rkoretzky

We were there too, and had a chance to talk with BW for a little while. That was fun! Point well taken about Alina Cojacaru's extension, it is very high,...but I liked it. Very much. It looks completely natural to me, not forced at all. She is an exquisite adagio ballerina with a near-perfect line. And yes her chaine turns, in particular were straight and fast and very clear. But my only quibble with her performance were in some allegro passages where her fifth position did not completely close. I would cross the ocean to see her again...and I just might. Irina D is my perfect Gamzatti and I had hoped to see her Saturday night. Stella Abrera did a very commendable job with a such a difficult role. She had some problems, notably that suck-in-your-breath-as-an-audience-member slip and near-fall, but also with some traveling fouttes and a knee and foot that didn't always stay in place. I think she will grow into the part very nicely. She certainly has the characterization down! Of course with Irina, one finger flick tells Gamzatti's whole tale. Will Monique Meunier be given a chance at this part? One can only hope!

I reread my post and was mortified to realize the number of times that I used the word "lovely"! I do have a larger vocabulary than that post would have indicated.... But maybe I did so because lovely really was the operative word of the evening. A congenial group attending the ballet together (Ari and yours truly, my daughter and my sister-in-law), a performance that ranged from very good to outstanding, and fabulous gelato a few blocks away from the theater--lots of fun! I think Ari has hit it right on the head. For me the most spectacular aspect of the performance was the range of style that is the essence of Jewels. For a relatively small and chronologically young company (once again, since 1986?) to be able to carry this off is quite a feat, and again I think credit goes to Villella and his desire to use his former colleagues, the originators of the roles, as coaches. No small coincidence then, that the dancer who took Eddie's own part (don't have program handy, sorry) reminded me so much of Eddie himself. Again, I thought Diamonds to be the weakest segment, but part of that has to be arributed to the crowded stage, making it difficult to communicate the grandeur of the Russian tradition. I have seen Illiana Lopez and Franklin Gamero in many roles, and although I had high expectations for Diamonds, I thought their performance was a bit flat. Question: do they ALWAYS dance together? I have never seen either of them with another partner. Since Ari mentioned it, I will concur with her assesment of Carlos Guerra (I hope I got the name right) in the Emeralds section. In fact, overall, I found the men considerably weaker than I had noticed in previous performances. Perhaps MCB is in a transition period with male dancers--I believe that Eric Quillere has retired, I saw Arnold Quintane's name on the program, but thought he had retired too?, and now Franklin within the year. The women in this company are marvelous, and again there is such a range of style and type for a relatively small troupe.

The Academy of Music is a lovely looking theater, but I have never seen a ballet in a more unsuitable venue. Philadelphians: does PB perform there on a regular basis? I admit that I haven't seen PB in many years and the last time was not in Philadelphia, so I don't remember ever being in that theater before. I would have to think long and hard before I decided to go there again for a ballet performance. Four of us attended Saturday evening's MCB Jewels. The performance was quite lovely, and I'll get to that shortly. First the details about the theater: The ticket prices ranged from $17 to $90. $90 would buy you a ticket in the orchestra, I imagine--we didn't spring for that. The orchestra however, is the only place where you are guaranteed full vision--that is if you are over 6 and a half feet tall or so. There is almost no pitch in the seats--a woman I spoke with had 12th row center and moved up to the balcony (more on that later) where she was seated so far over that she was almost on the stage. Up in the balcony there are lovely decorative columns (they probably hold up the ceiling as well, but really poor design for ballet) every 15 feet or so, so you have a pretty good chance of having at least some of your vision obscured by a column. In addition, the lovely horseshoe shape of the balcony is esthetically pleasing, but it means that there are almost no balcony center seats. I was told that our seats were "a little off to the side".Uh-huh. Right. The column in our area didn't seem problematic to me until the curtain went up on "Emeralds" at which point I realized that I was going to be doing some serious head twisting. Luckily there was no one behind me to be annoyed. Two of us moved to get away from the post for "Rubies" and "Diamonds". We moved to the same almost-on-stage-with-the-dancers far side of the balcony but at least there was no pole right in front of our faces. The design of the seating notwithstanding: where is the orchestra pit? As far as we could see, there is none. I was almost positive that PB performs with live orchestra in Philly, additionally aren't operas performed at the Academy? And additionally: the stage is miniscule. Emeralds and Rubies, with their small corps looked fine--indeed the smallness of the stage was excellent for the intimacy of Emeralds...but in Diamonds the stage just looked crowded. At one point, Franklin Gamero did a manege, finished at stage right, covered the entire width of the stage in about three steps, and literally ran out of space. I've gone on now about the problems and it sounds as if I did not enjoy the evening--I did, very much, in spite of the problems. I couldn't fully concentrate on Emeralds, usually my favorite section, because I was so frustrated by the pole. The women in Emeralds however, were exquisite. Mary Carmen Catoya, in particular, is perfectly suited to this ballet. Rubies knocked me out!!! It was spot-on technically. I was especially impressed by Michelle Merrell in the tall girl part. The recorded music was especially problematic for me in Diamonds. The grandeur of the Tchaicovsky does not come across in a recording. Conversely, the recording for Rubies was so very good that I liked in better than some live performances of that score that I have heard. I do think the ticket prices were high. Our partial view seats were $50. That's four performances of NYCB in the Fourth Ring--granted in the stratosphere, but I have never had partial vision there, nor have I had to contend with a column. I realize that I have said far more about the theater than the dancing...and now I am late for work!

I'm a pretty avid baseball fan myself. Nothing touches my passion for ballet, but the Yankees can come pretty close. FF and Bobsey can attest to some of our discussions of last summer. Poor Bobsey. He is a Red Sox fan. FF: I can't say that your Mets are doing too well right now either. Be strong: my son is a Mets fan too--I think only to annoy his dad, the most avid Yankee fan ever. And I had to choose between them...reminds me of my youth when my (then) boyfriend was pulling for the Dodgers and I hate to choose between LA and the team that my entire family supported! Talk about tough.... So...all of you baseball/ballet people: I expect you in Saratoga this summer. We'll have a picnic and softball game, then we'll go to the ballet. Who's in?

Oh would that it were so! Saratoga has changed so much over the years. It is now a four season convention destination and not so easy to get a hotel room at any given time. There are some lovely bed and breakfast places, a Super-8 motel just out of town and the places that bbfan mentioned. Also a big hotel in town that was once a Ramada Renaissance, then a Sheraton, and is now called Prime (?). And the Gideon Putnam, right in the park, walking distance to SPAC: old style elegance, a bit run down at the heels. Both of those last quite expensive too. If anyone wants more specific suggestions, please do feel free to send me a PM.

Yes indeed, 4Ts, Alex is a find. I watched him for years in NY and Saratoga and I think he just got tired of being under-used. If you ever have a chance to meet him, you won't find a nicer guy too.

From the archives of "WHAT WAS I THINKING?": I went to DC for one day. It was torture to get on a plane to come home and know what I was missing at the MCI Center. (Once again, bless you Southwest Airlines and your fares that are cheaper than taking the train from Albany to NYC). I am hooked on figure skating competitions! I picked a winner of a day. Ladies' Qualifiers and Pairs' Final. I chose deliberately so as to see the Chinese and now 2 time world champs: Shen and Zhou, and was amply rewarded for doing so. More about that shortly. I agree with so much of Jeannie's report that I won't echo, but I'd love to add a few impressions. Jeannie did not overstate the Sarah Hughes case. I saw Sarah at Nationals, and felt that she was being held up. She looked tired and her technique was poor. I had hopes that she would pull herself together for Worlds. Well she didn't look tired on Wednesday, but she did look lazy. Her technique was even worse. Besides the popped jumps, her legs were never straight. A old-fashioned ballet mistress would have hit her with a stick! I have never been a Sarah fan, but I wholeheartedly endorsed her Olympic gold. That night she outskated the field and the medal was earned. I think that was a fluke. She just isn't that good. I wish Sarah well. From all accounts, she is an outstanding student who will have her pick of colleges. And finally: the Baydere program does not suit her choregraphically or musically. It just doesn't work. Jeannie had given me the heads-up to watch for Yoshie Onda and her triple axel, and she was disappointing. I know that Yoshie didn't skate her best by any means. The other Japanese ladies are also outstanding. Watch for Shizuka--she is a comer. And I agree that Dan Feng was exquisite. So thrilled for Jennifer Robinson. She is a beauty and a beautiful skater. And Sasha Cohen. Don't even get me started. a 5.1! Please. What was that about? Sasha is one of the most musical skaters and her Rachmaninoff program is magnificent. She does a running sequence toward the end of her program that is breathtaking. Please, Sasha..keep it together tomorrow night! Michelle Kwan is elegance and radiance on ice. It is always a joy to see her. THE PAIRS FINAL: It was a privilege to be a part of the cheering, stamping, waving crowd that didn't even wait for Shen and Zhou to finish their program. I am so glad that I was there to see such a triumph. For me, though, the other part of the story was Scott and Duhlebon. They were truly terrible at Nationals, and only won the title because everyone else was bad too. My heart was in my mouth during their skate and I was so thrilled to see a beautiful program. As bad as they were in Dallas, they were that good in Washington. Lots of work between January and now, obviously. Well done. I have a few more notes to add, but it will have to be later. Gotta run.

I, too, found the programming of half of Midsummer and Diamonds a bit odd. But I'll take it! I plan to be there. And I do think that the concept was to give Illiana Lopez a truly bravura role with which to make her exit. Insofar as the new work by Villela, I don't know that that is a definite. When I called the box office (to ask for a subscription brochure. Yes. This lunatic from NY is considering subscribing to MCB! Couldn't do it without the cheap airfares from Southwest.), the woman said it would either be that new work or a Bournonville work, perhaps Italian Suite? In any case, I was particularly interested in what MCB will do for the Balanchine Centennial, and in what Lopez will do for her last performances. After having seen MCB do 4 Ts at the Kennedy Center, I remain even more convinced that this company is one of the true lights--a keeper of the Balanchine flame. More power to them. I saw their Giselle last year and was captivated. I have never been disappointed by them, and I am hoping to get to Philadelphia for Jewels. This is a stellar company.

Has anyone seen Alex in anything since he left NYCB for Boston? I was struck by the fact that he wasn't mentioned in the review of the BB Balanchine program. I miss him.

Jeannie, again, I deleted my PMs without making a note of your seat location! Here is mine in case you make the same boo-boo: for the afternoon, section 419, row B, seat 9. Please come find me around noon! Alexandra, I apologize for the personal stuff here. I am just concerned because I need to get this message to Jeannie and her box is full. I'm leaving my house before 6 AM tomorrow--early flight!

Jeannie, Your mailbox is full again! They are tiny, aren't they? I tried to send you a PM to let you know that your plan is fine with me. I'll come find you at your seat around noon, so that we can meet, OK? rk

Thanks for the info Jeannie! Makes we wish I was there right now. Where is Ryan Jahnke in the standings now? He is my choice of the three US guys--of course I still grieve for Johnny Weir and his disastrous Nationals. I will PM you later when I get home from work and give you my seat location. Until Wednesday!

I'll be there for the day on Wednesday the 26th, if anyone would like to meet. Washingtonians: I am assuming that I can expect tight security, but other than that, things are "normal"? (whatever that might be, in these strange times). Jeannie, if you see this, I have been trying to PM you. Your mailbox is full! Hoping to see you on Wednesday.

Thanks for the info. But that is what I was afraid of! they'll be missed.... I tried again, using the link that you posted. Still no luck. It may be a problem with my computer. I also didn't see it on our MCB page. Computer skills are slipping.

This is a teaser! I've been trying to access MCB's website, and it seems to be down. However in the tag line of several hits there is a reference to retirements of two dancers at the end of the 2003-2004 season. Can anyone shed any light? 1. On the problems with MCB's website? 2. On who might be retiring? 3. On what the 2003-2004 season might look like (repertory and dates).

Stravinsky Violin Concerto. I have yet to see his equal in that part. I admit that I have avoided seeing that ballet on occasion. It has rarely been properly cast or danced for many a year.

MJ: Spending a summer day in Saratoga--afternoon at the races, evening at the ballet--is great fun and I recommend both highly. It would however, make for a VERY long day if you are planning to then drive back to Connecticut after the performance. The ballet at SPAC starts promptly at 8:20 PM, as Mr. Balanchine always held the curtain for 5 minutes, we do so at SPAC to this day, and it is rarely over before 10:30. As FF has said, the audience does not run out of the theater, but applauds for a long time, and the dancers take several curtain calls. It's nice! I'd like to suggest that you consider looking into one of the motels in Clifton Park or Latham--just 20 minutes or so down the Northway, but a world away in terms of pricing. They have all the standards--Best Western, Hampton, Comfort Inn etc. Most of them are new and while not luxurious, they are comfortable and convenient. There was a time when we would go to an evening performance in NY and then drive home to Saratoga, but we've stopped doing that. It just gets too late. (although the 7:30 curtain on Tuesdays does tempt me mightily). Oh and about getting out of the parking lots after the ballet: it's not really a big problem. I'm there every night and rarely do I find myself stuck in any type of traffic jam. And I'm not the most patient driver either!

I agree with the previous posters that the schedule is very disappointing. SPAC members had a forewarning about this in the form of a letter a few months ago, announcing with great excitment the programming of all three story ballets. So frankly I was relieved to see that each will "only" be performed four times. It could have been worse. Of course that only leaves nine repertory performances. If we still had the four week season....oh well it's time to give up wishing for that. I'm grateful for the three weeks and I'm going to do my best to convince as many of you as possible to come up anyway and give Saratoga a try. It is also unfortunate that all six matinees will be the stories, not giving many options to the large crowd that enjoy daytime performances. On the other hand....programming Midsummer in the midafternoon is ludicrous. All the magic of that lovely ballet is enhanced at SPAC at twilight, when the little bugs and fireflies come onto the stage, the magnificent music, the fact that you are IN a forest at evening. The very first NYCB evening at SPAC was Midsummer, in July 1966. Coppelia has a special place in the hearts of Saratogians too, because it is our ballet. SPAC commissioned NYCB's production of Coppelia (that was in the days when there was a sense of artistic vision at SPAC, alas. More for another thread sometime) and the world premiere was on the SPAC stage in July, 1974. As for Swan Lake, I am not going to say anything about it. The story ballets are popular and they have the added benefit of involving some local kids and their families because some local students are cast in the children's roles. That brings mom and dad and aunt susie to the theater. I do wish there was more rep and fewer story programs. But I think Midsummer at SPAC is incomparable and Coppelia is fun. Come see them once. Try to bracket the rep programs around a performance of a story ballet. I do fully understand reluctance to come a long distance and incur lots of expense to see one story ballet three or four times. But there are lots of other fun things to do here. As we get toward the summer, I'll be happy to make some concrete suggestions.

The SPAC season is now posted on the NYCB website! So...pick your dates, and let's organize the picnic! Bobsey, how nice it is to see your post. Please come, if you possibly can, please!

(and grinning like a fool) The SPAC NYCB gala is a horror story for most of us who love the ballet, and most Saratoga fans avoid it like the plague. Every year the crowd seems younger and more intoxicated and obnoxious (of course every year I am otherwise--ahem--and older). But FF does make a valid point. It is lots of fun to people watch, but one has to accept the fact that there will be numerous distractions from the performance. Ironically, Sean Lavery and Peter Martins always tease us by programming something special for the gala that will only be danced that night. The majority of the audience has no idea that they are being treated to something extraordinary. I usually have to work that night and I do dread it, but at least I don't have to pay the ticket prices--double the usual. Now I have a wonderful idea: SPAC is located in a state park with lovely picnic areas. I think we should have a BA picnic! I'll ask for that day off (from both my jobs--librarian at the public library and usher supervisor at SPAC) and coordinate the arrangements. All will be welcome. As soon as we have the SPAC schedule and those of you travelers start making your plans, we'll pick a date. Now....who is in?

MJ, I am lucky to live in Saratoga Springs, and if you hang around here for any length of time you will find that I am the Saratoga cheerleader. I'll be happy to tell you anything that I can. There are a number of BA posters who come up to Saratoga during NYCB, I've been fortunate to meet them, and I look forward to meeting you this summer too. And anyone else who plans to come, please do let me know! I wouldn't sit on the lawn for the ballet. Unlike Tanglewood, the SPAC lawn does slope so you can see the stage. There are also huge screens where the image is projected, but if you're going to watch that, you might as well stay home and watch some videos, in my opinion. My main reason for not liking the lawn for the ballet is that I feel a disconnect from what is happening on the stage. It is just too far away. With that statement, I will tell you that there is an entire subculture of true fans who sit on the lawn for every ballet performance and they love it. So I wouldn't sit there, but lots of people do and they really enjoy it. For the orchestra in August, now that is another story. For certain programs, it can be great fun to bring a picnic and a lawn chair, open a bottle of wine and enjoy the music. Unfortunately, the ballet rarely, if ever sells out, so there is no great urgency in getting tickets in advance. You can often get excellent seats as a walk-up. My favorite places to sit are in the front of sections 8, 9 and 10--the front row of those sections are boxes and premium priced, but very worth it. Avoid the partial vision sections, it really is partial. Parking is free and very available for the classical performances. Dave Matthews, etc--another story. Lodging is expensive in the summer. Try to avoid the very end of the ballet season because the racetrack opens that week and then hotel prices skyrocket. I can make specific suggestions for places if you would like. The bottom line is: COME! It's the greatest. I work at the theater, so I am at the ballet and the orchestra for just about every performance. It is truly a cornerstone of my universe, I have been doing this for almost 25 years and I could not imagine my life without this jewel. (I just counted, this will be my 25th year!). We Saratogians are eagerly awaiting the announcement of our season in our local newspaper. It should be any day now. It is just what we need to get through this freezing, dreary, snowy winter. Any other Saratoga questions or comments--bring 'em on!

Couldn't resist. I am going, but just for one day. I couldn't really spare any more time--or $$$. After lots of thought, I chose Wednesday March 26. Even though the US Pairs are rather deplorable, I decided I really wanted to see the Pairs final. There is also a Ladies' qualifying round earlier in the day. Who will be there? Jeannie, I believe you will. I tried to PM you, but your box is full. Anyone else? I'd love to meet.

Hello again, Jack, I don't think you and I are all that far apart, truth be told. We are both enthusiastic MCB fans (I like your phrase: "continues to astonish" and I agree), both wax eloquently over Suzanne Farrell's company, and both see changes in NYCB that aren't always positive. I understand your reluctance to make a trip to see bad performances. I've had that reaction just coming to NYC from 150 miles north. Again, I've planned trips to Florida around MCB's schedule--always worthwhile. So, more to a matter of degree, I suppose. In any case, your final statement couldn't be more true: we will all see what we see on any given day, through the filter of who we are, what our own state of mind might be, and what other experiences we bring with us. That is what makes this board so interesting and why I have enjoyed this interchange with you. I hope you haven't been offended by anything that I have said. regards, rk

Who saw Kyra in Chaconne? Manhattnik, I am sure you did. Reviews please! I had hoped to get to NY this week to see Kyra in Mozartiana and/or Chaconne. I don't think it is going to happen. Work responsibilities are calling. Chaconne is repeated during spring season, but this is it for Mozartiana, and I'm not making any more trips to NY until March. ARRGGH.

A very good point, Leigh. As I was typing that, I was thinking: "Is he tall? He IS tall, isn't he? Is he or isn't he? He must be." And perhaps he isn't that tall after all. But he dances "tall". His bearing yells "danseur noble".