attack and confidence I've seen the NYCB dancers achieve. And Skylar was fine in her role, if not underused (I found myself wondering how she might have handled the lead ballerina). I never noticed it before but Skylar had a glued-on, unmoving smile throughout, which didn't suit the ballet and just looked a bit odd as the ballet progressed. 

3. Jake Roxander! A star is born!  I hope the powers that be bring him along carefully and thoughtfully so that we all can enjoy his amazing dancing for many years to come.

4. The Dream. I thought Trenary and Carmago made a lush and lovely couple in their pas de deux. Claire Davison was a hoot as were her cohorts. And the dancer who danced Bottom was spot on. I really enjoy Ashton's humor (La Fille Mal Gardee was a favorite of mine during my dancing days) so I found The Dream to be an enjoyably light entertainment.

I haven't seen any of Trenary's Giselle performances, but I have seen her dance in many, many other ballets and have always thought that she has very strong technique. The hops on pointe can be very problematic with ankles and feet like hers (what look to be loose ankles and very flexible, archy feet). And perhaps she has developed a bit of a phobia about them. She's a human -- not a machine -- and I, for one, would much rather see a human dance than a machine  

44 minutes ago, carllovesballet said:

Nadon and Kikta (and Emma Von Enck) all debute sugar plum in 2022 - Miller nor LaFreniere have!

Ah, yes, I remember now. thanks for the correction. I'm not sure it changes how I feel about LaFreniere and Kikta being promoted now.  I guess, if I'm honest, I just really love LaFreniere -- for me she has the combination of  strong technique and emotional maturity/artistry that really moves me. I also really enjoy Kikta, but I think I need to see her in a greater range of roles to form a complete opinion.

50 minutes ago, carllovesballet said:

I understand what you're saying but I think all in all it does a disservice to the dancers - especially from a financial perspective - to not promote them especially when they're carrying principal or soloist rep. It's the same in any job, if you're doing the work of a higher rank you deserve to be paid at that rate of which you're delivering.

And this is one of the main reasons I think Gerrity should be promoted. She has been carrying a principal load for over a year, similar to that of Phelan. 

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

But what I think they should do is promote about 3-4 women to principal, asap, like at the end of the SB run. There is a shocking shortage in the ranks of female principals, and while the new batch of soloists have only been soloists for a year, several of them are palpably ready and carrying principal loads.

I agree, cobweb! I vote for Nadon and Lafreniere, immediately to principal, with Gerrity a question mark for me. Although she's not a favorite of mine, she certainly has been dancing a principal load for over a year now and I think she's earned it. I believe Miller and Kikta need a bit more time. Miller needs to develop her artistry further and I think Kikta needs to be given more shots at big principal roles before she gets promoted. (Am I correct in thinking she hasn't yet danced  Sugar Plum??) And I would LOVE to see Alexa Maxwell promoted to soloist. She has always caught my eye, even when dancing corps roles, and I want to see her get a chance to take on more challenging roles.

2 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

I am still delirious from today's show - gosh I don't know why they didn't do more than what 4 or 5 shows? They could have done twice as many and it still would have sold out.

Cobweb, I completely agree re a brilliant selection of dancers and how the Graham dancers (and Ailey) contrasted wonderfully with the ballet guys. I am thrilled I finally got to see Lloyd Knight - wow! MacKay and Freemantle - two more wow's!

Daniel Ulbricht is a very special dancer; I've seen him not only at NYCB a few times but at some galas and specific performances, like today. But, in both pieces this afternoon he looked truly at home, tearing up the stage clearly in his "zone". Whether he was paired with Trenary or later with Delgado (fantastic partnering with both), or dancing solo, he was riveting. I have never understood why he's so underutilized at NYCB where he seems to be pigeonholed to the jester type of roles. Today, he was set free and he tore it up. It was something I won't forget.

Trenary was simply gorgeous, divine, sumptuous, exquisite - not enough adjectives to describe her today. I've seen her as one of the stompers at ABT and this was a debut role for her and she was magical. She and Freemantle had an unbelievable chemistry in Sinatra Songs. I would love to see them dance together again.

Villaverde and Memoli (my first time seeing both) were also knock-outs, especially paired in Sinatra.

The entire cast was amazing. I wish I could see it again.

 

ABT Fan, I was there today, too, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've written! What a joyful exhilarating experience!  I was especially struck by Daniel Ulbricht!  Not only was his dancing stellar but his partnering was top notch. I've always wondered why he is so underutilized at NYCB (those endless jester-type roles -- ugh) and kind of assumed it was perhaps because he couldn't partner up to NYCB's standards. But that is certainly not the case -- he was a strong and fluid and connected and intuitive partner today. It actually makes me mad on his behalf at his lack of opportunity at City Ballet. Why hasn't he had a career like Juaquin De Luz??  Freemantle and Trenary were a magical pairing in Sinatra Songs -- such chemistry. Trenary was a star throughout. Not only is she a true ballerina but she is a real DANCER. Is there anything she can't do? And she exudes such a warm, bright spirit. I'm a huge fan. The whole cast was stellar. MacKay was another surprise! I've only ever seen him dance very classical ballets but he attacked the choreography with such fierce abandon and energy! It was unexpected. Oh, and Jeanette Delgado! Talk about fierceness! And the three Martha Graham men were show stoppers!  I could go on and on and on My only regret is that I didn't go to an earlier performance so that I could go again. Best dance performance I've seen in years!

I was at the matinee today. I totally agree with what's been said about Phelan's performance of the 2nd Movement. She was breathtaking -- totally in command, regal, fluid, I could go on and on. I, too, got choked up during the backwards falls. Such beauty. Alec Knight was an attentive partner.

I loved the costumes in Playtime, but I'm a sucker for sparkles  I thought the choreography was somewhat forgettable and was overshadowed by the costumes. Loved Solange's score.

I'm a big fan of Sara Mearns but I didn't feel like Justin Peck's choreography for Solo showed her to her best advantage. It was very inward and I wonder how the small contemplative movements played to the 4th ring? (I was in the orchestra section.) I kept wanting Sara to bust out and do her "Sara thing" -- big passionate sweeping movements -- but the choreography mostly didn't allow for that. I think she did the best she could with what she was given. I didn't love the costume.

I have mixed feelings about Love Letter (on Shuffle). I thought it was too long and that there were too many sections. I wish it had been edited down by about 10 minutes. That said, there were sections that I really enjoyed --Tiler Peck's solos (she was doing her "Tiler thing" and it was amazing), Villarini-Velez's solo (he killed it), Kikta and Walker's first duet (I wonder if we really needed a second one?), and Ball and Fahoury's duet was very moving. Ruby Lister stood out as did the blond dancer who did a duet Cainan Weber.

Such fun to go to the ballet on a Sunday afternoon with such an enthusiastic engaged audience! I'm so glad snagged a ticket at the last minute.

12 hours ago, choriamb said:

Trenary is the best Juliet I have seen...I think she will have the most complete interpretation of her generation. Her dancing was both pristine and completely through-acted...

I agree that Trenary has the making of one of the best Juliet's ever (with Ferri being the high-water mark for me). Cassie's technique is so solid that she was able to "make classical ballet look completely natural." (Stealing this phrase from Peter Wright speaking of Osipova dancing Giselle in a youtube clip.) Of course, Trenary has aspects of her characterization she'd probably want to further flesh out, as all great artists do. Here's hoping she gets many more opportunities to do just that (certainly more chances than she got this season 😏).

I thought Trenary and Royal had beautiful chemistry. They had the same energy level -- both young, exhuberant and lively.  I'm big fan of Royal. For me it goes beyond just technique. I've seen so many dancers with perfect technique and very little heart. Calvin has heart and warmth and beauty to spare, and his movement quality is so grand and sweeping and elegant. I'll pretty much watch him in anything at this point.

16 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

One thing Trenary did artistically that I really respect - as she was dying her final collapse was in a semi fetal position partially face down, not the common and overly-dramatic "let me roll over onto my back while I'm bleeding to death and do an extreme backbend over the concrete slab to show off how flexible my back is because this looks so cool".

I agree. I thought this was a really smart and moving choice. It fit with the highly naturalistic approach Cassie brought to the role. A young girl who knows she's dying would most likely curl up like a baby, reaching for her beloved. The pose on the back has always seemed a bit theatrical to me, probably just not my cup of tea.

16 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

The biggest revelation of today was the completely outstanding Jonathan Klein as Mercutio. I'd love a good explanation as to why this man is still in the corps. He danced like a principal - far surpassing any hope I had of him, and I thought he'd make a strong debut. Everything about his performance was extraordinary - I am still thinking of the Mandolin dance. One or two of those super fast jumps he couldn't get his left arm position up quite fast enough, but other than that this man has a huge jump, gorgeous, fast pirouettes, beautiful feet, the ability to execute difficult jumps with ease, and dramatically it was if he has been doing this role for many years instead of debuting it this week with wonderful, intelligent theatrical choices. He alone was worth the entire afternoon.

I wholeheartedly agree!!! Klein has never before been on my radar and when he started dancing I said to myself, "Who is this guy??" He was amazing. He should be promoted today. I would buy a ticket just to see him. 

Usually I can't stand anything that goes longer than two hours (yes, I have a very short attention span), but I found myself riveted from start to finish during this performance. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and didn't want it to end. 

24 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Sal and abatt, what did you think of Russell Janzen? I agree about Sara Mearns, who gave it her all. 

I thought Russell was a great partner, as always, to Sara. She obviously loves dancing with him. I thought he wasn't ideally suited to the allegro demands of his solos. He was able to execute the very quick small jumps, but for me, his tall stature somehow distracted for the overall effect, if that makes sense. I wanted him to jump higher, but the tempo made that impossible. This was my first time ever seeing Mozartiana, so it was a lot to take in all at once. I might have a different opinion after seeing it again.

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

I was there last night and found the evening overall kind of blah without knowing exactly why. Were the performances lacking in energy, or was my mood just off? Still not sure. 

I agree. I left after Rubies feeling kind of low, which is not how I usually feel after a night at NYCB.  The energy was off. 

1 hour ago, abatt said:

The performance last night that did put a huge smile on my face was the brilliance, energy and verve of Sara Mearns in Mozartiana.  It was pure joy to behold.

This was the high point of the evening. Sara Mearns was transcendent. 

2 minutes ago, bellawood said:

Anyone see Tiler last night in Rubies?  

I saw Tiler last night.  She is one of my all time favs but, in my opinion, she had a rare off-night. She didn't hit everything with ease the way she usually does, and was uncharacteristically off on a few of her turns (although she nailed the double piques in the last section). I didn't think the partnership with Huxley was ideal. She is such a powerhouse that she really needs a very strong, confident partner like Tyler Angle, and it seemed to me Huxley wasn't the best match. (He was wonderful during his solo moments -- eating up space effortlessly.) This role also calls for a high level of flexibility and elasticity on the part of the ballerina -- not Tiler's strong-suit -- so a lot of the dramatic moments lost some of their excitement and impact as a result.  All in all, I think the wobbles could be chalked up to first-time nerves, and I have no doubt Tiler will conquer Rubies after a few more tries. (And maybe a different partner?)

LaFreniere was fantastic as the Tall girl. Her opening montage moving forward was as good as Reichlen's, in my opinion, and she seemed completely at ease in everything. My only quibble was that she smiled throughout, which seemed a bit off, but it appeared that she was just so happy to be there, doing that role. 

3 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I think it's quite likely that Brandt will have a career as a principal if she stays at ABT.

I do, too, but how long will she have to wait -- too long?

San Francisco Ballet would be a great company for Brandt and/or Lane -- SFB does all of the classics, plus lots of new works, plus Balanchine, plus they dance a lot. Great company, great city!

I think what Brandt is experiencing at ABT is what a lot of dancers experience during their careers. It's a subjective art and ADs are super subjective -- sometimes a dancer is going to be in favor and sometimes, or for some dancers, most times,  they're not going to be the favorite, ever. I think Brandt shows a lot of character and grit by going after a role she wants and one that she thinks she can do well.  More power to her! I hope her performance goes so well that she gets more Giselle performances in the future. She's taking an active role in her professional and artistic growth and not passively sitting back waiting for the powers that be to grant her opportunities.  So many dancers end their careers deeply frustrated and resentful because they feel they didn't achieve their potential or weren't recognized for what they have to offer. No matter what, at least Brandt will know she stood up for herself. 

10 minutes ago, angelica said:

Was Zimmi Coker the dancer with bright red hair and Catherine Hurlin the dancer with red hair but not so bright? I was sitting in the second ring and can't quite make out the faces unless I know the dancers really well.

Yes, Zimmi has the bright red hair.

I agree with many of the comments regarding Saturday evening's T&V. I was sitting very close and Lane seemed quite nervous and defeated throughout the performance. It was really sad to witness. Her technique is gorgeous and she is such a beautiful dancer, but T&V is such a difficult role for a ballerina and to pair her with a partner not up to the task is unforgivable. As others have noted, Gorak has beautiful lines and feet, but his partnering is so, so weak -- no wonder Lane seemed nervous -- who wouldn't be!? He barely got her on his shoulder at the end (she really wasn't all the way up) and then he was literally holding on for dear life as the curtain closed. 

I didn't mind the Tharp piece -- loved the music and Cornejo is always thrilling. I did not like the costumes at all. They look like something a high school dance troupe would pull together from old halloween costumes found in the back of their closets and the Goodwill. Just ugh.

I loved Seasons but felt it was too long. Hurlin's whirling-dervish entrance in the Winter section was a real crowd-pleaser. What a force of nature she is!  Zimmi Coker is a star in the making. I remember noticing her in the corps last year and was not surprised she had two featured roles last night. She has a beautiful, light, expansive quality and seemed very confident and entirely comfortable in everything she danced. She's definitely one to watch.

Saw Jewels this afternoon. Phelan was absolutely gorgeous in Emeralds -- lush, lyrical, musical -- there was an otherworldly quality to her dancing. Hyltin was, in my opinion, absolute perfection in Rubies. Her dancing transcended ballet technique and was just pure movement to music. A joy to witness. Kikta was powerful and strong as the Rubies tall girl. She dances so big and expands through space. Loved seeing her take command of that role with such confidence. And finally Kowroski and Angle -- what a pair! The communication between them and the vulnerability they showed, especially Kowroski, was so, so moving.  I've seen several other companies dance Jewels, and it's always beautiful, but no one does it quite like NYCB. 

I was there Wednesday and Thursday nights. Wednesday I was in the rear mezzanine and on Thursday I was 4th row center orchestra. My overall observations from the two nights:

NYCB: First a caveat -- I love NYCB, they are my favorite company and I go to see them several times a year. That being said, I felt their performances were not their best. The corps de ballet in both Symphony in C and Concerto Barocco were rock stars -- really together and expressive and energetic.  The principals, on the other hand, were mostly not up to their usual standard. Tiler Peck was as musical as ever, and I generally love her, but her ports de bras have become so wild with her hands flapping all over the place. I think she needs to reign it in.   Sara Mearns did stumble quite noticeably in Symph in C and seemed very nervous and shaky afterwards. The Angle brothers, as much as I love them when they are partnering ballerinas, looked very out of shape when they were dancing solo and were not able to execute the choreography at a principal dancer level, especially when compared to the outstanding principal men from the other companies. Ashley Bouder seemed to phone it in -- I expected her jumps to be really high and energetic and they were not. In Barocco, Maria Kowroski seemed very brittle throughout and Abi Stafford's incessant smiling was really distracting and out of place. 

MCB: Serenade is such a beautiful masterpiece, it's always a pleasure to see it, no matter who is dancing it. MCB did a good job with it, the corps was well rehearsed and the principals were up to the task. Simone Messmer was a star, I thought. I found her dancing to be really expressive and her performance to be moving.

SFB: I saw SFB do Divertimento No. 15. This is just a really solid company -- their technique is solid, their principals are reliable but there are no stars in the group. Francis Chung was the closest to reaching stellar level -- she executed a section of the ballet that is so very fast and she did it with great aplomb.

Royal Ballet: The two dancers, Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Marcelino Sambe', were among my personal favorites over the two nights. Their Tarantella was so confident and so full of fun. Their Tschaikovsky Pas was stupendous! Technically they were superb and they were able to convey a wonderful sense of daring (those fish dives!!!) and fun. Loved them!

Marinsky:  Tschaikovsky Pas was interesting -- Tereshkina and Kimin were very old-world in their approach. The long, dramatic bows were out of place and seemed a bit weird in context. She was very much the old-world ballerina -- very gracious and elegant -- the likes of which we do not see that often in America anymore. Kimin's jumps were amazing, but I didn't think they were so much better than Sambe's which were just as awe-inspiring in my opinion. I have mixed feelings about Apollo. All four dancers were obviously extremely talented, especially Xander Parrish and Maria Khoreva (whom I think is future star), but the facial expressions and the "acting" were not necessary and seemed really wrong to me. Not only that, but the facial expressions (alternately smiling and serious) did not seemed to be tied to any particular moment or motion, they seemed arbitrary and purposeless. Khoreva was the only dancer who seemed to understand the context of the ballet and her facial expressions were in sync with what she was dancing. Parrish's interpretation of Apollo was extremely boyish and young which I found confusing. But he is a beautiful dancer and I enjoyed watching him.

Lastly, never have I seen so many dancers stumble, slip or fall! I think there must have been problems with the floors -- slippery spots perhaps?  

2 hours ago, nicolc said:

The most important critique you can make about a dancer is their dancing ability, musicality and stage presence -- weight comments, at the 5 pound mark, are not valid and, in fact, are very detrimental to the mental health and psyche of all dancers.  

Agreed. I find the discussion here about dancers' weight inappropriate and potentially harmful. 

I was at Thursday night's all Balanchine/Stravinsky performance and enjoyed it immensely!

Megan and Joaquin were so beautiful and touching in Baiser. What a great pair. Joaquin looked in really fine form and I'm sad that it looks like he's retiring soon. He seemed very strong and able, as well as expressive in a way that only comes with a bit of life experience

Agon was great as always and Maria and Adrian were super together. She was in total command of her role -- held the panche with Adrian lying on the stage for longer and stronger than I have ever seen it held -- and then came out of it with total control. He brought a bit of a quirky, otherworldly element to the pas that really worked against her strength. His partnering was rock solid. Would love to see them in other ballets together.

Duo Concertant was lovely as always. I didn't think that Ashley Bouder and Chase had the best chemistry but their individual lines and style of dancing complimented each other well. Ashley kept her mugging to a minimum which was a relief, just really strong technical dancing. Chase had a fine line and strong technique usually but I felt that last night he didnt't seem in tip-top shape. I don't think it was fatigue, although it could have been, it just looked like he needed to get to class more often and sharpen things up a bit.

Tiler Peck was a queen in Symphony in 3 Movements  -- just flawless. It looks too easy for her.  She and Tyler Stanley were really interesting together and I'd love to see more of them together as well.

I was there last night for Tiler and Chase's performance, second row center. It was an unbelievable experience to be there. I'm still trying to digest it. Not only was Tiler technically near perfect, but her characterization was near perfect as well. She told the story with her dancing and told it beautifully. She created two very distinct characters and was completely believable. More than just putting a "sad" expression on her face, it seemed that every molecule in her body expressed the character she was playing. Her extraordinary technique and musicality made this possible. It's hard for me to put into words. One could definitely feel that the whole theater was pulling for her, and mid-way through the performance I could tell that she could feel the audience's support and it seemed to free her dancing even more. Chase was an ardent partner and I felt his characterization was dramatic and heartfelt. The place went wild at the curtain calls and it seemed that no one wanted the evening to be over. It was really special to be there, a night to remember, for sure.

This may be a bit off-topic, but I remember in the old days (1970s) ABT seemed to do many more mixed programs during a season than they do now. I'd much rather see a season with a few full length ballets and a few weeks of mixed programs. I was really surprised when we moved to NYC to see that ABT does week after week of full-lengths. It becomes so tedious for me as an audience member and I've got to think for the dancers, too, both veterans and up-and-comers. They don't get much opportunity to stretch themselves artistically, unlike the dancers at NYCB.  Perhaps ABT just isn't my cup of tea. I tend to get really bored with the old chestnuts, especially if, as it seems this year, several of the key dancers are not up to the technical challenges (Swan Lake fouettes, for example). If ABT is going to put on the full-lengths, they've got to be performed with technical excellence, and they are just not at this point in time. So I welcome the chance to see a more contemporary full-length ballet, like Onegin, which offers a break in the monotony of endless Le Corsaires, Swan Lakes and Don Qs. Just my humble opinion.   

I was there last night for Vishneva and Gomes' performance and it was incredible. I'm a recent transplant to New York from California so I've never seen either of them dance before. I am quite familiar with the ballet having seen San Francisco Ballet perform it several times and as I mentioned in an earlier post, it is one of my favorites. It felt to me like every molecule in Vishneva's body portrayed the character. I was in the orchestra section but far enough away that I couldn't see her facial expressions, but it didn't matter because she told the whole story with her body. I thought she portrayed Tatiana as a kind of a serious-minded, nerdy, bookworm who experiences feelings of infatuation for the first time and doesn't know what to do with them. Her portrayal was unflagging -- regardless of what she was doing, dancing or just standing still -- her character came across. It was masterful. Gomes was such an ardent partner and played Onegin with such coldness early on and then such passion at the end. Never before have I seen the final pas de deux performed with such abandon yet technical excellence. Vishneva and Gomes made it look so organic and real -- there was no hesitation before launching into the most difficult sequences, nor could one see the "set up" for what was coming next -- it all just flowed, which is incredibly difficult to pull off. 

I also thought the rest of the cast was terrific, especially Blaine Hoven. His technique was beautiful and he cuts such a tall handsome figure. He and Isabella Boylston made a  great pair.

Onegin is one of my favorite ballets but I've found that a successful performance depends on both the acting and the partnering skills of the principals. The partnering is extremely challenging and if done well it has a fluid quality, with one moment seamlessly flowing into the next and so on. If the male dancer is not a super strong the ballerina cannot dance with the emotional abandon needed to convey the story. I'm looking forward to seeing Vishneva and Gomes -- I think they are definitely up to the task. 

I, too, was at this afternoon's performance. I agree with everything written here so far -- Royal was great, Hammoudi was meh, Teuscher, while not perfect, showed great potential, and Fang was completely charming. I would like to add that I was pretty disappointed in the corps de ballet's performance in Acts II and IV. I'll be blunt: I felt they were a mess. I feel bad writing that because I know those dancers work so very, very hard and are the backbone of the company but they were just not together -- they were often out of sync and their lines were often crooked. I love the corps de ballet scenes in Swan Lake, and I've seen them done to perfection before, most recently by San Francisco Ballet a few years ago, so it was a bit of a let down for me. I don't blame the dancers, it seemed pretty obvious to me that they were under-rehearsed, and seemed a bit sleepy to boot.

I agree with nanushka. Maria's (and her partner, Tyler's ) 2nd movement on Sunday was so mesmerizing and beautiful, and judging the reactions of the people around me, I wasn't the only person who felt this. It was one of those live theater experiences. I was sitting quite close, so I don't know if people sitting further back had the same experience. Her 4th movement and finale were a bit rough, but the 2nd movement was so beautiful, I didn't care. And, you know, in a day and age when 12 year olds on youtube can perform 16 pirouettes, I'm definitely looking for something more than technique from the professional artists I go see perform. Just my opinion