New York City Ballet 2021-2022 season

[KikiRVA]

Andrew Scordato will be retiring at the end of the season.  He has been a superlative reliable and expressive corps member since around the time I started following NYCB.  He will be missed, but will still be full-time at SAB.  
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbSak4OHa2/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

[nanushka]

I completely agree about Scordato. He was always good to see.

[vipa]

6 hours ago, cobweb said:

 

Like others, I have been attending fewer performances than I used to. Partly that's because although I might want to see an individual ballet (Stravinsky Violin Concerto, most recently), I'm not keen on the overall program. Also, the subway ride home has become dicey enough to be a factor I have to consider. I am at my office in midtown, near Lincoln Center, every day, but most days I decide I just want to get on home while it's still light. I wonder if they've considered an earlier curtain time, like 7:00pm. I liked the intermission-less programs during the fall season, but I know not everyone was a fan and also intermissions are needed for set and costume changes. But maybe an earlier curtain could be an option. 

It would seem that overall, programming is a problem for many of us, in terms of attending. Interesting question about start times and intermissions. There was a time when all evening shows began at 8pm, and at some point, the weekday shows were changed to a 7:30 start time. I wonder if TPTB would consider 7pm. I think it's a good idea, but there may be issues I'm not thinking of. I also liked the no intermission shows, but fully recognize the limitations it imposes on programing because of needing time to put in a set etc. That said, I've seen programs in which a 20 minute intermission was inserted for no reason that I could see except for tradition and perhaps concession sales. Maybe management can rethink the whole intermission thing and use them as needed. Perhaps this is already happening. I was pleasantly surprised last Sunday, when the only intermission was after Pulchinella Variations, and after that just pauses.

[BalanchineFan]

13 hours ago, vipa said:

It would seem that overall, programming is a problem for many of us, in terms of attending. Interesting question about start times and intermissions. There was a time when all evening shows began at 8pm, and at some point, the weekday shows were changed to a 7:30 start time. I wonder if TPTB would consider 7pm. I think it's a good idea, but there may be issues I'm not thinking of. I also liked the no intermission shows, but fully recognize the limitations it imposes on programing because of needing time to put in a set etc. That said, I've seen programs in which a 20 minute intermission was inserted for no reason that I could see except for tradition and perhaps concession sales. Maybe management can rethink the whole intermission thing and use them as needed. Perhaps this is already happening. I was pleasantly surprised last Sunday, when the only intermission was after Pulchinella Variations, and after that just pauses.

For a theater that seats 2500+ audience members I wouldn't think a handful of comments here constitute a quorum, no matter how knowledgable we are. Many people work office hours (10-6, or even 11-7 pm) and would have trouble making a 7 pm curtain. Some want to dine beforehand, too. I do like the 7:30 pm curtains, but mostly I go to the ballet on the weekends when I can choose a matinee and get home during daylight. I work early.

[springnemesia]

Hello all! Long-time lurker but finally made an account

I saw Wednesday's Apollo/Orpheus/Agon program -- was so pleased to have an extra surprise chance to see Hyltin even though I wasn't all that thrilled by Orpheus otherwise. All of the ballet newbies were raving about the Agon pas de deux as they were leaving the theater. It was fun to sit near folks who didn't know what was coming and kept gasping at some of the really tense moments. 

The $30 under 30 program going online because of COVID really is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me and it feels way too good to be true. I always manage to grab a front-row seat at least once a week and I feel like I own the place squeezing past the folks who paid $260. I hope they never go back to the in-person rush system. (Yes, I'm bragging about this here because none of my real-life friends get why this is a big deal 😎)

I'm really excited Mira Nadon is back! Can't wait to see her in Rubies tomorrow. 

[cobweb]

Thanks for the report and welcome springnemesia! I look forward to hearing your report on tomorrow's performance. 

Did anyone see Erica Pereira last night in her debut in Rubies?

[Gino Montagnino]

2 hours ago, cobweb said:

Thanks for the report and welcome springnemesia! I look forward to hearing your report on tomorrow's performance. 

Did anyone see Erica Pereira last night in her debut in Rubies?

I went and she was incredible.

[BalanchineFan]

4 hours ago, springnemesia said:

Hello all! Long-time lurker but finally made an account

I saw Wednesday's Apollo/Orpheus/Agon program -- was so pleased to have an extra surprise chance to see Hyltin even though I wasn't all that thrilled by Orpheus otherwise. All of the ballet newbies were raving about the Agon pas de deux as they were leaving the theater. It was fun to sit near folks who didn't know what was coming and kept gasping at some of the really tense moments. 

The $30 under 30 program going online because of COVID really is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me and it feels way too good to be true. I always manage to grab a front-row seat at least once a week and I feel like I own the place squeezing past the folks who paid $260. I hope they never go back to the in-person rush system. (Yes, I'm bragging about this here because none of my real-life friends get why this is a big deal 😎)

I'm really excited Mira Nadon is back! Can't wait to see her in Rubies tomorrow. 

I'd like to wish you a warm welcome, @springnemesia and congrats on not being a lurker. Glad you can take advantage of the $30 under 30.

[vipa]

3 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

I'd like to wish you a warm welcome, @springnemesia and congrats on not being a lurker. 

Adding my welcome, @springnemesia, hope to read your opinions of the performances you see. 

I decided to try see the Sat. Matinee, tomorrow, but frankly want a ticket on the lower price end. They haven't opened the third ring, never mind the fourth. What's the point of having that theater, if you can only open orchestra, 1st, and 2nd ring? I understand the pricing strategy and wanting the audience somewhat consolidated, but it can be  bit frustrating.

[Peg]

I’ve been sad to see the third and fourth rings closed for want of audiences at many performances. The dancing this season has been pretty great all around. There are often $38 orchestra seats on the sides, a great deal and with very good sight lines (except at the far-most ends) of the rows. 
 

I agree that Erica Pereira did a great job in Rubies.  But Roman Mejia was simply thrilling!  And Edward Villella was in the audience, would love to know his reaction.

[Marta]

3 minutes ago, Peg said:

I’ve been sad to see the third and fourth rings closed for want of audiences at many performances. The dancing this season has been pretty great all around. There are often $38 orchestra seats on the sides, a great deal and with very good sight lines (except at the far-most ends) of the rows. 
 

I agree that Erica Pereira did a great job in Rubies.  But Roman Mejia was simply thrilling!  And Edward Villella was in the audience, would love to know his reaction.

Pereira was excellent, but Mejia and Nadon were absolutely thrilling!   I had never seen Le Baiser de la Fee.   I was disappointed at first at how pretty it was, but both variations were unusual and beautifully danced.  Woodward and Huxley were great together in Duo Concertante.  I enjoyed The Cage, particularly Hyltin's performance.  Her just-born Novice, crouched and curled up and very tiny, looked about half the size of La Freniere, also very impressive.

[abatt]

In Rubies, I liked Pereira but she lacks swagger and boldness, which is a big component of this role.  That's part of why Bouder is (was) so good in this role - swagger could be her middle name.  Agree that Mejia and Nadon were fantastic in Rubies. 

[Marta]

53 minutes ago, abatt said:

In Rubies, I liked Pereira but she lacks swagger and boldness, which is a big component of this role.  That's part of why Bouder is (was) so good in this role - swagger could be her middle name.  Agree that Mejia and Nadon were fantastic in Rubies. 

Exactly!  I didn't feel exhilarated by her performance even though she was technically  "correct".   It doesn't seem like a congenial role for her.

[tutu]

Any reports from Maxwell’s Cage debut?

[Xiaoyi]

4 hours ago, tutu said:

Any reports from Maxwell’s Cage debut?

Maxwell was fantastic, sharp and sexy. The audience loved her too. Chan was amazing too.

I was not a big fan of The Cage from watching recordings. However, the dark power captivated me in live theater. 

[Royal Blue]

By way of the story of Orpheus from ancient Greek mythology, two of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th Century venture through the eponymous NYCB ballet to deal with a paramount theme of art —the connection between love and death. A ballet which deals with a difficult and somber subject, to be sure, and one which understandably is not among Balanchine's most successful and greatest creations. Nevertheless, it is simply too weighty to leave entirely out of the repertoire. (Another essential theme of the myth, of course, is the power and solace music —and by implication all art— provides humanity in confronting the unknown.) The "Greek trilogy" program —Apollo; Orpheus; Agon— is superlative!

Although brought together again only by circumstances, the four dancers in the first cast of Apollo —Tiler Peck, Brittany Pollack, Indiana Woodward and Taylor Stanley— are breathtakingly beautiful in this ballet. An outlier opinion, probably.  Regardless, the streaming of their pre-pandemic performance delighted me, and I am joyful to have seen Apollo with this cast on stage again this week. Predictably, Joseph Gordon (debuting) and Sterling Hyltin were superb in Orpheus. In Agon, Unity Phelan (debuting too in the principal female role) and Emilie Gerrity were particularly thrilling.
 
After their absence from the stage for a while, all four ballets in the week's second program —Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée'; The Cage; Duo Concertant; Rubies— proved favorably surprising. As the Tall Girl Mira Nadon dazzled, and in their respective debuts Isabella LaFreniere as the Queen in Cage and Indiana Woodward in Duo were impressive. A couple of ironies in the casting were too conspicuous to go unnoticed. On Wednesday evening one was enthralled as Joseph Gordon and Sterling Hyltin movingly performed the haunting pas de deux in front of the curtain during Orpheus. Anyone aware of the synopsis of The Fairy's Kiss could not fail to perceive the irony of watching Gordon the following night give a stellar performance (alongside the brilliant Tiler Peck) in the Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée’. And how radically different —in terms of character and choreography— was the role of the Novice in The Cage Hyltin powerfully danced on Thursday night!

Four weeks into the season, and despite the disruption the pandemic has caused and is still causing —and notwithstanding all the retirements and injuries— NYCB simply does not appear to have missed a beat.

Edited May 14, 2022 by Royal Blue

[MarzipanShepherdess]

7 hours ago, tutu said:

Any reports from Maxwell’s Cage debut?

Got to see her both in her debut Friday night, and then again today when she subbed in for Sterling. Alexa was absolutely thrilling in both performances. She really, already, nails the full arc of the Novice: from cringing neophyte to powerful killer, with all the shadings of uncertainty, sensual pleasure, and guilt along the way. Very rich interpretation of the role. Isabella was also excellent in her debut as the Queen, right from her very first entrance. Gorgeous, impossibly high extensions, so commanding and intimidating. 

I enjoyed having the opportunity to see two casts of Rubies, La Baiser, and Duo Concertant in such close proximity. For me, La Baiser is one of those ballets that falls a bit flat with certain dancers. Didn't love it with Erica Peirera and Anthony Huxley, but found it quite engaging with Tiler and Joseph Gordon today. With the right dancers, I find the pas de deux (especially the final segment where the corps dancers come on and separate the principals, shades of the final act of Swan Lake) quite beautiful and moving. Their partnering had a lot more excitement, and Tiler's superlative turns were in thrilling evidence. And Joseph emoted quite a bit more than Anthony, which brought more depth for the final pas de deux.

Duo Concertant: Indiana was lovely in both performances, but her partnership with Taylor Stanley has more depth to me than when she dances with Anthony. Anthony looked great in his solos, but the heart of Duo Concertant of course is the partnering which becomes so tender and emotional in the final movement and Taylor did that section superlatively in his debut Friday. And he has such expressive port de bras, which made the kissing-the-hand-and-kneeling sequence so gorgeous.

Rubies: I'm with those who find Erica hitting all the marks in Rubies but lacking the bold verve and playfulness that great interpreters of the role like Sterling bring to it. Sterling just owns that role, for me, I will miss her in it SO much. She looks like she's having the absolute time of her life every time she does it, there's such a sense of ease and joy even as she does quite technically demanding things. I really enjoy Mira as Tall Girl, but it felt like she didn't have quite the attack and confidence these last two days that she had winter season, which is only to be expected as she's JUST coming back from being out for several weeks with a COVID infection. Still, she is so exciting in this role and I look forward to seeing her grow in it for years to come. 

Edited to add: Roman Meija was superb in Rubies. Big, bold, exciting dancing all the way through. He really went for it--in one of his final series of turns you could see the sweat flying off of him as he spun into the wings. Just fantastic.

Edited May 14, 2022 by MarzipanShepherdess

[wonderwall]

Any reviews on how Mimi Staker performed in her couple featured roles this season? 

[abatt]

FYI, Pazcoguin replaced Pollack last night in Apollo.  I believe this was a debut.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

FYI, Pazcoguin replaced Pollack last night in Apollo.  I believe this was a debut.

It was. Some thoughts on last night's Apollo in no particular order:

The only dancer left from the originally announced cast was Sara Adams. Stanley, Peck, Laracey, Adams became Danchig-Waring, Hyltin, Laracey, Adams which became Danchig-Waring, Hyltin, Pollack, Adams which became Danchig-Waring, Hyltin, Pazcoguin, Adams. 

What the heck are they saving Sara Adams for? Her debut as Calliope was so strong you'd have thought she'd been dancing the role for years. She did something that only a handful of the many ballerinas I've seen in the role have been able to do: weave Calliope's outlandish gestures and abrupt changes of mood into the fabric of the steps. Brava!

Gina Pazcoguin made a surprise, last-minute debut as Polyhymnia and I'm glad I was there for it. Her Polyhymnia was deliciously boisterous. I've seen casts dance Apollo like they were afraid they were going to break it. Not Pazcoguin: she tore into the role with gusto and palpable joy. 

No one in last night's cast seemed interested in dancing Apollo like a museum piece they needed to handle with white archivist's gloves in a climate-controlled room. Danchig-Waring looks like a big blond god Apollo, but (thankfully!) doesn't dance the role that way. In sculptural terms, his Apollo is Bernini's coiled energy rather than Praxiteles' elegant repose. He still shows us Every. Single. Step (as is his wont) but dances the role like Peter Martins' Apollo never happened, and I mean that 100% as a compliment. I'd really like to see him in the complete version.

I'm glad I got to see Hyltin's Terpsichore again before she retires. (It's like a knife in my heart to write those words.) She was joyful, playful, and soulful by turns and feather-light without being fly-away. Her authority comes from her musicality and serene self-possession rather than magisterial grandeur, and I find it refreshing. 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Kathleen O'Connell

[Helene]

That sounds like a stupendous Apollo, @Kathleen O'Connell!

[Kathleen O'Connell]

12 minutes ago, Helene said:

That sounds like a stupendous Apollo

Maybe not stupendous—I think that depends on how wedded one is to the Farrell / Martins white-tights model—but I was certainly glad to be there for the happy accident of it all. I'd like to see this same cast after they had a chance to perform it together a few more times.

[Helene]

I am not at all wedded to the Farrell / Martins white-tights model.  I liked Farrell better in the older films.  So I think I would have loved what you described.

[cobweb]

I was there last night for the Apollo-Orpheus-Agon program. I was excited to see the Apollo debuts of two underused soloists, Sara Adams and Georgina Pazcoguin. (I had been even more excited to see the debut of a much-used soloist, Ashley Laracey, but maybe next time. Get well soon, Ashley!). Adams was assured, expressive, and projected far beyond her tiny size. Pazcoguin was also assured, especially for what was a last-minute substitution, and danced very large as always. I didn't think her style really meshed with the other muses who were more refined and delicate, but maybe like Kathleen O'Connell said upthread, a few more performances together would smooth things out. Sterling Hyltin was marvelous, with a presence and maturity I don't usually associate with her. Adrian Danchig-Waring's physique etched every single position with utmost clarity and commitment. 

I don't love Orpheus, but Aaron Sanz made a great impression with his elegant lines, Amar Ramasar has the commanding presence needed for the Dark Angel, and Sterling Hyltin again was lovely. 

 As throughout this season, I enjoyed Miriam Miller a lot in Agon. She has really grown in confidence and stage presence. Isabella LaFreniere also looked excellent, and I can't wait to see these two in the grand ballerina roles. Davide Riccardo stood out also. The company is looking terrific. 

[abatt]

Numerous cast changes tonight.  In Piano Pieces, Joe Gordon was replaced by Villarani-Velez.  In Four Seasons, Hyltin & Huxley were replaced in Spring by Woodward & Chan.  And Harrison Coll was replaced in Four Seasons (Winter) by Zuniga.

None of  the casting has been updated on the website.

I don't recall ever seeing Piano Pieces before, or maybe  I've seen it only once or twice.  Ravishingly beautiful.  I particularly loved a pas for Nadon and Sanz to the October section of The Seasons.  However, all of the choreography was beautiful, including some gorgeous adagio choreography for Gerrity and  Furlan.  Mejia dazzled in his allegro dancing.  Happy to see this ballet will be returning in the fall. 

Four Seasons was mostly thrilling.  I was worried about how Veyette might look in Fall at this stage of his career, but he did fine.  I miss Bouder in the Fall section.  Phelan was good, but she lacks the same level of go for broke virtuosity that I've seen from others. 

Chan and Woodward looked good together, but I kept thinking of Kyra Nichols in this part.

Why is Ramasar retiring so soon.  He has been so good in every role he appeared in, including tonight with Gerrity in the Summer section.

A wonderful, joyous night of ballet on a lovely Spring day here in NYC.

Third and fourth rings weer closed.

Any info on what happened to Hyltin/Huxley and Gordon?

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by abatt