Helene Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 44 minutes ago, claireasday said: I think you're correct here in that what is deemed "appropriate" in ballet is often a regurgitation of oppressive and/or restrictive societal ideals. Baldness onstage doesn't bother me. I think the starting place for a lot of this is "What you're used to." Think of the photos from the '70's of men's hair, which looks as odd to us as photos of now will look 20 years from now. Or the agony over men wearing tights and not those modesty shorts. Or the conical bra cups for women in leotards. Or the coup de pied vs. passe position for men's pirouettes. Or the completely different musculature and heights of featured dancers in the original ballets vs. today's dancers. There are some things, though, that aren't accepted across time, and I can only hope that this changes. Link to comment
uptowner Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 NYCB posted a little "sneak peek" of the new Justin Peck choreography: Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 ooh, the Partita looks fun. Can't wait to see the whole thing. Link to comment
dirac Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 4 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said: For me, yes, in the sense that a full(ish) head of hair is part of the costume. Princesses wear tutus and tiaras; Princes wear jeweled tunics and hair. If they don't have their own hair, a hairpiece is fine with me—like the curls the ballerinas wear in Apollo. I've got no issue with bald dancers (or dancers with mop tops and beards) in ballets where the look can be part of the overall theatrical effect. Signing on to this. Link to comment
FayBallet Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Anyone feeling a little relief about the season starting later? I'm actually a bit nervous about returning to the theater, but I'm hoping I'll be over it by February. And there's the added bonus of getting a chance to see Sonatine. Has anyone here seen it? Link to comment
Helene Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I've seen Sonatine, but not since the '90's. It's a gorgeous piece of music, and was created by Balanchine for Violette Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux for the Ravel Festival in 1975. I saw Patricia McBride with Helgi Tomasson in 1984, with Ib Andersen in 1987 and 1989, and with David Moore in 1986. Ib Andersen also danced it with Kyra Nichols in 1984. It's lovely choreography, a real gem, and it isn't very long. The Balanchine Catalogue lists excerpts of it in the documentary "Violette et Mr. B", but it's been so long, that I don't remember how long the excer[ts are, or whether it is snippets of Verdy dancing and/or her coaching it, maybe for Pairs Opera Ballet. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Sonatine is included on the New York City Ballet in Paris disc, filmed in 2016 with Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz. Link to comment
nanushka Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Here are some excerpts from that performance: Link to comment
California Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 16 minutes ago, volcanohunter said: Sonatine is included on the New York City Ballet in Paris disc, filmed in 2016 with Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz. If you subscribe to Marquee.TV, the complete program is included (no extra charge). The program also includes Walpurgisnacht, La Valse, and Symphony in C. https://www.marquee.tv/watch/newyorkcityballet-nycbinparis Link to comment
claireasday Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Helene said: I've seen Sonatine, but not since the '90's. It's a gorgeous piece of music, and was created by Balanchine for Violette Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux for the Ravel Festival in 1975. I saw Patricia McBride with Helgi Tomasson in 1984, with Ib Andersen in 1987 and 1989, and with David Moore in 1986. Ib Andersen also danced it with Kyra Nichols in 1984. It's lovely choreography, a real gem, and it isn't very long. The Balanchine Catalogue lists excerpts of it in the documentary "Violette et Mr. B", but it's been so long, that I don't remember how long the excer[ts are, or whether it is snippets of Verdy dancing and/or her coaching it, maybe for Pairs Opera Ballet. Kurt Froman has posted clips of Verdy and Bonnefoux dancing Sonatine at the Paris Opera on his Instagram page (here and here). Link to comment
Helene Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Oh, thank you for those links, @claireasday! Watching Bonnefoux, whom I'd never seen dance with NYCB live, I can see why each of Tomasson, Andersen, and Moore was chosen for the man's role. Link to comment
California Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 For those who were wondering where Sara Mearns has been, she just posted an Instagram with a long caption: Hi guys…It’s been a while…First off, I want to say Thankyou to all the kind messages I’ve gotten these past few months that I’ve been away. I debated whether or not to talk about what I’ve been going thru and why I’ve been away. although it might not seem like it sometimes, I’m actually a very private person when it comes to me. but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed appropriate because maybe it would help someone else. Without getting into too much detail, in October of last year, i was diagnosed with depression and extreme burnout. I sought out the help of an incredible sports psychologist, and we both agreed that if I were to continue down the path I was on, that it would be dangerous for me as an athlete and as a person. With the amazing support of @nycballet, @jonathanstafford_nycb @marikadancerx, we made the decision for me to step away from dance and get better. This is never something I saw happening to me, I thought I was invincible, that maybe I was just tired, that maybe it’s just a phase, and to get over it. I’m here to tell you it a very real thing, and mental health is not something to just put on the back burner. Burnout is a very real thing no matter how it happens & can be very dangerous if not taken care of. I’ve also learned that I am not alone, & that all humans will most likely experience this in their life. I was embarrassed, nervous, sad, and in shock but I know this had to happen for me to realize that I have to come first. My well being has to be priority. It took me a long time to be ok to see people, to be in the studio again with a healthy happy outlook. but I’m happy to say that today I was back in the NYCB studios having the time of my life. My journey with mental health is just beginning, & it’s still day by day right now, but I hope in being open & vulnerable about it, it might help someone else. Love you all, and I can’t wait for the winter season to start on Jan 27! Pictured here w/ the incredible @gonzalogarcia79, taken by @mfairchild17, so lucky to have these two in my life, Thankyou for everything. #ballerina #mentalhealthawareness #itsokaynottobeokay #nycballet https://www.instagram.com/p/CYnIhgMO2GK/ Link to comment
KikiRVA Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Tiler Peck and Anthony Huxley we’re WONDERFUL in Sonatine when I saw them as NYCb Moves at Vail. She is great in this role, clearly understanding Verdy’s intent and technique. Fingers crossed that we can see them again! Link to comment
GB1216 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 12 hours ago, California said: For those who were wondering where Sara Mearns has been, she just posted an Instagram with a long caption: Hi guys…It’s been a while…First off, I want to say Thankyou to all the kind messages I’ve gotten these past few months that I’ve been away. I debated whether or not to talk about what I’ve been going thru and why I’ve been away. although it might not seem like it sometimes, I’m actually a very private person when it comes to me. but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed appropriate because maybe it would help someone else. Without getting into too much detail, in October of last year, i was diagnosed with depression and extreme burnout. I sought out the help of an incredible sports psychologist, and we both agreed that if I were to continue down the path I was on, that it would be dangerous for me as an athlete and as a person. With the amazing support of @nycballet, @jonathanstafford_nycb @marikadancerx, we made the decision for me to step away from dance and get better. This is never something I saw happening to me, I thought I was invincible, that maybe I was just tired, that maybe it’s just a phase, and to get over it. I’m here to tell you it a very real thing, and mental health is not something to just put on the back burner. Burnout is a very real thing no matter how it happens & can be very dangerous if not taken care of. I’ve also learned that I am not alone, & that all humans will most likely experience this in their life. I was embarrassed, nervous, sad, and in shock but I know this had to happen for me to realize that I have to come first. My well being has to be priority. It took me a long time to be ok to see people, to be in the studio again with a healthy happy outlook. but I’m happy to say that today I was back in the NYCB studios having the time of my life. My journey with mental health is just beginning, & it’s still day by day right now, but I hope in being open & vulnerable about it, it might help someone else. Love you all, and I can’t wait for the winter season to start on Jan 27! Pictured here w/ the incredible @gonzalogarcia79, taken by @mfairchild17, so lucky to have these two in my life, Thankyou for everything. #ballerina #mentalhealthawareness #itsokaynottobeokay #nycballet https://www.instagram.com/p/CYnIhgMO2GK/ Bravo to Sara! I think we all know her devotion to the craft, so it must have been very hard for her to consciously step away. The mind is a very powerful thing and needs to be taken care of as well. Good for her for getting help and coming back! An excellent example. Link to comment
Balletwannabe Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 4 hours ago, GB1216 said: Bravo to Sara! I think we all know her devotion to the craft, so it must have been very hard for her to consciously step away. The mind is a very powerful thing and needs to be taken care of as well. Good for her for getting help and coming back! An excellent example. I remember her interview with M.Fairchild, she was describing what she was doing during quarantine, and it sounded extremely intense, she didn't give herself a break, at all, when everyone else was. I'm not surprised to read this result. Glad to hear she reached out to get the help she needed. Student dancers need to read stories like these so they can plan for breaks instead of getting to a breaking point. Of course it's really up to ballet companies to...care...and recognize that rest needs to be built into dancers work schedules. Link to comment
bellawood Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Some casting hints on Jovani Furlan’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYpCm0pv-w5/?utm_medium=copy_link la Valse with Sara and DGV with LaFreniere (not sure which pair that would be) Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 4 hours ago, bellawood said: Some casting hints on Jovani Furlan’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYpCm0pv-w5/?utm_medium=copy_link la Valse with Sara and DGV with LaFreniere (not sure which pair that would be) Ooh, maybe LaFreniere is doing the role Maria Kowroski did! Link to comment
cobweb Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 3 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said: Ooh, maybe LaFreniere is doing the role Maria Kowroski did! That would make me a lot more interested in seeing DGV! Link to comment
bellawood Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 There is also this from Chun Wai Chan's instagram stories -- I'm guessing this is not a cast we will see but a hint for the future: https://imgur.com/a/AzSQspF (for some reason I can't insert the image as usual) Link to comment
canbelto Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 First week of casting is up: https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/principal-casting Link to comment
abatt Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 1 hour ago, bellawood said: There is also this from Chun Wai Chan's instagram stories -- I'm guessing this is not a cast we will see but a hint for the future: https://imgur.com/a/AzSQspF (for some reason I can't insert the image as usual) Who is he rehearsing with in that photo? I can't identify the ballerina. Link to comment
GB1216 Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 57 minutes ago, canbelto said: First week of casting is up: https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/principal-casting Interesting that it’s all the same casts. I wonder if they are doing a pod approach or some kind due to Covid. Link to comment
Susu_nyc Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 51 minutes ago, abatt said: Who is he rehearsing with in that photo? I can't identify the ballerina. It's Mira Nadon. She posted the same photo on Instagram. I could see them giving Mira and him the Black Swan PDD from the Swan LaKe 2 program. Great opportunity for NYC to showcase up and coming talent while giving the one act to principals. Link to comment
California Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 The NYCB Annual Luncheon has been postponed from mid-February to May 26 at the very end of the season. With people eating, masks come off much of the time, so they might be trying for maximum safety and the hope that Omicron will have passed and no new variants have emerged. https://www.nycballet.com/support/special-events/annual-luncheon-2022 Link to comment
cobweb Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 38 minutes ago, California said: The NYCB Annual Luncheon has been postponed from mid-February to May 26 at the very end of the season. Isn't that when they usually announce the Levin Award winner? Any word on what they are doing with that this year? Link to comment
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