abatt

I'm not so sure it's a matter of not wanting to move a muscle. People work long hours and have long commutes. Sometimes at the end of the day the last thing I feel like doing is going to a performance, but once I drag myself to the theater I am usually glad that I went.

I thought Kent retired The Dream from her rep. Did she do it during the last run? From some articles I've read, Ferri feels like she may have left the stage too soon. I guess it could be Ferri coming back for one show. We'll know in a few weeks, unless mussel's crystal ball can tell us sooner.

I thought this might be an interesting topic for discussion. A new study finds a drop in most sectors of arts attendance, including ballet. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/arts/a-new-survey-finds-a-drop-in-arts-attendance.html?ref=arts The reasons are surely complex, but I think part of the decline can be attributed to ticket prices and the fact that consumers need more of their household income for basic living expenses, so have less left over to spend on cultural events. Any thoughts?

Yes, Peck is still performing. He was promoted to soloist earlier this year.

Ratmansky was offered a resident choreographer position with NYCB but turned it down because it was too restrictive in its requirements regarding the amount of time and number of works he would have to create at NYCB. ABT's offer allowed him the freedom to travel around and make works for other companies during most of the year. Ratmansky does not want to be tied on a full time basis to a home company, it would appear. This has all worked out pretty well for Justin Peck, who now appears to be NYCB's "go to" choreographer.

His assistant is his wife. She stages his ballets, Keeps it all in the family.

I don't think Ratmansky rushes around from company to company because he needs money. I think he does it because he enjoys the crreative output and process, and he also enjoys his reputation as one of the foremost choreographers in the world. This award is just icing on the cake. I doubt we will see him diminish his work load, or spend more time with ABT, because he got this grant.

He can't stand Wendy Whelan. He almost always gave her negative reviews. Also, he was not a reviewer for the NY Times while Wendy was in her prime, and when she had her legendary partnership w. J. Soto. I think Whelan gave electrifying and intense performances of certain neoclassical roles (Agon, 4Ts, SVC) which have not been matched by her successors at NYCB.

For the James Whiteside supporters (including me), the Sunday NY Times had an article on people in the NY dance scene to watch, including James Whiteside. Macauley writes, "It’s hard to imagine that he won’t be promoted to a principal here soon." http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/arts/dance/movers-and-shapers.html?pagewanted=3

EVERYONE wants to dance with Marcelo, and there isn't enough Marcelo to go around. I suspect that Vishneva has an unwritten rule that she will only dance with Marcelo in full length ballets, since that is de facto what has been happening the last few years.

Since nobody has written about last night's gala, I'll start the conversation. By the end of the evening, I was relieved to see Western Symphony. Compared to everything new on the program, it just reminded me of what a genius Balanchine was. Western is certainly not among his greatest works, but it just looked so much better than everything else on display last night. Justin Peck's new ballet was well crafted and brief, but I'm getting a little tired of seeing the same schtick from him of sliding people across the floor. For me, ballet is about being airborne, not rolling around on the floor. The costumes created by Prabal Gunrung (probably spelled that incorrectly) were attractive and funky (with leather straps here and there). Millepied's ballet was my favorite of the new ballets on offer. The choreography for the group was exciting and fast paced, but the piece also included a lovely pdd featuring the luminous Sterling Hyltin. The costumes, which were comprised in whole or in part by pieces of hard refective black pastic, were fun and very different. The only drawback was that the material sometimes made noise as the dancers moved. I especially enjoyed the fact that the women's toe shoe were covered with this black material, and the material went up to their knees to make it seem like they were boots. Very different, very fun. I usually don't have much positive feeling towards Millepied ballets, but I liked this one very much. The worst ballet on the program, in my opinion, was the bizzaro Preljocal ballet Spectral Evidence. It was interesting and engaging up to a point but seemed to go on and on and on and..... The men are dressed in dark suits with white collars (priests or religious figures?) and the women are dressed in white plain dresses that have red markings here and there. They are supposed to be witches who will be burned at the stake. The "music" is entirely recorded. There are no pointe shoes used. The "music" is a mish mash of breating sounds, some recorded text in French that poor Robbie Fairchild had to lip sync to, and a variety of other oddities. The choreography became monotonous and boring really fast. The women, I suppose, were doing some sort of dance signifiying that they were possessed by some evil spirit. The stage scenery was some white boxes which alternatiely became a ramp for the ladies to lay down on, a box in which the ladies feigned being burned to death and a coffin. Oy. Sadly, Spectal Evidence is the only ballet of the 3 new offerings that will be repeated this season. I guess I will be taking a LONG coffee break when Spectral returns, because I don't think I can sit through it again.

Thanks for your report Cobweb. I have to say that I hated Bouder's interpretation of SL during the last revival. It was the worst performance of Odette I had ever seen, anywhere. All the problems you mention above were the same issues I saw in her last attempt at the role. Based on what you say, it appears that despite her efforts to improve, it has not occurred. Choppy phrasing, blasting out the steps with no hint of musicality. So sad she is so wonderful in so many things, but not this balllet. I was actually pretty surprised that she was cast in the role again this year after the scathing NY Times review from her last performance in the role (where A. Macauley referred to her as a hornet!).

Well, I would think it would either be Corella, Carreno or Steifel. Since Julie Kent is always desperately in need of a mature partner, I'll guess Carreno but will hope for Corella. Speaking of Kent, are we to assume that she is still fighting the good fight and will continue to perform into the indefinite future?

As always, thanks mussel!

Maybe more people would go in New York if the showings weren't at 11 AM on Sundays. Big Cinema is using the Emerging Pictures films as fillers for time slots when none of their regular customers would ever attend a movie anyway. This time slot made sense when they were actually being shown as a live simulcast. However, since that practice has been abandoned, the 11AM Sunday time slot is just annoying.

Did anyone attend the Roberto Bolle and Friends show at City Center? How was it?

Cobweb, I will be very interested to hear reports on Bouder's performance tonight. I read a recent interview with Bouder (forgot which publication) in which she stated that she was working to improve her Odette and, in general, wants to add adagio roles to her rep. (The gist of the interview is that Bouder feels she is typically cast in allegro parts, but she knows that she must work her way into other types of roles as she ages.)

I have always preferred Act II of Giselle over Act I. The choreography in Act II is sublime if done well. The Mad Scene depends more on acting that on dancing, and very few ballerinas are convincing in the Mad Scene.

I would love to see Mearns with Gomes. An ABT-NYCB mash up. Oh well, probably will never happen, but I can dream...

We will never know exactly what was said by DePrince. We only know Johnson's interpretation of the situation. However, DTH is now just beginning to get back on its feet after years of financial difficulties. Dutch National Ballet is a well regarded and well established ballet company that has a more extensive performance schedule and a diverse rep, includng the classics. To make the decision to dance with Dutch Natl Ballet seem like it was based solely on racial issues is highly questionable, unless Johnson is using "white company" as some kind of shorthand for a financially stable company that performs traditional classics. The fact that she characterizes Micaelas' departure as "We lost one", instead of as a positive for Micaela, suggests that she was not happy with Micaela's defection.

I thought Johnson's assertion that Micaela de Prince quit DTH for Dutch Natl Ballet because she wanted to dance with a "white company" insulting and dismissive.

Yes, last night was a terrific beginning to the season. Sara Mearns was exquisite in every way. Truly a magnificent performance. Beautifully flexible spine, expressive arms, and facial expressions that allow you to read the entire story in her eyes. Sometimes I worry about her in the fouettes section of act III, but she nailed it. Jared is kind a blank for me too Ceeszi. He is a good and reliable partner, but I often feel like he is barely muddling through the technical demands of his solos. Ulbricht did a wonderful job as the Jester, but he didn't seem quite as over-the-top as he has in the past. Huxley was terrific as Benno, and Pollack and Pereira acquited themselves well in the pas de trois. The pas de quarre was performed to perfection. The four little swans were out of sync, expecially in the beginning of the variation. The orchestra's pace was too fast most of the time. The house looked sold out. Still on a high from Mearns' brilliant performance.

I hope this isn't because the Bolshoi issued an ultimatum that it had to have exclusivity for ballet film screenings. Why are people so afraid of competition? There is enough demand in the marketplace so that people will go to see both the Bolshoi and the RB. By the way, for those who want to see the Royal Opera House opera in cinema in New York, Symphony Space on the Upper West Side, through a partnership with WQXR, will be showing these productions. (Nothing listed for the RB screenings, though) . You may recall that Peter Gelb prohibits any movie chain carrying the Met Live In HD shows from showing the Royal Opera House opera in cinema offerings.

Wow. Osipova and Vladamir Shklyrov (spelling?) in Giselle. I'm jealous. You should definitely go. I think Giselle is one of her best roles. Has Osipova danced with the Mariinsky before?

I'm actually enjoying Prodigal a lot less than I used to. We were spoiled by having two incredible Prodigals (Woetzel and Boal) perform the role for many, many years. Neither of the Prodigals I've seen among the current roster (Ulbricht and DeLuz) are comparable, in my opinion. Such a pity Woetzel is not brought in to coach these dancers.