canbelto Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 (edited) I saw four Swan Lake casts: Reichlen/Janzen, Hyltin/Catazaro, Fairchild/Garcia, and Peck/Finlay. My thoughts on the four performances: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2017/09/nycb-fall-season-4-swan-lakes.html In short, I thought Hyltin and Peck are the ones I'll be returning to. Edited October 1, 2017 by canbelto Link to comment
FITTB85 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 On 9/29/2017 at 5:07 PM, abatt said: Gala review: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-fashion-gala-justin-peck-lovette-gianna-reisen-schumacher.html Thank you everyone who encouraged me to attend the Fall gala as a "ticket holder" (not gala guest). My three friends and I sat 2nd ring center, it was a perfect view. We got stuck behind SJP and her crew while we climbed the stairs to 2nd ring, so we got to feel like we were mingling with the fancy people. I won't analyze each piece, but I'll share a few thoughts. My biggest 2 take aways were 1. I'd like to know more about how the choreographers choose their music. Reisen's music felt very very fast, not an immediate choreography choice in my mind; and while I always enjoy Schumacher's music choice it is starting to all feel the same. 2nd take away, it felt like there was a lot of running, is that normal of ensemble pieces? Did anyone else feel like Schumacher, Reisen, Lovette's casts were constantly running from one wing to the other? I was pleasantly surprised by the designer collaboration costumes. Jonathan Saunders costumes were fine, a simple 2-color pallet and appropriately scaled pattern for the stage. Per Macauley's review I too wanted to cut off the long strings, they don't seem necessary and are probably a bit dangerous. I wasn't overwhelmed by Reisen's piece, it was nice but not groundbreaking. I felt like I had seen every aspect of the choreography before. I was pleasantly surprised by the costumes, the designer stuck to "traditional ballet" with appropriate fabric and silhouette and the color/shades worked well together. Peck was fun, but I like his ensemble pieces more, I like his use of shape and large groups. A friend described it as "Mod jesters" which seems appropriate. I do understand that as resident choreographer he is inclined to explore more classical works and I shouldn't put him in a box. The costumes were a lot and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Mark Happel, he must be a very patient and tolerant man to go through this process w/ 4 established designers each with their own vision every year. Finally Lauren Lovette was wonderful (in my opinion) music awesome, choreography awesome, costumes beautiful and successful in that they enhanced the choreography. I love the brand Monse and was really happy to see that the designs worked well for the stage. The uneven skirts looked questionable on the mannequin but in motion they were lovely. Tyler Stanley and Preston Chamblee were great partnering each other. As we were leaving one of my friends (who happens to be a family friend/former classmate of Unity Phelan's) said "that was like a song that you want to listen to on repeat". To Macauley's points re: Lovette I must say I didn't read the poem or realize the music was 'soundtrack music' until after I read his review. As a standalone piece of choreography, I loved it, I can see his points about it being trite when you put it all together. Link to comment
Royal Blue Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Being dismissive and cynical about romantic ideals in this day and age is commonplace. In the synopsis for NYCB’s Swan Lake I read: “The spell can be broken only by a man who swears undying love and fidelity.” This latter concept (particularly) causes us to roll our eyes and sounds incredibly naive, unbelievable to our super sophisticated 21st century ears. The prospect of betrayal is entrenched into the story by the librettist of Swan Lake after all. Most people, needless to say, are supremely aware of the power of sensual lust. Life itself, however, is no less deceptive than a fairy tale. Upon careful, judicious consideration, what peculiarly enough makes The Sleeping Beauty so powerful, so haunting, so thematically cohesive and convincing is the sobering realization how the breaking of the spell in that instance is inextricably connected to “undying love and fidelity.” Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Good orchestra seats for this Saturday's matinee are $185! Are prices this high because it's their Here/Now program? I don't go to City Ballet that often, but I'd like to see this program. Link to comment
fondoffouettes Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, ABT Fan said: Good orchestra seats for this Saturday's matinee are $185! Are prices this high because it's their Here/Now program? I don't go to City Ballet that often, but I'd like to see this program. Well, I'm going to the matinee on 10/14 and the seating prices are similar. It must be dynamic pricing, right? Edited October 4, 2017 by fondoffouettes Link to comment
susanger Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 I saw the program last night. I recommend sitting as far back as possible for the last ballet. The recorded music will knock you out of your seat. And no, it's not worth $185. Link to comment
jessa_sissonne Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, susanger said: I saw the program last night. I recommend sitting as far back as possible for the last ballet. The recorded music will knock you out of your seat. And no, it's not worth $185. I agree!! I loved Liturgy and Polyphonia, but that last piece was way too loud! I was in row D on the side and five people from my row left just minutes into it. Not sure how I feel about Odessa. Sara Mearns didn't look as confident as she usually does, not sure what was up. However, Unity Phelan sure is one to watch. She was just stunning in the "Eyes Wide Shut" PDD in Polyphonia. Did anyone else attend the Heather Watts lecture on Agon? Unity performed at that. I didn't know if there was a thread for that elsewhere. It was very interesting. Edited October 4, 2017 by jessa_sissonne spelling correction Link to comment
abatt Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 (edited) While I thought Phelan and Catazarro had improved immensely in Polyphonia since their debuts last season, I didn't think they were in the same league at all as the originators of their roles - Whelan and Soto. Wendy is a very hard act to follow, especially in the ballets that were created on her. That was also reinforced last night in Liturgy, when Maria K. took on Wendy's old role. Now Liturgy looks like an exercise in acrobatics, and has none of the mystery or intensity that Wendy brought to the ballet. What happened to all of the principals that used to be cast in Polyphonia, as recently as last season? Time to pass the ball to the next generation, I guess. I thought Odessa was interesting and well constructed, but not necessarily one of Ratmansky's best ballets. The "slap" of DeLuz by Hyltin has been so toned down that it now is somewhat comical and adds no dramatic weight. Last season I saw Times are Racing twice - both with R. Fairchild in the role now performed by Ashly Isaacs. I didn't like it those two times, in part because of the loud volume of the "music". Last night the sound level didn't bother me as much. I think your experience regarding the volume is very much determined by where you are sitting in relation to the speakers. I thought the work suffered artistically by the absence of R. Fairchild. His sections with Justin Peck were the highlight of the ballet. Isaacs does not have the charismatic showmanship to pull off the role, and so I thought the work looked significantly diminished compared to when R Fairchild performed it. Edited October 4, 2017 by abatt Link to comment
NinaFan Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 On 10/4/2017 at 1:13 PM, fondoffouettes said: Well, I'm going to the matinee on 10/14 and the seating prices are similar. It must be dynamic pricing, right? $185 is the regular price for NYCB's best orchestra seats. I've never seen dynamic pricing at NYCB, however it is standard practice when ABT performs at the MET. Link to comment
Royal Blue Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Last evening I attended the first of the all-Balanchine repertory programs performed at DHK Theater in a while, consisting of Square Dance, La Valse and Cortège Hongrois. The last two are not even commonly considered among his best works. Let there be no mistake: I am awed and humbled by the stupendous beauty of Balanchine’s choreography and the way today’s NYCB artists performed it. Link to comment
NinaFan Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 (edited) 15 hours ago, Royal Blue said: Last evening I attended the first of the all-Balanchine repertory programs performed at DHK Theater in a while, consisting of Square Dance, La Valse and Cortège Hongrois. The last two are not even commonly considered among his best works. Let there be no mistake: I am awed and humbled by the stupendous beauty of Balanchine’s choreography and the way today’s NYCB artists performed it. Cortege Hongrois is actually one of "my" personal favorites. I'll never forget the first time I saw the ballet with then corps member Damian Woetzel. He totally blew me away. Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed the program. I'm looking forward to seeing it next week. Edited October 7, 2017 by NinaFan Link to comment
alexL Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 My favorite of the evening was Fairchild. She just made all the steps look like a walk in the park. Although I absolutely can't stand Peter Martin's SL, it seems like training for Odette did have some positive affect on her overall dancing as well. Her upper body looked more open with arms extended. Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 No reports so far on the Krohn farewell?! I thought Krohn looked stunning in her final performance, with precision and abandon both. I am very sorry she is retiring, when she seems to be reaching new peaks of artistic maturity. I hope she is successful in passing on her aesthetic to younger company members. For the farewell, the principal men, led by Ramasar and LaCour, all presented her with bouquets (notable absence: Robbie Fairchild), and the principal women followed, along with Jon Stafford, Peter Martins, many other company members and finally, after the curtain went down and back up, her husband former soloist Adam Hendrickson. She looked very happy. As for the program, it was a trajectory from the dismal (I actually dozed off during Red Violin, despite the beautiful Unity Phelan), to the beautiful (In Memory Of...) and the sublime (Stravinsky Violin Concerto). Link to comment
angelica Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 1 hour ago, cobweb said: I thought Krohn looked stunning in her final performance, with precision and abandon both. I am very sorry she is retiring, when she seems to be reaching new peaks of artistic maturity. I hope she is successful in passing on her aesthetic to younger company members. I was there last night too. I thought Krohn was simply amazing in the Stravinsky. I am bereft because I just discovered her sublimity a year or so ago in Emeralds and I was looking forward to seeing more of her. I'm told her progression to principal was slow because of a succession of injuries. Perhaps it's good that a dancer retire at the top of their game, rather than wait until the audience is measuring the height of this year's arabesque compared with last year's, or the next injury sidelines them. In that vein, Maria was divine last night in In Memory Of, and I hope she'll still be around for a long time. Link to comment
abatt Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 11 hours ago, cobweb said: For the farewell, the principal men, led by Ramasar and LaCour, all presented her with bouquets (notable absence: Robbie Fairchild), R. Fairchild posted a lovely note on his Instagram account about R. Krohn. He is in town, because he was in the audience on Friday to see his sister dance Square Dance. As to the reasons he did not make a personal appearance at Krohn's farewell, draw your own conclusions. Link to comment
canbelto Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 Per Maria Kowroski's instagram Zachary Catazaro has been promoted to principal. Congrats Zachary! Link to comment
abatt Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 It's now official. The announcement of Catazaro's promotion is now on the NYCB homepage. Congrats! Link to comment
Emma Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 (edited) In my rough count, this makes 14 male principals and 9 female principals. So interesting. Congratulations to Catazaro! Edited October 13, 2017 by Emma Link to comment
canbelto Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 (edited) Catazaro had a devastating injury two years ago right before he was to dance his dream role of Siegfried. I'm so glad he got another chance as he's one of NYCB's most sensitive, musical dancers. Edited October 13, 2017 by canbelto Link to comment
yukionna4869 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 So happy for Zach! Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Robert Fairchild looked absolutely wonderful today and it was bittersweet to see him one last time (well, second to last, since I'll be there again tomorrow). This is a real loss to NYCB and to ballet generally. I know he's pursuing a different career direction, but he has such special qualities -- I can't help but hope he'll find his way back to ballet. The Royal Ballet, perhaps? Sterling Hyltin also looked wonderful and the violin playing was lovely. I enjoyed Duo Concertant a lot more than I often have. Ashley Bouder and Taylor Stanley tore the stage up in Square Dance. Her impish grin is perfect for this piece, and she looks like she's having a grand, grand time. Taylor Stanley was amazing, what my partner called the "MVP" of the matinee. He threw himself into the adagio with commitment to every shape and every detail, and such a sense of yearning that you felt it might tear him apart. La Valse. Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar are an intense pair. I thought Emilie Gerrity as one of the soloists looked very compelling; I'm starting to picture her as a principal. In Cortege Hongrois, Teresa Reichlen looked uncharacteristically tentative, unsure of herself and her partner. I saw this same program twice last week, and Sara Mearns brought utter assurance and verve to the role, and was astonishing in her solo. Link to comment
nanushka Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 I agree with much of what cobweb has written above, especially about Duo Concertant, which I also found myself really enjoying more than I sometimes have. I did think Amar Ramasar looked less commanding with Sara Mearns than he does with Sterling Hyltin, perhaps because Sara seems less petite. I'd really have loved to see Aaron Sanz in the role, as he was originally scheduled. Also, I really wish that NYCB would stage the ending of "La Valse" at home like they did in the Paris video, with a blackout at the end rather than just with the curtain coming down. The sudden blackout as the dancers continue to circle the corpse is so much more dramatic and arresting. Link to comment
Royal Blue Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Surely, the intense joy and confidence with which Ashley Bouder in Square Dance and Sterling Hyltin in Duo Concertant danced and carried themselves must have radiated on Saturday afternoon handily throughout the theater. Although not surprising, the sheer skill with which both executed their steps was nevertheless astonishing. Taylor Stanley and Robert Fairchild, their partners respectively, were also outstanding. NYCB’s ability to offer equally superb alternate casts in crucial ballets like Square Dance is truly heartening. Last week, Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley shone in this Balanchine masterpiece too. Likolani Brown, Meagan Mann, Kristen Segin, Mary Elizabeth Sell, Mimi Staker, Claire Von Enck, and the six gentlemen who completed the corps deserve much credit for these enthralling performances of Square Dance as well. What lends Duo Concertant real substance is the stark contrast between its early bright sections and the final melancholy one, which never seemed as poignant as it did on Saturday afternoon, due to the special circumstances under which the ballet was performed. As many posters have pointed out, Robert Fairchild’s departure from NYCB is certainly a great loss to the world of ballet. However, his vibrant, effervescent performance in Duo Concertant gave ample hope to his many fans regarding the prospects of all his future artistic endeavors. Edited October 15, 2017 by Royal Blue Link to comment
nanushka Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 I forgot to note, also, that Lauren King looked great in the first variation of "Cortège Hongrois" — nice presence and clarity of execution. Will look forward to seeing more of her. Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) It was a season that left me dissatisfied, wanting a lot more Balanchine. I saw: four Swan Lakes (Hyltin, Mearns, Fairchild, and Peck), the Rebecca Krohn farewell, and all four performances of the all-Balanchine program. Highlights were the Krohn-Ramasar Stravinsky Violin Concerto, the Bouder-Stanley Square Dance, Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle in Cortege Hongrois, the Hyltin-Fairchild Duo Concertant, and Tiler Peck in Swan Lake. I feel so sad about Robbie Fairchild. If, as has been suggested on this board, this is the best solution he can find to his personal problems, it seems doubly unfortunate. A few assorted notes. Seeing all four performances of the all-Balanchine program gave me the chance to focus more on the new corps and apprentice members. In training my binoculars, suddenly a corps member who had escaped my notice came into focus: Ghaleb Kayali. As Ramasar's sidekick in La Valse, and then in the corps of Square Dance and Cortege Hongrois, the name suddenly gained a face for me, and surely, with his plushness, elegance, and attention to detail, he deserves more opportunity. Among the younger ones, Kennard Henson, Christopher Grant, and Alec Knight have all impressed. Also Teresa Reichlen looked much more assured in Cortege Hongrois today. The first slap registered well, the second not so much. She is beautiful - I always enjoy her - but if she could gain more assertiveness, or even aggression, in her attack, she could be really great. Ashley Bouder and Taylor Stanley were ablaze again today in Square Dance. This is the piece, and these the very performers, who first sparked my love for NYCB and Balanchine, back in 2011. They were terrific then and they're even better now. Edited October 16, 2017 by cobweb ETA: Forgot to add that Georgina Pazcoguin was astounding in Cortege Hongrois and IMHO is shamefully underused. Link to comment
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