abatt

By using Petite Mort as a filler ballet, it gives people who are not virtuosos an opportunity to have featured parts. For example, Blaine Hoven was cast last night, and I think Luciana Paris (who should retire already) has a part tonight.

.Review: Ballet Theater Revisits Its Past With a Hit and Two Misses - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

In agreement that Roxander was the star of the evening. He was brilliant in both ballets in which he was cast, except for that one partnering moment with Devon referenced above. He made Ahn look like an amateur in Etudes. Ahn, as noted above, is a very mediocre dancer. His role is supposed to be a show stopper, but he is not up to the level required. So disappointed that Ahn is doing almost all of the Etudes and Carmago was removed. Devon was also terrific in Etudes. For me, Petit Mort is big on gimmicks but low on impressive choreography. It was well danced, but really there isn't that much dancing. The Ratmansky work was well done, but the standouts were Roxander and Brandt. Put these two together in a Don Q! Hopefully Roxander will get out of the corps ASAP.

Yes, I was just going to say that Jones has potential to rise to soloist.

Based on his appearances this season, it looks like Chamblee has added quite a bit of weight, and I suspect that has played a role in why he is not cast anymore in soloist roles.

Yes, but that was the first time he danced in many, many years. Another person who was listed as a soloist long after he stopped performing was Arch Higgins.

I actually don't have an issue with leaving Bouder on the roster for a year or two more, even if her appearances are not frequent. She has earned that level of deference, in my opinion. I'm sure you are correct that Bouder and Veyette are among the highest paid dancers in the company. What I do have an issue with is the fact that certain people at the soloist level seem to be on the roster for years and years but never appear. What happened to D. Applebaum? Why has Troy S. been on the roster for so many years when he hardly ever dances?

I think there are issues as to how many tall women dancers they need. They have both Miller and Kikta in the running, and Kikta is difficult to cast with an appropriate size partner. Emma VE seems to be a definite. Just a matter of time. I wonder who among the principals will be next to leave. Veyette and Bouder are, I believe, the oldest principals in the company. They may be waiting for a retirement before moving anyone up out of soloist into principal.

I saw Misty interview Tharp on PBS in a program taped in or around July 2023. Twyla asked her about when she would return to dance, and Misty's response was also vague.

It was great to see so many performances in which the fourth ring was open and sold. Proof positive that in instances where ticket sales are weak, it's not because of Covid. It's because people are simply not interested in the content of the performance and/or the performers. It will be interesting to see how many weeks of performances ABT puts on this Summer.

Great news.

If I had to sum up the fall season, I would say that the standouts were Emma V.E., who was spectacular in every new role she was given, and Nadon. But I think we all already knew that Nadon is a special talent. I have also been very impressed with Kikta. With respect to the men, please promote Bolden and Riccardo ASAP. In my opinion, Phelan has not made much progress as a principal. She has plenty of great roles, but doesn't make much of an impression in any of them. She improved a lot in Agon, but her take is still too polite and lacking in sharpness.

I loved the Concerto B. All three leads were wonderful. Nadon is a wonder and LaFreniere is terrific in this ballet. Promote Bolden now. I was disappointed in Huxley's performance. It was fine, but he doesn't have enough skill as an actor to bring much depth to this role. Mearns was terrific. There were many newbies in the audience because last night was young patron night. I could hear gasps when Huxley stuck his head under Mearns' crotch and lifted her. Yes, Phelan still has trouble with the turning in this role. Same as when she debuted it two years ago. Additionally, she cut short a portion of the pas when she has to rotate on pointe numerous times, left to right over and over again, on the same foot in arabesque position. Mearns did the full number of these rotations, filling out the music. Phelan cut it short at about 3 or 4 and then remained in arabesque to kill time during the remaining music. This was clearly planned out with Knight. I'm not a fan of dumbed down approaches to choreography. Disappointing that diminishing standards seem to be creeping in at the company. On a positive note, I was pleasantly surprised by Walker in the 4th movement. And Peck/Chan were wonderful in the first movement. It was a great fall season overall.

I'm sure he will ultimately be removed from the remaining assignments. They just haven't yet figured out who will replace him. Major disappointment. Hope he is okay.

Damian Woetzel also used to do a great T&V, from what I recall.

Fairchild was better tonight than earlier in the week, but still not a stellar performance. It looks like the lead man is now being instructed in T&V to do only 6 double tour/pirouettes instead of the 8. Gordon and Huxley both intentionally start the variation late to kill time. (I'm not imagining that 8 used to be the standard, am I?) Worse yet, Gordon, who is usually so pure in his form, was sloppy. Yes, wishing for the return of DeLuz. Hopefully the next time T&V is revived they will give Mejia a chance.

A friend said it was the same film as the one shown at the gala.

Who is taking over Tiler's T&V? Is it Fairchild? added question: when Tiler says she will be back for the "weekend", does that mean she will appear in Symphony in C on Friday. If not, that's a lot of extra work for Megan Fairchild. The only other person who has done these roles in the company is Bouder.

Hallberg, Gomes, Stearns and Whiteside have all successfully performed Oberon. Is Bell any taller than they are?

Thanks for clarifying, jeff-ish. Not to further pile on to the negative comments about last night, but Taylor Stanley is too short to partner Mearns in Serenade.

Yes, I noticed that Gordon was helping to shove Laracey under the curtain. Maybe she collapsed too far from the hem. Sadly, there were moments in this that were Trock-worthy.

Have to agree with the above comments on T&V. Megan danced small. Also, Huxley did only six double tour - pirouettes, instead of the standard 8. He filled in by killing some time in the early part of the music. And the corps lines were indeed sometimes sloppy. Davide needs some refinement in his new role in Serenade. When he had to catch Indiana and balance her on his back it looked pretty awkward. Also, before he departs the stage he has to flip the Waltz girl before she lays down on the ground. The flip wasn't a full 360 degrees, so he then had to adjust Mearns' body so that she was in the correct position when he laid her down on the floor. Maybe the biggest blooper of the evening came in Orpheus. By the way Laracey was gorgeous as Eurydice, and Joe Gordon was vastly improved as Orpheus since he did this role a few years ago. After Laracey disappeared under the white curtain, the white curtain is raised a few moments later. Only problem was that apparently the folks who helped drag her body under the curtain were still on the stage when the curtain rose. I was sitting on the extreme right side, and could see three people running off the stage on the left side as the curtain rose. I could also hear someone offstage yell something as the curtain went up, but I could not hear what was yelled.

If Bell is not injured, then ABT pulled a major bait and switch on its ticket buyers. Nothing against Carmago, who is a wonderful dancer. It is possible that he was injured during the training/rehearsal period scheduled for the Dream and Etudes. It is frustrating nevertheless.

For those who were there on Sat evening, did Pollack and Schumacher do 4th movement of Symphony in C or were there changes.

Have to agree. Pollack was instantly forgettable. Her positions were never held or stretched. She also is a poor actor. Laracey in the same role was gorgeously poetic and did well with her acting. Given that Brittany has been removed from Western second movement , I'm getting the feeling that she prefers to do more softball roles at the moment. The problem is the softball roles usually require lyricism and some acting, which are not her strong suits. Maxwell's debut in the lead was impressive. However, Huxley is flat as the Poet. He is a technical wizard, but this role requires something entirely different which he does not have. I guess they needed a small guy for the poet so that Alexa could carry him. I think Davide Riccardo could be interesting as a future Poet. Hope he does well next week in Serenade. Why hasn't Laracey been cast again in either Apollo or in Concerto B this fall? I very much enjoyed the all new cast in Apollo. Return of the tall muses. YEAH!!! Can't add anything more to the raves for Peck and Gordon in Tschai Piano. Added- It took Finlay years to properly do that movement in Apollo where he has to spin down into a seated position. Hopefully Chan will do better with that in the future. The other major flub on the night I saw the new cast of Apollo was Kikta's difficult with those tricky spins in her solo.