PERFORMANCES: Week 8

[carbro]

The final week of rep. Already???

Somogyi, Taylor and vanKipnis all return to the stage!!! And Jock takes his final bows.

[jimmattimore]

The final week of rep.  Already??? 

Somogyi, Taylor and vanKipnis all return to the stage!!! And Jock takes his final bows. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Brava and Bravo.

I feel with Carbro the sad face at Jock's departure.

jim

[oberon]

Wednesday June 15

FANFARE is always fun; you get to see soloists and corps members stepping out. There were several excellent bits tonight: Keenan (Piccolo), Arthurs (Oboe), Tinsley & Veyette (Clarinets), Froman & Hall (Bassoons), Rachel R and Jared Angle (Violas), Beskow, Krohn & Ricard (all lovely...Cellos); Ask La Cour (Double Bass), Reichlin (a stately Harp), Hendrickson & Carmena (Trumpets) and the hilarious Percussion section (Tom Gold, Suozzi, Amar R). This was followed by Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux in which Weese & Philip Neal danced beautifully though they were slightly thrown off by Andrea Quinn's hectic tempo in the coda.

MORGEN, the Strauss songs lovingly sung by Jessica Jones, was the centerpiece of the evening. Hard to believe I hated this ballet at its premiere! Tonight when the curtain rose on Darci Kistler, dreamily leaning against one of the columns with her back to the audience, a palpable hush fell. Then she began to bouree gently among the pillars and held the audience spellbound in her opening solo passage. In her duets with the three men she displayed the trademark Kistler hands and arms which seem to carve poetry out of the air. Astonishing multiple supported pirouettes near the end of her pas de deux with Jock Soto left me dazed in admiration. A beautiful Kistler performance. What a great joy to see Janie Taylor take the stage again; as she threw her waif-like form over Nilas Martins shoulder in her opening duet, we realized what we have been missing in her absence. What a dancer! Airy, fearless, cool, vulnerable...so many facets to her stage persona. She was given a very warm welcome-back by the audience. Even with Kistler & Taylor delivering breath-taking performances, Jenifer Ringer calmly took her own opportunities and with her wonderful attention to detail and her refined yet luxuriant style, she nearly stole the show. Her yielding backbends are plush and amazing. The men (Soto, Jared A & Nilas) are mainly there to support, pursue and adore the three women and they were fine. Very enthusiastic applause, thoroughly deserved.

Beloved Albert Evans gave an outstanding performance tonight in STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO. As we lament the departure of Boal & Soto, I heartily suggest we focus now on Albert: big technique, masterful partnering, incredibly sexy guy. Tonight, he and Sylve were thrilling in their pas de deux; extreme clarity and spaciousness in their every move. Ansanelli & Hubbe were also very impressive; Hubbe was dynamic in solo passages and Alexandra is just having such an exciting season, showing off her range in a variety of styles...brava! Outstanding in the corps: Craig Hall. Excellent orchestra & soloist - Kurt Nikkanen; and Quinn in her element here...and also in MORGEN.

[jimmattimore]

The final week of rep.  Already??? 

Somogyi, Taylor and vanKipnis all return to the stage!!! And Jock takes his final bows. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Report from the Fourth Ring Thursday June 16.

Is there any way we can eliminate "Carnival of the animals " from the rep?

It is awful and stupid and pretentious and a waste of the dancers' talents.

You know how Great Ballanchine is when his "Symphony in C" follows that interminable --45 minutes---piece. I watched abiot 35 seconds of it and spent my time productively reading a novel.

Good piece in Times today about ideal casting for "Swan Lake" at abt.

JIM

[chiapuris]

My annual dose of NYCB watching came (so far) to one performance, (Fri 6/17) with a

program of interesting music and SUPERB dancing. So glad I could see it!

The only Balanchine was the Tchaikovsky PDD. But what a cast!

Alexandra Ansanelli and Damian Woetzel are, in my book, the best cast I have seen. (OK. now that Verdy isn't dancing). It was an exemplary performance; sparkling, unmannered and crystal clear.

The other piece outstandingly danced was L Taylor-Corbett's Chiaroscuro, which had the ideal cast. The men, J Soto, J Fayette, T Gold were all in the original NYCB cast (1994) and the women, J. Somogui, P van Kipnis and M Weese, were altogether such vivid 'people' on stage.

The work new to me was P Martin's Morgen (2001) to songs of Richard Strauss. D Kistler,J Taylor, J Ringer, J Angle, N Martins and J Soto were three couples who ended up with different partners from the ones they started with. It was exquisitely danced and partnered by all three couples and the soprano, Jessica James sang passionately.

The last work was Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals. The costumes are witty; but the work for me looks like the John Lithgow Show. Lithgow narrated and danced en travesti a myopic elephant.

[oberon]

Saturday June 18

All Day at the Ballet

Had planned to go to the evening performance but seeing Amanda Edge down for TARANTELLA, I went to the matinee also. I agree with jimmattimore that CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS is not a very good ballet; but I did enjoy seeing several of the dancers in these character roles: Askegard, Borree, Kyra Nichols, Arch Higgins & Christine Redpath were outstanding, and Rachel Rutherford and Melissa Barak (subbing for Pascale) were hilarious Turtles. I thought Daniel Ulbricht would steal the show in TARANTELLA, but Amanda not only held her own - she threw some pepper into the pot with her tantalizing dancing, including her deep plies in 2nd on pointe which she clearly relished as the audience murmured appreciatively. Ulbricht was a holy terror of bravado dancing and he plays a mean tambourine. They blew kisses to one another during the calls. Very enjoyable. Ulbricht & Edge had the unenviable task of following a mammouth ovation which was accorded to Jock & Wendy following their pas de deux in AFTER THE RAIN; as an indication of what Sunday afternoon will be like, one might want to bring a box of Kleenex - and ear plugs...seldom have I heard such a roar as greeted these two phenomenal dancers. Many in the audience were standing. Concluding the matinee was another excellent performance of FANFARE.

In the evening, MORGEN was repeated and if anything was better danced than the Wednesday evening performance...which is saying alot. Special kudos tonight for the duet of Janie Taylor & Jared Angle. Darci was overwhelmingly beautiful & expressive; her duet with Jock was again extraordinary. Nilas Martins & Jenifer Ringer completed this exceptional cast, and Jessica Jones sang quite strikingly. Jock had a bouquet thrown to him, which Jenifer gracefully delivered. This was in fact a "Jenifer Ringer night" as she went on to give a wonderfully detailed and musical performance in OPUS 19/THE DREAMER and finished her evening with a glowing Intermezzo in B-S Q...over the years few roles have been better matched to a dancer than Ringer in this lovely Balanchine piece; her swoons alone are worth the price of admission. In OPUS 19 Damian danced superbly, including a magnificent sustained balance at one point. He is very thin, and in need of a haircut. Minor detail, I suppose. Ashley Bouder was gorgeous in the opening movement of B-S Q; Peter is casting her rather atypically in these romantic-style roles and she is just blossoming; she and Jared Angle were a true pleasure to watch. Dena Abergel showed off a strong balance and a plushy style: lovely. Backing up Ringer/Fayette in the Intermezzo were Korbes, Golbin & Krohn - thank you, Peter, that's a casting treat for sure. Borree was tremulous at first but later she and Hubbe blooomed nicely, and Ashley Laracey was again oustanding here. Sylve and Askegard brought the day to an end with bravura dancing on the grand scale in the concluding Rondo; Sylve's dancing here is like a brilliant fireworks display and Askegard amiably refuses to be outshone. Invigorating!

[Helene]

He is...in need of a haircut. Minor detail, I suppose.

I can't tell you the number of times I thought this when I saw Woetzel dance in the 80's and early 90's!

It sounds like Taylor is back with a vengeance. As Dick Button might say, "Good for her!"