Guggenheim Works & Process spring 2013

[California]

Guggenheim Works & Process just sent out an e-mail that tickets go on sale Monday, January 7. They list some of the companies that will visit, but I can't find a complete schedule anywhere. Has anybody else found one? I looked on their calendar page and Facebook. Here's from the e-mail:

SAVE THE DATE

Spring 2013 Tickets On Sale Mon, Jan 7

Works & Process proudly presents Kelli O'Hara, ABT, KEIGWIN + COMPANY, Steve Reich, Susan Graham, and more in the spring 2013 season. Buy tickets on Monday, January 7, for the best reserved seat selection in the Peter B. Lewis Theater.

UPDATE: I found the schedule on their press page: http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/releases/5083-wpspring2013

Of special interest in dance:

Wendy Whelan

Restless Creature

Sun and Mon, Apr 14 and 15, 7:30 pm

Hailed by the New York Times as “America’s greatest contemporary ballerina,” Wendy Whelan performs a Shen Wei solo; a duet with New York City Ballet’s Robbie Fairchild choreographed by Joshua Beamish; and excerpts from Restless Creature, featuring four new duets by Beamish, Kyle Abraham, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo, prior to its premiere at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff moderates a discussion with Whelan and the four choreographers.

American Ballet Theatre

The Versatile Dancer

Sun and Mon, Apr 21 and 22, 7:30 pm

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) was founded on the principle that its dancers must be as versatile as the repertory is diverse. Join ABT artistic staff and dancers for an evening moderated by John Meehan, Professor of Dance at Vassar College, answering the question: “What makes an ABT dancer?”

The e-mail also notes that complete programs from fall 2012 are on YouTube:

WATCH FALL 2012 VIDEO See it again or see what you missed! Watch full performances and excerpts from select fall programs, including New York City Ballet, ABT, the Met Opera, Royal Danish Ballet, and the Minnesota Opera.

View Works & Process videos on YouTube.

[angelica]

California, you're a genius and thanks for sharing! I've noted the dates on my calendar.

[balletmor]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I watched the ABT livestream last Sunday with John Meehan hosting it. Did anyone else catch it? Lovely interview with Stella Abrera and Aaron Scott! Any thoughts?

[vrsfanatic]

I saw it. John Meehan did a very nice job. A bit of misinformation about Russian schooling, but overall, it was a lovely piece.

[angelica]

I found it interesting that Franco De Vita spoke of the ABT school (JKO) and national training curriculum aiming at turning out dancers who do not adhere to any specific style, so that they are like "generic" dancers who can adapt to any style that a choreographer chooses. From the demonstrations of the students, however, it seemed to me that the school is turning out a lot of boring dancers. It is training that sculpts the body into a particular style, and if you don't have the fluid port de bras of the Vaganova style, for example, schooled into your pliant body when you are young, you will never be able to achieve it later on. All the greatest ballet companies in the world, except ABT, have a school/company style, from the Mariinsky, to School of American Ballet, to Paris Opera Ballet. And the styles of the great companies are different. Veronika Part shows her Russian training in the use of the upper body and the eloquence with which she uses her legs and feet. Paris Opera Ballet is less pliant in the upper body but quicksilver fast in the legs and feet. George Balanchine is famous for the speed of the dancers he trained and some dancers trained in other styles could not adjust to dancing his ballets. At some point, with the hiring of the JKO students into ABT's corps de ballet, you will likely have a corps de ballet dancing in unison, but it won't touch your heart as the shades descend the ramp in Bayadere (for example).

[vrsfanatic]

The demonstration of Russian port de bras and the 4 arabesques were not correctly done by the students nor described in the piece. I cannot address the Cecchetti nor the French school.

[California]

Guggenheim just tweeted additional information about the program June 2-3 that makes it much more interesting for ballet lovers:

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/calendar-and-events/2013/06/02/the-new-york-botanical-gardengarden-of-good-and-evil-harmful-and-healing-properties-of-plants/1257

In this interdisciplinary presentation that combines performing arts and science, New York Botanical Garden curator Dr. Michael Balick uses excerpts from theatrical performances to discuss the healing and harmful properties of plants and the use of plant-based remedies and poisons. New York City Ballet principals Sara Mearns and Adrian Danchig-Waring and members of the Corps de Ballet Devin Aberda and Andrew Scordato perform excerpts from George Balanchine's A Midsummer's Night Dream and Tom Gold's Shanti. Chris Murrah directs the witches scene from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and a video excerpt from the Metropolitan Opera's production of Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore will also be shown.

Lots of good seats still today, but other ballet programs do sell out.

[carbro]

Thank you, California. Good to know.

Lots of good seats still today, but other ballet programs do sell out.

Maybe good, maybe not. Seating is unreserved. Doors to the auditorium open one-half hour before the program starts, but people start queueing a half hour or more before that.

[California]

Thank you, California. Good to know.

Lots of good seats still today, but other ballet programs do sell out.

Maybe good, maybe not. Seating is unreserved. Doors to the auditorium open one-half hour before the program starts, but people start queueing a half hour or more before that.

They have a new on-line system this year. You pick out your seat from the seating chart and then print-out the ticket. Much, much better than the old system.

[carbro]

Ah! Good news. Thank you. I've missed the boat on this year's tickets.