Dansuer85 Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 The Jerome Robbins way Perfectionist's ‘The Concert' will be performed by KC Ballet By PAUL HORSLEY The Kansas City Star Former New York City Ballet principal Bart Cook critiqued the performance. Cook, who danced in many Robbins premieres and later was his assistant, had been sent by the Robbins Trust to stage the work.“I warned them about how much laughter there would be,” he said to the audience. “And sure enough, it did throw them off.” Kansas City Star, full story *Paquita and Posin's Steppings Stones are also on this bill* Link to comment
Alexandra Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Thanks for posting that! It's an interesting article -- and it sounds like an interesting program. It IS a big deal for Kansas City Ballet to be doing a Robbins' ballet -- I hope you'll tell us how it went! Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted October 8, 2004 Author Share Posted October 8, 2004 Opening Night Thursday October, 8th. The Program opend with Paquita. It was very good. Kim Rovac(Student apprentice) Replaced Chelsea Teel in a Demi Soloist Part. Paquita on a whole was fabulous! The corps was very together and bright and elegant. The Soloist were strong and danced very well. Racheal Coats Did the first variation, and was very strong and turns so well. Lisa Choules did the second variation and was very bright and has great hops on pointe. Lisa Thorn did the 3rd variation and executed the attitude,arabesque,attitude,arabesque turn sequence very well! Steafni Schrimpf did a magnificant job with the 4th variation, such elegance and maturity and control on her developes side and her Italian Fouettes were spot on. The Pas de Trois was very good. Matthew Powell was very strong in all of his variations. Caitlin Cooney and Catherine Russel were so bright and did a nice job with the variations. Kim Cowan and Juan Pablo-Trijuillo were the lead couple. Kim Cowan was so powerful and elegant and just drew you right into her dancing. She had such control in all of her balances and turns and has such a high jump for a female dancing. Her fouettes in the finale were so solid, she almost could have done them on a dime. Pablo-Trijuillo has such the look for Paquita and the presence and did a very nice job with all the variations and the finale. The Pas de duex was also very good. He is a solid partner and she is so strong and on her balance that it looked so easy for both. Fabulous job with Paquita. Stepping Stones is such a visually appealing piece. All of the diffrent Lighting and pink/red colored costumes and the boxes aka "steps" it makes for a very visually appealing piece. It's bassicly a piece about woman and their inner struggle to become strong and their fight against men to do so. It's very diffrent from Paquita and was done very well. *Kim Cowan replaced Chelsea Teel* The Concert was such a hilarious piece! It looks as if it was rehearesed with a fine tooth comb! Every little thing was done just right to make it all so funny. Aisling Hill-Oconner was superb as the Ballerina, made us chuckle with delight! Stefani Schrimpf was most funny as the "Mean Lady" She was very scary!! Josh Christopher was a very good shy boy, he did little things to make you just laugh!! "The Mistake waltz" was well worth going to see this show. The Women did such a great job with that part. Every little "mistake" was done so well! The "Mazurka" was done with great power and humph! and just cracked you up! Francis "Rain" was done so well. The umbrellas moved like they were a part of each dancer! 'The Concert' was a great hit with EVERYONE!! If you can go see this Rep. DO SO!!! Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted October 8, 2004 Author Share Posted October 8, 2004 Litte article that was in the KC Star a few days ago that describes 'Stepping Stones' well! By PAUL HORSLEY The Kansas City Star Equally interesting is Kathryn Posin's “Stepping Stones,” which utterly astonished me when it was performed here four years ago. It's one of the most intricate and visually riveting pieces of choreography you will ever see.On stage are six platforms of increasing height, from about 6 inches to 2 feet. Each has a ballet barre across the back. Six women step and writhe and fall in sequence; another six, representing their inner selves, intertwine themselves around them. Six men represent those who make the women's lives interesting — and miserable. That hardly expresses the whole of this masterpiece, but trust me, you'd be nuts to miss this. I don't care if you think you don't like ballet: You will like this. Link to comment
pugbee Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 Dansuer, thanks so much for the review. I have several old friends in this company, and really envy you getting to see them. Will you be seeing any other casts? Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted October 8, 2004 Author Share Posted October 8, 2004 Stair ahead Struggle of women to ascend portrayed in KC Ballet piece By PAUL HORSLEY The Kansas City Star On six platforms of increasing height from right to left the women ascend stepwise — leaping, climbing, at times upside-down or arched or contracted. They lift and sometimes catch each other at the last second, like members of a trapeze act.A raucous orchestral score blasts on the stereo. By the end the dancers are panting, bathed in sweat. KCStar Full Article Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted October 8, 2004 Author Share Posted October 8, 2004 Kansas City Ballet Opening Night Performance Photos Link to comment
socalgal Posted October 8, 2004 Share Posted October 8, 2004 What fun! Thanks Dansuer85! Especially the photos of Robbins "The Concert" which is such a hilarious ballet - the best! Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted October 9, 2004 Author Share Posted October 9, 2004 Stepping up to the barre Kansas City Ballet stretches its limits with program By PAUL HORSLEY The Kansas City Star You barely know what's happening, but in the first moments of Jerome Robbins' ballet “The Concert,” something odd takes place.The choreographer tears down the “fourth wall” of the stage, the one separating the audience from the players. We all become part of the piece. Robbins' 1956 ballet, the centerpiece of the Kansas City Ballet's fall program that opened Thursday, works on your mind like a piece of absurdist theater, yet it seems familiar somehow. Everything is timed to the split-second. The audience laughs quite a bit, partly because of the restrained, almost minimalist succession of movements. Full Review KCStar *I must say I dissagree with him about stepping stones looking ragged. I also don't think he gave enough review to Paquita and focused too much on 'The Concert', not to say it didn't deserve it, but I felt it was more of a description than a review...just MHOP* Link to comment
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