Spring Season 2005

[AmandaNYC]

I received the Spring Season subscription brochure.

Of note:

NYCB premiere of Robbins's N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz

New ballets from Evans and Millepied, in addition to Martins and Wheeldon.

The June 5 program for Boal's retirement:

Agon

Opus 19/The Dream

West Site Story Suite

The June 19 for Soto's retirement:

Barber Violin Concerto

Liturgy

Chiaroscuro

Excerpt from Union Jack

17 ballets by Balanchine (Allegro Brillante and Apollo included)

8 by Robbins

5 by Martins

4 by Wheeldon

4 by others, including Musagete Double Feature before it "rests" from the repertory

Carrie Lee Riggins and Stephanie Zungre are on the cover in what looks like costumes from Tanner's Soiree... not sure, though.

-amanda

[Leigh Witchel]

That's curious. Why West Side on the 5th?

I think the Robbins Trust is careful about the placement of that ballet - does it ever do anything other than close? If it is not closing, how odd for Boal's retirement to have him not in the final ballet. (Or, how even odder to have him suddenly cast in West Side Story!)

Alas - I'll be out of the country that day.

[Dale]

Thanks for putting this up (brochures take forever to get to me in my town). I'm happy about the NYCB premiere of Robbins's N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz. Isn't the Joffrey doing it this year?

I'm sad about the continuing decline in the amount of Balanchine ballets per season.

[oberon]

Thanks for the advance info...I sort of expected the number of Balanchine ballets to dip slightly after the 100th birthday season.

Glad to see that Albert's ballet will be given; I've heard some of Matt Fuerst's music and liked it alot.

[Ari]

What's happened to the Diamond Project? (Not that I miss it. )

[charlieloki]

That's curious.  Why West Side on the 5th?

I think the Robbins Trust is careful about the placement of that ballet - does it ever do anything other than close?  If it is not closing, how odd for Boal's retirement to have him not in the final ballet.  (Or, how even odder to have him suddenly cast in West Side Story!)

Alas - I'll be out of the country that day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

truly bizarre that peter boal is not going out in the last piece on the program -- which should be apollo (that is the last image i want to have of him)

i never stay for west side story -- and will be very happy to leave early on this occasion, no matter who is dancing

as for jock soto

why is the barber not the last piece - it is a showcase for him

union jack -- really!

both of these suberb artists are being disrespected, in my opinion

was peter martins last performance in nutcracker?

does anyone remember the time magazine cover with him in the nutcracker cavalier costume, with the subtitle on the cover reading "prince of the city"?

mr boal and mr soto deserve at least similar treatment

[Dale]

I think the Soto retirement program is very interesting. Maybe he wanted to have pieces by the choreographers who are important to him. No Robbins though. And the Union Jack allows him to be on stage with the company at the end.

As for the Boal, maybe he wants to catch the early train home

[AmandaNYC]

both of these suberb artists are being disrespected, in my opinion

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd find it hard to believe the Boal and Soto didn't have say into what their final performances would be. I think Soto gets to show himself off exceptionally well in Chiaroscuro, and then gets to have some final fun with part of Union Jack.

I do agree, however, that it's weird to have WSS and not the farewell ballet programmed at the end for Boal.

-amanda

[nysusan]

I find it incomprehensible that they are not doing Concerto Barocco or Serenade this year. When neither was in the winter rep I figured, ok, they'll do them in the spring. As someone who has not followed the company for many years and just started watching them again recently, I have to ask - is this typical? Do they ration the Balanchine masterpieces, his signature ballets?

Also of note in the brochure it was mentioned that this is the last chance to see certain ballets before they are put away for a "rest". Jewels & Double Feature were in this category, and I think Musegate was too

[oberon]

Soto's programme should be ideal as a farewell: CHIAROSCURO was created for him and has long been a perfect showcase for his sexy persona and awesome partnering skills. He will doubtless end his memorable partnerships with Darci (BARBER VIOLIN) and Wendy (LITURGY) in ballets they have danced together - memorably - before. And UNION JACK will allow many if not most of the company dancers to share the stage with him one last time and give him a royal send-off.

Someone who works at NYCB once told me that ballets are performed for 3 seasons, then given a rest. There are obviously exceptions, as during the Balanchine Birthday season when certain ballets HAD to be given, whether they had "rested" or not.

Since Mrs. Diamond passed away, I am not sure what the future plans for Diamond Projects would be. I assume she left the NYCB a tidy sum, as Generosity was her middle name, and she clearly loved the Company.

[Dale]

The company has now put up the Spring season subscription information.

http://www.nycballet.com/nycballet/html/subs_about.html

For schedule click at right.

[Helene]

was peter martins last performance in nutcracker?

Yes, it was. I saw his second-to-last performance, also with Farrell.

[Dale]

Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Fée" is back. I hope we get to see Boal in it one last time.

[carbro]

Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope!

I'd -- maybe -- be willing to forego the formal farewell to have my last Boal performance in Baiser. Who knows how long we'll have to wait until someone new can do full justice to that extraordinary choreography?

was peter martins last performance in nutcracker?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it was. I saw his second-to-last performance, also with Farrell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nyah, nyah, hockeyfan! I saw the ULTIMATE!

Yeah, the 1,000th Nut. Jerry Robbins was Drosselmeyer. It was one of the rare occasions when you saw that PM could be affected by nerves (the other being a James , guesting when RDB visited the Met in the '70s), and he made a number of conspicuous errors. Too bad. But it was truly An Occasion!

--Carley

[Helene]

Nyah, nyah, hockeyfan!  I saw the ULTIMATE!  :blush:

[Dale]

The release from the company:

NEW YORK CITY BALLET ANNOUNCES SPRING 2005 SEASON

Highlights Include the World Premiere of An American in Paris by Christopher Wheeldon as well as Premieres by Peter Martins, Albert Evans, and Benjamin Millepied

The Season Will Also Include the NYCB Premiere of Jerome Robbins’ N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz, along with Performances of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la Fée” and Jewels, and Susan Stroman’s Double Feature

Principal Dancers Peter Boal and Jock Soto to Retire in June

New York City Ballet’s spring 2005 season at the New York State Theater will begin on Tuesday, April 26, and will run through Sunday, June 26. Among the highlights of the season will be the annual Spring Gala, on Wednesday, May 4, which will feature world premiere ballets by Albert Evans, Peter Martins and Christopher Wheeldon, and a New York City Ballet premiere by Benjamin Millepied.

NYCB will also perform Jerome Robbins’ N. Y. Export: Opus Jazz for the first time. This ballet was created for a touring group called Ballets: U.S.A. for the first Spoleto Festival, in 1958, and features a score by Robert Prince.

The season will also include farewell performances by principal dancers Peter Boal and Jock Soto, who will both retire in June.

The Company will open the spring 2005 repertory season on Tuesday, April 26, with a program of Stars and Stripes, Barber Violin Concerto, and Union Jack. The season will continue for nine weeks, through Sunday, June 26, with a total of 42 ballets performed on 63 programs.

The opening week of the season will include the Company’s first performances of Jerome Robbins’ N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz. This piece is set to music by Robert Prince and was created for a small company, Ballets: U.S.A., that Robbins brought to the first Spoleto Festival in Italy, where the ballet premiered on June 8, 1958. The Company will use the original costume designs by Florence Klotz and the set designs by Ben Shahn. The NYCB premiere will be on Friday, April 29 at 8 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, May 5 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m.

Other season highlights include the return to the repertory of Balanchine’s Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la Fée,” created for the 1972 Stravinsky Festival and not performed by NYCB since winter 2002. Robbins’ Concertino, created for the 1982 Stravinsky Festival, will also return to the repertory after an absence of nine years.

Spring Gala

The annual Spring Gala on Wednesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m., will feature four new ballets. Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins is creating a new work, Tālā Gaisma, set to music by Peteris Vasks, a Latvian composer born in 1946. Tālā Gaisma will also be performed on Thursday, May 5 at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, May 11 at 8 p.m.

Principal dancer Albert Evans will premiere a pas de deux set to an original score by Juilliard composition student Mathew Fuerst. This work, which has not yet been titled, was developed at the New York Choreographic Institute in 2004, and the score was commissioned by the Institute. Additional performances will be on Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m.

NYCB will also perform principal dancer Benjamin Millepied’s Double Aria for the first time at the Spring Gala. This pas de deux was created on NYCB dancers making a guest appearance in 2003 at the Morriss Center in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and has music by Daniel Ott, who is on the faculty at the Juilliard School and at Fordham College. Double Aria will also be performed on Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 21 at 8 p.m.

The fourth new ballet, An American in Paris, is a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. It is set to George Gershwin’s well-known composition and features set designs by Adrianne Lobel. Ms. Lobel extensive credits include the Broadway productions of A Year with Frog and Toad (Tony nomination) and Stephen Sondheim’s Passion; numerous opera productions with director Peter Sellars including Nixon in China and Cosi Fan Tutte; and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato and The Hard Nut for the Mark Morris Dance Group. In 2004, she created the sets for Mr. Wheeldon’s Swan Lake for the Pennsylvania Ballet. Additional performances of An American in Paris will be on Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m.; Sunday, May 8 at 3 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Repertory

This spring Susan Stroman’s full-length ballet from 2004, Double Feature, will have five final performances before it is retired from the repertory for several seasons. An homage to the silent film era, Double Feature is set to a score comprised of classic songs by Irving Berlin and Walter Donaldson. The ballet will be performed on Thursday, June 9, and Friday, June 10 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 11 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m.

Several other ballets that have premiered in the past year will return this spring, including Boris Eifman’s Musagète, Mr. Martins’ Chichester Psalms and Octet, and Mr. Wheeldon’s After the Rain.

Overall, the repertory season will feature 17 ballets by George Balanchine, including Apollo, choreographed in 1928; Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3, choreographed in 1970; and Union Jack, choreographed in 1976. Jewels, which premiered in 1967 and was revived in February 2004 with new scenery by the original designer, Peter Harvey, will have four performances and then not be seen for several seasons. There will be 10 all-Balanchine programs, as well as seven performances of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The season will also include eight ballets by Jerome Robbins, including The Goldberg Variations, choreographed in 1971; Opus 19/ The Dreamer, choreographed in 1979; and West Side Story Suite, which premiered in 1995. There will be two all-Robbins programs during the season.

Among the five works by Mr. Martins returning to the repertory are Barber Violin Concerto, choreographed in 1988, and Guide to Strange Places, which is set to the score of the same name by composer John Adams, and premiered in 2003. The season will also include Mr. Martins’ Morgen, which premiered in 2001 and is set to 10 Richard Strauss songs for soprano and orchestra.

In addition to his new ballet, Mr. Wheeldon will be represented by four works during the spring season: After the Rain (2005), Carnival of the Animals (2003), Liturgy (2003), and Polyphonia (2001). Carnival of the Animals will feature a special appearance by John Lithgow, who wrote the narration for the ballet. In July 2001, Mr. Wheeldon was named NYCB’s first Resident Choreographer, a title he continues to hold.

On Wednesday, June 1, the Company will present a special all-Stravinsky program. Two works by Balanchine, Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la Fée” and Agon, will be joined by two Robbins works, The Cage and Concertino.

Retirements

Two of NYCB’s principal dancers will retire this spring. Peter Boal, who joined the Company in 1983, will give his final performance on Sunday, June 5. For his farewell performance, Mr. Boal has chosen to dance Robbins’ Opus 19/ The Dreamer. (The program will also include Robbins’ West Side Story Suite and Balanchine’s Agon.)

Mr. Boal was raised in Bedford, New York, and studied dance at the School of American Ballet. While at SAB, he danced in several ballets with NYCB, including George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™, in which he performed the role of the Nutcracker Prince. Mr. Boal became a member of the NYCB corps de ballet in 1983 and became a soloist four years later. In 1989 he was promoted to the rank of principal dancer. During his career, he has danced featured roles in nearly 50 ballets, and he has had over 20 additional roles created on him by choreographers including Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Christopher Wheeldon, Christopher d’Amboise, Ulysses Dove, and Twyla Tharp. Since 1997, Mr. Boal has been a permanent member of the SAB faculty. After leaving NYCB, Mr. Boal will assume the artistic directorship of Pacific Northwest Ballet, in Seattle.

Jock Soto, who joined NYCB in 1981, will give his final performance on Sunday, June 19. The special program is a tribute to the range of Mr. Soto’s repertory and features ballets by five different choreographers: “Dance at the Gym” from Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, Mr. Martins’ Barber Violin Concerto, Mr. Wheeldon’s Liturgy (in its only performance of the season), Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Chiaroscuro, and the Royal Navy section of Balanchine’s Union Jack.

Mr. Soto, who is half Navajo Indian and half Puerto Rican, was born in Gallup, New Mexico, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. While a student at the School of American Ballet, Mr. Soto danced the role of Luke in Peter Martins’ The Magic Flute, which was choreographed for SAB’s 1981 Workshop Performances. That year he became a member of the Company’s corps de ballet. In 1984 he was promoted to the rank of soloist, and one year later he became a principal dancer. During his career at NYCB, Mr. Soto has danced featured roles in nearly 50 ballets, in addition to having over 35 roles choreographed on him, principally by Mr. Martins and Mr. Wheeldon. Since 1996, he has been a permanent member of the faculty at SAB, where he teaches partnering and technique classes to intermediate and advanced students. Mr. Soto will remain on the SAB faculty after his retirement from NYCB.

[carbro]

I am disappointed by the ballet Mr. Boal has chosen for his final performance. As beautiful as he is in that role, I'd much rather have seen him out with an Apollo, a Melancholic, a Baiser, . . . .

Jock, on the other hand -- THAT's a farewell!

I guess Peter's choice reflects his self-effacement, about which Tobi Tobias so eloquently wrote recently.

[Nyala]

I think it is a very fitting (but very sad) choice for Peter Boal's exit. Having observed his entire career, that was probably the piece in which he really became a great dancer. His performance, along with that of Wendy Whelan, really made that ballet come alive for me; previous casts had just made me see an empty prettiness.

[charlieloki]

i feel that apollo would have been the best choice for mr boal's exit

i would like to have my last image of him be the "arms and face raised to the heavens" pose -- probably my most cherished nycb memory of the many, many hundreds of performances i've attended over the past 37 years

however -- opus 19 gives mr boal beautiful "still" moments alone on the stage -- and he is a master of stillness

my hope is that he will come back to nycb at some point to replace martins the elder

a very tearful goodbye, here

[AmandaNYC]

The Spring Gala program, as listed on the NYCB website, has been updated to include Liang's ballet from the Peter Boal & Co. at the Joyce:

Program:

Tālā Gaisma (New Martins, World Premiere)

New Evans Ballet (World Premiere)

Double Aria (New Millepied, NYCB Premiere)

Distant Cries (New Liang, NYCB Premiere)

An American in Paris (New Wheeldon, World Premiere)

-amanda

[oberon]

I really liked Liang's ballet when I saw it at the Joyce; I was wondering if I would ever have an opportunity to see it again.