abatt

Yes, I agree cobweb. In fact, there was not a weak link in the the entire performance by anyone. An excellent program, with everyone doing wonderful work. I especially loved Maria K's sublime and serene performance of the Symphony in C second movement w. Tyler Angle.

It looks like prices have gone up, at least in certain sections. Cheapest subscription price used to be $26 per ticket; now it's $28 per ticket. I think the next cheapest level used to be $51 per subscription ticket, and it is now $53 per ticket. I think the highest subscription ticket price used to be $130 and it is now $139.

I thought Ratmansky was forbidden from working for NYCB once he signed on at ABT. Glad to see that there is detente regarding this issue. (Ratmansky's best work is at NYCB, not ABT, in my opinion.)

And this just in from the NY Times: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/city-ballets-2014-15-season-to-feature-ballets-by-peck-scarlett-and-ratmansky/?ref=dance# Has anyone seen Martins' Sylphide?

I think when additional casting is announced, Simkin will probably be listed for Puck, which is a lead role. (Probably also Salstein, and maybe Cornejo too) The numbers above may have to be adjusted.

It's a game of hide and seek. I was able to see enough info on the calendar to see that a new Ratmansky work will debut at NYCB in the Fall of 2014.

Yes, sad to see Paloma leave. I recall when she and Angel were the ABT youngsters. The end of an era. Better to leave when you're still in good form than to drag it out to the point where the entire audience is painfully aware of your limitations and diminished state.

It looks like these Boston Ballet tickets are selling poorly, based on a few random dates I clicked on to. Going head to head with Swan Lake at ABT is tough, especially given the mostly unappealing rep that BB is bringing.

I think they must read this board, because I couldn't see any program info when I clicked into Sept or Oct. Maybe they deleted it to increase the "surprise" factor. But I like your detective work! Are there any full length works scheduled (Swan Lake, SB, R&J)

I wouldn't be surprised if Vasiliev showed up as Spartacus for the Bolshoi tour. We'll see.

The NYCB homepage says that subscriptions for 2014-2015 will go on sale starting Wed, May 7. No info posted about the rep yet.

Re Vasiliev: Two performances over an eight week season? And he is not injured? He's performed in Bayadere and Copelia in prior years with ABT, so he knows the roles and is suited for them. Seems very strange.

I recently read in the NY Times that a small experimental theater group from Moscow had cancelled its planned appearance in Virginia because the City of Moscow withdrew its funding for the US appearance due to the tensions between the US and Russia.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is Vasiliev's last season at ABT as a principal. Does he have some pressing engagements during the rest of the season that only allow him to appear w. ABT for the first week of the season in Don Q? There is no reason he couldn't have done the Bayadere w. Murphy. (He is doing a pas with Murphy from Bayadere on opening night). He and Osipova turned out to be very unreliable.

Which are the roles associated with Clara Schumann? Is it the first listed woman (Mearns in cast 1 and Reichlin in cast 2)? I have a tough time picturing Reichlin in that role.

AT NYCB, the pdd is frequently performed alone, but the work has never been performed without the pdd.

Since Wheeldon has given (I mean sold) performance rights to After the Rain to numerous ballet companies, it seems incongruous to assert that he doesn't want the pdd of that ballet on video because it is associated with Wendy Whelan. The entire heart and guts of the ballet is the pdd.

Yes, it is great to see this masterpiece Davidsbundlertanze back on the stage. It has been gone for too many years. I know some people find this ballet an unbearable bore, but I love it.

They may not have opened up the third and fourth rings yet for certain shows. It is a crazy system.

Given the way the Bourne company operates (with a very limited number of lead dancers who perform every evening or every other evening) he intentionally creates "easy" choreography. He cannot afford to lose dancers to injury on a regular basis, and so he does not ask much of the dancers in terms of technique. I think the vocabulary is intentionally thin because of the nature of his company.

I wish they would announce the secondary casting for Don Q - Espada and Mercedes. I guess they are assuming Cory will be back in action for week 4 in Manon.

I attended last night's performance. There were some important debuts in Year of the Rabbit. Tiler Peck was explosive (in the role originated by Bouder). I haven't seen much of Harrison Ball or focused on him much in the past, but based on what I saw last night, he has a bright future at NYCB. Gorgeous lines and excellent technique (in the role originated by DeLuz). The other important debut was Lauren Lovette (in the role originated by Janie Taylor). She and Craig Hall performed the adagio pdd. It was an expressive, romantic interlude. I'm liking this work more every time I see it. Wish I could say I like Stravaganza with each additional viewing. It was a choice of wandering the streets in the pouring rain in order to avoid Stravaganza or sitting in my seat. I sat in my seat. I chose the wrong option. DGV is one of my favorite Wheeldon ballets, and the cast was terrific -especially Tyler Angle and Maria K. Considering that there was a mandatory See the Music before Rabbit, plus the new JR at the beginning of the evening, the program lasted too long, in my opinion. Switching gears, the casting is up for week 3. It seems to be the season of Lauren Lovette. (No complaints about it from me.) She will debut in Raymonda Variations during week 3. Also a large number of exciting debuts in Robert Schumann's Davidsbundertanze during week 3.

Thanks California. It's going to be shown on New York's Channel 13 on May 2 at 9PM.

Oh my. Christian Lacroix is known for some pretty bold colors. This should be interesting. Somehow the use of color in this ballet diminishes its elegance.

The JR piece was always intended as a short term work that would not become part of the rep. The performances depend on the availabiltiy of LIl Buck. Nobody at NYCB performs "jookin" (nor should they). Actually, I think more young people know Lil Buck than JR. Lil Buck appeared with Madonna at the half time show for the SuperBowl a few years ago, and he makes regular appearances on rapper videos. He's a busy guy.