abatt

Of all the casts that I saw when this Nutcracker production played New York, my absolute favorite was Murphy-Hallberg. Murphy was triumphant in this role - definitely one of her best.

I was truly surprised when I read the NY Times review. I disagree that Cojocaru is unsuitable for courtesan roles. Even though her demeanor and body type is more in the soubrette category, her acting and her passion overcame any issues relating to the fact that she is not a glamour girl like Vishneva or Zakharova. I did agree, however, that Scarlett's No Man's Land did look a lot like Scarlett's Funerialles (at NYCB). However, since Fuerialles was one of the few Scarlett works I have really enjoyed, the fact that he mostly repeated himself in No Man's Land was a plus as far as I was concerned.

Whew. Alina outdid herself last night. Cojocaru, along with Ms. Rojo and Ms. Lopatkina, are too seldom seen in New York City. It was a rare opportunity to see these superstars. Alina's Lady of the Camellias pdd was scorching with passion. I don't have my program but I believe her partner was Vogel? I normally don't like Liam Scarlett much, but the No Man's Land pdd with Cojocaru and Kobborg was also pretty wonderful. Rojo and her parnter (Hernandez?) were thrilling in Black Swan pdd. Only 3 minutes of Lopatkina (Dying Swan) is not nearly enough, but oh what a glorious 3 minutes they were. Simkin was thrilling in Bourgeois. The Ashton tidbit was pleasurable, but too short. Alina held a very long unsupported balance in the Rose Adagio. Somehow the Rose Adagio isn't terribly fulfilling as an excerpt, but Alina's did impressive work. The down side was an awful little dance called Tango. Lots of over emoting, but not much dancing. Also the Le Corsaire pdd was substituted for the Diana and Acteon, and the ballerina was clearly in way above her head - coming off pointe multiple times and traveling all over the place in the fouettes. Please retire Radio and Juliet from the gala circuit already. There was a little speech given in which it was mentioned that they intend to make this an annual gala in New York City. I'm sold. Sign me up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/arts/dance/dance-this-week-alina-cojocaru-liz-gerring-and-an-alternative-nutcracker.html?ref=dance The gala finally got a mention in today's NY Times. Great photo of from R&J!

Thanks for the links. Hope to watch them when I have time. Did anyone notice that when the host, Novikova, listed great past interpreters of the lead roles she included David Hallberg? Hallberg did not dance Armand at ABT. He danced the l secondary role of Des Greiux. Well at least the Bolshoi has not forgotten Hallberg. That's a positive sign, I suppose.

That lift is from Spartacus, although I don't know whether that was the first ballet in which it was used.

In my opinion this ballet (and several others, too) would be best served by putting Vishneva and Gomes on tape. It's almost criminal that we have no video record of their partnership. I'm now interested in finding the Paris Opera ballet version that you have mentioned.

I agree with Drew that Zakharova surprised me in this. I have seen her live and also on film, and she has always seemed cold. Not in this. Her performance was very moving. I also though that Revazov as Armand did a fine job with the partnering. However, there was not the kind of chemistry that one would hope for in this ballet. I guess I have a very high standard, as I kept comparing this couple to Gomes and Vishneva, who did this ballet at ABT. However, all in all, a very worthy way to spend an afternoon. I went to a local small theater In Queens that I have never gone to before, and it was about half sold.

I tried to watch but I started getting bored about a half hour in. The actress who played Dorothy had a lovely voice but was not a good actress. I switched over to a cable TV showing of BIG with Tom Hanks.

Wow Lopatkina too. Looking forward to this. Not surprised it is selling poorly. The tickets are expensive, and the music will be recorded. Also not much advertising was done.

Don't know if anyone bothered to check the updated BAM website, but Shkylarov is now listed for programs B and D.

I am incredulous at how someone who rarely sees a company dance can make such broad pronouncements about a change in style based on a single performance. Overreaching? Needed to fill up his column?

This is the same film that was presented on public television about two years ago. The cast does not change depending on whether you see it on Dec 5 or 10. Someone p osted a link to the casting above. Megan Fairchild is Sugarplum, Bouder is Dewdrop and DeLuz is Cavalier

i have not read the book and probably will not have time to get to it. Did anyone see the musical Bring On Da Noise Bring on Da Funk during the 1990s? It was on Broadway and related the history of tap dancing to the African American experience. That musical indicated that tap was initially used as a form of communication among Africans on slave ships being transported to the United States.

Maria and her husband Martin Harvey are the proud parents of baby boy Dylan, born on Nov 23. See below link. Congrats! https://www.instagram.com/p/-fqWXujqif/

Alert to anyone who bought tickets to Whelan/Watson "Other Stories" at NY City Center, scheduled for March 2016. I just got an email from City Center stating that the performances are cancelled to "accomodate the artists' schedules". Didn't they know their schedules before they signed the contracts?! If you bought by credit, you are automatically refunded on your card. However if, like me, you paid cash at the box office, you have to schlep back to the box office with the tickets to get your money back.

Gomes also choreographed Copeland's first Under Armour TV spot - the one where she's in a studio doing jetes and spins while someone is reading aloud a fictitious rejection letter sent by a ballet school.

Is this the same SB that was broadcast by the RB a few years ago, with Polounin?

The problem is that the BAM website prominently features photos of Vishneva and Lopatkina in performance in connection with the Mariinsky shows. I think some people who do not read the "fine print" will be very confused as to the content. BAM recently added a line to the description on their website stating that these are solo dance performances. Hopefully the exact program info will be provided soon. Until then, I'm not buying tixs for these shows.

Castng is up for Week 2. No major debuts (some debuts in small roles). Catazaro is cast in the non-dancing role of Dr. Stahlbaum. I wonder what that means in terms of the status of his injury from the Fall season. http://www.nycballet.com/NYCB/media/NYCBMediaLibrary/PDFs/Press/Casting/NYCB-Casting_Dec-3-6,-2015_lobby.pdf

Misty has signed a deal for a third book, which will cover health and fitness. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/misty-copeland-to-write-book-on-health-and-fitness/?ref=arts Actually, I'm surprised she hasn't come out with an exercise video yet. Maybe that will be a future project.

Surprise surprise. Zakharova is getting the Dec 6 broadcast of Lady of the Camellias. Her partner is someone I've never heard of from the Hamburg ballet (E. Revazov?). http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/713/roles/#20151206180000 I would have enjoyed seeing either the Obratsova cast or the Smirnova cast, but, alas, it seems that nobody else gets the broadcasts except Ms. Zakharova.

I enjoyed the photos and also thought they were fun and fresh. Gemma Bond's pixie haircut looks great.

Most professional dancers are flexible enough to dance with unscheduled partners when their scheduled partner is injured. The professional thing to do is proceed with another partner out of respect for your audience and your fellow dancers. For me, if Osipova is cancelling due to a partnering complaint rather than an injury, it is just another aspect of her diva persona. It's not like she was rehearsing Manon with Hallberg for weeks and then was suddenly thrust into a new situtation with a new partner. Hallberg's cancellation has been known for a very long time, even if it was only offically announced a few weeks ago. He has not danced since July 2014. I'll also add that Polounin's cryptic remark might also be a reference to ABT. Last year for Osipova's Giselle there was a TBA for her partner for a time due to Hallberg's ongoing injury. It's not far fetched to contemplate that she attempted to advocate for Polounin but was told no by ABT. She danced that performance with McRae.

A new book will be released in January 2016 regarding the Koch Brothers' influence on politics in America. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/a-new-book-looks-at-the-koch-brothers-role-in-politics/?ref=arts