vipa

Just back from tonight's show. Had a wonderful time. I enjoyed Bouree Fantasque more on this, my second viewing, than I did last season on my first. It has something of a 1940's musical sensibility in terms of the costumes, color scheme and overall look. This time as I watched I was taken with the formations and the way large groups of people were moved around. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it a third time, but I wouldn't avoid it if it was on a strong program.

Steadfast Tin Soldier was done by Pereira and Huxley. IMO it doesn't matter much who does it.  There's not much to it. 

Errante is a great vehicle for Mira Nadon. She knows how to hold the stage and create an atmosphere. Aaron Sanz was fine, but lacked the weight  and substance in his movements that Peter Martins brought to the role. If you've ever seen the video, Martins was a match for Farrell. Sanz was no where near a match for Nadon. I think this piece is worth keeping in the rep, now that it's been brought back.

Symphony in C is pure joy. Mearns and Angle were wonderful in the second movement, and Tyler Angle's solo dancing was the best I've seen from him in a while. Fairchild and Gordon were crisp and joyful in the first movement and Emma Von Enck and Mejia sailed through the third. In the fourth movement Alston Macgill looked like she was having the time of her life. Great dancing all around.

If I had to guess I'd say Macgill was a strong candidate for promotion to soloist and Emma VE for principal

What a great company!

3 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

The company has posted a lot of Dances at a Gathering rehearsal footage in its Facebook and Instagram stories.

I've seen that footage too, and it's great. However I will rely on everyone's reports on the performances of that ballet. I know I'm in the minority but I find Dances at a Gathering way too long. I love the opening, it's filled with wonder and promise but after about 20 minuts or so, I've had it. I enjoy excerpts way more that I enjoy the ballet. I look forward to all your reviews on individual performances

6 hours ago, cobweb said:

Oh my goodness, thanks @volcanohunter! I look forward to this program. They never seem to do Sylvia pdd, do they? I wonder why not!

I don't have an answer as to why NYCB hasn't been doing Sylvia pdd, but it was in the ABT rep for a while. Patrick Bissell and Martine Van Hamel on youtube. 

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

Taking a look at the overall upcoming year, while I have some complaints there is also a lot to be happy about. The Fall season is perhaps the least interesting of the three seasons, but at least it starts off with a Balanchine bang with Mozartiana, and Coppelia should be interesting as well. The Winter season has some all-Balanchine and all-Stravinsky programs, and I love the idea of the Tallchief Centennial! It will be an honor to be cast in those roles (Scotch Symphony, Firebird, Sylvia pdd). And Divertimento No. 15, fab, fab fab!!! I will probably be skipping out on Carnival of the Animals again, which is annoying. Then for Spring, another great-looking all-Balanchine program with both Ballo della Regina and Chaconne! Followed by another all-Balanchine program of Divertimento and Vienna Waltzes... wow!! Hope I can hold out till then, that's over a year away. Concluding with another run of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I can never get enough of this. So some blah in there, but also a lot to look forward to. 

I very much agree cobweb. To my way of thinking the coming year, overall, is the best programing done by the current leadership. Add to that the announcement that all evening shows will start at 7:30, and whenever possible intermissions will be kept to just one, I'm a happy camper!

3 hours ago, Josette said:

Gillian Murphy was a great improvement over Teuscher.  Hee Seo was also very moving and had a beautiful expressive range throughout.    Loved Shevchenko and Forster’s intensity in the Orlando section.   I have never been a Boylston fan, but her exit in The Waves after Woolf kisses her forehead (Boylston as Woolf’s sister) moved me to tears. 

Would love to hear more opinions about the ballet and choreography.

4 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

Thank you for the link!

It’s an interesting read. The note at end sent a shiver up my spine, though. 
 

“Peter Martins ran NYCB for 35 years, the same tenure as Balanchine.”

A silly statement, IMO. One can't compare the importance of the two men. Sounds like press release.

On 3/22/2024 at 9:40 AM, FauxPas said:

They need to be utilized stat.  Beyer and Miyake are outstanding talents.

ABT needs to. keep developing rep that uses outstanding talents. It seems that there are many weeks that don't have a lot of roles to go around.

9 hours ago, its the mom said:

I am thrilled that Boston will be performing this piece next season. Enjoy!

Sounds like I'll be taking a trip to Boston in the fall. Thanks for mentioning this, @its the mom

53 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

If you wait until April 2, the remaining two streams should be available for $80 and you'll also get Coppélia. Alternatively, Seasons' Canon is in the library of Paris Opera Play (but on a program with three different choreographers), which includes a 7-day free trial. Again, wait until April 2 and you'll get a livestream of Don Quixote into the bargain.

Thank you. Great information.

This sounds great. I'd love to see Seasons' Canon, but it seems it's subscription only for digital.

3 hours ago, Helene said:

Oh, this is sad news.

Two of my happy places are standing inside Serra's works at the Nasher in Dallas and the Olympic Sculpture Park, here in Seattle next to Puget Sound.

May he rest in peace.

Yes, the experience of standing inside his words was/is amazing. The Dia space in Beacon NY really fit his hugeness. So glad to have his works.

I went to see the musical Illinoise at the Armory. Directed and Choreographed by Justin Peck. Music Sufjan Stevens (Illinois).  I'll start by saying I'm not a fan of the Peck ballets to Sufjan Stevens music, and in general I'm lukewarm to his choreography. I hear the word, "community" a lot when his works or approach are described but I never saw or felt it in what I was viewing. I always found  the choreography too busy and almost willfully inorganic. This is different. I loved it. It is a musical, but there is no spoken word, all music, songs and dance. The musicians and singers are visible, above and to the sides of the stage. The main conceit is a gathering around a campfire, in which individuals step out eagerly, or reluctantly to tell their story. The dancers are wonderful. The movement musical, organic, and revealing of character. It is a heart-on-your-sleeve work that is ultimately joyful. I could quibble about this or that, but the piece makes me not want to do that.

I was just thinking about the NYCB roster and possible promotions. Did Megan LeCrone dance at all during the winter season? I know from social media Britany Pollack is out with a pregnancy. I know Ashley Bouder didn't perform. Did Daniel Applebaum or Troy Schumacher? I know NYCB typically does not force dancers out (well there was that one time soon after Martins took over the company, but that's another story). I'm just wondering if there is going to be any movement in the ranks, anytime soon. Alexa Maxwell, Emma VonEnck and David Gabriel all got some nice opportunities this season, and delivered. There were others too. The talent within the company is amazing.

12 hours ago, cobweb said:

Tonight was the first performance of the Stars & Stripes-Tarantella-Tchaikovsky pas de deux-Carnival of the Animals program. A mixed bag. 

 

Thank you for this review @cobweb, I can't make it to this program, unfortunately so am eager to hear about it. I am a bit surprised that Phelan has been cast in Tchai Pas. Perhaps I shouldn't be, because management seems to cast her in everything. I feel that roles done for Violette Verdy fair best with dancers who have notable musicality and imagination - perfume, as they say. To me Phelan's dancing has seemed kind of bland of late. 

On 2/28/2024 at 11:35 PM, pirouette said:

Hi all, I've made yet another chart (this time for the Winter 2024 Season) detailing: 

• Times Danced: The number of times a dancer danced IN TOTAL (per the casting sheet as of 2/28/24).
• Roles Danced: The number of roles a dancer danced in (for example, if Nadon danced in The Concert and Solitude, that would count as 2 roles)
• Debuts: The number of debut roles a dancer had (for example, Maxwell in Opus 19/The Dreamer would count as 1 debut). I counted "NYCB Debuts" as a debut. 

As always, please keep in mind that it's not perfect and there are probably a few human errors in there somewhere. I just thought it would be interesting to see the stats, especially since there has been conversation recently about who might be on track for a promotion. 

Here's the link for anyone who's interested: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14ubs-DzggnKCrovbCDw3pqIChxma4Ql3/view?usp=sharing

Some of my own personal thoughts: 

• It's disappointing to see that Emily Kikta only danced four times in the entire season (4T's and Stars & Stripes if I'm not mistaken). I wonder what's going on there. I know issues about height have been discussed upthread, but for reference, she danced 15 times in 7 roles in Fall 2023.  
• As expected, Phelan danced the most, but it's amazing to see how much Maxwell and Von Enck danced this season!! 
• Seeing the numbers among the corps — Alec Knight and David Gabriel have certainly had an impressive season!

Would love to hear everyone else's thoughts!  

Thanks so much for doing this.  It is quite an interesting overview. David Gabriel would be my prediction for the next promotion. 

Just got in from tonight's show. Can't say much about Opus 19/Dreamer. I don't hate it, but always found it a weak piece. 

I agree with the prevailing opinion that Ratmansky's Solitude is a masterful work. The Mahler music is deeply emotional and filled with tension, and Ratmansky's choreography matches its power. I didn't see the first cast, so I can't compare but I loved everyone in this cast. Danching-Waring gave a mature, dramatically true and beautifully danced performance. The whole cast seemed fully committed to the work. Ratmansky's use of groupings, lighting and choreographic themes come together  to make a moving and beautiful work. I. hope to see it many more times. 

Symphony in Three is alway a joy. I could quibble that things could be a bit sharper here or bigger there, but over all it was well danced by Laracey/Stanley (pas), Emma Von Enck/KJ Takahashi, Gerrity/Villarini-Velez. It's nice to see Emma VE getting so much stage time. 

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Awful program.

Agree that this is an awful program. What are they thinking? 

3 hours ago, matilda said:

I actually wouldn't be surprised if Maxwell gets promoted along with Von Enck. She's gotten a lot of debuts lately, many of them in Sterling Hyltin's former rep. I would argue she has a niche to fill with Sterling gone, while Von Enck would be filling more of a Bouder/Fairchild void (I assume both will retire within the next few years). Maxwell is also a height-suitable partner for favored male principals like Huxley, Gordon, Mejia, and the up-and-coming Gabriel. 

I would love to see Kikta and/or Miller promoted, but if it doesn't happen, I think height will be the reason. 

Afanasenkov and Sautter are probably too new for imminent promotions but I expect both to rise through the ranks relatively fast. 

I agree that Maxwell wouldn't be a surprising promotion, particuarly because, among other things, Justin Peck had her as a 2nd cast lead in his full length Copeland Ballet. She's even gone in with Tiler Peck recently as 1st cast. It's a good sign when the resident choreographer uses you. 

I just wonder if there will be any promotions so soon after the last batch. I agree the those who stated that the soloist ranks have to be cleaned up a bit. There are dancers who rarely perform. Bouder is also an open question.

Thank you @Drew  your thorough and interesting review. I've long been interested in the very idea of narrative ballets in general, as well as the specific execution. Should a ballet need lengthy program notes so the audience. can understand what's going on? How much of a ballet experience should be spent decoding what we we are seeing, figuring out who is who etc. Coco Chanel, sounds intelligently conceived, ambitious and well constructed. The use of a "shadow" Chanel is intriguing. I'm not sure it would overcome my personal reservations about complex narrative ballets. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. If you see it again, or. have other thoughts, please share.

I just saw the Twyla Tharp show at the Joyce. Anyone else see it?  Tharp always has fine dancers, even though at this point she uses pick up companies, and today was no exception. The dancers were wonderful individually and collectively.  The first piece from 1975, was Ocean's Motions, to Chuck  Berry songs. I found it to be an enjoyable but undistinguished romp. Well put together, of course, but not particularly inventive in any way. There was a sameness through-out that made me think the piece could have ended after any song. 

Next a new solo, Brel (music by Jacques Brel). Shows alternate between Cornejo and Ulbricht. I saw Ulbricht and he was great. He was tremendously musical, and easily moved from drama to humor and back, in a piece that mixes virtuoso ballet steps with the Twyla-isms of sudden bursts of turned-in footwork, looses joints, swinging arms and casual theatricality.

I thoroughly enjoyed the final piece, The Ballet Master.  John Selya was the ballet master/Don Quixote. Ulbricht his assistant/Sancho Panza, Cassandra Trenary inspiration/Dulcinea, along with other dancer/characters. Don Q searching for his impossible dream. The dancers looked great in the  showy choreography. The piece was funny and worked really well theatrically. I was reminded of what a wonderful dancer  Cassandra Trenary is. She combines clarity with a full and fluid movement quality. She looks so fabulous in Tharp's choreography, that it makes me wonder what she'll do post ABT.

A fun afternoon!

On 2/3/2024 at 10:06 PM, Helene said:

Lucien Postlewaite was never a dancer who tried to give himself a concussion by kicking himself in the head with any movement that started with a forward battement,  I don't think it's easy by any means to maintain such a high level of excellence for 20 years, especially when you add in all of the lifting and partnering he's done.  But it does mean that the comparisons now aren't to extremes that younger dancers in their twenties, especially virtuoso dancers can go to, but instead to elegance, placement, line, and musicality that has become burnished with experience, most definitely including his experience in Monte Carlo.

One of the things about the ballet classics, is that they're a lot like opera: dancers start thinking a lot about the iconic solos/arias and pas de deux/duets, especially ones like the White Swan pas de deux, or a variation that grabs them, the way aspiring opera singers learn E lucevan le stelle or Vissi d'arte in Tosca.  Or like delving deeply into of Shakespeare's iconic speeches.  In a full-length opera or ballet or complete play, there is so much more to think about to make the entire performance work.  That's a Captain Obivous statement, but part of what makes it difficult is the imbalance of time spent learning and thinking about the biggest moments, many of which are not only familiar from watching, but also familiar from any combination of variations and partnering class, competitions, auditions, and recitals.  It's also the difference between understanding the general arc of a character and all of the individual moments that keep it vivid, especially we're all too apt to think of Prince Siegfried as a one-dimensional fool and enjoy the dancing.

Kent Stowell's direction for Prince Siegfried is probably a double-edged sword in that there's rarely an empty moment -- there's a huge amount of interplay downstage left and right between him, the Jester, and Woflgang, the tutor in Act I at the same time other things are happening -- like in Act I of The Nutcracker.  There's also dancing with the guests, including six girls.  So there's a lot for Siegfried to hang his hat on dramatically, piece by piece, but to be meaningful, it has to be more than vignettes.

Postlewaite brought some of his Prince in Maillot's Cendrillon into his portrayal, at least in the beginning: he was not Very Serious.  He wasn't a frat boy, but you wouldn't confuse him with Werther.  As much as I hate the word "journey," that's what Postlewaite brings to the character over the course of four acts.  It's not a Nureyev-like intervention making the Prince the center of the universe, but it makes Siegfried an equal partner in the drama from the beginning, building up to Act II.

Odette doesn't ever have to stand around and socialize: the only "downtime" she has is for the few seconds after she makes her entrance thinking she's alone.  The rest of the time, it's-all-intensity-all-the-time.  Even Odile is static only when her dad, BvG, is whispering in her ear.  It's not easy to make the shifts and disjointedness feel like a full characterization, especially since so much of it is recognizable, and there are so many sudden mood shifts.  Stowell follows the conventions for O/O in Acts II-III.

The other major critical part to the drama in this production is the neoclassical pas de deux, with quotes from Ivanov's Act II, that Stowell created for Act IV to music as plaintive as that for the White Swan pas de deux.  (I don't know what it is, and I can't find it.) His Act IV is not a "Swans dance the intro, Odette is distraught, Prince Siegfried is so sorry, now let's wrap this all up with the music we've been waiting for and get the unions home to bed" version.  The Act IV pas de deux is like the Wedding pas de deux in Romeo and Juliet, on another, graver plane after an unalterable breach has occurred, and it means something different than the first pas de deux.  That distinction is what brings the story and the characters to the end of the arc.  It's what Brunnhilde and Siegfried might have sung at the end of the Ring, if he wasn't already dead, and it wasn't Wagner's opera.

Leta Biasucci was exquisite as Odette/Odile, and the least of it was her dancing, which was sublime.  She, like Postlewaite, showed intention in every moment and aspect of her performance and created such richness; for me, it doesn't get better than that.

 

Thank you for this interesting analysis Helene. Leta Biasucci is one of those dancers I'm sorry I'll probably never see perform life. I felt that way about Carrie Imler! I wish I had seen her perform.

2 hours ago, bellawood said:

Ballo is a delightful ballet. I know you need the right principal woman for it but it's just so effervescent and fun. Tiler was amazing, as expected. Joe Gordon had a very strong debut except for an entertaining blooper when he entered 8 counts early, realized it, ran off stage, and then reentered 4 seconds later.lo! 

I was also there this afternoon. A last minute decision so I could see Tiler Peck do Ballo. Agree with @bellawood that it was a wonderful performance of that ballet. As soon as it was over I could have watched it again. No only were Peck and Gordon scintillating, the soloist woman were delightful  (Bradley, Dutton-O'Hara, Jones and MT MacKinnon) and the corps was sharp, precise and joyful. Yes, the Gordon blooper was pretty funny. Ran on from the upstage right wing, turned around and ran off without the slightest pause. I hope he had a good laugh about it!

I have to admit that my mind wandered a bit in, In a Landscape, the Albert Evans piece to John Cage music. However Dominkia Afanasenkov was sculpturally beautiful, and ably partnered by Alex Knight.

As has been stated before Martins ballets tend to be over stuffed with steps. Hallelujah Junction is no exception. However, the dancers looked good, doing the difficult, some what gnarly choreography and David Gabriel looked terrific tossing off jumps and turns. I'm not very familiar with his dancing so it was a nice introduction.

The Concert still makes me laugh. Meagan Dutton-O'Hara, Veyette and Mira Nadon were the hilarious leads. The piece is a masterwork in terms of construction, timing and details. It reminds me of that old saying "Dying is easy, comedy is hard"

Lastly, I feel fortunate to be watching these early years of Mira Nadon's career. It's amazing to see such a young dancer carry off Liebeslieder and The Concert in the same week. She is a major talent.

All in all, a fine afternoon at the ballet. What a great company

33 minutes ago, abatt said:

A friend of mine thinks that Unity is cast so often because she "sells tickets".   Not sure what others think about that, but I don't think that's the explanation.  She is in far too many ballets and in my opinion is not memorable in most of them.  

I agree @abatt it's hard for me to believe that Unity Phelan is a big ticket seller. I can't imagine what dancer in NYCB would make a big difference in terms of ticket sales. Maybe Tiler Peck because she has something of a cross media presence, and is so active on social media. Even  so, I'm not sure it translates into ticket sales. In the fall season, every show I went to was packed. The winter season we're in right now, not so much. I think Unity Phelan is cast a lot because management likes her, and can envision her in many roles. I'd love to hear other opinions on the idea of which dancers might make for increased ticket sales.

Just got back from tonights show of "New Combinations." Tiler Peck came on stage before the performance to speak briefly. I think it was the official opening of the art installation, but I don't know why she was the one  to speak. It was fine, and mercifully short, it just seemed kind of random.

The 1st piece was Justin Peck's Rotunda. The piece is packed with  a lot of busy steps and flailing arms. The way the dancers walked on and off stage in a pedestrian manner felt gimmicky. The dancing felt generic. Daniel Ulbricht fared best. He was able bring some musicality and dynamic variation to his solo.  I don't find the Nico Muhly score  particularly compelling, which didn't help.  NYCB has a large and rich repertory. I think they should drop this work.

I enjoyed Tiler Pecks, Concerto for Two Pianos. She moved the corps around very well, and gave them a lot of nice dancing. Roman Mejia's role showed  off his virtuoso technique in a light-hearted, musical way. Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan looked great together. Some of their lifts were stunning, and Nadon's port de bras, looked particularly full and beautiful. Emma Von Enck and India Bradley were a dynamic duo making lots of entrances. I have to admit my eye always went to Von Enck. Her technique is dazzling, and secure, and she rides above it all as if it's the most fun thing in the world.  I wouldn't go to see this ballet if it was on a weak program, but as a middle ballet on an otherwise good program, I'd like to see it again.

The program closed with Ratmansky's. Odessa. Some imagery is stunning, and I love the way Ratmansky uses the corp to add drama to a moment. At the same time, I felt like there was a narrative I wasn't clued into, or catching on to. 

Daniel Ulbricht looked fabulous in Rotunda and Odessa. I've always felt he was under utilized so I'm happy for every opportunity to see him onstage.  On the other hand Unity Phelan was in both those ballets and I found her bland.  What is going on? When she joined the company I picked her out of the corps because it seemed she had some special qualities. As a principal, it seems, she hasn't found herself.

Lastly, I thought tonight was an example of bad programing. It would have been a big improvement to ditch Rotunda, put Odessa as an opener, Concerto for Two Pianos in the middle, and take your pick of. ballets that leave you smiling, third!

I'm laughing a little, @chicagoballetomane.  I also just came from tonights performance, and have the opposite  reaction to the, See the Music, sessions. I want to see the dance and go home! I wish they'd find a way to do these sessions at intermission, or before the show so they are optional.

I enjoyed 4 T's particularly Kitka's Choleric and Adrian D-W's Phlegmatic. I'm still not taken with LaFreniere.  She is a beautiful woman, with a gorgeous body, and  a strong  (not totally dependable) technique. I always feel like she is holding back, playing it safe and dancing smaller than she could. I'd love to see her dance bigger and much bolder. 

I fell in love with Liebeslieder again, as I always do. I know there. were complaints about the singers last night. I agree the vocal sound  was not the greatest. My husband, who is more analytical about this than I, said a problem was all the singers had a lot of vibrato, so they didn't blend as well as             they would with purer tones. Regardless, the music always touches my heart and the ballet is a masterpiece of musicality and invention. Tyler Angle is such an extraordinary partner that his duets with Tiler Peck  were particularly mesmerizing. Mira Nadon dancing with Peter Walker continues to amaze me with her sense of  drama. I enjoyed the other couples too (Phelan/Mejia and Fairchild/Adrian D-W) but they didn't create as great as impact. 

As always, with this ballet, every time I see it I notice new things - motifs established by a couple in the first section, embellished on in the second. An amazing work. 

A fine night at the NYCB.