E Johnson

The NYCB website has soem photos from the first week up: http://www.nycballet.com/programs/frc.html

The Sat matinee cast of Tombeau was: Bar, Hall, Beskow, Hanna, Edge, Stafford, Golbin, Crenshaw, Abergel, Froman (Kyle), Ash, Fowler, Hanson, Seth, McBrearty, and Boehmer. I am always interested to hear others describe Taylor as uncontrolled in her dancing. Not that I don’t see it, but that the thing that bothers me about her is that she seems unaware of anything going on around her (or else unconcerned) - other dancers, the audience, etc. She appears to be dancing for herself only.

It’s always nice to get back to the NY State Theater. Saturday’s matinee program was Serenade, Tombeau [i'm not even going to try to spell the whole thing], Pavane, and Western Symphony. Serenade was not the best I've ever seen it performed, but was still wonderful. This is the one ballet where the question isn't whether I'll cry but when. Kistler and Kowroski gave lovely, fully-realized performances. Janie Taylor was game, but suffered by comparison to the other two: she looked young and too self-contained. Tombeau was lovely and almost hypnotic. It flowed. Kyra Nichols danced Pavane. I was looking forward to this one quite a bit and was not disappointed. My companion, who is much more of a music person, told me she was interested to see what the choreography would be like since the music is "very structured, but very sentimental." The ballet has very simple steps, lots of repetition, the dancer is saddled with a potentially problematic prop (a lengthy of chiffon) and it was, for reasons I cannot put my finger on, incredibly moving. Nichols was perfect. Western Symphony was very uneven. The first movement was Somogyi and Martins. Somogyi was trying hard, I thought, but Martins was, well, not good. The steps were there, but close to zero emotion, or characterization, or awareness of anyone else on stage. What contrast to the second movement, in which Albert Evans, from his first five seconds on stage, gave us a fully-realized character. Ansanelli was also excellent and the two worked very well together. Once again I was filled with an urge to toss a brick through Peter Martins' window with a note around it demanding that Evans be cast more often. Hubbe and guest Sylve did the third movement. Sylve is amazingly strong and confident. She did seem a bit too studied and careful, especially for this role, but I imagine that will change with time.

WNYE in New York (channel 25 on my cable box) will be broadcasting the excellent docuementary about Paul Taylor, "Dancemaker", on December 26 at 8PM and December 28 at 1PM.

Actually, NYCB has credited donors who support revivals of old works in addition to those whose donations are used for the creation of new ones.

My mother, who was knocking around the theater world in the late 50's-early 60's, recalls that Walken was originally typecast as, well, whatever the male version of ingenue is. It was later (and perhaps in the movies, as opposed to theater?) that he was stuck in the psycho slot. I agree that he'd do a good Carabosse. And why not Drosselmeier?

I'd just like to second what Juliet said about women getting home earlier. I, for one, pretty much have to go straight to the theater from the office, so I like the early curtain since that means I get to my post-performance dinner (not to mention bed!) that much sooner.

Peter Boal will be part of the Joyce's Altogether Different festival this winter, offering a program of three solos, choreographed by Molissa Fenley, Albert Evans, and Wendy Perron. Performances are on January 9, 12, and 14 only. I'm not sure when tickets will be available to the general public but I think sometime in late August. [i'm not sure this is the best forum for this post so moderators should feel free to move it somewhere more appropriate.]

I like Barber Violin Concerto. Surprisingly to me, I liked it the most the last time I saw it, when the cast was Kistler, Askegard, Evans, and someone I can't recall -- since I too had thought it wouldn't survive well without Ashley and Stacey Calvert, who had danced the Kate Johnson role. Beyond that and Sleeping Beauty I haven't seen much Martins that I've liked. It veers between boring and offensive, and his terrible taste in music (Adams? Torke?) doesn't help.

If the question were "new choreography at NYCB -- up or down?" my answer would be different. But there has been new choreography produced outside the confines of the DP -- e.g. in recent years, by Wheeldon, Martins, Tharp, and Feld. All established choreographers, admittedly. I think the idea of letting the Choreographic Institute feed into NYCB more directly would be a way to get new, less established choreographers' work performed. I was lucky enough to see one of the Institute's performances this fall and thought that the work was, on the whole, more interesting and exciting than the average DP work.

NYCB has and can (and should!) produce new choreography outside of the Diamond Project. One problem with it, I think, is that from all indications it rushes choreographers and dancers -- too much too fast -- and as a result I don't think it shows new choreography off particularly well. Yes, some of the ballets are probably keepers (Red Angels and Ancient Airs & Dances, for example, have been in and out of the rep) but on the whole it doesn’t present an encouraging picture of new choreography, or much else.

Hmm. I saw her on Sunday and thought she was miscast -- as was Askegard. Both lovely dancers, both terrific in the adagios and when dancing together, but neither, to me, really carried off the pyrotechnics.

Did she in fact dance Antique Epigraphs? Because much to my disappointment, she was not in Elegie today (replaced by what appeared to be an extremely underrehearsed Carla Korbes), because of "illness."

Not so much noticing as changing my opinion of, for the better. Kowroski has often left me cold, but this season, particularly in Agon, she impressed me mightily. Taylor has also not impressed me before, but after seeing her in Who Cares and Div. No. 15 (last Saturday), I have realized that perhaps it isn't her dancing but the roles she has had that I have disliked. Previously I am pretty sure I saw her exclusively in the Martins repertory, which, to put it mildly, I don't like. In Balanchine, she seemed to me a different dancer -- warmer, more personable, just easier to enjoy. I’ve also thought Soto looked better this season than recently – I liked Chiaroscuro (I was live at the PBS broadcast performance), and really liked him last week in Agon.

The NYCB gift shop at the NYState theater is selling a video that is a compilation of all of Tallchief's appearances on the Bell telephone hour.

I'm a higher up so I can see the whole stage type. I have a subscription to NYCB that I keep renewing, even if I don't like the programs, beause I would hate to give up the seat -- in the center of the first row of the second ring. I woudln't mind beign in the same place in the first ring, of course, but that would take more money and also, i fear, waiting for many people to die.

What a wonderful evening. Others have said most of what I would want to say already, but a few brief notes. Prodigal was, to me, more moving than it has been before -- I am sure at least in part because of the occasion. Boal and Alexopoulos were outstanding. The pas de deux of the Siren and Prodigal is a killer, in terms of strength, balance, and trust, and never once did they wobble or lose focus. Both dancers are notable in that they are always completely present in their roles, aware of everyone around them and responding to what happens as it unfolds on stage. Viola Alone suffered a great deal from its context, I think. I enjoyed the music more than choreography, which looked like progression form one pose that would like nice as a still in a brochure to another but not much more than that. I have never really liked Vienna Waltzes but for this performance I at least stayed awake throughout. Meunier reminded me of her incredible commitment to every role and Ringer was a joy to behold. Nichols did not work for me -- I'm not sure exactly why not, but to me, there was almost no content to what she was doing; she danced the steps but not much more. The ovations for Alexopoulos were a pleasure. I felt privileged to be able to in some way show my appreciation for all the pleasure she's given me over the years.

The cast for this performance looks to be wonderful. I got a ticket because of Alexopoulos but am looking forward to it for many reasons now.

yes, I went. Short notes: Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Whelan, Evans, Ansanelli, Hubbe. Whelannad Evans felt surprisingly off to me. THey seemed to soft and not confident or precise as they suually are. Ansanelli was a real pleasure and Hubbe the standout. Ansanelli and Hubbe portrayed an actual realtionship in their dancing. Morgen. YAWN. I am not a big Strauss fan, and I don't like these dimly lit stages with big columns on them (Stabat Mater uses one too). That said the dancers were lovely, particularly Kistler, Soto, and Ringer. The audience really loved this one, while I had a problem staying awake. The different pas deux are not sufficiently dissimilar to keep my interest. In G Major, Kowrowski, Neal. A very light and sunny ballet very well performed. Neal particularly seems to have been improvng steadily over the past few years.

I have a vague recollection, which might be entirely incorrect, that ABT did have Billy the Kid in its rep a few years ago, with Steifel (and probably others, given the way they cast things) in the lead. I didn’t see it but remember it being in ABT's subscription brochure.

Once I thought Peter Boal was boring.

In G major and Who Cares?, too, as well as perennial favorites Agon and Serenade. Also I'm hoping for a second look at Mercurial Manoeuvres.

Well, I like her. When I started going to NYCB fairly regularly about seven years ago, she was one of the first dancers that I easily distinguished form the others, if that makes sense -- as soon as she came on stage I knew who she was. Not just her appearance (I agree she is beautiful) but her style was very distinctive to me. I think she's excelled in an interesting mix of roles -- Episodes, and Red Angels, which was choreographed on her, I believe, on the one hand, and then more "dramatic" roles, including Slaughter, Dances at a Gathering and Vienna Waltzes. I have always felt she was underappreciated among NYCB’s principal women. I don't think (but am not sure) that Martins has ever choreographed for her.

Thanks for this poll. It made me realize that I have often said "i don't like dancer X, she's too cold" but never really said "I don't like Dancer Y, her technique is bad" -- unless Y's personality was such that it couldn't distract me from techinical problems. Even though if asked why I like particular dancers, I know part of my answer would be "perfect technique." An epiphany, if a minor one.

Thanks for this poll. It made me realize that I have often said "i don't like dancer X, she's too cold" but never really said "I don't like Dancer Y, her technique is bad" -- unless Y's personality was such that it couldn't distract me from techinical problems. Even though if asked why I like particular dancers, I know part of my answer would be "perfect technique." An epiphany, if a minor one.