angelica

I do believe that Herrera, Kent, and Reyes did not go gentle into ABT retirement.

So strange, after a fabulous success in Manon last spring.

Same here. Is there a url?

Some dancers pay for outside coaching, and it shows in their dancing. I think the particular dancer of whom we speak has taken acting lessons, but is so secure in her legs and feet that she doesn't realize anything is wrong with her upper body and port de bras. It is the responsibility of the artistic staff to educate her about this.

It shouldn't have to take the presence of any single choreographer to point out a dancer's flaws, since these appear in every ballet she dances. Somebody on the artistic staff needs to coach her or else present her with the need to get an outside coach, as many dancers do. There are too many ballets I have to avoid because she is dancing the leading role.

I do not think that FauxPas made any faux pas and I agree with everything said above. I saw the same program last Saturday night and was so disappointed with The Seasons, about which I'd heard such good things. With Abrera dancing the Spirit of the Corn instead of Boylston, the ballet took on a whole new elegance worthy of calling it a masterpiece. Watching T&V, I didn't see how it could be danced any faster by Devon and Cory, who seemed to fill out every musical phrase. if it were danced any faster it would have looked jerky and manic. I also want to give a shout-out to Courtney Lavine as Hail. I thought she did a beautiful job and I'm glad to see her breaking out of the corps into demi roles. And another shout-out to Zimmi Coker of the corps, who looked completely at one with the three soloists. I really enjoy seeing corps dancers getting demi roles and maybe moving up through the ranks.

Thanks, Cobweb. That will help a lot sitting in the second ring. I love to sit in Row A Orchestra, but the Koch prices are prohibitive. My sweet spot is Row A second ring.

Thank you, Sal. I'm going twice more this week, so it will feel better for me because I like to know who is dancing what.

Was Zimmi Coker the dancer with bright red hair and Catherine Hurlin the dancer with red hair but not so bright? I was sitting in the second ring and can't quite make out the faces unless I know the dancers really well.

My recollection is that when Cornejo first joined ABT he was told that he would never dance major princely roles in full-length ballets because he was too short. Then, as luck would have it, petite Xiomara Reyes joined the company, and Cornejo immediately had a partner who was just the right size. From that moment, he began to be assigned princely roles opposite Reyes as his partner. It made me so happy at the time that this was happening. His ability to take on these major roles was apparent from the get-go.

Perhaps Herman's sister, Erica, is dancing the female roles? Still, the casting should show this.

Oh God, another Ratmansky full-length.

What is Of Love and Rage? I've never heard of it until now.

ITA in the case of the non-subs to ABT this fall. The point, though, is that you can change your tickets for $20.

If I'm not mistaken (and I may be), Sarah Lane has danced T&V with ABT in the past. On the matter of ticketing, when I bought my tickets I asked about changing them (e.g., for a different cast) and they said you can change your tickets for a $20 fee. I know that's yet another fee, but my understanding had been that you can't change your tickets unless you're a subscriber.

I totally agree. I even bought a pair of her autographed pointe shoes, before I knew of her retirement, so I'll always remember her.

This leaves open the possibility that McKenzie will want to import guest artists in the future. For a time he presided over a roster of exceptional male principals. Perhaps he never felt equal to them, and doesn't want to have that feeling again. There's obviously something going on in his brain, whether conscious (financials) or unconscious (competition). Or he's just bumbling along from season to season.

He really stepped up to the plate this season.

It seems to me that there are several (maybe more) members of BA who would be excellent ballet reviewers for the Times. I'm thinking of sandik, pherank, and Quiggin, since they most recently posted, among others. If anyone here would like to pitch themselves to the Times as the successor to AM, we would all certainly benefit. You probably get free tickets to performances, great seats, and maybe even a travel and entertainment expense account for interviews and travel abroad. Just a thought.....

Oh, I love you, Jack Reed!

My former ballet teacher used to say that ballet is a Fine Art, like painting, and is not in the same category as other forms of dance. This is, indeed, an elitist attitude to which I wholly subscribe.

I've been watching the PBS News Hour for a couple of years now, and they have an "arts" component they call "Canvas." I have never seen a single segment on ballet. Moreover, I can't remember a single segment on any form of dance. I should write to them. (Maybe we all should.) It would have been nice to see something about ABT BEFORE the opening of the Spring season. And then one afterwards.

Isn't Siebert mostly a modern dance guy?

Lane proved her principal dancer chops long before she was promoted to Principal Dancer, but last night she outdid herself, delivering a heart-stopping performance that took every risk and nailed it, along with her fellow principal Herman Cornejo. Her dancing was, indeed, "transcendent," as Fleurfairy noted above, both technically, and emotionally. I've long been a fan of Lane's and hope that this Manon will give her access to more performances of Giselle, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. I'd like to put in a plug here for Courtney Lavine, who is a beautiful dancer and finally got to take a curtain call outside the curtain with her fellow harlot (was that Betsy McBride?).

I guess that's possible if ABT decided not to renew her contract.