canbelto Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I disagree about Hyltin and Mozartiana. I thought she was absolutely beautiful. I can't say more because I'm reviewing the performance but I thought she was playful, graceful, and had beautiful bourrees. Link to comment
nanushka Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I agree about those particular qualities but for me the role calls for more. Link to comment
vipa Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 20 minutes ago, nanushka said: I agree about those particular qualities but for me the role calls for more. I find his conversation interesting. I saw Hyltin in the role pre-pandemic. She had become, by that time, a dancer I much admired and sought out. After seeing her in Mozartiana back then, I actively avoided her in the role this time. That isn't because she was awful, she was in fact lovely in many ways, but I seek a particular depth in that ballet. Perhaps we find that depth in different dancers and it isn't something that's debatable. We find it or we don't. Link to comment
canbelto Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Strange, I saw many performances of Mozartiana but it wasn't till I saw Hyltin's performance that the ballet really made sense to me. Many of the more queenly performances (from Nina, Veronika Part, Maria Kowroski, Wendy Whelan) veered dangerously close to lachrymose. Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 11 hours ago, canbelto said: https://www.instagram.com/p/BMLCl66jWrC/ https://www.instagram.com/p/7E80m9AAcd/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZZz2nDAhbO/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BrI8IjmAEBf/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B3rmJv2AyiF/ A couple of photos to show that she's shorter than most of the "tall" NYCB ballerinas including Sara Mearns. She was also shorter than Joaquin de Luz, who definitely was not tall. I think she has long proportions but she's not actually tall. I think Emilie Gerrity is taller than Joaquin DeLuz. That sidewalk must be slanted or something. Pictures can be deceiving. I do believe they were once engaged, though. I've seen her onstage with Unity Phelan and they seem to be about the same height. Roughly the same as Sara Mearns. Link to comment
Kathleen O'Connell Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 On 1/30/2022 at 9:16 AM, BalanchineFan said: I am just loving Justin Peck's work. Partita has beautiful music from Roomful of Teeth, eight acapella voices. I liked it too! I'm going to see it again over the weekend and will try to report back after I get a second look. On 1/30/2022 at 9:16 AM, BalanchineFan said: Cunninghams's Summerspace was well danced, but I still miss Abi Stafford. I liked her in that role, too—it was one of her best, right up there with the Ratmansky roles she danced. On 1/30/2022 at 9:16 AM, BalanchineFan said: DGV was pure joy. On this we will have to disagree! The dancers gave it their all, but this ballet always gives me a headache. Link to comment
cobweb Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Week 4 casting is up. Looks fascinating!! Link to comment
canbelto Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Roman Mejia replaces Andrew Veyette in Rubies. Can't wait to see his debut! Link to comment
abatt Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 1 hour ago, canbelto said: Roman Mejia replaces Andrew Veyette in Rubies. Can't wait to see his debut! This is perfect casting for the male lead. However, I'm having trouble imagining him dancing with Hyltin. He should be partnered with Peck. Link to comment
cobweb Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 There is so much new casting going on that it's hard to absorb it all, but it sure is exciting. I can't wait to see Mejia in Rubies, and I look forward to all those new couples in the 4T's themes, not to mention LaFreniere, Nadon, Kikta, etc in 4T's. Chan and Nadon in Black Swan pdd? I'm there! Phelan and Furlan in Tchaikovsky pdd? Call the box office now! Speaking of which, I waited on hold for the box office today for 37 minutes. "We are currently minimally staffed," the recording says. Why? Why are they minimally staffed? Finally, I left my office and just walked over to the box office, holding the phone to my ear the whole time in case someone came on the line, and instead was able to purchase at the box office. I was determined to buy tickets, but that kind of wait is going to dissuade a lot of ticket sales. Link to comment
cobweb Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 1 hour ago, abatt said: He should be partnered with Peck. I could see Indiana Woodward or Emma von Enck here as well. I hope they have someone new working on the female lead. Link to comment
cobweb Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 More thoughts on casting, as I study the casting updates. Veyette is out for at least the next few weeks. I also notice no Adrian Danchig-Waring casting, I assume he must be injured too, and much missed by me. No one answered up-thread about vipa's question about Ashley Bouder, she seems to be completely out for the season as well. Link to comment
mille-feuille Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 Super interesting casting for Week 4. Can't wait. Link to comment
canbelto Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 38 minutes ago, cobweb said: More thoughts on casting, as I study the casting updates. Veyette is out for at least the next few weeks. I also notice no Adrian Danchig-Waring casting, I assume he must be injured too, and much missed by me. No one answered up-thread about vipa's question about Ashley Bouder, she seems to be completely out for the season as well. Adrian is dancing in Serenade and Walpurgisacht. Link to comment
JuliaJ Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 Danchig-Waring is also in the first cast of Four Temperaments (Phlegmatic?). I'm intrigued by Sara Adams getting a debut in Tchaikovsky pas de Deux -- she's rarely cast in any principal roles, and this is a big one. Would love to hear reports. So happy to see the new female soloists thrown into so many roles, and also major opportunities for Ball, Furlan, Mejia, and Chan, who have to be on the principal track. Maybe Walker too. Link to comment
bellawood Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) This new casting is so much fun and I love that they are dropping the new soloists (and principals) in the deep end. I particularly think Roman should get all the dancing in he can. He's so young and all of these opportunities will help him mature as a partner. It can't hurt that Tiler has tapped him as her preferred partner in the allegro ballets -- shades of Wendy and Tyler Angle back in the day. He's spectacular to watch. We were at the performance last night and he has such dynamism and presence on stage (he was debuting 4th couple DGV). Overall last night was a bit subdued. The audience felt a little sleepy. I liked Partita a lot -- particularly the Harrison Coll/Taylor Stanley section. DGV gave a glimpse at the future NYCB -- a very elegant pairing of Davide Riccardo and Emilie Gerrity; Indiana and Harrison Ball who already have an established rapport on stage; Unity looking very much like the principal she is (with Tyler Angle as a replacement for Andy Veyette); and Emma Von Enck/Roman Mejia. Edited to say my only disappointment is so little Joe Gordon except for lots of Swan Lake stuff (and one La Valse). He had such a strong fall, particularly with Opus 19. Hoping for more in the spring! Edited February 2, 2022 by bellawood and another thing! Link to comment
fondoffouettes Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 I somehow overlooked until now that Jared Angle is returning to the stage this week in two performances of La Valse. I do wonder what his long-term plans are. I think he must be around 40, and he was dancing only infrequently even before the pandemic. I'm surprised he wasn't among those who chose to retire this season, unless he's hoping to get back to a place where he can dance some of his old roles. Link to comment
bellawood Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Anyone see Tiler last night in Rubies? Link to comment
Sal Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 minutes ago, bellawood said: Anyone see Tiler last night in Rubies? I saw Tiler last night. She is one of my all time favs but, in my opinion, she had a rare off-night. She didn't hit everything with ease the way she usually does, and was uncharacteristically off on a few of her turns (although she nailed the double piques in the last section). I didn't think the partnership with Huxley was ideal. She is such a powerhouse that she really needs a very strong, confident partner like Tyler Angle, and it seemed to me Huxley wasn't the best match. (He was wonderful during his solo moments -- eating up space effortlessly.) This role also calls for a high level of flexibility and elasticity on the part of the ballerina -- not Tiler's strong-suit -- so a lot of the dramatic moments lost some of their excitement and impact as a result. All in all, I think the wobbles could be chalked up to first-time nerves, and I have no doubt Tiler will conquer Rubies after a few more tries. (And maybe a different partner?) LaFreniere was fantastic as the Tall girl. Her opening montage moving forward was as good as Reichlen's, in my opinion, and she seemed completely at ease in everything. My only quibble was that she smiled throughout, which seemed a bit off, but it appeared that she was just so happy to be there, doing that role. Link to comment
DC Export Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) I had seen casting for this week and was in complete disbelief that this was Tiler's first NYCB Rubies. I know she's done Emeralds in the past, but her personality and style seem almost better suited to Rubies. Who else has been doing this role so that she hasn't gotten a shot? Fairchild, Hyltin, who else? Edited February 3, 2022 by DC Export Link to comment
nanushka Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Sal said: My only quibble was that she smiled throughout... I have repeatedly noticed and been bothered by this about LaFreniere. A little of that can be fine, in the right places. But she grinned all the way through Chaconne last fall, and through most of the Mozartiana menuet. It reminds me of how Veronika Part for awhile often held her mouth open while dancing. I think she worked on it, though, and it was not a problem in the latter part of her ABT career, as I recall. Hopefully LaFreniere can do the same. (She perhaps has a bit of an overbite, and so it may be difficult for her to sustain a relaxed look with closed lips. From years of braces in childhood, I can sympathize.) Edited February 3, 2022 by nanushka Link to comment
canbelto Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 12 minutes ago, DC Export said: I had seen casting for this week and was in complete disbelief that this was Tiler's first NYCB Rubies. I know she's done Emeralds in the past, but her personality and style seem almost better suited to Rubies. Who else has been doing this role so that she hasn't gotten a shot? Fairchild, Hyltin, who else? Lauren Lovette, Ashley Bouder. Link to comment
bellawood Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 minute ago, canbelto said: Lauren Lovette, Ashley Bouder. I'd forgotten that Lauren did Rubies. Link to comment
canbelto Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Tiler is an incredible technician but she has very little flexibility and so I think that's why she hasn't danced this role until last night. I don't think her arabesque goes much beyond 90 degrees. Link to comment
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