Week 3 Performances NYCB Spring '09

[vipa]

Not a lot of NYCB reviews seem to be appearing. Was anyone at the Gala?

I was there tonight (Thursday, May 14) and found it a really fun evening. I had not seen Scotch Symphony in years, and didn't remember it fondly. There is more to it than I remembered and Jennifer Ringer gave a lovely, performance. I found Millepied's partnering a little off. Wow, Erica Pereira is really small. She seemed worried about the steps (just my perception)

Maria Kowrowki is a goddess!

Tarantella was as it should be - fun. I'd love to see Bouder do it. Tiler Peck was fine, but it was not an equal match.

My first viewing of DSCH and I enjoyed it very much. One of the few new ballets that I'd say was a keeper. Choreography reminds me of Lynn Taylor Corbet (I may have misspelled her name). Anna Sophia Scheller is definitely moving into principal territory.

I've been to NYCB 3 times this season, and enjoyed each performance very much. I am dismayed by the number of empty seats.

[sz]

I was there last night (Thursday, May 14) too -- mainly to see Tarantella again with the brilliant pairing of Tiler P. and Danny U. She shows us that you can be a girl on stage, with feminine charms and musicality, and still have strong and showy technique. Danny's jumps and turns were in top form, and his top form is beyond amazing in speed, attack and power while still keeping that youthful boyish charm sweet and easy. Together, they were a radiant joy. I've seen a few casts of Tarantella over the years, and this one was by far my favorite. If you get a chance to see these two fine dancers, in Tarentella, together, and I suspect in any other demanding ballet, together, don't miss them. Tiler and Danny received about five curtain calls last night, not common at NYCB.

Scotch Symphony was nice. I love the music, and the corps (men and women) danced very well.

Jenifer R. gave a warm, womanly performance but she is just too big for B. Millepied, making the many lifts look full of labor on his part. Erica Pereira was sweet and lovely in the second female lead - it's a tough part though it looks easy...with its many jumps of beats instead of big jumps.

I thought the corps of Monumentum danced beautifully together.

DSCH was excellent with outstanding Garcia, Scheller and Taylor in the leads. I was especially thrilled to see how much Garcia has improved in his dancing as compared to a couple of years ago. He has made huge progress in being cleaner, more precise, and comfortable with difficult choreography. There's also a sensual, easy presence with Garcia that I find very attractive after years of seeing aggressively hard selling from too many dancers.

p.s. It was nice meeting you again, Carbro!

[vipa]

Jenifer R. gave a lovely performance but she seems too big for Millepied.

I don't think size was a problem. As I posted earlier, I think the partnering was somehow off. I think he was late in coming in to her turns, which got allowed her to get off her leg a bit. Also, although some lifts were glorious, the timing was off on some. I really don't think it is a size issue.

In Tarantella, I smiled through the entire thing, but T. Peck is not an equal partner (in my opinion).

Over all it was a really fun, enjoyable performance. I wish attendance was better. I know NYCB is trying all sorts of things to get an audience in. It's difficult, gone are the days when Suzanne was on the cover of Time Mag. I can't imagine a dancer or choreographer getting that press now.

[abatt]

I attended the Sat matinee on May 16. The new ballet Tocatta was on the program. It kept my interest, and the choreography was okay. It's not a masterpiece by any stretch, and it's not likely to remain in the rep for the long haul. The last great new ballet created at NYCB was Concerto DSCH, in my opinion. The program started with the 4Ts. Sebastian Marcovici replaced Suozzi in Melancholic (only fair, since Suozzi is dancing Romeo on Sat evening and Sun matinee). I thought S. Lowery was all wrong for Sanguinic, and poor Tyler Angle looked like he was lifting furniture every time he had to lift her. Ask LaCour did a nice job in Phlegmatic. He keeps improving in that role. Ellen Bar performed Choleric. She was better this time around than the last time I saw her. However, I still prefer Reichlin, who has a much more powerful presence. Speaking of Reichlin, she was the Firebird in the last entry on the program. I first saw her in this role a few years ago when she filled in for Bouder on short notice. I enjoyed her performance. I thought she was more successful in the solo passages than in the pdd w. Justin Peck. There seemed to be some rough spots in the partnering. This was the first time I had ever seen R. Krohn perform the princess bride role. She moved beautifully. Her arms, in particular, were very lyrical.

[Drew]

"The last great new ballet created at NYCB was Concerto DSCH, in my opinion" (abatt)

Forgive me abatt, but this made me smile a bit. Concerto DSCH premiered just a year ago--so that's not too shabby.

(Edited to say: could not get the quote function right...)

[abatt]

No, not too shabby. Too bad NYCB couldn't hang on to Ratmansky, though.

[Drew]

Definitely too bad. In a way, I feel for NYCB--they helped (a lot) to launch Wheeldon and in the United States Ratmansky (with Russian Seasons) and now the company has lost both.

By the by, I don't mean the above remark as in any way a criticism. Wheeldon had obviously evolved to a point where he wanted to do something different--I doubt that was avoidable. I gather the company just couldn't get the committment from Ratmansky they felt they needed...Could they have been more flexible?? Who knows...I will be interested to see how much he works with ABT in coming years.

In the meanwhile, thanks to everyone for these reports on NYCB this season. Jennifer Ringer and Teresa Reichlin have always been among my favorites.

[dirac]

It's difficult, gone are the days when Suzanne was on the cover of Time Mag. I can't imagine a dancer or choreographer getting that press now.

And Kirkland on the cover of Newsweek. Those were the days.

I add my thanks to Drew's. I really enjoy reading these reviews.

[DeborahB]

Wheeldon and Ratmansky will both be choreographing pieces for NYCB in the future. You don't have to be an in-house

choreographer for such an assignment.

Also, I've been attending three times a week (and will continue to all season) as always. The company looks better than ever.