New York City Ballet 2021-2022 season

[cobweb]

I thoroughly enjoyed last night's performance, all three pieces.  Just a few comments to add to what others have said. I thought Harrison Ball danced beautifully, is incredibly handsome, and has a most touching vulnerable quality. I would love to see him in this again. Agree with the comments about Mira Nadon, who let loose and must be the most sensuous Rubies Tall Girl I have seen. Roman Mejia and Sterling Hyltin were great together, it is amazing how he blew into the company with brio at such a young age, and he's just grown from there. No one has mentioned Chun Wai Chan's debut as Death in La Valse. He has a dominating, commanding presence that just screams "Principal Dancer!" All in all, a great night for the company's male soloists. Ball, Mejia, and Chan are all future principals, perhaps very soon! (Furlan didn't dance at this performance, but he's a future principal too.) 

I feel really glad to be back to live performances. Having video is great, and NYCB put out some great pieces during the "digital seasons," some of which I watched endlessly, but there is nothing like the thrill and evanesence of live performance. 

Oh, and I agree with @vipa about intermissions. I liked getting out earlier. 

[cobweb]

Oh, and I find it annoying that there are absolutely no snacks or sandwiches available. Why??

[abatt]

21 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Oh, and I find it annoying that there are absolutely no snacks or sandwiches available. Why??

They are trying to create  a safer environment whether nobody has a reason to take off their mask while in the building.  That's why there are no more food or drink offerings.

[BalanchineFan]

On 2/3/2022 at 9:59 PM, vipa said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I've never experienced or heard of real coaching about facial expressions. Sometimes something broad like - smile more. Sometimes an overall mood like - look saucy here. For better or worse, I think it's assumed the the over-all right physicality will lead to a suitable facial expression.

Read Merrill Ashley's book, Dancing for Balanchine. Her husband's comments about her facial expression completely changed her performances, adding a great deal of depth. Whether NYCB gives dancers this kind of coaching, who knows? I doubt it. I'm sure Balanchine expected dancers would find it on their own, or he gave them cryptic comments which they struggled to understand, as Ashley also recounts. I would tell dancers to relax and let their experience of dancing show in their face. Generally, it's not an everlasting smile. 

[BalanchineFan]

On 2/4/2022 at 3:23 PM, cobweb said:

@BalanchineFan, thank you so much for your detailed comments on the "Visionary Voices" program. I had not intended to see this (and even swapped a subscription ticket for another program), but knowing that you are, well, a Balanchine fan, and still loved this, you have convinced me. I'll have to see it during the final week, and hope to get the same casting that you reported on. 

You're welcome, though, your mileage may vary. While I am a huge Balanchine fan, I had a career in modern dance.

Edited February 6, 2022 by BalanchineFan

[cobweb]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

They are trying to create  a safer environment whether nobody has a reason to take off their mask while in the building.  That's why there are no more food or drink offerings.

Okay, I guess that should have been obvious. Still, they had snacks (no sandwiches) during the Fall season. I'd rather have no intermission, with refreshments available before the show, rather than intermissions but no refreshments. But, that's just me. I like getting there early, and I'd rather get out earlier too.

[nanushka]

I think intermissions promote possible viral transmission a lot less than having a bunch of people eating and drinking while mingling unmasked. At least the current protocols make a bit more sense.

(That said, I’m hoping we may be getting closer to a time when the eating and drinking can again be allowed, too, now that we’re past the worst of the omicron variant and perhaps nearing an endemic stage of the virus.)

Edited February 6, 2022 by nanushka

[abatt]

Without intermissions, they cannot stage ballets that have sets.  For example, Prodigal, Swan Lake, Slaughter. 

The Met Opera has also shut all concessions EXCEPT for food available on the Grand Tier level.  To me that makes no sense.

[BalanchineFan]

6 hours ago, abatt said:

Without intermissions, they cannot stage ballets that have sets.  For example, Prodigal, Swan Lake, Slaughter. 

The Met Opera has also shut all concessions EXCEPT for food available on the Grand Tier level.  To me that makes no sense.

Is the thinking that the Grand Tier is more like a restaurant, and that it's very open? I'm just shrugging on that one.

I think NYCB should open the outdoor terrace/balcony on the First Ring. I just love it out there. If we can't get sandwiches you could at least bring a little something and ingest it outside. When (WHEN, not if!) this pandemic ends I'll be having sandwiches on the terrace.

Edited February 7, 2022 by BalanchineFan

[nanushka]

Oh, I'm very surprised to hear that the outdoor terrace hasn't been open. Duh, isn't outdoor public space what it's all about now? That makes no sense. Unlock the doors!

[KikiRVA]

41 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Oh, I'm very surprised to hear that the outdoor terrace hasn't been open. Duh, isn't outdoor public space what it's all about now? That makes no sense. Unlock the doors!

It was open this weekend once the precipitation dried out.

[KikiRVA]

It was a wonderful weekend at the ballet!  I went up the weekend’s performances starting Friday night, so got to see the all-Balanchine with two different sets of casts.  Some things that stuck out to me:

-Laracey was phenomenal in both Unanswered Question and Summerspace.  So glad she’s back!

-Devin Alberda was crystal clear in that incredibly challenging Merce role in Summerspace.  Bravo!!!

-Both Mearns and Peck (debut) brought their own something special to Mozartiana.  The moment toward the end when the principal couple joins hands with the girls and they start dancing together choked me up both times!

-Speaking of Mozartiana, Ball looked fabulous.  He seems to have studied Martins’s posture, gesture and look to the stars.

-The tall women in Rubies (both LaFreniere and Nadon) rocked it out.  Less smile from LaFreniere than she must have had on Wednesday from the comments.  I wish Huxley had a little more smile, but he did bring some wonderful swagger.  Mejia was huge in his debut.  Hyltin was a dream, and Peck gave a great first go.

-The stars of La Valse were the 3 soloists at both performances – Kikta, Anderson, and Dutton-O’Hara. 

-I quite liked Partita.  Sorry to have missed the live vocals.  Peck seems to have matured to more sophisticated musicality.  The non-erotic but sensually loving duo of Stanley and Coll made my heart glow.

-And speaking of Coll, he looked like he matured immensely over the last couple of years since I’ve seen him.  He was commanding and beautiful in both the Ives and the Peck. 

-And Mearns in Walpurgisnacht.  It was wonderful 10 years ago, and even better now.  Wow!

Overall an excellent ballet blitz for Winter 2022. 

 

[abatt]

30 minutes ago, KikiRVA said:

-I quite liked Partita.  Sorry to have missed the live vocals. 

 

 

 

A friend told me they were using recorded vocals for Partita, but I wasn't sure if they were doing that for every Partita performance.  So if you missed the premiere night, apparently you will not be able to hear live music for Partita.  I think that's a first for NYCB, and not a good development as far as I'm concerned. One of the selling points of seeing this company is live music.  I don't recall them ever using live music for a premiere and then switching to canned music for all remaining shows.

Edited February 7, 2022 by abatt

[cobweb]

48 minutes ago, KikiRVA said:

Mozartiana.  The moment toward the end when the principal couple joins hands with the girls and they start dancing together choked me up both times!

KikiRVA -- I have the same reaction!

[cobweb]

57 minutes ago, KikiRVA said:

Speaking of Mozartiana, Ball looked fabulous.  He seems to have studied Martins’s posture, gesture and look to the stars.

Wanted to agree with this too. I had the impression that Ball had done a lot to prepare for this performance, which is a good fit for him and a good opportunity too. Someone up-thread mentioned he was impassive - I noticed that as well. Yet despite that, I found him quite vulnerable and touching. Not sure how to put all that together, but that was my impression. I bought a ticket to see this program and casting again on Wednesday, largely wanting to see Ball again. 

[BalanchineFan]

19 hours ago, KikiRVA said:

It was open this weekend once the precipitation dried out.

The days I went it rained and snowed, so the terrace was closed.

[BalanchineFan]

3 hours ago, KikiRVA said:

It was a wonderful weekend at the ballet!  I went up the weekend’s performances starting Friday night, so got to see the all-Balanchine with two different sets of casts.  Some things that stuck out to me:

-Speaking of Mozartiana, Ball looked fabulous.  He seems to have studied Martins’s posture, gesture and look to the stars.

 

Are you saying Peter Martins danced Mozartiana, back in the day? Did you see him dance it? I thought the male role was danced by Ib Anderson. He was very different with Farrell from Martins

[Kathleen O'Connell]

3 hours ago, abatt said:

A friend told me they were using recorded vocals for Partita, but I wasn't sure if they were doing that for every Partita performance.  So if you missed the premiere night, apparently you will not be able to hear live music for Partita. 

I attended the third performance of Partita (Sat 1/29/22 Evening) and Roomful of Teeth performed live at that one. I also attended the Sun 2/6/22 matinee, and the cast performed to a recording. 

Roomful of Teeth was miked at the performance I saw: I suspect that at least some of the sounds they make wouldn't carry to the back of the theater. 

[KikiRVA]

1 hour ago, BalanchineFan said:

Are you saying Peter Martins danced Mozartiana, back in the day? Did you see him dance it? I thought the male role was danced by Ib Anderson. He was very different with Farrell from Martins

Sorry, misspoke.  I meant Anderson. Only know from the video online.  

[abatt]

3 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

I attended the third performance of Partita (Sat 1/29/22 Evening) and Roomful of Teeth performed live at that one. I also attended the Sun 2/6/22 matinee, and the cast performed to a recording. 

Roomful of Teeth was miked at the performance I saw: I suspect that at least some of the sounds they make wouldn't carry to the back of the theater. 

Thanks for clarifying.  So Roomful of Teeth was performing live, but they are also using a recording? 

I'm not talking about using a microphone.  They are not opera singers so I don't expect them to sing without a mic.

[KikiRVA]

30 minutes ago, abatt said:

Thanks for clarifying.  So Roomful of Teeth was performing live, but they are also using a recording? 

I'm not talking about using a microphone.  They are not opera singers so I don't expect them to sing without a mic.

Yes, the live performance used microphones.  There is a lot of vocalization that is not full-out singing: speech, breath, throat-singing.  I’m curious, was the ensemble in the pit when they performed live?

[Kathleen O'Connell]

4 hours ago, abatt said:

So Roomful of Teeth was performing live, but they are also using a recording? 

I saw two performances. At one, (1/29) Roomful of Teeth performed live. At the other (2/6) , the dancers performed to a recording. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

4 hours ago, KikiRVA said:

I’m curious, was the ensemble in the pit when they performed live?

Yees, they were.

[Fleurfairy]

Just thinking of the newly promoted soloists and wondered what had happened with Alston Macgill. Seems she was a major up and comer before the pandemic. I haven't seen her cast in any soloists roles this season. 

[JuliaJ]

Teresa Reichlen's last Walpurgisnacht was lovely last night -- happy I caught it. She was clearly having fun in her final go at this. Will miss her regal presence, impeccable control, and epically long legs. Alexa Maxwell sparkled in the soloist role -- I hope she gets more opportunities like this. It's sad she was sidelined by injury for so long, or else she might be a soloist by now. Angle's jumps were high but he should retire the white-tight roles, and that's all I'll say about that. 

Unanswered Question felt weird placed directly after Walpurgisnacht with just a pause in between, but I love the piece. It got an enthusiastic audience response from the not-very-full theater. 

Moves take a few minutes to get into because of the lack of music (so quiet in the theater you can hear the dryers in the bathrooms), but the choreography is mesmerizing. Lots of little moments that feel like Glass Pieces mixed with Balanchine neoclassical works like Rubies and Agon. Almost the entire cast was soloists, including newly promoted Hod, Mejia, LaFreniere, and Miller. Towards the end, LaFreniere held a rock-solid arabesque for a crazy long time and didn't shake at all. 

Slaughter is a great match for Mearns' sultry energy and high kicks. And Angle is all personality and fun in the hoofer role. 

[juliebugs]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:28 AM, Fleurfairy said:

Just thinking of the newly promoted soloists and wondered what had happened with Alston Macgill. Seems she was a major up and comer before the pandemic. I haven't seen her cast in any soloists roles this season. 

I know she was out of Nutcracker season with a foot injury, but I was also wondering if she was back for winter season. She's always been one of my favorites.

She mentioned the foot injury in a interview she did with @thewholedancer on Instagram. I think the video is still there; it was from back in November.