Week 5

[oberon]

As I cannot get to the ballet until Saturday, I am hoping someone goes Wednesday night and reports here on Kyra's appearance in MOZARTIANA.

[AmandaNYC]

I am hoping carbro or Leigh posts about last night (Thurs night), as I think they are much better at articulating my feelings and thoughts (and their own) than I am.

I'll start off with the reason I went-- Bouder.

As usual, she pulled out all the stops. Save for one part, you wouldn't have known this was a last minute debut. She had a hard act to follow in the form of audience fave Daniel Ulbricht (who should be added to the list of best jumpers). Bouder had the playfulness and attitude to have fun with the role, finishing difficult sequences with an extra flourish of ballerina attitude that worked with the part (not "look how great i am" attitude. but more of a "tada"). I am always a bit nervous at Bouder debuts, because she'll go for broke. The one place this didn't work to her total favor last night was in the fouettes. After her first one, she tried to do a double, and started to fall out of it, moving off center stage, causing my stomach to lurch a bit. But, in typical Bouder fashion, she actually managed to return to stage center and finish the fouettes, barely missing a beat. I have never seen a recovery like that. Rather than feeling let down, you (or at least some of us) just marvel at how she recovered and executed numerous perfectly centered fouettes for the rest of the sequence. It made me laugh. Actually, I laughed several times, out of a mixture of delight and awe. She also managed to have the beautiful upper body she has more fully developed in the last year, and end her solo in breathtaking manner. I hope she repeats the performance tonight (not that I wish Weese or Millepied to be still injured or ill), so i can get a second viewing.

Now, I just wish she had been partnered with someone suitable for her. de Luz was too similar to Ulbricht in height and not sufficiently commanding. In that role, the dancer needs to contrast the Puck role, but there wasn't enough of that here. de Luz is also, well, just too short for Bouder. During the curtain calls, Bouder looked to be taller than both men. I'm all for opportunities for short dancers, but this just didn't work. Ulbricht, on the other hand, is just a wonder in this role. Whatever your opinion of his potential in other roles, he's a delight in his wit and great height in his jumps. I couldn't help but fall for him in this role.

Earlier in Four Seasons, Fairchild debuted a few days earlier than planned in Winter. I'm not sure whether she had all the proper rehearsing, for she did seem to hold back in some of the jumps, where she might not have been sure of spacing. But, she is perfect for this role. Just her eyes alone make her perfect for it. In addition to that, though, she had the presence and technique to rule the scene. Leigh might have more specific things to say about what was so wonderful about her in this role.

Spring and Summer had familiar dancers in the roles. I shall just say that Spring is definitely one of Ringer's best roles-- you'd think it was made on her.

Even earlier in the evening, I had my 2nd viewing of Thou Swell. I enjoyed it much more than I expected, esp. one of the pas de deux for Askegard and Kowroski. The choreography works with the music and shows off the dancers well.

Seeing Taylor in Thou Swell and Goldberg Variations convinces me that she seems most comfortable on stage when playing a girl (young woman). Her body seems less tense, and she seems to enjoy herself more, which helps me enjoy her dancing more. At the same time, you don't lose any of the Taylor energy and fearlessness.

Ok... back to work...

-amanda

[oberon]

Saturday matinee 2/5

Usually I don't like "cute" ballets but I always like FANFARE...it's short, and you get to see lots of soloists and corps dancers. Today's performance featured (among others) Reichlin as the Harp, Liang & Tinsley as Clarinets, Rachel R & Jared A as Violas, Ask LaCour as the Double Bass, and three very funny men as Percussion: Amar Ramasar, Sean Suozzi & Tom Gold.

Last season I thought Peter's CONCERTO FOR 2 SOLO PIANOS was kind of exciting and gave Ansanelli a good (and quite difficult) role. This time it seemed a bit tepid, despite the presence of three charismatic dancers in the leading roles: Ask La Cour and Amar Ramasar handled all the tricky partnering very well and did their solo bits with assurance. Carla Korbes, whom we haven't seen for a while, looks great and danced beautifully...she has a much softer and more sensual approach to the piece, very different from Alexandra. Last season the ballet seemed kind of edgy, this year the edge was less prominent.

STARS & STRIPES woke the audience up...Jennifer Tinsley & Ellen Bar led their regiments with flair, and Tom Gold again delivered the goods while leading the men's group...Sylve is really unlike any NYCB ballerina we have seen (I never saw Hayden...maybe they are similar?)...Sylve is the grand-style prima ballerina and if you like that you will like her. Today she gave a blazing performance and roused Charles Askegard to give one of the best performances I have ever seen from him. They were having fun, and so was the audience.

There were a few mishaps during the afternoon and the corps were not always in unison. But by the time STARS & STRIPES was reaching its climax, it hardly mattered.

[richard53dog]

Saturday matinee 2/5

..Sylve is really unlike any NYCB ballerina we have seen (I never saw Hayden...maybe they are similar?)...Sylve is the grand-style prima ballerina and if you like that you will like her.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oberon, that's an interesting thought. Like Sylve, Hayden had a very sharp , powerful attack. Also like Sylve ( a new favorite of mine) Melissa was a dancer you simply could not NOT notice, if that makes sense.

Hayden could be an almost fierce presence on stage. but she could also appear very witty.

[bobbi]

Ashley Bouder debuted on the stage of the New York State Theater last night as Liberty Bell in Stars & Stripes. (The replacement was due to illness; Alexandra, please get well soon.) Finally, Ashley had a partner tall enough and grand enough in his own right to match her in bravura style and to show her off: Damian Woetzel. It was just about perfect debut for Ashley: everything worked, no unsteadiness, just lots of raz-mataz that S&S called for. Both she and Damian were brought back three times after the curtain call. But special mention should go to Daniel Ulbricht and all the Thunder and Gladiator regiment.

Although the focus may have been on the principals, the Third Campaign almost stole the show. Led by an incredible Danny, the male corps just ignited themselves into a dancing "frenzy" and did all this great male choreography cleanly and with great bravua. Danny's future is limited only by his height. But, hey, how about that comer Ana Sophia Scheller? Let's match them up and see some fireworks.

[oberon]

I was also thinking Scheller might be a good partner for de Luz...

Bouder and Woetzel have been paired before, for her first Aurora...

[lampwick]

Sat Eve. 2/5

Maria PERFECTION blew me away again. The opening of the PDD in Agon, where she wraps her leg around Albert Evens in back attitude was so sharp and controlled. She "cut" the attitude around so sharply and stopped it so fast it was gasp-inducing. She's absolutely incredible. I loved Sofiane Sylve as well.

Peter Boal and Darci Kistler were wonderful in Prodigal Son. The pace of the ballet was much faster than the performance I had seen last weekend with Damian Woetzel and Maria Kowroski. My friend, who was seeing this ballet for the first time, was very touched by the last scene with the father. I liked the "picture" that Damian creates with his physique in this ballet a bit better than Boal's..he's thinner and the biblical "suffering" sort of images fit better (at least for me). But I liked the pacing of this evening's performance. Boal never seems to stop between steps, and he makes the music take shape in a way that not many dancers can. I see the form of the choreography very clearly through Mr.Boal's dancing.

Stars and Stripes was lots of fun. I can't imagine trying to do those steps while twirling a baton. I thought Ashley Bouder looked just on the edge of too much energy in her movement, but she kept it very controlled and did everything flawlessly. Daniel Ulbrict outshone everyone in my opinion. He's great!

[paulofnyc]

Dan Ulbright in Friday's Four Seasons "Fall" was awsome. I don't remember his character having so many incredible kicks.

The costumeMegan Fairchild wore in "Winter" seemed different to me. But I'm not sure what. Did anyone else notice?

Edited February 7, 2005 by paulofnyc

[Colleen Boresta]

I went to the February 6th matinee and saw two very forgettable Martins ballets, but fortunately a great Balanchine ballet and a great Robbins ballet. As for the Peter Martins' ballets, I think "Concerto for Two Solo Pianos" was better than "Eros Piano", but I really couldn't get into either ballet. Very often I find my mind wandering while I'm watching a Martins ballet. All of a sudden I'm thinking about everything I need to do for the week. That is NOT why I go to the ballet. Fortunately it wasn't an afternoon of Peter Martins' ballets.

I hadn't seen "Apollo" in years, and I vaguely remembered not really liking it. However, this time I really loved "Apollo". I loved everything about it, even the Stravinsky music. Peter Boal gave an incredibly powerful performance in the title role. I was sorry, however, that he didn't take a solo bow at the end of the ballet. I think many people in the audience were waiting for this, but it never happened. I liked the fact that Boal got a round of applause when he entered at the beginning of the ballet. The NYCB audience is not like the ABT audience with regard to this. At an ABT performance the leading performers just about always get a round of applause when they enter. I've seen this happen with very few NYCB dancers - Damian Woetzl, Kyra Nichols, I really can't think of any one else offhand. It was good to see how much Boal is loved. He will really be missed when he leaves in June. Wendy Whelan, Ashley Bouder, and Rachel Rutherford were very good as Apollo's muses.

The highlight of the afternoon for me was "West Side Story Suite". Even after seeing this ballet many times, I still find it tremendously enjoyable. The standouts were Benjamin Millepied as Tony, Damian Woetzl as Riff, and especially Jennifer Ringer as Anita. Boy Ringer can really sing and dance up a storm. I'd say "America" was the best part of a ballet filled with great parts. And Genevieve Labean was very good as Rosalia. However, I didn't find James Fayette very believable as Bernardo. To me he didn't look the part, and he didn't really dance or act the part either. I know Jock Soto will be retiring this year, but there must be someone else at NYCB who would be a good Bernardo. How about someone like Amar Ramasar? I thought he was really the best thing about Peter Martins' forgettable "Concerto for Two Pianos". Ramasar showed a tremendous about of promise in that ballet. I also thought Faye Arthurs was rather weak as Maria. The part used to be danced by Elena Diner (I think that was her name.) Diner was both beautiful and sweet as Maria.

[carbro]

The costumeMegan Fairchild wore in "Winter" seemed different to me.  But I'm not sure what.  Did anyone else notice?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you! I remember the lead's costume as looking very much like the corps'. I don't know why it was changed.

Colleen, this was my first Cto for Two Solo Pianos since its premiere with Heather, Ib and Jock. I don't know if PM has made changes over the years, but the ballet I saw Saturday as danced by Carla Korbes had more wit and more interesting movements than I remember. What's that line about knowing the dancer from the dance?

I kept looking for the Eros in Eros. Could you see it? Anyone?

[oberon]

carbro, when Alexandra danced EROS PIANO there was an "eros" feeling between her & Hubbe. I'm not sure Fairchild is appropriately cast in this, but I'll find out on Friday.

[carbro]

Fairchild did very well as a Fate figure -- a looming, mysterious quality. I thought Taylor was supposed to the erotic object. Her coolness gave Nikolaj very little to interact with.