Lidewij Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 https://operaballet.be/en/programme/2016-2017?type=ballet&page=1 There is more to say about the programming than this, but for now I just can't get over the fact they're going to do Grigorovich's Spartacus.
Barbara Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 I wonder if Drew Jacoby is going to continue dancing with this company. I think of her as more of a freelance dancer but maybe she's found a home with the Royal Ballet.
California Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 I am stunned that for a program called West, with three American choreographers, the illustration is the twin towers. Is that how they have thought of us all along, or is this a reflection of the recent terrorist activity in that region? None of the three ballets seems to have any connection at all to 9/11 or other terrorism. https://operaballet.be/en/programme/2016-2017/west
miliosr Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 Spartacus will be the weird micro-trend of 2016-17 -- the Bayerisches Staatsballett is performing it next season as well. Did someone conduct a focus group of European audiences and determine that there was pent-up demand for Spartacus? The Twin Towers illustration is in the worst possible taste. For his first season (2015-16), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui split the difference between classical and contemporary. But, based on the announced repertory, it looks he's given up on maintaining the pretense. It's a modern/postmodern/contemporary company now.
volcanohunter Posted April 13, 2016 Posted April 13, 2016 I guess once they're done with the Forsythe, fifth positions will no longer be required.
Dreamer Posted April 14, 2016 Posted April 14, 2016 Spartacus, wow. I wish our artistic directors could be that daring. Western Europe is still too long of a trip from the West Coast. But I would fly anywhere if the flight is no longer than 5 hours.
Fosca Posted April 14, 2016 Posted April 14, 2016 For his first season (2015-16), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui split the difference between classical and contemporary. But, based on the announced repertory, it looks he's given up on maintaining the pretense. It's a modern/postmodern/contemporary company now. Could you tell me how they are supposed to dance Spartacus without a strong - very strong! - classical technique?!
miliosr Posted April 14, 2016 Posted April 14, 2016 Could you tell me how they are supposed to dance Spartacus without a strong - very strong! - classical technique?! That's a question best posed to Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He obviously thinks he can program an aggressively contemporary season, which is less dependent on a strong classical technique, but then present a piece that does require such technique. That's a difficult chasm to bridge especially if your most classically-minded dancers, looking at all the non-classical pieces programmed for 2016-17, decamp to greener classical pastures. We'll see, I guess.
Dreamer Posted April 14, 2016 Posted April 14, 2016 I wonder if Drew Jacoby is going to continue dancing with this company. I think of her as more of a freelance dancer but maybe she's found a home with the Royal Ballet. I didn't know Drew Jacoby had left NDT. I don't think she was cast very often there. Or did she simply miss dancing on pointe?
lsu Posted February 26, 2017 Posted February 26, 2017 I saw Spartacus. Phenomenal! Standing ovation for all 8 performanaces and the 91 year old choreographer, Yuri, gave the company permission to do the production again in 2018. Drew Jacoby did not dance in this production.
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