fondoffouettes

The've managed to move a modest number of tickets since the end of last week, though the four dates featuring Afterite aren't budging much at all. I noticed a bunch of ABT dancers posted similar-looking pics on Instagram yesterday, with performance dates superimposed on top of images of them dancing or posing. I wonder if it was coordinated by ABT's marketing department as a last-ditch effort to try to sell tickets. Perf date: Seats available on Friday -> Seats available today (# sold since Friday) Oct 17 (gala): 412 -> 241 (171 sold) Oct. 18: 928 -> 838 (90 sold) Oct. 19: 284 -> 284 (0 sold) Oct. 20 mat: 1,154 -> 1,108 (46 sold) Oct. 20 eve: 951 -> 862 (89 sold) Oct. 21 mat: 1,034 -> 967 (67 sold) Oct. 23: 513 -> 390 (123 sold) Oct. 24: 1,350 -> 1,316 (34 sold) Oct. 25: 1,454 -> 1,421 (33 sold) Oct. 26: 1,240 -> 1,197 (43 sold) Oct. 27 mat: 515 -> 525 (inventory increased by 10) Oct. 27 eve: 879 -> 763 (116 sold) Oct. 28 mat: 1,351 -> 1,310 (41 sold)

I watched it again on a big screen, and it really looks like Carlos Lopez to me, too. Based on this long humble-brag of an Instagram post, which mentions de Luz as an afterthought at the end, Fairchild may not have been that invested in the farewell. He does seem invested in staying in the closet, though.

I think that's just how those three generally dance these days. I know that sounds harsh, but you'd think they were on the verge of retirement, not de Luz. Exactly, and I wish they'd insert an additional intermission for the long sleep; it feels really odd not having one there. Then maybe they wouldn't feel like they had to rush through the ballet to make it doable with only one intermission. Some of the cuts and rearranging of the score really don't work for me.

I pretty much agree; I only really have an issue with the pacing of his Sleeping Beauty, not the choreography itself. But of course these are the two full-lengths in which you see the least of his stamp as a choreographer, especially Sylphide, for which he only has a "staged by" credit. But yeah, I'm not sad about the reduced number of Martins originals this season. It seems like the interim leaders have been smart about which ones are worth saving.

If Adrian D-W isn’t even putting weight on the foot right now, a recovery in time for the winter season seems unlikely. I think there will need to be at least two new Apollos. I’d be surprised if Stanley were cast, only because he’s so different from the physical type they usually cast. But maybe part of that was Martins casting men who were cut from the same mold as he.

I wonder if anyone can shed light on the career trajectory of Ashley Laracey, who spent ten years in the corps before being promoted to soloist. I wasn't following her in her early days, but I've found her to be an exquisite dancer in recent seasons, especially last year in Concerto Barocco and most recently in Emeralds. I'm just curious -- did it take her a while to develop into a stand-out, did she suffer from injuries or other setbacks, or was there simply a surfeit of female talent and she had to bide her time? I'd love to see her in more principal roles, and for her to be promoted, as well.

I just noticed they've canceled seven of their performances, and it's unclear to me who is dancing in the one remaining Don Quixote (both casts are still listed if you click on November 9). The ticket prices are very reasonable and there are a ton of seats available, so I may try to catch the Don Q or Swan Lake I'm sorry this run has sold so poorly for them, though I've seen zero advertising for these performances, and I don't believe they are a well-known company here in NYC.

ABT's season is five days away and these are the numbers of seats currently available for the various performances. (The Koch Theater's capacity is 2,586.) I guess there will be no shortage of discounted tickets available. Oct 17 (gala): 412 Oct. 18: 928 Oct. 19: 284 Oct. 20 mat: 1,154 Oct. 20 eve: 951 Oct. 21 mat: 1,034 Oct. 23: 513 Oct. 24: 1,350 Oct. 25: 1,454 Oct. 26: 1,240 Oct. 27 mat: 515 Oct. 27 eve: 879 Oct. 28 mat: 1,351 October 19 and 23, which both feature Copeland in two works, are among the best-sold performances. And ABT seems to have done well with that family-friendly matinee on October 27 for which they've offered discounted tickets. The four dates that feature Afterite are currently the worst-selling performances, with less than half the house sold for three of them.

Apparently Hallberg was in a relationship with Robert Curran for seven years. https://www.leoweekly.com/2018/10/ballet-directors-dance-story-loss-identity/ Not a particularly interesting interview, but I was surprised to stumble upon this article, given how closely Hallberg guards his personal life.

Did a new, expanded role for Farrell at the Kennedy Center ever materialize? The news reports from when her company was disbanded indicated she had been in talks with Rutter about it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/suzanne-farrell-ballet-to-disband-in-2017/2016/09/21/c9877a2e-8025-11e6-b002-307601806392_story.html She may just have a rather full plate, between being a professor at FSU and whatever her role at the Kennedy Center is. But I'd love to see her invited back to NYCB, if she's interested.

Where did he used the term "colored"? It's not in the Eartha Kitt post. In the Arthur Mitchell post above he says "people of color," which, along with ALAANA, is the terminology I see employed most frequently nowadays. I can only imagine using "colored" in an air-quotes sort of way, when referring to something historical.

I can't believe he has latched onto this little detail from the interview. The interviewer brings up Young Apollo and Woetzel drifts off into an unrelated anecdote, and then they never get back to Young Apollo. This happens all the time in interviews. It's a conversation, not an acceptance speech. Sheesh. I thought Clifford was tagging dancers that were relevant to or mentioned in his posts, but now I see he's just tagging random NYCB dancers.

Yes, and now this follow-up post:

So, as long as you take no for an answer and don't force yourself onto someone and/or ruin their career, you are a gentleman? Wow. This just makes him seem even more out of touch. Also, his opening sentence basically seems to be stating "I was physically attractive, so of course I'm a victim of sexual harassment." This kind of thinking isn't so far away from blaming victims for bringing on harassment/assault because of the way they dress or look.

If I were on the search committee, Clifford’s campaigning on social media would put him out of the running. It’s unprofessional. I’m also growing tired of him saying that everything was ideal in terms of sexual propriety and the way women were treated during Balanchine’s era.

I will pass on sitting through Whipped Cream again (I could use a year or two break from it- but understand that it probably sells well). It sold very well it's first year but not at all this past summer; they really struggled to sell tickets but ultimately got the house decently full (maybe due to TDF or other discounting?). I really thought they'd give it a rest. I don't think Corsaire is a great ballet for the company right now; they can't deliver night after night of must-see bravura dancers with their current roster. If ABT were to forgo Bayadere next season, that would be pretty unusual for them, wouldn't it? I feel like they always do two seasons in a row of it. But maybe all the issues they had this past season with fielding 24 solid corps members for the shades scene might dissuade them.

I can't think of a soloist who has ever been cast as Manon at ABT, but I think Trenary could be ravishing in the role, and there's something about her that seems just right for a ballet (maybe her old-world glamour?). But they seem to cast mature for the role.

Brittany Pollack is back. I guess her "reporting relationship" with Jonathan Stafford isn't an issue, despite NYCB's policy, or she's reporting to one of the other interim leaders. All the more reason that NYCB needs a new AD in place. Is it a great idea to have J. Stafford potentially involved in casting (and supervising) both his wife and his sister? There was enough nepotism in the Martins era.

I won't be holding my breath for the Hallberg's return to Swan Lake, following his aborted return to Bayadere last season, as much as I'd like to see him return to that rep, rather than just dance Giselle, Onegin and MacMillan ballets for the rest of his career. It could be a good vehicle for Abrera at this stage of her career. (Oops -- I see you already suggested this above!)

It's true -- there are some dates where about 75% of the orchestra section is unsold. NYCB's fall season and "Balanchine: The City Center Years" offer such great rep that I felt no need to see ABT this fall. Nothing about ABT's fall-season is a must-see, besides perhaps Lane and Cornejo in Other Dances. And if you want to see the rarely performed Symphonie Concertante, you can go see it at City Center (that's what I'm doing anyway).

I agree with many of JuliaJ's impressions. I'd never seen Reichlein in Concerto Barocco and it's an ideal vehicle for her. Her calm, remote quality really suits itself to this ballet. And Janzen was a great partner, and suitably tall for Reichlen. I enjoyed Stafford here much more than in Emeralds. I wish her dancing had been a bit more incisive, especially in the first movement, and it's clear she's having some issues with flexibility, but I still enjoyed her in the role. Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux was the shot of a adrenaline it should be. I actually thought Ball looked somewhat tense from the beginning, which isn't surprising given his long absence from the stage, but he was technically very strong. Bouder was very exciting, and her fish dives were everything you'd hope for -- she truly launches herself into them. Her variation was impeccable. I know she has been criticized for her facial expressions, but she seems to have toned them down. I agree about the high points of Symphony in C. Sebastian V-V was astounding. Woodward radiates star quality, but her elevation was a bit disappointing in comparison to her partner. It's a shame about the developpé balance, because otherwise Kowroski's performance was beautiful and stronger than her 2017 outing in the role. You could tell things were amiss when, as she did the developpé, the arm held by Angle began to shake quite a bit. When Angle let go of her arm, she began to tilt backward, almost exactly like the dicey moment when Reichlen tips backward in the recent Paris video of the ballet. Then there was a moment of adjustment when she looked like she might lose her balance, before going into the penchée, but she remarkably regained her composure and didn't fall off pointe. She was great for the rest of the ballet, and had no issues whatsoever with the turns in the fourth movement, which had apparently been an issue in her 2017 performances. Tiler Peck was her fantastic, musical self in the first movement, and it was a joy to see Joseph Gordon bounding through the role with ease. Yes, he looked terrific. I'm glad to see him dancing so well after having to pull out of several high-profile assignments last season. I loved Mearns and Hyltin in Stravinsky Violin Concerto. I really didn't mind La Cour in this piece or earlier this week in Emeralds, since the roles are very much partnering-heavy, and he seems to be a fine partner. Random question: is it standard for the first PDD ballerina to wear her hair in a French twist, whereas everyone else onstage, including the second PDD ballerina, has their hair in buns? This is nitpicking, but I think a sleeker, less poofy French twist would have been more appropriate for this ballet, if that's the traditional way the first PDD ballerina does her hair. But her fearless, exciting dancing is what I'll remember.

That's how I read it, as well, especially given this quote that she includes: “Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” David G. Allen

And he is still an excellent partner, so the second movement of Symphony in C should be fine. And his dancing will be less exposed in the fourth movement, with so many others onstage.

Thank you for this! I was just trying to find music from Balanchine ballets on Spotify. It's too bad the NYCB orchestra never produced another Balanchine Album volume, even if the music is available elsewhere.

Yes, I think it could have something to do with the costume being more high-waisted than usual, and the dangly openwork triangles revealing more white tight than we'd normally see. But it was really his dancing that was the issue last night. As cobweb said: "no elevation, and very sluggish."