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I'm really excited about seeing PNB at the Koch. Especially for choreographers Cerrudo and Pite. Just wanted to say reasonably priced tickets are available. I just got a couple of tickets - 2nd ring, row A, centerish for $40 each.

Adding my welcome, @springnemesia, hope to read your opinions of the performances you see. I decided to try see the Sat. Matinee, tomorrow, but frankly want a ticket on the lower price end. They haven't opened the third ring, never mind the fourth. What's the point of having that theater, if you can only open orchestra, 1st, and 2nd ring? I understand the pricing strategy and wanting the audience somewhat consolidated, but it can be bit frustrating.

It would seem that overall, programming is a problem for many of us, in terms of attending. Interesting question about start times and intermissions. There was a time when all evening shows began at 8pm, and at some point, the weekday shows were changed to a 7:30 start time. I wonder if TPTB would consider 7pm. I think it's a good idea, but there may be issues I'm not thinking of. I also liked the no intermission shows, but fully recognize the limitations it imposes on programing because of needing time to put in a set etc. That said, I've seen programs in which a 20 minute intermission was inserted for no reason that I could see except for tradition and perhaps concession sales. Maybe management can rethink the whole intermission thing and use them as needed. Perhaps this is already happening. I was pleasantly surprised last Sunday, when the only intermission was after Pulchinella Variations, and after that just pauses.

I wouldn't rush to idiosyncrasies of taste. I find the programing mysterious. I can't figure out who the programming is designed to please. A few examples from the coming fall season. - An all Balanchine program that ends with La Sonnambula. A program that opens with Symphony in C and then moves on to new works. There are many other examples of what I think of as bad programing. For my spring season experience so far, the only well sold house I've been in was for: Divert 15, Afternoon of a Faun, Allegro B, ad 4 T's. Again I ask, what audience are these programs designed to attract and please?

I was at the Sunday show. A few impressions. My third viewing of Pulchinella Variations and I like it less every time I see it. I'm going to start avoiding it. I really hate the costumes, which I find distracting and unflattering. I find the choreography musical in the most shallow way. I'm not sure how to express this, but the steps line up with the music note by note by note without bigger phrases. Maybe some musician out there will know what I mean and express it better. Occasionally an individual performer (Tiler Peck, Indiana Woodward, Chun Wei Chan) will shape the choreography better with super clarity of movement, and musical phrasing, but in the end even Tiler Peck looks less than her usual glorious self. Scherzo a la Russe is pleasant, and a lesson in floor patterns and moving groups around. I truly don't see the need to program it. Architects of Time - After reading the NYTimes review, I was expecting the worst, but I liked it. I found the opening section exhilarating. The references to numerous ballets not too heavy handed, and fun (I'm sure I missed plenty of them), and the dancers looked great. Emma Von Enck and Claire Krezschmar were outstanding. I'd like to see it again. Violin Concerto was my reason for going, and I wasn't disappointed. This piece should never be out of the rep IMO. Joseph Gordon was wonderful throughout technically and musically. He's having an amazing season. He did Aria ll with Ashley Laracey, and I found the vulnerability she projected touching. I've long admired her dancing, it's nice to see her getting opportunities. Aria l with Ramasar and Phelan was well done. Management seems to have decided that in his retirement year, Ramasar gets to take extra bows. Both pas were given long, appreciative applause, but only Ramasar and Phelan took a 2nd bow. Not a complaint, just noted! All in all the dancing was excellent - what a great company!

Sometimes this occurs when a man is needed for his excellent partnering abilities. Particularly if he is tall and strong, and therefore a good match for the taller women.

Agree that much is left unsaid and is very confusing. Abi Stafford ended up getting way more than a solo curtain call at her last performance. What is meant by "could dance elsewhere"? Lot's of dancers get guest gigs, which they do with permission. Given how little she was dancing at NYCB, it seems she would have been given permission to guest elsewhere. Did she want to join another company? That seems unlikely. And given the fact that she was asking to be released from a contract, why does it make sense for her to get a large amount of severance pay? It's a patched together piece with the purpose, I suppose, of creating a good vs bad narrative.

I am very ignorant about how these things work, but I don't understand how the Abi Stafford thing even got on a NYTimes writer's radar. I felt the same way a while back when there was a NYT story about Ashley Bouder not getting opening night of Sleeping Beauty. The slant of the stories are something of a critique, perhaps, of how women are treated in the ballet world, and in the Abi Stafford case, a body shaming accusation is thrown in. There are serious things to be said on the topic of the culture of ballet companies, but these pieces left me with the feeling that I was getting half told stories and petty grievances. Maybe click bait? I enjoyed the piece about the Silas Farley work, but I don't expect to read a review. I think writing on dance in the NYTimes is veering away from actual reviews. Frankly I think dance reviewers are shying away from being critical of individual dancers. I believe this is a fairly recent trend is not true of theater critics.

Sorry to see Hylin out so much. Hope she's OK. On the other hand it's nice to see Laracey get some opportunities. I've been a fan of hers for a while.

So true. It's why I didn't assume Ratmansky was necessarily talking about weight. A thin dancer who is not in in good shape in terms of core strength and a decent jump is going to be harder to partner than someone who weighs more. Abi Stafford was always one of my favorites in Kammermusic 2 and Concerto Barocco, but unless my memory fails, it's been quite sometime since she was cast with any frequency. I too think the article didn't do her any favors, particularly airing family dynamic issues such as a brother taking the attention from his sister on her 31st birthday! it's hard o get a full picture from an article like this, with space limitations, quotes out of context and people who don't comment (probably wisely). It hard for me to see what horrible injustice was done to her. Dancers are taken out of ballets, other dancers are put in. Each of those dancers has a story. I'm in no way discounting her feelings or the unhappiness she felt and feels. I wish her well.

Saw Sat. Mat. and went away with a smile on my face. What a great company! I believe it was cobweb who expressed the idea that Divertimento 15 should be a company staple. I agree. It is a gem of a ballet and a showpiece for every cast member. Outstanding in the performance IMO were- Joseph Gordon (love the clarity of movement, and carriage), Unity Phelan who brought style and glamor to the 3rd variation and Indiana Woodward who showed her true ballerina stuff!. Really, the entire cast was excellent. Afternoon of a Faun was all that it can be with expressive, intelligent, beautiful performances by Sterling Hylin and Adrian Danching-Waring. It's a delicate piece, in that, it relies on sensitive performers to bring it to life. A bad performance can deaden it. I made me sad that Hyltin is retiring next winter. She is in command of her powers. Allegro Brillante with Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia - all I can say is wow. Peck kept me on the edge of my seat and super alert, because I don't want to miss one word she was saying. Mejia's is a special dancer with a joyful presence. I was particularly delighted by the quality of his partnering. 2 T's - Olivia Boisson once again so beautiful in the Theme section. I loved Kikta's attack in Choleric. I have to admit I still miss Savannah Lowery in Sanguinic. She projected a free "go for it" style that I always loved. Hod is excellent but I feel like I can see her thinking hard about technique. Of course I can't know what she's thinking, but it reads that way to me. Start to finish the show was a joy.

I too have been a Maxwell fan since she joined. I believe she was out with an injury for a while and that may have stalled things for her, but I always found her outstanding both in presence and technique.

Erica Pereira has leads in Baiser de la Fee and Rubies. She's been a soloist since 2009, but cast infrequently. Could be her do or die time. Glad to see Alexa Maxwell get a shot a the Cage.

I agree. Usually full lengths at NYCB generate great ticket sales with works like Midsummer, Coppelia or Swan Lake (which seems to sell tickets regardless of the version). Maybe Justin Peck will use a lot of SAB children, to get parents and relatives in the seats!!!

I'm sorry too. I feel like I "discovered" her late in her career! I only started seeking her out a couple of years pre-pandemic.

What a strange piece. Has Copeland done anything that shows any interest in being an artistic director? Formed a touring group, organized performances, anything? What a strange article. Seems to me there are a lot of candidates out there with a lot to bring to the table. Lazy writing IMO.

Just to add. Here's divert done by an earlier cast. Kyra Nichols at about 6:46 in the same variation. Different from Peck in some choices, but IMO equally as wonderful!

I just want to add - has anyone else see the documentary "Ballet Now" about Tyler Peck and the program she put together for a festival? (Sorry if this is old news/rehash). It's not the greatest Doc film IMO but it shows her imagination and programing skills in bringing in particular dancers as well as Bill Irwin and Michelle Dorrance pieces. I think it's on Hulu. I got a trial subscription to watch it.

I've said his before but the Bouder situation is a strange mystery. I follow her on social media and there has been radio silence on her relationship with NYCB and ballet in general. Cobweb I too am look at programing. So much is influenced by rehearsal time and COVID restrictions that I think we won't be able to make a judgement about the artistic direction of the new regime until next year.

I wish Lovette the best in the position. I've only seen a couple of her pieces and wasn't favorably impressed, but this situation offers her the opportunity to choreograph consistently, and using the same dancers so I'm eager to see what comes of it. I thought he article interesting in the way it mentioned the historic ballet/modern divide, but didn't mention the Paul Taylor solo in Episodes that Balanchine choreographed, or the fact that in Peter Martins, Barber Violin Concerto, two lead roles were originated by Paul Taylor dancers.

First, thank you Ballet Talk contributors for helping me think through this thing. Woetzel was an unconventional pick. He has star power, fundraising power, and education but, as far as I know, no experience in leading this type of organization. Vale is different. He can call the shots, invite who he wants etc. There seem to have been a lot of negative feedback about him at Juilliard. The most interesting to me are his focus on performance not education, and creating an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. The administrative and communication aspects, I feel, are flaws more easily addressed. In terms of diversity and direction, surely these things were discussed during the interview process. My question would be, why was this individual hired? What was impressive about him, and where was his leadership expected to go? Is he going off in a direction that was unexpected. It is unfortunate. Personally, I've been in professional situations in which one is expected to take sides (I'm sure a lot of us have). It's no fun. Lastly, it's interesting that Woetzel went after support from the big names. I suppose that's necessary, but I'd really want to hear what the adjuncts are saying.

Wonderful! So many of us are grateful for this forum and the opportunity to learn and discuss an art form we all love.

I know I commented before, but I just want to add that the Tiler Peck show had truly amazing performances from every single dancer involved, and impressive programing with pieces that ranged from good to unforgettable. If Tiler Peck does something like this again, I will be first in line to buy a ticket. Also personally, it increased my interest in seeing Cassandra Trenary do anything at ABT!

I haven't heard anything about live stream. I'd say if anyone is in NY and can get there on Sunday - go!

I haven't seen any reports. I saw the Tiler Peck show at City Center last night and had a wonderful time. The dancing was incredible. Peck truly overwhelming with her combination of sharpness, legato and musicality, but everyone looked their best. I forgot how beautifully radiant Loren Lovette is when dancing in her comfort one. Anyone else there?