New York City Ballet Fall Season

[Guest]

50 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

I really like Angle, too, and these qualities have been creeping into his dancing in recent years. However, it really crossed a line tonight, and for his own sake, I think he should have been pulled if that’s how he looked in rehearsals. Not to mention that it did a real disservice to the choreography.

I’ve often thought that he just doesn’t have ideal line from the waist down — thick, kind of bulky legs — but not that he necessarily has a weight issue. But tonight he did appear as if he has put on some weight.

It’s sad, but it may be time for him to hang up the white tight roles.

I agree about Sanz. He really stood out and looked fantastic in the finale.

I didn’t even sit that close, but I’ve never noticed how much color variation there is in the corps girls’ costumes, presumably because they’ve been built and refurbished in different eras. They range from white, to ivory to an unpleasant yellow. A couple even had odd peachy tones. I’m sure they cost a fortune to make, but it lent a ragged air to the group to have the costumes all so differently colored.  The variations aren’t intentional, I’m assuming?

What color ARE the costumes supposed to be? An ivory bodice with a lighter tutu, like the principal?

[DC Export]

10 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

I really like Angle, too, and these qualities have been creeping into his dancing in recent years. However, it really crossed a line tonight, and for his own sake, I think he should have been pulled if that’s how he looked in rehearsals. Not to mention that it did a real disservice to the choreography.

I’ve often thought that he just doesn’t have ideal line from the waist down — thick, kind of bulky legs — but not that he necessarily has a weight issue. But tonight he did appear as if he has put on some weight.

It’s sad, but it may be time for him to hang up the white tight roles.

I saw Jewels in 2014 during NYCB's KC Tour, with Jared Angle in this same role. I had in my notes from that performance that he looked like he had eaten "one sugarplum to many," but I've since seen him in many other ballets and have never had  a poor impression of his figure again.  Part of me wonders if part of this impression might just be that the Emeralds costume is just unflattering on his natural build. 

[fondoffouettes]

1 hour ago, DC Export said:

Part of me wonders if part of this impression might just be that the Emeralds costume is just unflattering on his natural build. 

Yes, I think it could have something to do with the costume being more high-waisted than usual, and the dangly openwork triangles revealing more white tight than we'd normally see. 

But it was really his dancing that was the issue last night. As cobweb said: "no elevation, and very sluggish."

Edited September 19, 2018 by fondoffouettes

[cobweb]

1 hour ago, DC Export said:

I saw Jewels in 2014 during NYCB's KC Tour, with Jared Angle in this same role. I had in my notes from that performance that he looked like he had eaten "one sugarplum to many," but I've since seen him in many other ballets and have never had  a poor impression of his figure again.  Part of me wonders if part of this impression might just be that the Emeralds costume is just unflattering on his natural build. 

The costume may be unflattering (let's face it, white tights are not flattering to anyone, although some people do have the body to look great in them), and I know Angle's physique is not tall and slender. The extra weight would not bother me if the dancing were better. But it was so poor that honestly, I agree with FoF that he should have been pulled, and I cannot imagine what he'll be like in Symphony in C and Stravinsky Violin Concerto (a debut). I don't know if this is due to injury, age, lack of discipline, or some combo. Good luck getting back up to speed, Jared!!

Edited September 19, 2018 by cobweb
quoted the wrong person

[fondoffouettes]

18 hours ago, DC Export said:

Has anyone heard reports of what the music will be for each piece for next week's gala? I've heard conflicting reports on the Neenan and Reisen ballets and am having trouble compiling my playlists of Spotify.

 

(FYI if anyone wants to follow along: I keep playlists for most of the ballets that have been seen in NYCB rep (and, generally in the Balanchine cannon) to familiarize myself with the music. Here is the link: https://open.spotify.com/user/mayrea?si=FVETa4cBTtibjf0RXn4RVQ)

Thank you for this! I was just trying to find music from Balanchine ballets on Spotify. It's too bad the NYCB orchestra never produced another Balanchine Album volume, even if the music is available elsewhere.

[DC Export]

18 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

Thank you for this! I was just trying to find music from Balanchine ballets on Spotify. It's too bad the NYCB orchestra never produced another Balanchine Album volume, even if the music is available elsewhere.

Glad I could help! I wish the NYCB Orchestra had more records as well-- it's been a huge challenge to find high-quality recordings in the right style, but I'll admit that listening to all the options that are available on Spotify to make the playlists is one of my favorite procrastination techniques at work  It's also a bit of a treasure hunt, since not every album is listed the same. It look me years to find the right music for NY Export: Opus Jazz and a veryyy long time to locate the right recording of the ballet sections from operas like Walpurgisnacht. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by DC Export

[JuliaJ]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

The costume may be unflattering (let's face it, white tights are not flattering to anyone, although some people do have the body to look great in them), and I know Angle's physique is not tall and slender. The extra weight would not bother me if the dancing were better. But it was so poor that honestly, I agree with FoF that he should have been pulled, and I cannot imagine what he'll be like in Symphony in C and Stravinsky Violin Concerto (a debut). I don't know if this is due to injury, age, lack of discipline, or some combo. Good luck getting back up to speed, Jared!!

I'm guessing that he's debuting Stravinsky Violin Concerto because Finlay is gone... the exact same cast performed last fall, with Finlay partnering Lovette (although it's not like they haven't had time to get somebody else up to speed, considering they were allegedly planning to fire Finlay anyway). It's possible that one of the three terminated dancers was originally supposed to dance Symphony in C as well. 

[volcanohunter]

At least the tights are black. 

[fondoffouettes]

9 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

At least the tights are black. 

And he is still an excellent partner, so the second movement of Symphony in C should be fine. And his dancing will be less exposed in the fourth movement, with so many others onstage.

[cobweb]

2 hours ago, JuliaJ said:

I'm guessing that he's debuting Stravinsky Violin Concerto because Finlay is gone... the exact same cast performed last fall, with Finlay partnering Lovette (although it's not like they haven't had time to get somebody else up to speed, considering they were allegedly planning to fire Finlay anyway). It's possible that one of the three terminated dancers was originally supposed to dance Symphony in C as well. 

No doubt you are right, JuliaJ. However, I wish the Stravinsky Violin Concerto opportunity had gone to a corpsman who, while he might not be the most exciting dancer in the world, would be more capable than Jared Angle is looking right now. There are some experienced corpsmen like Daniel Applebaum and Devin Alberda who can be relied upon to handle complex partnering and won't be fazed by being in the spotlight. 

[FPF]

22 hours ago, cobweb said:

Canbelto, thanks for the note about Giovanni Villalobos. Glad this is just a normal move. He says “we” are moving. Presumably that means him and wife Sarah Villwock. They will be missed. 

She says in the comments that she's staying for now.

[bobbi]

Other debuts last night of note were Taylor Stanley in the male lead in Emeralds as well as Joe Gordon in Diamonds.  I am happy to report that Taylor was excellent partnering a luminous Tiler Peck.  The famed "walking pas" was well done by both Adrian Danchig-Waring and Unity Phelan.  Emeralds, my favorite section, was the highlight of the evening for me.  In Diamonds, Joseph Gordon brought out aspects of the male solo I had seen in a very long time.  He turned in a bravura performance partnering an always riveting Sara Mearns.  I was a bit disturbed, however, by how much fudging of the choreography Sara did in her solos.   That being said though, she was an audience favorite.

[cobweb]

That is great news about the successful debuts, and I can't wait to see Joseph Gordon and Sara Mearns. But *what a bummer* about Isabella LaFreniere not dancing! This comes a few years after she had to miss her Firebird debut, too. Wow. I hope she dances on Saturday. 

ETA: the substitution of Kretzschmar for LaFreniere must have been very last-minute, as the online casting sheet has not even been changed. 

Edited September 20, 2018 by cobweb

[abatt]

Let me add my appreciation of J. Gordon's spectacular performance of his solos in Diamonds.  I have not seen the solos performed that well in a very long time. I thought he did good work as a partner for Mearns, but there were some elements that require additional polish regarding the partnering.  In particular, the part where she leans all of her weight into him and he has to rotate her 360 degrees looked a little unsteady. But I do look forward to seeing him again in the role.

Unity Phelan was a striking goddess in Emeralds.  So much more I'd like to say, but alas I must get to work.

[yukionna4869]

 

[abatt]

Sorry to hear Kikta is injured.  She was fabulous as Tall Girl in Rubies on Tuesday.

[cobweb]

Wow, I'm not sure what happened, but does this mean she's out for tonight? And LaFreniere out too? Casting has not yet been updated. 

[jessa_sissonne]

Does anyone know if Mira Nadon is still dancing as an apprentice? I really enjoyed her in the Workshop performance of Scotch Symphony and noticed she wasn't in the last batch of promotions to corps.

Edited September 20, 2018 by jessa_sissonne
typo

[Kathleen O'Connell]

38 minutes ago, jessa_sissonne said:

Does anyone know if Mira Nadon is still dancing as an apprentice? I really enjoyed her in the Workshop performance of Scotch Symphony and noticed she wasn't in the last batch of promotions to corps.

She danced in the corps of Diamonds last night with the apprentice "+" after her name.

Apprentices listed in the program as dancing last night:

Naomi Corti, Lily-Frances Cosgrove, Jonathan Fahoury, Ally Helman, Mira Nadon, Maxwell Read, Davide Riccardo, and Lily Zerivitz, 

 

[bobbi]

Yes, Mira Nadon  was in Diamonds last night.  I too was so impressed by her Workshop performance in Scotch that I have been on the lookout for her ever since.  She is still listed as an apprentice.  

[Emma]

If I recall correctly, Mira Nadon was taken into the company as an apprentice either last fall or during Nutcracker, so she should not be due for a promotion into the corps until the end of this season.

[bluejean]

9 minutes ago, Emma said:

If I recall correctly, Mira Nadon was taken into the company as an apprentice either last fall or during Nutcracker, so she should not be due for a promotion into the corps until the end of this season.

I take that to mean that apprentices have a certain time-frame in which to prove themselves, and thus be promoted to the corps, or not?  It seems that promotions have stalled since Martins left, or is that only my perception? 

[DC Export]

If memory serves me right, there were two rounds of apprentices in 2017, the first group (Andres Zuniga, Gabriella Domini, Nieve Corrigan, Roman Mejia, Darius Black, India Bradley, Mary Thomas MacKinnon and Gilbert Bolden) started with the company in the summer. The second (Jonathan Fahoury, Mira Nadon and Maxwell Read) started right before Nutcracker. I don't know about Fahoury and Read, but I think Mira just graduated from high school in May, this second group might be a little younger than the others.

[bluejean]

3 minutes ago, DC Export said:

If memory serves me right, there were two rounds of apprentices in 2017, the first group (Andres Zuniga, Gabriella Domini, Nieve Corrigan, Roman Mejia, Darius Black, India Bradley, Mary Thomas MacKinnon and Gilbert Bolden) started with the company in the summer. The second (Jonathan Fahoury, Mira Nadon and Maxwell Read) started right before Nutcracker. I don't know about Fahoury and Read, but I think Mira just graduated from high school in May, this second group might be a little younger than the others.

Thank you, DC Export!  I think I should have clarified: it seems that promotions, other than apprentice to corps, have stalled.  But again, that might just be my perception. 

[yukionna4869]

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

Wow, I'm not sure what happened, but does this mean she's out for tonight? And LaFreniere out too? Casting has not yet been updated. 

I’m going tonight. I’m curious who the Tall girl will be. 

The instagram post from NYCB with Kretschmar & LaFrenier from two days ago says that Claire was scheduled to debut on the 19th, so Im not sure why casting isn’t updated still. I’m hoping LaFreniere isn’t injured.