Romeo & Juliet

[lillydoll]

did anyone see the open dress rehearsal today for R+J? i didnt have the opportunity to wait online for tickets, but think the idea is great. it sounds like an exciting production, with a Peter Martins touch. looking forward to everyone's thoughts.

[Bill]

Episode 8, "Final Preparations," is now up on the R+J website, TragicLoveNYC.com. Paints a convincing picture of how the cast and Company feel before Opening Night. Looking forward to reading accounts and reviews as I remain in exile in Washington DC.

[drb]

A nice glimpse of the human side of Peter Martins. On creating a ballet:

It's like having a baby. You know, you don't know what the baby's going to look like. You just don't know.

And so Episode 8 ends. Wouldn't it be nice if there are more episodes? Perhaps bits of tonight's performance?

[Rosa]

I really liked Peter Martins' comments in Episode 8.

Look forward to reading reviews and accounts of opening night!!

[drb]

From the Playbill, an article with photos of two of the lead couples:

http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6408.html

[BW]

In today's Newsday.com, the article written by Appollinaire Scherr, "Love of ballet keeps tiny dancer on her toes":

At New York City Ballet last week, you might not have noticed Erica Pereira of Plainview among the 40 other beautiful dancers framing the action in Balanchine's "Symphony in C." But this Sunday, when the 18-year-old apprentice takes the lead in the company's new $1.5-million production of "Romeo + Juliet," everyone will.

"She is very impressive, I want to tell you. And she has exactly what I was looking for," says artistic director Peter Martins, who choreographed the new work. Not only does she fit his image of the Shakespeare heroine - "so tiny and frail, so dark-haired and so fair-skinned" - but she matches his hopes for the character as well.

"I wanted true youth," Martins explains. "I've seen many great ballerinas portray youth and I've been impressed, but the 'acting,' in quotations, always bothered me. I always felt, if I ever do the ballet, maybe I can find kids who can really evoke the deep emotions that are required. And I think I've found them....

The Swan Lake video is from Erica Pereira's performance at Ballet Academy East, while, obviously, the slides in the photo gallery are from rehearsals of Romeo and Juliet.

Will be attending on Sunday and can't wait.

[drb]

...

Will be attending on Sunday and can't wait.

Ditto and me too! That video is awesome. Looks like Amanda McKerrow knew what she was doing when she taught Erica Nikiya three years ago!

[Rosa]

That Swan Lake video of Erica is wonderful. Does anyone know who was her partner?

[Helene]

Did Patrelle coach her for Swan Lake? If not, does anyone know who did?

I love the way Pereira keeps moving and moving, even when it was only her hands that complete the first and initiate the next movement. The only thing remotely pose-like was when she was in the overhead lift. I also love the way she lifts her fully turned out knee for every turn. What a beautiful dancer she is.

[BSS]

Did Patrelle coach her for Swan Lake? If not, does anyone know who did?

I love the way Pereira keeps moving and moving, even when it was only her hands that complete the first and initiate the next movement. The only thing remotely pose-like was when she was in the overhead lift. I also love the way she lifts her fully turned out knee for every turn. What a beautiful dancer she is.

Cheryl Yeager coached Erica along with Darla Hoover at Ballet Academy East Erica was 16 in that video

[bart]

I love the way Pereira keeps moving and moving, even when it was only her hands that complete the first and initiate the next movement. The only thing remotely pose-like was when she was in the overhead lift.

Yes, indeed! Despite the distant camera, and the vast field of black space surrounding the dancers, this was quite evident. Even to her finger tips. Very beautiful, amost mesmerising in the sustained connectedness of each movement. NOT, in my limited experience of school performances, what one would expect from someone so young in any adagio pas de deux, let alone one as difficult and poetic as this one.

I also would love to know the name of her partner -- a most attentive, supportive, and generous cavalier.

[Stanley]

It's interesting how Martin's raves in the article how perfect Erica is for the role, and how she was exactly what he wanted from a Juliet, and yet, she only gets two shows out of the fourteen? Judging from the video, she obviously can handle a role such as Juliet and without a problem. Out of the four students he originally wanted, she was the only one who made it, I would think she would have at least gotten a little more shows, since she is perfect for the role..

[chezdancer]

While this thread has turned into one about an 18 year old apprentice who has been cast as Juliet, it seems somewhat unfair to say that the 16 year old student Juliet "did not make it" when in fact she is out due to injury. Just my opinion, but I felt I had to say something.

[Stanley]

I'm sure she'll get her chance to do it the next time it's performed, perhaps Saratoga. After all it was choreographed on her

[carbro]

In today's Newsday.com, the article written by Appollinaire Scherr, "Love of ballet keeps tiny dancer on her toes": . . .

The Swan Lake video is from Erica Pereira's performance at Ballet Academy East,

I didn't get to the article until last night. Has the video been removed? I looked and looked but couldn't find it.

[harpergroup]

It's still there. I just opened the page, and (on my screen) it's on the right of the headline, just under the weather.

[carbro]

Thank you, harpergroup.

Finally!!! It wasn't on my Firefox or IE, but when I opened it with AOL software, there it was! Like a totally different web page! I must have some blocks on the other browsers.

[carbro]

Sloan's final video installment, "World Premiere", is up and probably has been for some time . Who knew?

You don't have to like the production (I don't) to well up at the excitement as Martins pushes the lovers out for their front-of-curtain calls (I did).