Week 1 NYCB Rep Performances

[LiLing]

All in all, it was a very enjoyable afternoon at the ballet. I hope Peter Martins doesn't wait another five years to revive "Coppelia".

I hope he doesn't take another five years to promote Teresa Reichlein. She has a lot of fans on here. Maybe we can organize a demonstration in front of the theater. March back and forth with signs PROMOTE TESS!

[carbro]

I saw the Jan. 11 double-debut Coppelia, and what a performance that was!

From Andrew Veyette's first moments on stage, I felt that I knew that character. You know the type -- smooth-talking guy who's always pressing the limits, getting away with it on his charm and good looks.

In the wheat dance, Tiler's Swanilda had such faith in the ear of wheat that she never stopped relating to it. It was almost a partner to her. I hope that those who have complained about her limited expressivity noticed that.

Peck came of age as a ballerina in Act 3. There was the invisible lift at the end of the adagio, where she appeared to float up into the fish at Veyette's hip. This petite youngster assumed a grandeur, had no trouble filling the stage. Her variation was nothing if not an exultation in the music and space around her. Veyette looked to be fighting fatigue at moments in his variation and coda but performed, to both sides, the most beautiful rondes de jambe sautes I've ever seen.

Special mention goes to NYCB's resident Fairy of Benevolence, Dena Abergel, radiated serenity through the Prayer variation.

The orchestra, under guest conductor David LaMarche, sounded great. I could hardly sit still during the overture and mazurka in Act I. Surprisingly, since I thought I had succeeded in training myself to resist the urge. Whoops! My friend, usually as disciplined as I try to be, had the same problem in Act III.

[erpollock]

I saw the Sunday, January 11 Coppelia with Tiler Peck, Andrew Veyette and Adam Hendrickson (as Dr. Coppelius), and also the Tuesday, January 13 Coppelia with Megan Fairchild, Joaquin de Luz and Robert LaFosse as Dr. Coppelius. I preferred Megan, de Luz and La Fosse. Tiler Peck was superb, but somehow, to me, she is wanting that girlish quality, a certain appeal, that Megan possesses. It's not so much a question of dancing, as an air of charm, vivacity, and cuteness that Megan naturally gives off. She has what I call "lovability" which pervades her dancing. As to de Luz versus Veyette, while Veyette certainly gave an excellent performance, de Luz had greater abandon, sweep, spontaneity, and most of all, his acting and mime were thoroughly convincing. He embodied the character, full of pizzazz equal to Megan's. As for Hendrickson compared to La Fosse - well, La Fosse is an experienced character dancer and I felt he was the more accomplished, his walk felt older and painful, his every motion was perfectly judged. His adoration of Coppelia, his joy as she comes to life, his bewilderment as his "creation" flies from his grasp. It's possible though that my views have been influenced by the fact that I sat in a better, closer in seat for the Megan/de Luz/La Fosse performance. (I sat Sunday in the first row second ring, on Tuesday in row K center in the orchestra.) It really makes a major difference to me to sit close enough to fully appreciate the dancers. That said, I simply don't feel Tiler is sufficiently appealing, in this role and also last year in a featured role in Double Feature.