abatt

Angel Corella and Letizia Giuiliani will be performing the Dance of the Hours (choreographed by Christoper Wheeldon) in La Gioconda at the Metropolitan Opera House. You can go to the Met's website for the dates of La Gioconda. However, the website does not list the dancers. This information is contained in the casting list available in the lobby of the Opera House. Since the MET only gives casting lists for two weeks at a time, there is presently no info re whether Corella and Giuliani will be performing in all of the Gioconda performances. (Corella did this same role at the MET two years ago, and the audience went nuts.) See you at the Opera!

Thank goodness! Ever since the Sept 11 attacks, the US govt has put some very nutty restrictions on the ability of foregin performers to gain entrance to the US.

Eifman is returning to City Center in May 2009 (performing Eugene Onegin). Tickets are on sale at City Center. Tixs for the YAGP 2009 Gala in April 2009 are also on sale.

Ratmansky's choice of ABT over NYCB puzzles me. I would have thought City Ballet would be a much better fit for the types of works Ratmansky choreographs. ABT's main focus at the MET is putting on old war horses that will fill 3,000+ seats. When ABT goes on tour they also tend to focus on the old full length works that will fill the auditorium. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Has anyone else noticed that Roberto Bolle has been appearing in ads for Salvatore Ferragamo? He looks hot, as usual!

Wow! That's major news. Good for ABT, but a real slap in the face to Peter Martins. Might ABT also employ some of the dancers that Ratmansky has brought to prominence at the Bolshoi (Osipova and Vasiliev, who were dazzling at the YAGP Gala). Let's hope!

Twyla will receive an award as a Kennedy Center Honoree in Dec. 2008. The ceremony is usually broadcast on CBS in December.

Casting is up on the NYCB website for the week of Sept 16. Sebastian Marcovici is doing Apollo. Sara Mearns and Tess Reichlin are also listed for Apollo.

As expected, Sascha Radetsky is no longer listed on the ABT website. I was pleased to see that Stella Abrera, who is Sascha's wife, is still listed on the ABT website. I was anticipating that she might leave the company to go to Europe w. her husband.

Thanks for posting that. I assume he is alluding to the special Jan 14 Salute to SAB, where former students from SAB who are with other companies will be performing. I wonder who else they will invite. Sounds exciting.

I actually had the opposite reaction to Ellen Bar in Agon. I thought she was not sufficiently angular in her movements. The angularity of movement is key. I felt the same way when I saw Ellen Bar do the solist role in Rubies in June. I prefer Tess R. in these roles. I prefer Ellen Bar in roles calling for fluid upper body movement.

Steifel wasn't listed in the most recent brochure that I received from ABT about the CC season. I noticed that the original brochure that ABT sent out in early summer indicated that Steifel would appear; however, Carreno was not on the roster. However, in the most recent brochure, Steifel is not listed, and Carreno is listed as appearing at the City Center engagement. That makes me wonder what's going on with Steifel. I hope he's not injured again.

I think that the NYCB stage manager is sent a few weeks ahead of the rest of the company to inspect the theater for logisitical issues relating to lighting, scenery... They probably didn't realize until very recently that there would be logistical problems at the theater re the Vienna Waltzes set pieces. With respec to the above comment on the dry cleaning costs, I once attended a fourth position discussion where this was addressed. According to the speaker, immediately after a performance, the costume is sprayed with Fabreeze (spelling?). The costumes are not dry cleaned until the end of the season. The costs must be tremendous. (I'd love to find out who they use. My dry cleaner managed to destroy a silk blouse by blasting it with too much heat in the pressing process. )

Isn't Ethan Steifel supposed to be dancing at the City Center engagement? He is not listed in any casting. I'm glad to see Veronika Part is cast in Lilac Garden.

I think the number of set pieces and costumes for Vienna Waltzes is pretty substantial. Tcha Suite 3 has no sets.

Stella is married to Sascha Radetsky, who recently left the company to dance in Europe. I would not be shocked if she, too, left ABT to join her husband in Europe. Stella and Sascha were both still on the ABT webite as soloist members last time I checked. I like Stella, so I'll be unhappy if she has left.

Beware. NYCB's press release was apparently not proofread, and contained the incorrect date for the Special One Time Only salute to SAB. The correct date is Wed Jan 14, not Feb 14 (which falls on a Sat.).

The NYCB website now has posted the entire calendar for the Winter Rep 2009 season.

I saw J. Ringer do the Waltz Girl in Serenade a few years ago, and I thought she was terrific. Unfortunately, NYCB has not cast her in that role in recent years. I've repeatedly seen Darci, and before her, Kyra. Let's hope J. Ringer returns to this role this season!

Yes, I remember that PBS special too. It was wonderful.

For those interested, there is a press release on NYCB's website containing additional info. re the upcoming Winter Rep. season. Highlights include the return of Balanchine's one act Swan Lake (yeah!), Coppelia (wouldn't Bouder and Fairchild be great in that!), Chaconne.

Last year was the first time I even attempted to obtain tixs for Fall For Dance. I'm not one for waiting on lines, so I tried the phone lines instead on the first day of sales. They were busy for hours. By the time I got through, the only seats left were really bad. I purchased them anyway, but for the most part the sight lines were a disaster. Based on last year's experience, I will avoid going to Fall For Dance this year, and probably will not attend in future years. If you intend to get tixs by phone or internet, those modes will probably be busy for several hours.

I've never seen or heard of it. Can you tell us anything more about it, such as the music. Is it a pas de deux?

I think the loss of Wheeldon as the choreographer in residence may translate into a loss at the box office for programs containing new works. Wheeldon's name generated box office and excitement.

Since he appears to have wonderful technical abilities, do you think he would be good in roles like Theme & Variations or Ballo? Those ballets have very demanding parts for the male lead. Even though it is his first seasons with ABT, would that necessarily be an impediment? I'm not familiar with the Tharp works ABT is doing in the fall, but her ballets usually contain virtuoso male dancing. Maybe Simkin will appear in the Tharps.