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Welsely

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    dancer
  • City**
    New York
  • State (US only)**, Country (Outside US only)**
    New York
  1. Not that I want to flaunt my age or self-title myself as a "senior balletomane", but I started attending the NYCB since the early 70's, so I too have seen the whole of Kistler's career. I couldn't have more respect for her as a ballet dancer. The way people talk about, especially in reviews in the paper, are so disappointing and quite insulting. Believe it or not at some point she was one of the leading ballerinas not only in the country, but the whole world, and with that I think she deserves some respect. Have her capabilites as a dancer wane? Of course, but most peoples' do! Not everybody can be like Merrill Ashley and be doing Ballo della Regina at the end of her career. I doubt Margot Fonteyn was that great when she retired. Even across the plaza, Nina Ananiashvili is ending her career and compared to the younger principals she's nothing great, however she is still a special individual. Darci has always been one of my favorite technician's in the company, always stuck close to small details. But what was greater was the presence she brought/brings on stage. I could feel the love of dance from her. Hence why I was shocked when people tore her apart about her Last Waltz from Vienna this year. Sure she wasn't the most "flowy" waltzer but I could tell she was in the moment and I cared for it. As for her Titania, I admit that I came to see it purposely (as well as Reichlen's performance). Besides Farrell, she has been my favorite interpretor of the role. I find her regal but youthful. As for this pain and shakiness that has been mentioned, I saw none of it. Her arabesque hasn't been at it's best for awhile now, but then again it never was that extreme. It was usually always a clean 90 degree arabesque. And she was never a true jumper, though true it has gotten worse. But I can forgive all of that for the joy she brings and has brought to the audience for the past 30 years. Which brings me to another issue. People always say "when is she going to leave? she should've left years ago!" It has been known for the longest time that she was going to hold out for 30 years, so no surprise people! She wasn't going to leave early. Now I believe it was Beatrice who commented on Darci's Titania, saying "How old is Titania? She can't even get her leg up." Though her arabesque lacks, her front and side extension are still very high (and turned out). That's why I have no qualms about her doing Slaughter at SPAC. She'll handle those front kicks perfectly well. I don't mean to be the one attacking everybody who attacks Darci, but I'm just saying I feel that there are some prejudices and that a lot of her good qualities are being overlooked. I understand the appeal of the younger dancers, such as Tiler Peck or Ashley Bouder or Teresa Reichlen, but they still not the same as Darci Kistler. It's hard for me to believe that a younger viewer who comes to see a performance and sees her dance would be turned-off and never come back. With intelligence, one can figure that one dancer doesn't represent the capabilities for the whole company. Also most younger viewers who come tend to only come once anyhow. For them, it's just a special "fancy" event. I no this doesn't apply for all, but I'm referring to those who are educated in the theater or dance. For those who are, they form there own opinions and learn to work around casting. Trust me it's easy.
  2. Pardon me as I switch the conversation back to the actual topic: the workshop. I saw both casts last weekend, Sat. and Mon. night. It was quite interesting to see how different the casts are, and it was quite delightful to see some of my favorites from last year again! As was said, the opener was Robbins' endearing Circus Polka, with Jock Soto as Ringleader. Both he and all of the children appeared to have a fun time on stage. After the pause was another Robbins' work, 2 & 3 Part Inventions. Remembering the original cast for this ballet when it premiered for the workshop fourteen years ago, I was beside myself to see how this new generation was going to present it. Each cast consisted of eight students, so there were too many people to remember specifically about, though a couple did stand out. Francisco Estevez and Chase Finlay shared the role as the "solo" boy as I like to call him (Estevez Sat. and Finlay Mon.). They were both very compelling, though I found that Finlay matched the raw energy and vigor that Benjamin Millepied presented to the role when he originated it. Another stand out was Lillian Watkins who did the girl's solo Sat. night. Despite her short stature, she displayed the lyricism and beauty of any adagio amazoness. A couple more were Kristen Segin, who once again did not fail to give a very crisp and clear performance, and Alexander Peters (I forgot how old he was, but considering how young he looks, he dances very maturely and well for his age). After the intermission, the second part opened with something called Interlude: Showcase for Young Male Dancers. This piece took the term of Showcase to a whole new level. The cast entirely consisting of boys from the Intermediate and junior Advanced Men divisions of the school, the work displayed exactly what kind of young talent that the school is producing. Leaping back and forth on the stage, occasionally stopping to do multiple turns followed by maneges, I could not help but wonder how these young gentlemen were getting through it. Being about ten minutes long in its entirety, with waltz music by Strauss and choreography by Jock Soto, this work gave a lot for ballet watchers to look toward to in the future. The second part of the second section was one of my favorite Balanchine ballets, Concerto Barocco. One of his most ingenious and splendid ballets, this work presents a corps of eight girls lead by two principle girls, each representing a violin in the music. Saturday night leads were two familiar faces from last year's workshop, Kristen Segin as the 1st violin/solo girl and Sara Adams as the 2nd violin/pas de deux girl. It was interesting to see these two dance along side each other, keeping in mind that they both had shared the role as the principle girl in Balanchine's Gounod Symphony the previous year. Now seeing them side by side, I realize how distinctly different they are from one another. Kristen, who also gave a very memorable Sanguinic last year, once again displayed her veracity and attack of the music without forgetting the graceful part as well. Her diagonal in the last movement, though short, was powerful, reminding the audience that she was still there and ready to give us a performance we would never forget. Adams, who did the 2nd movement pas de deux alongside Chase Finlay, almost brought me to the point of tears. You would never guess with her being so short that she would have the longest pair of legs, oh-so beautiful with every developpe and arabesque that she did (i.e. Maria Kowroski). I find her so much more memorable and striking this year than last, probably because of the excellent SAB training making her technically more proficient. I have to say the only thing that I did not like were the occasional cheesy grins on their faces. It was not until they were caught up in the performance that their faces finally relaxed. The Monday night cast presented two of this year's Wein winners, Lydia Wellington as the 1st violin and Megan Johnson as the 2nd violin. Obviously being a taller cast, it meant requiring a taller partner, being Mark Wax. I can not remember seeing her last year, but Johnson is another wonderful talent and stunning beauty. Her adagio was perfect, though her movement quality seemed a bit stiffer compared to Adams. Wax, being a giant, was a very supportive partner, however I feel that, despite the fact that he never leaves the girl's side, he forgot that he was still dancing and did not bring the presence that a great partner would. Wellington did a fine job as the soloist, though she came off a little too academic for my taste, along with dancing through the music, not with it. A question that came to mind when I saw this ballet was "where is Callie Bachman?" I figured that the infamous angelic Juliet from last year would be ideal for this ballet. However, she never even made an appearance in workshop at all. Did she already join a company without my knowing? The big finale this year was yet another Robbins' ballet, Fanfare, one of his most charming works. All the dancers represent different instruments in an orchestra, presented by a Major Domo (David Lowenstein) before they present a short dance. In its entirety, there are four different sections: Woodwinds (Flutes and Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinets, Bassoons), Strings (First Violins, Second Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Bass, Harp), Brass (Horns, Trumpets, Tuba and Trombones), and Percussion (three male dancers represent all of the different instruments within this category). At the end, they all come together for a rousing Fugue. Not necessarily the most impressive ballet for the dancers to present, it is nothing but pure enjoyment but if its done wrong, it could really ruin the effect of the work. Both casts did a good-hearted job; each variation is so short there is not much of a chance for a dancer to stick out, though a few did. Specifically Sara Adams and Craig Hall as the Violas on Mon. night, giving a very short but sweet pas de deux; both casts of Double Bass (Joshua Brown Sat. night and Samuel Greenberg Mon. night), each so tall with very good jumps; Amy Barker, a startling beauty and giantess who did both performances as the Harp; and Ryan Cardea as the lead/central/main Percussion, who gave the most humorous rendition I have ever seen. As usual, I like to give my opinion of who I would hope join the rank as apprentice with New York City Ballet. Disappointed with the fact the Peter Martins did not take any of the talented ladies from last year, I can only hope that he does not make that mistake again, which would almost be impossible considering the talent does nothing but grow. With highest regards to all the dancers, I feel those who would be prime choices are Kristen Segin, Sara Adams, Megan Johnson, Lillian Watkins, and Chase Finlay. Good luck to them, and all of their peers! Oh p.s., the other two Wein winners this year were Samuel Greenberg and Michael Tucker.
  3. Last night's WORLD TOUR program was a long one, but one surprisingly worth seeing. It gave us an excellent mixture of different choreographers, even if the actual pieces would not be classified as excellent. The opener was the forever sensual and different Bugaku, lead by Albert Evans and, gasp *trumpets blaring* Wendy Whelan. Though I am sure she has done it at some point in the past, it must have been so long ago because Kowroski and Kistler are the only ones who come to mind for recent performances. It is shocking that she has not already done it of late. Her distinct movement quality and firm connection with her partners makes her perfect for this role. During the pas de deux, she was not as much about the sexual aspect of the dance but more of the new found passion behind it. Her in this ballet is a much see! After intermission, the second part of the performance started with Christopher Wheeldon's An American in Paris, a cute ballet for those who are seeing it for the first time, but otherwise there's not much to it. The young and talented Tiler Peck has picked up the reins from the absent Jenifer Ringer to portray the heroine(?) in pink, doing a splendid job. I am a little confused, though. If I heard right, Wheeldon's position as Choreographer in Residence is over and he's gone, yet their farewell to him is, not only just doing one, but one of his less-desirable ballets. I do not understand. Following was Peter Martin's Valse Triste, what to me seems like a rather somber but beautiful pas de deux between principles Jared Angle and Darci Kistler. It has been a while since I have seen Kistler in a ballet that she still shines in, but seeing her do this was so wonderful it reminded me of the very yound Darci from so long ago. Next was another Martin's piece, The Chairman Dances. What a blast from the past! I remember seeing it a very long time ago, but watching it reminded me why I did forget about it so easily. With a huge corps of girls led by the stunning Teresa Reichlen, it soon becomes a psychedelic dance of reds and purples, and then it ends and you realize that nothing had really happened over the period of time. The ladies did look lovely though. The last ballet of the night was Ratmansky's Russian Seasons, a ballet that I have been very curious about. I was a little skeptical about the costumes (think skittles), but they slowly grew on me, thanks in part to the dancers I guess. Whelan and Evans led this ballet as well, along with the amazon-esque Rebecca Krohn and Rachel Rutherford. The principles, along with the corps, did an amazing job evoking the sense of Russian culture, as did the music. The combination of Russian singing with the dancing was perfect. Another must see before it disappears!
  4. SEASONS, the program of Saturday’s evening show, was an interesting one. The first half of the program was the newly-revived Watermill. Though being a rather controversial performance piece (ballet being the wrong term to use), it is something somewhat special to me. I started being interested in the ballet scene back in the very early 70’s, and Watermill’s premiere was one of the first things I saw. So memorable. Very shocking. I was among what seemed to have been a small portion of the audience who really loved it, and it wasn’t until later that I found out that booing was abnormal at a ballet performance. To really enjoy this work, one must be open-minded. Anyhow, seeing it again after so long was so nostalgic, but extremely different. The recently retired Nikolaj Hubbe guest danced, being casted as the barely-moving main man. Having missed his farewell performance last season, I was so relieved that I was getting to see him one last time after all. Remaining pensive and calm throughout the whole piece (lasting over an hour long), he just didn’t seem to have the same emotional connection that Edward Villella portrayed to the role. All the same he was a strong figure to watch. There were a few other highlights that helped keep the work an interesting one. Much to my delight, Matthew Renko helped wake up the audience with his splendid rendition of “the adolescent”, which is the most actual dancing you will see in the whole thing. Having seen him in last year’s School of American Ballet annual workshop, I was excited and surprised to see him again in a leading role, considering he is not even yet in the company. He brought a lot of artistry to a role that could have easily been presented passive. He actually looked, may I say, pretty, considering how flexible he is. Another delight of the evening was the gorgeous Kaitlyn Gilliland, doing a rather sexually explicit pas de deux with Zachary Catazaro, another young talent yet to be in the company. Probably the slowest moving chunk of the piece, one could not help but be captivated by her gorgeous body and lines, holding their breath in anticipation of what she was going to do next. Adam Hendrickson was a natural at his part of the lion/beast, in which he physically harasses a young man to his death (I believe). Overall, I feel the dancers gave their best, in which the audience appreciated. I was a little shocked that, despite being over thirty years later, that someone still felt it was appropriate to boo at the initial curtain call. I am sure it did not faze the dancers. The second half of the program was Four Seasons, which is probably the most classical ballet Robbins ever created. It has been a few years since the last time I saw it, so it was quite wonderfully refreshing, though the show was a little shaky. Megan Fairchild, Sean Suozzi, and Antonio Carmena were a charming threesome in the Winter section. It was going well until some poor corps girl fell pretty hard during the last dance. It was a little alarming. Spring was performed by Sara Mearns and Jared Angle. I am a little surprised by what people have said about Mearns’ second movement Symphony in C, because if it was anything like her Spring it should have been absolutely gorgeous. I have not really seen this young soloist much in the past, but I really liked what I saw. She brought coyness to the part that really emphasized the delicacy of her role. Jared Angle was once again a strong and supportive partner and dancer. The younger Angle brother, Tyler, did a very sensual Summer with his partner Rebecca Krohn. Them pairing up makes a strong, natural couple that I would like to see again in the future. Fall was the crowd pleasure, which could not be helped with the power trio that performed: Ashley Bouder, Benjamin Millepied, and Daniel Ulbricht. Always being a fiery dancer, Ashley was a natural, though in my opinion a little too cheeky the whole time. Millepied was a solid leading man, bring a lot of ABT-esque bravura to his variation. With his school-boy personality and his sky touching jumps, Ulbricht is probably the best faun you will ever see. It was a great beginning for me as I start watching the Robbins Celebration unfurl and I can not wait until the next performance.
  5. I have to say, with the first two weeks of casting already up and the season starting next week, I'm so excited about the Jerome Robbins Celebration! I haven't been able to see the company perform much over the past couple of seasons, but I feel with the Celebration it is a great time to be a little more dedicated to seeing the ballet. Though my feelings for Robbins ballets have always been conflicting, it's going to be great to finally see some ballets that I haven't seen in years. Looking over the subscriptions on the New York City Ballet, I could recall seeing so many of these ballets when they first premiered, and the cast that made them so wonderful (at most part). I tried to make sure that the series I was subscribing to would give me a wide variety of the ballets going, most part to see the most interesting Robbins ballets and also to get some Balanchine in there at the same time. I definitely made sure that I was going to see the ballets being revived (such as Les Noces, Brahms/Handel, and Watermill). To all of those who are planning going to the Celebration some time this season, I wish you guys a wonderful experience!
  6. Pardon me for interrupting this very indulging conversation about Wein Winners and current soloist, but considering the topic is about the SAB workshop, I'd like to report my views on the performances. I attended both the Sat and Mon night performances, and I have to say the talent shown in both were astounding. I know every year people talk about great dancers that are seen, but I can honestly that this year was the first time in a very long while that I've seen such abundance of phenomanal dancers who must be destined to live tip-top careers. The program started off with Twinkliana, a ballet choreographed by Sean Lavery, which features 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Both casts were simply charming and energetic and so extremely talented for how young the are, espeically the boys. Joe Gordon (Sat) and Austin Bachman (Mon) displayed very clean and mature dancing in there variations. The program continued with Peter Martin's Les Gentilhommes. Personally, having seen this ballet's premiere way back in 1987 and its continuous changes since then, I have to say I'm proud how this new generation of young male dancers came up to the taste to pull off this rather difficult ballet with grace and ease as the original cast did. The lead Sat night was Javier Ubell who, despite his short stature, danced quite big with his incredible bounding leaps. I find him a little reminiscent of Gen Horiuchi, the originator of the role. On Mon night, the ballet was led by Matthew Renko, another immensely talented dancer. Though his dancing did not have as much attack as Ubell's, his whole performance was coated with a calm, proud presence; a savoir faire that is needed for this ballet. Immediately following was another Martins piece; the balcony scene from his recent Romeo + Juliet production, which was both times danced by Callie Bachman and Russell Janzen. What a thrill it was to finally see her dance the ballet she was destined to do. Ever since I saw her on the Pointe magazine cover, her looks alone captivated me and I knew I must see her do Juliet. Though her injuries kept her from doing the full length production, she couldn't be stopped from performing this role at some point. Both nights on Juilliard Theater stage, she went full out for the intense 10 min pas de deux, both her and her partner giving as much passion and acting one could give within those short minutes, being very impressive considering there wasn't a storyline to build up from. After the intermission was Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, one of his best and most popular ballets. The casting for this was flawless. Each dancer gave a great interpretation of their role and expressed their feeling of their dances to the audience. All the Themes did their part beautifully; no exceptions. Now, over the years, every once in a while there will be a dancer who does the same part for all the shows (such as Benjamin Millepied did La Source in 1995). It could be because there weren't any other dancers up for the part or simply because the dancer is so good they have "earned" it. Which ever reason it is, Matthew Renko is a rare one, and for good reason. Having done Melancholic Sat night, he really stuck out in my mind; he made me awestruck. So imagine my delight Mon night when I got the chance to seem him repeat another fabulous performance. He was so expressive without being overdramatic (which could be the case sometimes), longing for something but not needing it. And dare I mention his backbending! I thought he would snap in two. Incredible! Having seen NYCB do this production multiple times, I've never been fond of any of the Melancholic dancers besides Peter Boal (who was the best for the role); I feel that they might find a replacement. Sanguinic was danced by Jacqueline Damico and Russell Janzen on Sat night, giving a slightly rough but all together good performance. Mon night was lead with Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck, giving a splendid performance. Having already seen Segin dance Sat in Gounod Symphony, I was beside myself to see her do yet another demanding role, coming through with full colors. (Both Holly Dorger and Raina Gilliland where exceptionally skillful and demanding Cholerics in their own ways. Last on the program was Gounod Symphony, a ballet that I've only seen a couple of times. A gorgeous piece with a large corps, this ballet is very demanding for its principles who dance nearly the whole time throught out the three movements. Some might find this ballet boring, but I found it drawing me in. The corps genuinely looked like they were having fun, making one pattern after another. And one can not help but stare at the marvel that is the central pas de deux, which does nothing but display grace, beauty, and technique for the ballerina. Mon night principles were Sara Adams and Zachary Clark, both very appealing dancers and did a lovely job. However, I was more intrigued by the Sat night cast, being Kristen Segin and Joshua Thew. Unfortunately I cannot report much on Thew, not because I was unhappy with his dancing, but because Segin held my attention the whole time. Her dancing is demanding but not harsh; she has the dancing of a dainty female dancer but with the energy of a male. Overall, her dancing is incredibly precocious. Dare I compare her to a younger Janie Taylor, who did the exact same role for her workshop in 1998. I am hoping to see her dance again in the future. The Mae L. Wein winners (Sara Adams, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, and Kristen Segin) all had wonderful performances, but I bet my money on some other kids who might (and hopefully) get an apprenticeship with NYCB. I have to say they few I pick in this great display of talent has to Russell Janzen, Callie Bachman, Matthew Renko, and Kristen Segin. They all displayed a great presence and technique and maturity in their dancing that are rare to come across (so Peter, PLEASE, sign them up now!) As I've said, a wonderful job this year and I wish all the youngsters the best of futures.
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