fondoffouettes

I was also at today's matinee. I've happened to see more of Apollo and Mozartiana at ABT than at NYCB, so I don't feel as qualified as others on here to judge the works' nuances. I really enjoyed the Apollo performance, without being thrilled by it. It seemed good in a textbook sort of way. The three muses were beautifully matched in the opening section. Woodward made a very strong debut, and I enjoyed her more than Ashly Isaacs, who was good, but perhaps a little tentative in her turns. Also, that final moment of Isaacs' variation -- the "oops I spoke" gesture -- wasn't articulated effectively. I haven't seen Danchig-Waring in this role pre-injury, but I certainly think he did it justice, without perhaps being very exciting. He dances the role as if he's already a very refined man-god, not an adolescent finding his legs and truly searching for his muse. Maybe I was looking for more oomph and intensity. Peck's dancing was as beautiful and musical as ever, but Terpsichore isn't a natural fit for her. She doesn't feel like the preeminent muse among the three. I love her dancing, but her persona is sunny -- maybe even a bit basic -- and that doesn't really work for me here. Minor quibble -- but have the muses' attributes (the props) always looked like shiny flimsy plastic? They looked like they could have been purchased at Party City. In terms of Mozartiana, I agree with what Barbara has said. I was underwhelmed by the Preghiera, the section in which I expected to enjoy Mearns the most. As Barbara said -- not lush enough. Is it possible the NYCB orchestra plays this section a hair too quickly? I felt like the section moved quickly and there wasn't enough time for Mearns to luxuriate in the music. Like Barbara, I was impressed with Finlay, especially after others have expressed how hit-or-miss he can be. I thought he was certainly on in this afternoon's performance and didn't seem fazed by the intense demands of his variations. Mearns was on the music and didn't deviate for the sake of drama (as has been described in posts above.) Maybe it's just the ABT performances clouding my judgment, but I felt there were parts of the Theme and Variations section that were played too quickly, forcing Mearns to rush the choreography. One particular moment I'm thinking of is this one, which usually gives me goosebumps: I'm talking about the part where Farrell walks forward and extends her arms. Mearns seemed to have to do it so quickly to stay on the music. I know NYCB prides itself on speed, but there were sections like this that just felt rushed. I'm not a huge fan of Cortege Hongrois. There are just SO many ensemble sections, but being choreographed by Balanchine, they are of course much more interesting than what ensemble dances normally look like in a 19th-century full-length ballet. I agree with others that Bouder was pretty fierce in her debut. There was a bit too much of "ta-da" in the way she presented herself in the first part of the pas de deux for my taste, but she didn't continue that through the rest of the ballet. I was glad that Veyette was replaced (it sounds like he's dancing worse than ever). Janzen danced very well, but I can understand what others mean about him not exuding confidence. Sean Suozzi ate up the stage, but Unity Phelan was perhaps a bit too pretty and reserved.

Maybe it doesn’t help that there are memories of Farrell for many of the roles Mearns dances. I’ve only seen Farrell in videos but she has a sometimes chilly aloofness that I actually find very appealing (it creates a sort of mystique). Mearns of course wears her heart on her sleeve much more often. But I’ve found her very satisfying in roles such as Piano Concerto No. 2 and Diamonds. I feel a dash of glamour and drama goes a long way in those roles. A friend of mine, who was lucky enough to go to NYCB in the 70s and 80s (and a was a full-blown Farrell devotee), has told me that, for him, Mearns is the one current dancer that brings back feelings of the “good old days,” particular when it comes to her sense of risk-taking. He’s found other dancers too safe. So, just one person’s opinion, for what it’s worth.

Mearns posted the lovely image below of her and D-W in anticipation of the performance, so it seems like whatever went wrong wasn't because of a lack of rapport. She calls him a friend. It seems odd that something went awry when she was simply bourreeing and holding his hand (and not depending on him for support in a turn, lift, promenade, etc.) Or do you in fact depend on the man for this move? Maybe something just went wrong with Mearns physically and she had to break free from his hand. If I remember correctly, didn't Ask La Cour mess up that section of Piano Concerto No. 2 twice? I seem to recall us discussing how things went south more than once when he was partnering Mearns in that section. I agree with others that Mearns' intensity really works in Diamonds. I'd add Walpurgisnacht Ballet to the roles that really suit her go-for-broke approach. I sadly missed her in this due to that blizzard a couple years ago that caused NYCB to cancel performances, but I love her in the recent Paris recording of the work. Canbelto -- that look in the figure skating video made me LOL. My partner (in life, not ballet) accuses me of giving him a "death stare" when he does something irritating, so I certainly empathize with that skater. ;)

After all the hubbub in November, Fairchild and Day have been posting pics of their vacation in Antigua over the past several days. I guess they aren’t so concerned any longer about putting it out there on social media.

No, sorry -- I corrected my original post. It's Sunday, March 25. I've never thought to use it either, but it was a nice change from sitting on hold for a box office person!

I used the live chat feature on the Met's website, and the customer service representative told me they go on sale Sunday, March 25.

I'm not totally sure about the injury, but he transformed himself physically and technically within the past two or three years (I guess this could have been post-injury). He slimmed down, toned up, and just sort of seemed to have a new fire and finesse in his dancing. I wish I could have seen his debut as Aminta to see how he fared in a full-length. Ditto for Nutcracker. I looked back at the casting spreadsheets posted earlier in this thread, and I don't think he was ever cast in it for the Met season. Or was he supposed to perform it in D.C.?

On stage he does't read childlike, as Simkin did/does, nor does he appear as short as Cornejo (though maybe he is), so I'm surprised management hasn't given him a few more opportunities. Also, there have been no reports of him being an inconsistent partner, at least from his time in Boston. It's been sad to see Gorak somewhat sidelined. The quality of his dancing is exceptional. I wonder if the partnering ended up being too much of an issue; he's spoken in interviews how he's a ball of nerves before going on stage, and there was a sweet anecdote about Xiomara Reyes reassuring him before a performance of Cinderella. Hoven was thrown soloist roles for years when he was in the corps. I'd like to see him and Forster given a shot a principal role. Can it pan out any worse than Hammoudi?

I’d also be happy seeing a soloist given a shot, though I thought one of Gomes’ vacated roles would have been more likely options for someone like Hoven or Royal. Both Stearns and Whiteside dance Solor and aren’t cast in the role this year (yet). Edited to add: The one thing interesting that's come out of this cast shuffling is that Stearns and Teuscher, who are romantic partners in real life, will be dancing SL together. Maybe this will finally help Stearns to show some emotion!

I feel exactly the same way. And I was going to get tickets to see Seo in Bayadere because of Hallberg, even though I have my qualms with her. Now I definitely won't be going.

I'm so disappointed that Hallberg has pulled out of Bayadere. I fear the rest of his career is just going to consist of Giselle and MacMillan ballets. Solor is such a taxing (and wonderful) role; I was very curious to see how he would pull it off after such a long time away from the Petipa ballets (at least in NYC). If it turns out that he's pulled out from Bayadere and Whipped Cream to dance elsewhere, then it's certainly a slap in the face to ABT and his NYC fans. And I'd hope we'd get some creative casting for the Gomes replacements. But ABT just doesn't seem to have the capacity to coach dancers and always seems to opt for the easiest route.

All the more reason they deserve raises. The content is so well-done that I assumed it was created by a social media manager. The voice is remarkably consistent across posts, so I wonder if one particular dancer writes most of the content. He or she is better than most marketing professionals who do social media for a living.

ABT’s own Instagram account posted a story with photos about the negotiations. It didn’t offer any details, but I was surprised to see the company featuring the negotiations in its official social media channel. The ABT Instagram account seems very dancer-driven, but I have to assume the marketing department still controls it.

The NYCB website seems to indicate that Mearns and Reichlen only dance Polyhymnia; is that right? Why aren't they cast as Terpsichore? In terms of the principal roster, I see Mearns, Reichlen and Kowroski as go-tos for goddess roles. For shallow reasons, I do wish there were also a non-blonde, tall principal who danced these roles. Are there any promising soloists or corps members who can, or have already have, taken on this rep? Edited to add: It seems like I've seen Savannah Lowery in roles that aren't really a great fit. I'll keep an open mind when I see her in the future, since others have seen her shine as Hippolyta and in other roles.

She was very disappointing in this role last season, and, indeed, in every work I've ever seen her in. (Yes, Tchai Piano Concerto #2 was particularly bad.) I didn't catch her early years at NYCB; did she have more promise back then? Maybe new management will see her with fresh eyes and be able to assess the situation. To be frank, I don't think she dances to a standard of a NYCB soloist. Yes, her body type doesn't help. She's looked very out of shape at times, but it's mostly the lackluster, low-impact dancing I have problems with.

This brought to mind a NYT piece from last spring: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/arts/music/where-have-classical-musics-uppercase-letters-gone.html It seems almost equally common for titles to now be in all caps, e.g. McGregor's AFTERITE (sorry, I can't seem to style it with the red R here ). To me, it seems like the creator is yelling, "Hey, look at me -- I'm different!"

Was Teuscher scheduled to dance with Lendorf in Detroit? I can't remember the original casting. I also was surprised they didn't go with someone who fits the more typical Juliet mold (namely, Sarah Lane), but Teuscher is rather willowy, even though she's tall, and I think she'll be capable of conveying a youthful innocence.

Without following her career all that carefully, I've been under the impression that the 80s and 90s were her heyday in terms of successful works for ballet companies, and all her major works that receive revivals seem to be from that era. In terms of being "out of fashion," I meant that solely in regard to new commissions. But this could be colored by living in NYC, where I don't believe we see new work from her very often (Rabbit and Rogue, from 2008, would have been the last one I've personally seen.) And, like you said, she may just be selective. I can also see the virtue in not over-extending oneself and churning out too many works each year. Have any of her (ballet) works from the past 15 years had legs? (I truly don't know, which is why I ask.) All this aside, Tharp would be near the top of my list for a new ABT commission.

ABT has always looked spectacular in The Upper Room, and I'd love the chance to see Push Comes to Shove, as it gets discussed so often in these forums. I really like Tharp's Brahms/Haydn Variations, but I consider it a good, not great, work. Her last work for ABT, Rabbit and Rogue, was pretty much a flop (though not at all offensively bad), and she hasn't been invited to choreograph anything for the company since. I could be wrong, but I feel as if Twarp isn't really in fashion these days, for better or worse. Meanwhile, a choreographer like Millepied, whom I consider lacking in the fundamental imagination required of a choreographer, dominates ABT's fall season.

I don't believe it has, no, and I think this is the first time she has described his actions in detail, specifically Martins exposing himself to her during a performance, while they were in a dressing room. She refuses to describe another incident. In other news, Martins has pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge. Video of him in court: http://www.lohud.com/videos/news/local/westchester/2018/01/08/video-peter-martins-court-dwi-charge/109285416/

I'm looking forward to exactly the same things! I'll be seeing this Saturday's matinee and it will be my first Apollo at NYCB in some years. What are people's general impressions of Tiler Peck as Terpsichore? It's not really a role I can really picture her in, temperament-wise, though I relish seeing Peck in just about anything. I guess I think of Terpsichore as being one of those goddess roles where the ballerina has an aloofness and mystique about her. Or maybe I've just watched that Farrell video too many times... I can't wait to see Mearns in Mozartiana. I've been unimpressed with Chase Finlay, so I'm curious to see how her fares (is he just a pretty face?). I wasn't very fond of the Cortege choreography when I saw it last season, but the new cast is enough to make me want to stay (more for Bouder than for Veyette).

I agree, Marta. Just six months ago she was the Part we all know and love -- grand and glorious, despite that ankle injury she was dancing through. Can going to class regularly keep a dancer in stage-ready shape? I've been under the impression that it's going to class regularly plus the normal rigors of being in a company (namely, endless rehearsals). I've been wondering how dancers like Fairchild and Gomes (if he wishes to pursue a guesting career) can keep themselves in stage-ready shape. It's sad to say, but I can't imagine Part getting many offers since she's really already near retirement age. I think she could have had, maybe, up to three more good years with ABT.

Almost all of her recent Instagram posts have included #aclsurgery and she’s mentioned rehab. Lauren Post of ABT has also documented her recovery from ACL surgery on Instagram, and she didn’t get back on stage for about 10 months. I’m not certain about Pazcoguin’s timeline, though.

Here, I think this should make them viewable to you. And yes, you need to have an Instagram account to view the stories, unlike the regular posts that you can access from any web browser.