Streaming Balanchine's La Sonnambula on Sunday, May 10- through 9am MST Monday, May 11, Only

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Ballet Arizona will stream George Balanchine’s La Sonnambula for 24 hours on Sunday, May 10, beginning at 9AM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIoSHT7-L8U

Seems like the Balanchine Trust must be loosening up its grip on videos – especially for (presumably) allowing less-frequently-seen ballets like Sonnambula to be shown…

The email announcement didn’t indicate the casting, but included a photo with Jillian Barrell as the Sleepwalker, and Nayon Iovino as the Poet, so it seems they will be the likely cast, in which case the video would be from May, 2018. (Sorry, photo not readily available.)

The photo below is of Natalia Magnicaballi from a past performance. This was one of her favorite roles, and one that she requested to be able to dance for her final performance with Ballet Arizona, also in May 2018.

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This La Sonnambula is indeed a special treat – featuring Natalia Magnicaballi’s May 2018 farewell performance with Ballet Arizona. Complete with final wild applause, flowers, confetti from the heavens, and even an onstage hug from Ib Andersen.

Here’s the top-notch cast from the posted video, which is very nice quality:

The Coquette              Mimi Tompkins

The Baron                   Brian Leonard

The Poet                      Helio Lima
The Sleepwalker         Natalai Magnicaballi

Pastorale                     Kaelyn Magee, Alison Remmers, Annier Navarro, Erick Garnica
Pas de Deux                Arianni Marin, Eric Hipolito Jr.
Harlequin                    Alejandro Mendez

 

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  From the Free Streaming Topic:

1 hour ago, Jack Reed said:

...

Just adding:  This cast numbers about 28 or so; the roster in the program adds up to 29; everybody is in this - that points to my point about this being a true repertory company - everybody, the company, dances - it's a magnificent company.  (I miss 'em, quite frankly.)

Jack, just to underscore what you said here: In addition to La Sonnambula, this program from 2018 also included Prodigal Son, and it actually started with Symphony in Three Movements!! A challenging program for any company, much less one with about 30 dancers.

The not-so-secret secret lies in the liberal use of very talented Studio Company - "for students of the highest rank with the potential and desire to become professional dancers."  Typically, the program indicates which dancers are from the Studio Company (and sometimes even from the School), but they appear not to have done so this time.

[California]

6 minutes ago, fiddleback said:

  The not-so-secret secret lies in the liberal use of very talented Studio Company - "for students of the highest rank with the potential and desire to become professional dancers."  Typically, the program indicates which dancers are from the Studio Company (and sometimes even from the School), but they appear not to have done so this time.

Yes, this is the "secret" at the typical regional companies with about 30 dancers on regular contracts (including Colorado Ballet).  It's why they can manage huge productions like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, etc. But I've never been disappointed. And this not only provides serious performing opportunities in a wide-ranging rep for dancers at all career stages, it also introduces regional audiences to major works they would never otherwise see in the theater. 

[Helene]

PNB, which typically has between 45-50 dancers on the roster, also uses Professional Division dancers in big corps ballets.  There's some formula in the union contract that allows this.  It's not limited to the under 30's. 

[sandik]

I thought that was Eric Hipolito in the duet!  He's from the PNB school, and is an alum of their Dance Chance program, which is trying to diversify the field by recruiting students from local elementary schools and helping them get started with training.  (He went to my daughter's high school, as well...) 

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10 hours ago, sandik said:

I thought that was Eric Hipolito in the duet!

Sandik, FYI, Eric departed Ballet Arizona about the same time period as this La Sonnambula video.. You can catch some close-ups of him in this BAZ video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M36L6Bhgy_I

[Helene]

In his Instagram Hipolito calls himself "Former Dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet Arizona."  After he retired, he had Arizona State listed, which  his Facebook Page (not recently updated) still does, and now it says "W.P. Carey Business School," which is part of the University of Texas, Dallas.

[fiddleback]

Aarrghh! It was Eric White who left BAZ for Dusseldorf (and is still there). Thanks, Helene. Too many dancers to keep track of!!! ☺️

[sandik]

Not a problem -- an easy mistake to make.  I was so pleased to see Eric H here in Sonambula -- he stood out at PNB in the Professional Division, and had a nice start with the company, but it looks like he made it farther faster in Arizona.  His brother Enrico also started dancing here, and is now in Kansas City with the company there.

[balletgirl22sk]

Alison Remmers was a student of mine many years ago. Sorry I missed it! Are they showing it again?

[fiddleback]

They are apparently showing it right now (Tues, May12, 2020 at 5PM). This is unexpected, so don't know how long it will remain up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIoSHT7-L8U