balanchinette

I was at the Robbins program last night. Just wanted to note that Janie Taylor was wonderful in the Cage, as was Tess (wow, did she look fantastic in that costume). Janie just exuded "insectoid". It was great. I wish we could see more of her. Craig Hall was good but no Jock Soto in this role. Tiler Peck was also very good in Bagatelles, as was Joaquin in his solos (he appeared to be struggling a bit with the lifts, I think Tiler must be a little bigger than Megan, his usual partner). I like Bagatelles, it's very complex for a Robbins ballet. Finally - it's always a pleasure to see Danny Ulbricht, who was dancing in Interplay. I believe he executed 4 perfect double tours in succession. Awesome.

Agreed that Ellen Bar paled in comparison to Tess. You need a Tess or a Sofiane Sylve in Choleric. If anything, they should have cast Savannah in Choleric and Bar with Angle. I thought Abi Stafford worked really well with Angle earlier in the week. Lowery was a little too big for him (especially with those fantastic lifts that close the ballet, she didn't soar quite as high as the other girls). As for Chaconne, I thought Wendy's opening pdd was magical. I, and the woman sitting next to me, whom I didn't know, both sighed spontaneously as Neal carried her off into the wings. No fault of Maria's, but with Marcovici as partner there was no way she could have achieved that same effect. So much of that opening pdd depends on the partner. I was very happy with her strong turns later in the ballet, though. She was really on her leg and well balanced (I've noticed over the past several years that her turns have been getting better and better). Maria must have one of the most gorgeous pairs of legs in the ballet world right now!

thanks for the link, abatt. It was a most perceptive review. I was at Saturday evening's performance, and it didn't seem like Marcovici had improved from the Friday night debut, from what the review said. He almost stepped on Maria's foot at one point. She would have been luminous, I think, in the opening pdd with Neal as her partner -- all those smooth lifts and supported turns that he is so good at. As it was, Maria still gave a very strong performance, particularly in the second pdd (especially b/c it doesn't have as many pdd parts, it's got more solo parts and she didn't have to contend with Marcovici). I had liked Marcovici in the 4Ts a few nights earlier. I think partnering seems to bring out his weaker qualities, unfortunately. I echo Susanny's comments on the "Theme" dancers from the 4Ts. All superb, and I think it's important to really set the tone for the dance as a whole. Nice balancing from la Cour where he has to hold on to his upraised foot for that very long space. As for VW, Leigh Witchel really summed it up nicely.

I think we're all entitled to our opinions of the dancers we see. And just because I'm not fond of one of the dancers in a ballet doesn't mean I won't go see the ballet. I would argue that your post is much more disrespectful in its way than anything I said above. I would hope that the moderators of this forum don't condone the bashing of other posters and calling them "disgusting", as you have written above. If anything is going to discourage people from posting, then it's calling other posters names. I am not alone in having observed Yvonne Borree's issues on the stage. I am not privy, as you appear to be, to any of the reasons for them, all I am commenting on is what I see in the performance. And in case you hadn't noticed, I was actually commenting on how well she danced last night.

I agree that Wendy was great in the initial Chaconne pdd. Just ethereal! It's the first time I've seen her that I've been reminded of the Suzanne Farrell clips I've seen (esp with her hair down). Her "swimming in air" steps were breathtaking, and kudos to Philip Neal for some very smooth low lifts that had Wendy just skimming across the floor. Neal was really on his game last night, with multiple turns and beats. I thought Wendy handled the faster bits (turns etc) in the second pdd really well. I hope Maria is just as good in the fast parts when she does it. Erica Pereira subbed for Ana Sophia Scheller and was very, very good. She must be one of the company's best turners, just consistent, full, beautiful double turns throughout. Her partner was a little rough with her at first, it seemed -- maybe they didn't get that much rehearsal time together. The 4Ts was much better than I'd been expecting -- very sharp and musical. Apart from an accidental slip on the floor, Jared Angle was great. If only he were a bit taller, he could be the next Chuck Askegard, partner supreme! I thought all the women looked really strong, and Abi Stafford gave one of her best performances. Albert Evans is looking more streamlined this season - a definite plus. Marcovici did better than I thought he would (I last saw him as a lumbering, rough Cavalier in the Nutcracker). He actually has decent leg extension. The standout of 4Ts was Tess Reichlen -- she has great stage presence now, wow! I want to see her do TP2 again, like, now! Why, why, why is she not a principal?? Vienna Waltzes received a decent performance. The biggest surprise was Yvonne Borree in the waltz that I'd last seen Miranda Weese and Damian do. While she was no Miranda, I was shocked at how well she was dancing -- I was bracing myself for the trembly arms but they were nowhere to be found! And she actually jumped pretty well and even did a decent double pirouette. I kept checking my glasses to be sure it was her (I've never seen her dance over the last 5 or so years where she wasn't all but overcome by the shakes). Benjamin Millepied seems like a good influence on her -- he looked happy to be jumping around on stage last night, too. The most disappointing thing about Vienna Waltzes last night was Darci Kistler (ick) -- she has zero flexibility in her back and every gesture seemed too exaggerated and mannered -- when she lifts the tail of her gown up it has to be higher than every other woman, to the extent that that the dress is bunched up around her calves! Yuck. I last saw Kyra Nichols do this, and what a difference. As always, the final waltz is just breathtaking, with all those beautiful dresses and all the handsome men in tails! (Chuck Askegard, as always, was the consummate partner. I felt he was wasted on Darci). I'm hoping that someone else other than Darci will be dancing the "woman alone" role this season....

I've been twice. Once with Abi Stafford and Sebastian Marcovici as Sugar Plum and the Cavalier, and the other with Maria and Chuck. Abi dropped her wand at the beginning of Act 2, which was distracting. And she did not seem to be a good match with Marcovici, who is looking very lunk-ish these days. Looked like he was just yanking her around! And the dramatic jump-and-lift onto the shoulder in the pas de deux was lacking all drama. In the same performance, Ana Sophia Scheller was decent as Dew Drop (but seemed a little rushed). The performance with Maria and Chuck was like night and day. That pas de deux was incredible! Lots of fun and very exciting. Maria seemed to have a little trouble with her pirouettes all night, but that's just a small quibble. she makes a great Sugar Plum. Tess Reichlen was excellent as Coffee, beautiful extension and jumps (much better than Ellen Bar, who was in the cast I saw first). Kathryn Morgan was a standout as Marzipan. She has incredible balance. Tiler Peck was a good Dew Drop (great turns, but not a jumping powerhouse like Ashley Bouder). The corps was very good this year in both the SnowFlakes (tight formations) and Waltz of the Flowers. And Robert La Fosse stole the show in Act 1 as Drosselmeyer, he was just wonderful. How much you enjoy the Nutcracker is very, very dependent on casting. As always, the tree was magical. And Kurt Nikkanen, the orchestra's top violinist, is a real treasure. His solo is beautiful.

Agreed that Big Red was absolutely fantastic in Serenade. But am I the only one to really miss the main women's unfurling of their hair for the last movement of Serenade? It adds so much poetry and I was a little shocked that it wasn't called for in the choreography (given that this performance has met the standards of the Balanchine Trust, etc). The Dark Angel arabesque was terrible. It marred an otherwise heavenly performance -- I thought her ankle was going to snap -- what a heroic effort to save the balance! I've seen Hanna turn Maria K. in that and it looks like magic -- you can't even tell there's a guy back there doing the turning. This was awful by comparison. But wow, what wonderful arms the women have! And complete, clean turns that would be the envy of many a NYCB dancer. ps -- forgot to say that I was commenting on last night's performance (Saturday night, April 18). Big Red blows Darci to pieces as the Waltz girl!

Tonight was Gillian Murphy's night. She was so amazing I could hardly believe what I was seeing! Her technique in the blac swan pdd -- oh my GOD -- the crowd went wild way before the final pose. Lots of triple fouettes and with her arms in fifth! Balances that seemed to last forever. And her Odette was heartbreaking, she was much more engaged than I've seen her before. It was truly a special performance. Wow.

bouder and millepied in rubies on Sat night -- just WOW! This role is perfect for Ashley, and she and Millepied really seemed to be having fun out there. Technically Ashley was on fire -- turning many doubles into triples, and with a ton of spring in every jump. Please, PM, never cast Yvonne in this role again! Not when NYCB has Ashley to do it!

Her current status with the company is frequent "guest artist," even if it's not official. I remember reading in a recent Dance Europe article (the issue where she appeared on the cover) that she still lives in France and considers it home. Dance Europe calls her the "nomadic ballerina." thanks for the info on Sylve! Too bad, it seems like she is performing less and less with City Ballet -- and she's one of the best they've got, both in terms of range and technique. I'd like to see a Sylve Diamonds. And Rubies! I think she's only done Emeralds with City Ballet thus far (and wonderfully, too).

What on earth possessed PM to cast Yvonne Borree as the lead in Rubies -- she has neither the technical prowess nor the personality to carry it off -- fudged her way through the double pirouettes (with hands cocked at the shoulders moment) near the end, and just didn't have the appropriate jazziness at all. Ugh. On the bright side, Tess Reichlen was amazing! Tall and gorgeous, with flying grand jetes. Even better than when she did this role two years ago, and for me, far superior to Savannah Lowery. Tess got the loudest cheers during curtain calls (and deservedly so). Maybe I'm biased, but from what I could tell the audience did not react well to Borree. Emeralds received a rather flat performance last night. After seeing Ashley, Rachel did not have the same expanse of movement. And I'm not a Sara Mearns fan. She's another large dancer (in the Savannah mould), and didn't have the liquid grace the part demands. I certainly didn't feel like she was "walking on air" in the iconic walking duet. Where is Sofiane Sylve at this point in the season? She's disappeared again. I remember seeing her in Emeralds two years ago, and she blew me away in the walking duet. Reflecting the flatness of the performance overall, only one curtain call for Emeralds last night. Diamonds was a hit with the audience, though-- it must have one of the best Balanchine codas ever, with that marvellous, slow developpe the whole cast does right at the end, when the music slows down and becomes even more majestic. Maria was great again in the pdd, but Charles seemed a bit out of shape in the solos -- Phillip Neal did better on Tuesday.

I thought Maria was the best I'd ever seen her in the Diamonds pdd last night -- it was uncanny how similar she was to Suzanne Farrell, both in looks and movement. I've watched the old recording of Suzanne and Peter doing the pdd countless times, and Maria last night looked as if she were channeling Suzanne. She looked much stronger and more in control of her hyperextension. And the normally bland Philip actually looked like he was feeling it, too. I'd gone looking forward to Wendy, but Maria really surprised me. She danced with abandon last night, completely lost in the music. It was wonderful to see. I thought Ashley was terrific in Emeralds -- she outshone Ringer! Nice to see her branch out beyond the allegro roles. Her arms, especially, were lyrical. I agree with sz about Hanna's solo. One of the jarring notes, because everyone else was so good. But I thought his lifts were wonderfully smooth, he made Ashley soar and fly effortlessly. Alina looked very nervous and tight, especially in her back and arms, and towards the end when the five mains are dancing, she fell off point in one of the sustained penchee balances. I hope she gets more comfortable with repeated runs. It looks as if she is being geared for soloist. She's certainly one of the hardest working corps members lately. The corps in Rubies was wonderful, but I didn't like the leads as much. I kept missing Miranda Weese, who did a killer rendition of Rubies with Damian, lots of jazz and pep. Megan, I felt, was hampered by being partnered with Joaquin, who looked especially short last night, what with the pouffy sleeves of the men's costume and Megan wearing a tall Rubies headpiece. She towered over him every time she had to get on point. I hope Martins will share the love and give her a wider range of partners. And Savannah, who is no Tess in this role, was simply too big. It was distracting. Though she danced with authority, I felt her jumps were rather leaden, partially because of her size (not the height, I love tall dancers, but she's certainly not the most slender dancer). Put next to Joaquin and Megan, the effect was especially disconcerting.

Regarding the Thursday night performance, I found Serenade that night to be hugely disappointing. I'd gone specifically to see Maria, freed from Bugaku and the constraints of block programming, because she is my favorite Dark Angel (I know Sara Mearns has her fans, but I prefer Maria). Maria was the only high point of Serenade that night. First, I much prefer the longer costumes. What a difference they make to the lighting (it seems more diffuse and ethereal with the floating tulle) and the romance of the ballet. While I appreciate the thinking behind opening with SAB students in the "original" costumes, I didn't really appreciate the overall effect at all. The opening "orange grove" scene, for me, was pretty much destroyed. Short skirts do not belong in Serenade. I also found the SAB students pretty stiff. Everyone seemed off, in fact, in that performance. Even Ashley completely missed her opening jump into Stephen's arms in the third movement (when he catches her in mid air). She missed her entire entrance! Nowhere to be found. Stephen was left to improvise. She finally ran onto stage and assumed her arabesque, horribly late, putting him out of his discomfiture. The omission of one of the best moments in Serenade -- it will take me a long time to forgive Ashley for that one! -- (compounded by the horrible lack of atmosphere in the opening scene, and the stiffness of the SAB dancers), contributed to my thorough disappointment. I won't even go in to how badly Darci danced, other than to say she was phoning it in even more than usual. Thank God for Union Jack, one of the best performances I've seen of it. Especially glorious Tess Reichlen, with her mile high extension and gorgeous legs, just adorably sexy leading the Wrens. Why hasn't she been cast in Serenade? Why is she not a principal? She's a fantastic Balanchine dancer, and Mr. B loved tall dancers (because there was more of them to see!). She's gotten a lot stronger over the last couple of years. It's high time. And I shall never tire of seeing Damian W. I just hope he puts off his planned retirement by at least another few years, he's irreplaceable!

The Essential Robbins program on Saturday afternoon was wonderful entertainment. Maria K. was definitely worked hard -- she appeared in all 3 ballets and was in Middle Duet the previous night (very well done with Albert -- the steps were repetitive but so was the music, it all worked b/c it built up to a discordant climax). The highlight of In G major was the pdd -- Maria and Philip Neal were beautifully smooth. There was only one moment, where Philip has to lift Maria onto his shoulder, that the effort actually showed. Otherwise it was spellbinding, and the walking theme reminded me somewhat of the Emeralds section in Jewels. I found Dances at a Gathering to be under-rehearsed, maybe it will get better at subsequent performances. I totally disagree with the NYT review on Rachel Rutherford -- I liked her the best, the NYT reviewer didn't like her at all. I thought she was wonderful. She was at the point where she was just dancing, and not thinking about steps. Her pdd with Amar Ramasar was one of the better parts. The highlight was Damian W., who's still got the stuff. When he jumps, he just seems to hang in mid-air. It's something that no other male at City Ballet can do right now (Danny and Joaquin belong in a different category -- they are great jumpers but don't have the elegance Damian has). The lowlight -- Yvonne "Trembolino" Borree, who has been having a chronic case of the shakes in almost every performance I've seen her in over the last year. It's very distracting to see her fingertips vibrating -- I find myself almost watching for it and neglecting the rest of the dancing. Why she has the shakes when she's partnered by such greats as Damian and Nikolaj beats me. And she had one of the biggest parts in the ballet. The other weak point was Antonio Carmena, who was fine in solos but when he was partnering Ashley, I could have sworn there was one point where he had to lift her overhead and didn't quite manage it -- they both had a surprised look on their faces. Sure, he's small, but so is Ashley! Every time he had to do a lift you could see the effort and that detracted from the overall effect of the ballet. I'm Old Fashioned was charming, as usual. On Sat night, I too missed Miranda Weese. In fact, I've been missing her all season. She was one of the strongest technicians among the female principals, and just beautiful to watch. She danced a mean Rubies, and was great in Tchaikovsky pdd (both with Damian, what a power team!) and Allegro Brillante. Sigh. Sara Mearns is a very impressive turner, but I found the rest of her dancing a little too forceful and not as smooth as I would have liked. But Ana Sophia was awesome! She owns that role. Ask la Cour was ok. His neck is a little too long, it always gives him a bird-like quality! On Friday night, Jennie Somogyi made a great Coquette in la Sonnambula, which was well danced by all (Danny was great as the jester), and I thought the orchestra sounded particularly fine.

Yes, at one time, Wendy was brilliant in TP2...Sigh. I've seen several ballerinas dance it, but Sofiane is my favorite as well, Gillian Murphy in second place at ABT. I'm sure Bouder will dance it very well, but I agree with you in that the choreography is meant for a more mature, womanly, taller dancer. Legs, legs, legs --- in this ballet.... I would have picked Tess Reichlen for the next debut in the ballerina role, seeing what she could do with those long limbs of hers and brilliant turns and jumps, as well as her fine adagio. I think Tess badly needs some inspiration.... But then again, Ask LaCour doesn't seem ready... yet....and he's the only other tall guy around for someone like Tess... besides Chuck..... Sigh... Gillian Murphy is brilliant! I always think when I watch her that she's wasted at ABT...she would make a great Balanchine dancer at City Ballet. And David Hallberg is beautiful. I've only seen Ballet Imperial at ABT once, and would not do it again, though. The costumes and set are so tacky and distracting -- pink and purple tutus, velvet drapes, and chandeliers, for crying out loud. Just overwhelms the dancers -- you don't need tall dancers when it's Ballet Imperial! The tiaras and chandeliers will blind you so you can't see. And ABT took it at a glacial pace. What a difference to see it as TP2 at City Ballet! Where it's all about the expanse of movement (more legs, please!) and the beauty of the choreography and music. It would be interesting to see Tess doing the lead, but she doesn't seem strong enough, yet. Can't believe she was passed over for principal, though. Her extension is beautiful (she might be the only one who could do the head to the knee penchee in the Symphony in C adagio). Her legs rival Maria's. If PM isn't careful he will lose her like he lost Carla Korbes.

The Three Masters program is a nice combination, although I'm still against the whole block programming idea (and have been going less because of it). I saw this one twice, though, mainly for Mozartiana and TP2. Wendy is one of my favorites in Mozartiana. She seemed a bit off her pirouettes on Thursday night, but was wonderful last night. That last pose in the variations section, where she drapes her head backward over Philip Neal's shoulder, was sigh-inducing. The cast for Piano Pieces was great. I'm not a fan of the folksy group parts, but the pas de deux were all beautiful (and much better than anything Peter Martins came up with for R+J, with Romeo basically hauling Juliet around like a sack of spuds). Jennie Somogyi looked great, I hope to see much more of her this season -- wonderful phrasing, and Jared Angle was very good, too. Jen Ringer was lovely in her solo, you could hear a pin drop when she was dancing, the audience was enraptured. And that last lift where Ask slowly turns her upside down and walks off into the wings, is one of the best ever! TP2 is ALL about la Sylve for me. I don't really want to watch anyone else do it, now! Sofiane has technique to burn, and energy through the roof. She energizes the whole ballet. Those grand jetes, tour jetes, and unreal pirouettes and fouettes, just wow! On Thursday night, she finished her gorgeous fouette sequence with a perfect triple! Amazing. I've seen her do it 4 times now, and she's great each time. I think the ballet looks better with Chuck Askegard, especially in the second movement where the male lead has to manipulate those lovely corps ladies. Looks better with a taller man. In fact, Sofiane and Tess (phenomenal, gorgeous extension and balances) are both tall, and the corps women were also pretty tall, so a tall man is needed to balance it out. J Stafford was decent, but seems too short for Sofiane and the corps women. TP2 is one my favorite Balanchine ballets, the corps choreography is just beautiful, but I really think it's more effective with tall leads, so I'm not sure how Ashley will come across. Also seems like the lead ballerina in TP2 should be a more "mature", romantic type. Sadly, Wendy is no longer up to the challenges, I saw her do it in the winter and she looked like she was struggling. Sofiane is in her prime, and is just breathtaking in this role.

I think it's a travesty that Sterling Hyltin was promoted over Tess Reichlen, who is a much more mature dancer. Sterling is benefitting from her starring role as Juliet, but is that reason to promote her so soon after joining the company? She has yet to perform a wide range of Balanchine roles. Tess should have been promoted, it's a shame.