fondoffouettes

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."

I really like Angle, too, and these qualities have been creeping into his dancing in recent years. However, it really crossed a line tonight, and for his own sake, I think he should have been pulled if that’s how he looked in rehearsals. Not to mention that it did a real disservice to the choreography. I’ve often thought that he just doesn’t have ideal line from the waist down — thick, kind of bulky legs — but not that he necessarily has a weight issue. But tonight he did appear as if he has put on some weight. It’s sad, but it may be time for him to hang up the white tight roles. I agree about Sanz. He really stood out and looked fantastic in the finale. I didn’t even sit that close, but I’ve never noticed how much color variation there is in the corps girls’ costumes, presumably because they’ve been built and refurbished in different eras. They range from white, to ivory to an unpleasant yellow. A couple even had odd peachy tones. I’m sure they cost a fortune to make, but it lent a ragged air to the group to have the costumes all so differently colored. The variations aren’t intentional, I’m assuming? What color ARE the costumes supposed to be? An ivory bodice with a lighter tutu, like the principal?

Diamonds was overall very good. I wish the corps had been more in sync in the first movement and a couple other places. Kowroski was stunning in the pas de deux — those expressive arms, those exquisite arabesques, those legs — and Angle’s partnering was impeccable. I’ve mostly seen Mearns in this role, just by chance, and I appreciated a less dramatic, yet still soulful, take on the pas de deux. Kowroski was fine in the next two movements, but she lacked the speed and attack I’ve admired in Mearns here. However, there were no issues that I saw with regard to her turns, which I know others have said have been problematic in the past couple season. Angle isn’t really exciting in the bravura passages but he acquitted himself adequately. The finale was as exciting and moving as always. Rubies is my least favorite iog the triptych, but I found it to be the most compelling performance of the evening, with the Diamonds PDD being the other main highlight.

Nice applause (of support, seemingly) when the announcer said “welcome to NYCB” before the start of Emeralds this evening. Laracey was lovely and perfectly evoked quiet reverie. Stafford was fine but a bit underwhelming. The rapture she attempted to depict seemed like it was just a varnish over her less than exciting dancing. She seemed to have some issues with bourees and a couple arabesques, particularly the penche one that all the women do together. Jared Angle was a fine partner but I think any sensible AD would have pulled him from the role; it doesn’t put him in a good light. His short solo filled with jumps and turns was leaden and he looked bulky and slow. Woodward — wow — i would happily see her as either of the leading ladies, though I think she might be better suited to the Verdy role — such dynamism and spritely energy in her dancing. Rubies was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed Bouder so much in this, and she really varied her facial expressions — it wasn’t all showboaty ta-da looks on her face. Maybe it was the coaching they received; she and De Luz were truly superb, dancing as if they were on the edge of a volcano. Kikta makes a good tall girl; she doesn’t approach Reichlen at her very best, but she certainly has much of what it takes for the role. The corps was particularly great. It felt like the risky work it should be. Kudos to Villella and McBride for bringing out the best in these dancers.

Usually around 40. Given the demographic of ballet, and especially opera, audiences, I've seen a lot of young people's groups that extend to age 40, some even older, I believe.

If you scan through, a few of the text communications do include times of the day, whereas others just include the date.

I just noticed the new complaint now gives timeframes, not just dates, for when texts were sent. So as not to be completely unproductive at work, I haven't checked those dates/times against NYCB's performance schedule to see if they line up to what would probably have been normal working hours. But I wonder if that's why her lawyer has now included times for the text messages sent.

Luckily (for NYCB's sake), it's just opening night, not gala night, which is September 27. Though I'm sure this cloud will still be hanging over the company in a week. The optics of rich people partying when all this is going on ... not sure what to make of that. Obviously, I want to see NYCB thrive, but also be held accountable, so I don't want those donations from gala folk to go away.

It's because Catazaro, Ramasar and SAB have been added as defendants. I'm not sure why now, and if this is common.

One of the most interesting new items (I think it's new) is that the complaint claims there were no established rules or code of conduct for how NYCB dancers should be interacting with SAB students. That seems like a big mistake on NYCB/SAB's part, if that's true.

Wow. I don't have the original complaint to compare, but I feel like some of the previously unattributed quotes are now attributed to Catazaro. There also seem to be some completely new quotes attributed to him, if my memory serves. Also, SAB has been added as a defendant. They weren't on it before, were they?

My main issues with Bentley's piece are: I think it could have used an aside acknowledging the high level of dancing within the the company in recent seasons. Saying "Mr. Balanchine’s stage is now filled with rot" -- while I don't think this was directed at the company's performance, per se -- could certainly be interpreted that way. Saying the company is at a low point as an institution glosses over the incredibly high level of dancing, especially on the female side, that we've seen recently. She comes off as a bit out of touch/crotchety when it comes to modern dancer culture. Complaining about social media and making a jokey comment about vegan muffins didn't sit well with me. In this day in age, NYCB is lucky to have so many dancers on social media, building up fan bases and new audiences for an art form that is experienced by only about 3% of Americans, according to the NEA's recently released Survey of Public Participation in the Arts for 2017. Think of how Misty Copeland helped create new fans for ballet, using social media as a major tool. In general, dancers do social media very well, and that's an asset to the companies to which they belong. Think of how many times ABT has reposted content created by its dancers. She complains about the sexualizing of dancers in ad campaigns, and yet, she herself wrote an explicit, erotic memoir (though not while she was a dancer). I don't have issue with sexy ad campaigns (and I don't think NYCB's have been very sexualized) nor writing an erotic memoir. I just think it's somewhat hypocritical for her to take such a prudish stance in this piece. Otherwise, I agree with much of what she says, especially about the board protecting Martins and his utter lack of interest in bringing in former dancers to coach ballets.

Not sure if they are a couple, but it's nice to see Peck with a (very) handsome man on her arm.

I don't feel this situation has been racialized, but I wouldn't deny those feelings in anyone else, if that's their take. From my perspective, there hasn't been a lot of talk of Finlay recently because there have been no new developments in his case. He resigned immediately, has made no statements and deleted his profile from Instagram. The only one who, in the realm of social media or traditional media, who has highlighted Ramasar's race -- as far as I'm aware -- is Ramasar himself, in the Instagram post that preceded the one above. It's true. But I think there's a certain carelessness that happens in social media, when people gloss over and conflate details of stories. I think that could be where this is coming from. As despicable as Finlay's behavior may have been, the "farm animal" quote is not attributed to him; but if you read the comments section on Instagram immediately following his resignation, you'd think otherwise.

A snapshot of Ramasar’s supporters, from Harrison Ball’s Instagram.

Neither Waterbury nor NYCB has accused Catazaro of trading nude photos of colleagues. I’m agnostic when it comes to Catazaro as an artist, but I feel it’s important to consider the facts as they’ve been presented.

I really hope she can make a comeback.

I have no idea about Peter Matins, but Nilas Martins was pulled from the Saratoga season that summer. The next reference I can find to him performing with NYCB, here on BA, is the one below, from winter 2008. I can't find any references in the press to him performing during that time period. This isn't to say he didn't dance in the fall; I just can't find any evidence he did. Also, I gather that by that point in his career, his appearances were a real rarity anyway. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/26607-nycb-winter-2008-week-7/?tab=comments#comment-221482 Also, he only pled guilty to the reduced charge of "disorderly conduct," claiming it wasn't his cocaine and that he was covering for the other person in the car (Amar Ramasar). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080900751.html https://nypost.com/2007/07/07/dancer-to-sidestep-prison-da/

Exactly. Think about this happening to you at your own workplace, even if the photos were circulated off-site, during non-work hours. I think excuses are being made because a ballet company is unlike many workplaces, and also because the dancers are admired by many. While I think the company made a good decision, I can't say with certainty that Catazaro's position with the company is irredeemable. We know, by far, the least about what he did or didn't do. All we have is that one sentence from the Waterbury complaint and what NYCB has said about the matter. I'm not saying things look promising for him, but I don't feel completely comfortable writing him off until we learn more (if we learn more).

Like so many NYCB videos, this one is done very well (they really are a leader in the performing arts when it comes to video content). But the ending even creeped me out when the video was first released. It basically states that money buys you access to young, pretty dancers. The ending is edited to feel like a meet cute from a rom com. This would have been mitigated if they had either LeCrone or the man in the company of other men and women in the final scene.

I actually didn't find that part unusual. If I anticipate having to get through a bunch of e-mails, and ones that require responses and/or attachments to be reviewed, I prefer to use a laptop. She also probably has at least two e-mail addresses -- a personal one and a Columbia one -- and it's possible she doesn't have all of them connected to her phone. Also, it's easy for someone of any age to let their phone die or misplace it somewhere in an apartment.

I'd also look forward to the acoustics of the Koch Theater. I often sit in Orchestra Balance (at both the Met and the Koch), and the acoustics are terrible at the Met; the sound is completely dampened by the extensive overhang of the balconies. At the Koch, I can sit all the way to the side of the orchestra section and the sound from the pit is still big and present. And, of course, you don't get as much pointe shoe noise at the Koch, though that doesn't bother me so much at the Met. Plus, and this actually makes a big difference to me, the seats at Koch are the most comfortable ones I've ever sat in for a dance performance. I'm about six feet tall, and there's enough leg room that I can cross my legs. I know some people hate having to stand up to let people get to their seats, but there's enough room that you don't usually need to do this. I only wish other performing arts venues would modernize their seating, as was done at the Koch. The demise of the Lincoln Center Festival has left a real gap in mid- to late-summer dance offerings. Maybe ABT could get away with extending their season into the summer a bit. I realize, though, that the Lincoln Center Festival dance performances are often must-see "events," like the Jewels anniversary performances or a visit from a European company.