Juliet

It's the May 10 issue. It's Adrian Danchig-Waring, not Kyle Froman, I believe. Can't say too much for the clothes......

Thank you, everyone. This program is one which I would very much like to have seen as counterpoint and contrast to the crazy quilt of the Gala. It is an inspired combination of ballets and I thank you for the detailed reviews....

You make a very good and important point, Michael. With Peter Martins The Program is the thing. One never loses sight of this, and more so in recent years.

It is an open board---you are welcome to your opinions, negative and positive. The emphasis is on ballet and ballet performances, however, not personal connections between performers. Sorry if I sounded harsher than was my intention.....

"in my humble opinion, galas are pretty much a non-event - dancewise and otherwise." In that case, your criticism seems somewhat harsh. "i did feel that the dancing and the music in last night's performance were not always in sync, which made me very uneasy at times." Very possibly, but with the variety of conductors and lack of rehearsal, I thought everyone did remarkably well (except the horns, but we're used to that, alas.) "except for that of the splendid kyra nichols, none of the dancing was beyond nycb's usual level." I disagree. I thought everyone looked remarkably energised. And NYCB's "usual level" is not chopped liver.... "someone should remark on the sj parker-c bushnell-c askegard connection." Why? This is a ballet board. Their lives are their personal lives and this is not the arena for airing gossip. Besides, who cares? "to have a pop kind of host, who mainly was a fashion show, dishonored the event - marketing, marketing, marketing ruled." Marketing rules most things of this nature. Ms. Parker attended SAB, has been a public advocate of ballet for years, and was the best possible choice to combine television and ballet spheres....at least she puts her money where her mouth is. I thought she was articulate and charming. The changing of dresses and hairstyles was, perhaps, not the best choice, but I thought she did a good job. (Susan Stroman, while undeniably talented, was the odd choice, for my money....) "my personal tribute to mr. balanchine at 100 consisted of attending many screenings of him and his company at the museum of television and radio -- tears were shed there. " I think many of us have been indulging in private tributes to him this year, some happy memories, some sad, but all of them grateful to him for giving us such beauty. I think the filming of last night's performance was very badly done, although most of the performances were beautiful.....at least it was an opportunity to have ballet on television.....

Be careful what you wish for, Manhattnik....remember the 'Eifman ballet for NYCB' wish a few years back.....?

Peter Martins has not revived it for NYCB because Suzanne Farrell owns the rights. There may be plans for her company to do it in the future.

This is a really interesting thread! I'm a librarian and am always amazed at how many people buy books rather than borrowing them.....I've never figured this out, since we get thousands of books donated to us every month.... I buy books if I want them for future reference, of course......lots, occasionally duplicates, and of course, out of print dance books that I have lent and which have never been returned.... As part of my job, I scan a good bit of what comes in, especially the children's/young adult titles----reading the end first, of course.....!

I wouldn't rank it with my top ten favourite Swan Lakes. But then, I think she has become a vastly more interesting and beautiful dancer as she's matured. I saw her perform a magnificenet Swan Lake with ABT about 4 years ago, a superb Mozartiana and Tchaikovsky pdd in 2002 (I believe). This video is good, but not stellar.

I agree about Behrens' acting ability (which is why I didn't listen to the broadcast)---one of the most beautiful performances i've ever seen on a stage. I love Die Walkure and hope to see it this spring--and perhaps entice some hitherto-skittish-about-Wagner friends to join me! I might have to resort to bribery.....

I know that I am in a minority, but I think this film is an amazing and very beautiful thiing--the costumes are exquisite. There is a wonderful book by Rumer Godden (I believe, could be wrong) called A Tale of the Tales, which I have and highly recommend. It is out of print but occasionally available online through used book sources, or eBay. The film is wonderful, the music charming, the ballet on stage less successful (although certainly enjoyable.)

I believe that the original question was focused on tempo, not the relative merits of the orchestra. I still vote for the Bonynge--some dancers find the Bolshoi recording too slow. I am very fond of the Gergiev recording of Sleeping Beauty, although, again the tempi are a matter of preference. This recordiing is certainly energetic in sections. I like Mark Ermler's recordings with Covent Garden--I think his Swan Lake is especially fine. He does have a Sleeping Beauty available, both highlights and complete, which you might like to listen to and see if the variation speed is comfortable for you.

I also missed this when it was first posted, and must add my thanks and lauds-- I think a good many people are looking forward to the summer performances in NYC. A funny: Zenaida Yanowsky came from Covent Garden to dance the pas de deux from Agon, which she did with great power and authority. Federico Bonelli (also Covent Garden) was less impressive partnering her. At times he looked like nothing so much as her little lap dog. Yanovsky is a splendid. splendid dancer (I was disappointed recently not to see her Carabosse which I had been happily anticipating...instead I saw Thiago Soares' who danced Madge instead of Carabosse....Sigh.) Bonelli has pretty line but his stage presence is not, shall we say, powerful and arresting. I saw Monica Zamora when George Piper Dancers were in New York and I think the prospect of her performing Slaughter would be enough to send anyone up to Birmingham, even in the snow!!!! What a riveting presence--sensual, high voltage enough to jump start even a pudding.

I agree about the Bonynge for Sleeping Beauty, and indeed all his recordings of ballet are excellent for performance tempi. Just my opinion, but a lot of people seem to agree--best of luck!

Askegard tossing anyone what-to-him-seems-like-UP would be about 12 feet off the floor! I remember when Ashley learned it for SAB Workshop they played it straight; of course she was absolutely splendid in it! I think it's vastly more effective this way....in Boston last October it was also especially wonderful because the mugging was kept to a minimum, but not the panache.

I've also gone several times and while I didn't see much new, I did enjoy it very, very much. Professionally, I am always interested in exhibits and how well they are mounted; this is certainly one which should be visited and revisited by anyone who can possibly make it to NYC. As liebs said, don't wait until the spring season--it closes at the end of April. The Nijinsky exhibit last year was very good, and this is even better.

I hope that we'll get reports on this-- I think it will be very interesting--(I am a Morris fan) However, if one is thinking of curious woodland costumes, one cannot but recall the charming ensemble (a la Rocky of R & Bullwinkle fame) which was worn by Actaeon in the Lubovich Artemis for ABT last year.....the cunning little hood from which sprang forth perky little antlers......and the toilet-paper bedecked trousers of the stalwart huntsmen..... I love Delibes and his orchestrations are so wonderful that one can always listen to the music if the costumes go awry......

Some of us thought that McKerrow "hung 'em up" a few years ago--weren't there several "retirements" and "final performances" by her? I know that I have my lapses, but I distinctly recall at least one, if not more..... Ferri is still the definitive Juliet at ABT, for my money. I thought Vishneva's guest performance last June was remarkable, but if one wants to see Ferri, I wouldn't delay too much longer.

For all that Taub saw in this cast's rendering of "Airs," I still think it looks tepid in comparison with Taylor's original cast. No one since has given the scooping attitudes penchees the voluptuousness that Ruth Andrien gave them. On her, those phrases alone were a highlight of the Taylor oeuvre. Very true. But a good many things look comparatively tepid, or gruesomely exaggerated, or completely WRONG---it depends on the dancer's talents, sensibilities and the coaching received. I really, really enjoyed the review and wish, like Alexandra, that the company would come to Washington more frequently. I thought In The Beginning was rather negligible--what I took away was the Old Testament posturing--but others may like that sort of thing. On Rose Adagio, I hesitate to open a can of worms, but I hold that the Russian artists I have seen, especially recently, hold every pose, exaggerate every arabesque, and do all manner of tricks. Petipa or no Petipa, it is all part of the milk the audience for all it's worth, penche as deeply as you can, pirouette three times as much as is called-for and "maybe they'll give us a job in Cirque de Soleil." (No disrespect to C du S artists--I love them!) Elegance and artistry are being stuffed under the tutus in the packing trunks. I have no objection to the slightly faster tempi which are being used--there is a point in which "luxuriating in the artistic moment" topples over into "are they ever going to finish this variation?" Perhaps the balances used to be used for effect, perhaps not, but I have seen Beautys recently in which they were not vehicles for tricks, and they were not danced by Russian dancers. It's all in the coaching and the dancer, whether Paul Taylor or Balanchine, or Petipa.

'When I took a tour of the building a couple of months ago, the guide pointed out all the fixtures and artwork that were "gifts" from various nations. I cringed inwardly, imagining the strongarm tactics that procured these "gifts." I don't think this was necessarily the case. Baksheesh is an accepted thing among statesmen. Considering how many monetary gifts the US provides worldwide, I don't think you need to cringe in the slightest. Your tax dollars at work, and all that.......

I agree with you, to a great degree, Cygnet. I did see her perform Juliet in July, however, and she was splendid.

They also replaced the carpet in the lobbies and stairways. I think. It already looks rather tatty. For all the New Yorkers, Edward Durrell Stone, the architect of the KenCen is also responsible for the Moorish Fantasy at 2 Columbus Circle. Does this completely answer everyone's questions? (For those unfortunate enough not to be able to feast their eyes on the aforementioned, it looks like a shoebox on end with swiss cheese holes along the top and bottom.)

I think it is as ugly as ever. Except for the lighting fixtures, which I've always liked. The house is relatively small and so side viewing, even from second tier front, is not too bad. at all. The stage is really noisy for pointework, however. Admittedly, I've been watching NYCB at the NYST for years, but I was appalled at how loud the shoes sounded....in Emeralds it was really disconcerting. I think Kennedy Center is ugly, so it would have to be bulldozed before I'd like it. I'm happy that the Opera House is open again, though--more space for performances is always a good thing!

Well, I agree on some things and disagree on others. I like the new designs. I think the mood is right, the feeling is right, the interplay between costumes and sets is right. I also happen to love green...... Miranda Weese flowed through Emeralds. I think she has either watched Violette et Mr. B. a good deal, or has really thought about/studied the role, as I found her very satisfying in it....for me she is like a river in this: sparkly in some places, limpid, soft and expansive and deep......I really did enjoy her performance tonight. Softest pointe work I've ever seen her do. Jenifer Ringer was not quite as successful.....she didn't have a night of great dancing, and I expected her to be lovely in this. She seemed disjointed, the movement not expansive or lush or nuanced.......I have a niggling feeling that perhaps I'm out in left field, but she just didn't connect with the music or the role. Carmena has done the pas de trois before and I found him less jarring in this than previously; he was a little cleaner and less showy......Tinsley and Van Kipnis were bland. Looked prettry, but b o r i n g. Rubies gave Reichlen the opportunity to perform for the home crowd (she is from northern Virginia) and she seemed a little more energised than usual. I still don't find her doing anything other than the steps and a penche does not equal a performance. I'm not trying to sound harsh, but although she is a pretty dancer, and emploi is certainly in evidence here, I don't think she has a clue about any sort of characterization or personality in the role. I'm hoping it will come with time--I thought she was fine in PC #2 earlier in the season, but a little more fascinatin' rhythm is required here. Ansanelli was simply beautiful--she didn't hold back, danced full out and dared Woetzel to stay asleep on stage. He actually showed a little pep and facial animation and partnered her better than usual. Diamonds was Kowrowski in beautiful Odette mode. Yes, she is lovely. No, there wasn't an ounce of mystery in her. I keep waiting for her to unleash....something.....to fling herself into that wonderful unsupported pirouette and make us gasp........ She is very beautiful, but I prefer her in funny mode lately. She's a great comedienne but grandeur is not her strong suit. (I know, I am just disgruntled and missing Whelan....) Philip Neal was also lovely and danced elegantly as ever. The house was enthusiastic.....highlights for me were Weese and Ansanelli; the diamonds were not faceted deeply enough to catch all the spectrum of colours..... Corps looked very good, I thought, especially coming off 2 weeks of Sleeping Beauty and three months without a day off. Very, very glad to have NYCB in Washiongton----- the orchestra, by the way, sounded great. Horn players who don't splat. Quinn conducted and led everyone a merry romp through the last section of Diamonds.....perhaps it was meant to be exhilarating!

I enjoyed it very much, too. Thank you for writing!!!! I was one of those who was out and about the greenmarkets, and everywhere else I could roam to take advantage of the weather. Happy that you enjoyed it--how was the opera?