New York City Ballet 2021-2022 season

[California]

18 hours ago, Roberta said:

ITA. It's primarily about the paying audience feeling as if it's getting its money's worth. Such a great rep at NYCB and we got that sad mixed bill? Enough. I will end my Kennedy Center subscription on a high tomorrow - Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Can't go wrong there. Speaking of - Did anybody go to last night's opener? Sara Mearns was still listed as opening-night Titania.  Our family will be going Saturday night; Miriam Miller as Titania and Roman Mejia as Oberon. We cannot wait for that.

ABT opened their KC run with two nights of a so-so mixed bill, followed by five Don Qs. Is it a coincidence that NYCB opened with two nights of a disappointing mixed bill followed by MSND? I'm wondering if the KC management had something to do with this. Quite a coincidence otherwise.

[Roberta]

4 hours ago, California said:

ABT opened their KC run with two nights of a so-so mixed bill, followed by five Don Qs. Is it a coincidence that NYCB opened with two nights of a disappointing mixed bill followed by MSND? I'm wondering if the KC management had something to do with this. Quite a coincidence otherwise.

The KC programing folks (like other arts presenters across the USA and maybe elsewhere) have been on an Affirmative Action diversity plan for a while now. It's about presenting choreographers/artists/musicians of diverse genders, colors, etc. Both ABT and NYCB's triple bills included jazz-music commissioned by the KC (music for the Alonzo King for ABT + the Roberts work for NYCB).  Then there's next week's diversity festival (or whatever it's called...Reframing the Narrative).

With the two foreign classical ballet troupes cancelled (China and Mariinsky), it left two classical companies (ABT and NYCB) other than Miami with Nutcracker. So it would have been nice if the two companies that interested me and my family would have provided more classical works, incl more Balanchine and a Robbins or two. But they did not meet the Affirmative Action agenda.

Off to tonight's NYCB AMSND!

[canbelto]

13 minutes ago, Roberta said:

The KC programing folks (like other arts presenters across the USA and maybe elsewhere) have been on an Affirmative Action diversity plan for a while now. It's about presenting choreographers/artists/musicians of diverse genders, colors, etc. Both ABT and NYCB's triple bills included jazz-music commissioned by the KC (music for the Alonzo King for ABT + the Roberts work for NYCB).  Then there's next week's diversity festival (or whatever it's called...Reframing the Narrative).

With the two foreign classical ballet troupes cancelled (China and Mariinsky), it left two classical companies (ABT and NYCB) other than Miami with Nutcracker. So it would have been nice if the two companies that interested me and my family would have provided more classical works, incl more Balanchine and a Robbins or two. But they did not meet the Affirmative Action agenda.

Off to tonight's NYCB AMSND!

Jazz, a musical tradition that is over a century old, is now associated with a rather elderly (and dare I say it, white) fan base.

Also, the programs by KC seem to mirror the programs done by NYCB in the spring. I saw a program with both Emanon and Partita. Also MSND. It seems likely NYCB simply didn't want to create a new triple bill for their KC engagement.

[YouOverThere]

4 hours ago, California said:

ABT opened their KC run with two nights of a so-so mixed bill, followed by five Don Qs. Is it a coincidence that NYCB opened with two nights of a disappointing mixed bill followed by MSND? I'm wondering if the KC management had something to do with this. Quite a coincidence otherwise.

My understanding is that A Midsummer Night's Dream was chosen to fit in with the KC's 50th anniversary celebration because it was performed during the NYCB's first trip to the KC (in 1974). Adding a 2nd full-length ballet would be challenging even for a company as large as the NYCB, so starting the run with a triple bill makes the most sense. My memory isn't as good as it used to be (sigh) and I don't save old programs, but I was thinking that the NYCB often doesn't present a full-length ballet on their visits to the KC.

Edited June 11, 2022 by YouOverThere

[nanushka]

I haven't seen either of the mixed bills mentioned (ABT's or NYCB's), so I have no idea whether there's a connection. But like many arts institutions, the Kennedy Center announced in the summer of 2020 a number of "social impact initiatives," currently featured here on its website. It's reasonable to assume that these have resulted in some changes to programming. Some people will find those changes to be welcome, while others won't.

[Novice123]

6 hours ago, canbelto said:

Jazz, a musical tradition that is over a century old, is now associated with a rather elderly (and dare I say it, white) fan base.

Also, the programs by KC seem to mirror the programs done by NYCB in the spring. I saw a program with both Emanon and Partita. Also MSND. It seems likely NYCB simply didn't want to create a new triple bill for their KC engagement.

When ballet "lovers" consider Jazz to be "woke" it is a clear sign that they want ballet to remain rooted in the 19th century, when ballet was "great".  I'm sure people in the 19th century felt that music back in the 17th century was better.  There are those who look forward when driving down the highway of life and those who would rather look at the rear view mirror.  Imagine an alternative reality where in the 21st century the most popular form of music on the radio and on streaming sites were music from the renaissance and baroque period.  Classical music is considered radical and people were not allowed to listen to classical music until they turned 21 and that type of music is rated XXX.   Romantic never happened.  Jazz never happened, Rock never happened.  I sometimes feel ballet is like this.

[Helene]

Whereas I'm old enough to think "They call that jazz?  Hrumph!" about a lot of what's been written recently .

[Roberta]

On 6/11/2022 at 6:45 PM, nanushka said:

I haven't seen either of the mixed bills mentioned (ABT's or NYCB's), so I have no idea whether there's a connection. But like many arts institutions, the Kennedy Center announced in the summer of 2020 a number of "social impact initiatives," currently featured here on its website. It's reasonable to assume that these have resulted in some changes to programming. Some people will find those changes to be welcome, while others won't.

Correct. We, as they paying public, can chose to not open our wallets to further fund mediocrity...beyond what's extracted from our income in the form of taxes.

But there was zero mediocrity on view at last night's Midsummer Dream, which played before a full house, shouting "bravos" to the fabulous dancers.

Roman Mejia, as Oberon, danced with such gusto that the gold combs came flying off his white wig! The other stand-outs were:

• Emily Kikta's explosive Hippolyta!
• The  ladies of the corps de ballet - each and everyone a beauty straight out of Botticelli's Primavera!
• The kids as bugs, so adorable...and in synch!
• Tiler and Tyler, sublimely leading the A2 Diverts!

 

And to whoever above mentioned that the Visionary Voices was the only triple bill during the NYCB Spring Season in NY...absolutely not the case. I went to NYC on Amtrak several times during the past two months to enjoy many traditional beloved ballets in mixed bills - two 'Masters' bills of only Balanchine and Robbins masterworks + two of the  Stravinsky Festival bills, such as the Gala Opening Night that included an enjoyable and substantive NEW work - Architects of Time  -  by Silas Farley...who happens to be a gentleman of color. I've been totally impressed by what I've seen from Farley so far (Wash Ballet's Werner Sonata  last summer, as well as another online piece for ABT, to Arvo Part music - Collage and Creed). 

I wonder why Silas Farley's beautiful work was not programed, if they wanted to showcase a talented choreographer of color?

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Roberta
enhancing Silas Farley mention

[Kathleen O'Connell]

On 6/10/2022 at 5:41 PM, Roberta said:

It's primarily about the paying audience feeling as if it's getting its money's worth. Such a great rep at NYCB and we got that sad mixed bill?

I like both Bell's Suspended Animation and Peck's Partita a lot when I saw them in NYC and will buy tickets to see them again when they return to the stage. (I've already seen Partita three times ... It's safe to say I more than like it. 😉)

I liked all of Emanon's music (Wayne Shorter is one of the jazz greats) and about three-quarters of its choreography. Except for a big, introspective solo for Jonathan Fahoury, most of Roberts' choreography looked like pretty straight-up neo-classical ballet to me—as @canbelto pointed out above, it hearkens back to Balanchine in Who Cares mode. In truth, my main complaint is Emanon's relentless busyness; Fahoury's solo represented the ballet's only real change of texture and it was like a balm. (It would benefit from different costumes, too. The flirty skirts are great; the peplums less so. The less said about the men's pants, the better.) In any event, the applause seemed pretty enthusiastic both times that I saw it.

It might not have been the best mixed bill showcasing its new ballets that the company could have put together, but I wouldn't consider it sad.

But I'm the kind of ballet-goer who signs up for mixed bills of new work: sure sometimes it's forgettable, but then a masterpiece comes along and you're glad you were there. I didn't hesitate to buy tickets to see PNB's Dove / Pite / Tharp program when it returns to NYC in just a couple of weeks: I'll have more than enough opportunities to see Diamonds, frankly, although I'm sure PNB more than does it justice.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Kathleen O'Connell

[Belka]

I really wanted to attend NYCB  mixed bill, but work didn't allow me to leave early enough to catch those two evenings. I was looking forward to seeing new works, confident in the knowledge that if they weren't my favorite, Midsummer wouldn't be too far away.

I received the "Reframing the Narrative" mailer, and as a counterpoint, I think it is an exciting program that I definitely plan on seeing. I can't see how any of it would seem offensive or anti-ballet. I am a classical ballet fan whose passion is Balanchine works and NYCB, but always welcome new works being presented in DC. I can't imagine all of my ballet options being a never-ending cycle of the classics. I remember Wendy Whelan said once (paraphrasing) that dancers need new choreography as sustenance--you can't eat the same thing every day and be satisfied.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Belka
clarity

[dirac]

Quote

Imagine an alternative reality where in the 21st century the most popular form of music on the radio and on streaming sites were music from the renaissance and baroque period

I am, and it's heavenly.  A chaconne, anyone?

[BalanchineFan]

On 6/12/2022 at 5:47 AM, Roberta said:

Correct. We, as they paying public, can chose to not open our wallets to further fund mediocrity...beyond what's extracted from our income in the form of taxes.

But there was zero mediocrity on view at last night's Midsummer Dream, which played before a full house, shouting "bravos" to the fabulous dancers.

Roman Mejia, as Oberon, danced with such gusto that the gold combs came flying off his white wig! The other stand-outs were:

• Emily Kikta's explosive Hippolyta!
• The  ladies of the corps de ballet - each and everyone a beauty straight out of Botticelli's Primavera!
• The kids as bugs, so adorable...and in synch!
• Tiler and Tyler, sublimely leading the A2 Diverts!

 

And to whoever above mentioned that the Visionary Voices was the only triple bill during the NYCB Spring Season in NY...absolutely not the case. I went to NYC on Amtrak several times during the past two months to enjoy many traditional beloved ballets in mixed bills - two 'Masters' bills of only Balanchine and Robbins masterworks + two of the  Stravinsky Festival bills, such as the Gala Opening Night that included an enjoyable and substantive NEW work - Architects of Time  -  by Silas Farley...who happens to be a gentleman of color. I've been totally impressed by what I've seen from Farley so far (Wash Ballet's Werner Sonata  last summer, as well as another online piece for ABT, to Arvo Part music - Collage and Creed). 

I wonder why Silas Farley's beautiful work was not programed, if they wanted to showcase a talented choreographer of color?

 

Maybe you could write Wendy and ask why they're not programming more Silas Farley? I'm sure he would appreciate it. I didn't care for his new piece. I saw a piece he did at the Metropolitan Museum a few years ago and that was more interesting to me. I thought the recent NYCB ballet had too many people onstage and too spread out. It lacked visual focus. I would have asked him to divide his group up into fewer dancers more often and look that they were arranged onstage in more varied groupings.

I love seeing new work. I love the Balanchine and Robbins, too, of course. But I like seeing what the choreographers are doing, I like being in on the ground floor of something new, and I LOVE seeing how different dancers respond and develop when shown in something that only THEY have performed. I thought Megan Fairchild was a revelation last season, dancing in ... I can't remember if it was Sidra Bell or Andrea Miler. The ballet had bizarre, neon colored costumes and by the end Megan danced in just a leotard and pointe shoes. She started out with a lime green hat the obscured her face and a long diaphanous coat. Ms Tschaikovsky tutu in a leotard ballet!

 

[Roberta]

Wendy DID program Farley. No complaints with NYCB on that front. Only complaints about the rest, such as Nelson and Bell. Hope Boykin and the raised fists at ABT Studio. That sort of thing.

 

Isn't it about time to sift the wheat from the chaff? An end to calling exclusively on choreographers who fill an Affirmative Action agenda. USA ballet companies in general should end Woke Racism, please. Just go for choreographers of quality - the best, regardless of gender, color of skin, nationality, etc.

[Helene]

I've seen plenty of chaff in my half century of ballet-going, and for most of that time, white men were making almost every last bit of it.  I don't see any higher percentage of chaff made by people who aren't white men. 

[tutu]

17 hours ago, Helene said:

I've seen plenty of chaff in my half century of ballet-going, and for most of that time, white men were making almost every last bit of it.  I don't see any higher percentage of chaff made by people who aren't white men. 

Amen to that.  Names may change, but the amount of forgettable new work never seems to…

Helene, are there choreographers who you saw produce chaff who then went on to produce effective work with more experience?  I get in theory the idea that choreographers become better choreographers by, well, choreographing, but I can’t really think of any dance-makers whose work I found forgettable for, let’s say, three years, who then turned around and wowed me down the line.  (By contrast, I can certainly think of many dancers who all of a sudden catch my eye as if I’m seeing them for the first time)

[BalanchineFan]

17 hours ago, Roberta said:

Wendy DID program Farley. No complaints with NYCB on that front. Only complaints about the rest, such as Nelson and Bell. Hope Boykin and the raised fists at ABT Studio. That sort of thing.

 

Isn't it about time to sift the wheat from the chaff? An end to calling exclusively on choreographers who fill an Affirmative Action agenda. USA ballet companies in general should end Woke Racism, please. Just go for choreographers of quality - the best, regardless of gender, color of skin, nationality, etc.

How would they know a choreographer is "of quality" until they've created the ballet? I imagine we ALL went better ballets ALL the time, even the choreographers. The questions remain: how do you get there? And what makes a good ballet?  I don't feel the need to label ballets I don't like with a political tag, and my dislikes are generally larger than one single category of anything.

I would be quite happy NEVER to see another Peter Martins ballet, for example. Even he seemed to admit, at a certain point, that choreography need not be his greatest contribution to NYCB. He began one of the most significant programs nurturing emerging ballet choreographers, the NY Choreographic Institute, which continues today.  I believe choreographers can choose from the NYCB company members and create works on them during weeks the company doesn't work. The dancers work for scale. It allows choreographers who may not be familiar with ballet, or other younger ballet dancers, to begin working on choreography with very well trained dancers. Everyone gets a chance to develop their skills. Any individual may not like the resulting ballets, of course.

What makes for good ballets is another matter, and open to a great deal of interpretation. That's why I keep going to see what they're doing.

[BalanchineFan]

9 minutes ago, tutu said:

Amen to that.  Names may change, but the amount of forgettable new work never seems to…

Helene, are there choreographers who you saw produce chaff who then went on to produce effective work with more experience?  I get in theory the idea that choreographers become better choreographers by, well, choreographing, but I can’t really think of any dance-makers whose work I found forgettable for, let’s say, three years, who then turned around and wowed me down the line.  (By contrast, I can certainly think of many dancers who all of a sudden catch my eye as if I’m seeing them for the first time)

Interesting question. I'm going to keep thinking about that...  I wasn't so interested in Kyle Abraham until I saw The Runaway. 

I think you see modern dance choreographers' work change more over time than you see with ballet choreographers. I'm thinking Twyla Tharp's early work on her company, very dry (The Fugue). Then she discovered popular music and her sense of humor. Or Trisha Brown's early accumulations (also dry) compared to her later "valiant" phase of full bodies movement, practically heroic. 

Jerome Robbins' later work was much richer than Moves or Interplay, imo, but I wouldn't call his early work forgettable. Could it be the truly forgettable ballet choreographers don't stay in the big pond of NYC?

[abatt]

I think a part of the problem at NYCB is that Peter Martins hired choreographers who were steeped in ballet and who employed ballet vocabulary in their works.  Now the trend at NYCB is to hire choreographers who have no training or background in ballet, and it it evident in their new works for the company.  I'll use Kyle Abraham as the example.  Yes, the solo he created for Stanley was great (but more modern dance than ballet).  Take a look at the choreography in the rest of the work, and it looks like it was made by someone who has a very limited knowledge of ballet vocabulary.  Abraham is far from the only person hired at NYCB in recent years who has almost no background in ballet.

 

[FPF]

19 hours ago, Helene said:

I've seen plenty of chaff in my half century of ballet-going, and for most of that time, white men were making almost every last bit of it.  I don't see any higher percentage of chaff made by people who aren't white men. 

I agree. Even if you look at successful male choreographers, they've all had failures along with successes. 

Also, we can contrast how male choreographers with duds are treated vs women. Justin Peck's "Most Incredible Thing" was a super expensive failure. Melissa Barak had an expensive failure in "Call Me Ben" after a few choreographic successes. That was the last time she choreographed for NYCB. 

Even women with some choreographic successes have not had continued opportunities to choreograph at NYCB--Miriam Mahdaviani choreographed a few well-received ballets and then seemed to have been dropped. Lauren Lovette had a couple of fairly successful ballets and was then told NYCB wasn't interested in her future choreography. 

When I was fairly early in my scientific career, I was told that we would know that women have arrived when a mediocre woman has the same opportunities as a mediocre man. I don't think this has happened yet in either science or in dance. 

[abatt]

Call Me Ben was an epic failure and ridiculed in no less than the NY Times.  The Most Incredible Thing, while no masterpiece, was not greeted with the kind of disdain that Call Me Ben (rightly) received.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

I think a part of the problem at NYCB is that Peter Martins hired choreographers who were steeped in ballet and who employed ballet vocabulary in their works. 

I'd argue that many of them didn't employ it particularly well—Mauro Bigonzetti and Angelin Preljocaj by way of example, although the list is long and distinguished. 

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on Abraham's skill in melding ballet's technique, vocabulary and dance logic with his own characteristic style. The solo to "I Love Kanye" looks like textbook male bravura to me. And re Stanley's solo: the more outlandish the phrase, the more it resolves into something from the ballet classroom—ditto other sections of the work. I find it The Runaway compelling viewing after viewing after viewing for just that reason. 

[Kathleen O'Connell]

20 hours ago, Roberta said:

Hope Boykin and the raised fists at ABT Studio.

Boykin's For What Is It All Worth? struck me as being a pretty classic entry in the Un-ironic Youth Anthem* genre, as wholly in the spirit of 1967 as 2020. I saw my late-60s, MY GENERATION'S GONNA FIX THIS WORLD! self in it—back when the Buffalo Springfield song used for its score was a hit—and it made me smile. Boykin sees hope in the generation of which the ABT studio company is a part, and I'm inclined to honor her for that. Raised fists weren't much in evidence in the version I saw, but fingers pointing up towards heaven were. 

*Paul Taylor's Field of Grass is the ironic version. Taylor used Harry Nilsson songs for his score, so no surprise there, I guess.

[canbelto]

By far the three worst works I ever saw at NYCB were by white men.

They are: 

1) Boris Eifman's Musagete. Awful. Beyond awful. A crude, vulgar sendup of Mr. B's life.

2) Neverwhere by Benjamin Millepied. The leather costumes were nice, I guess.

3) Shambards by Christopher Wheeldon. It was a dark, muddled mess.

[maps]

On 6/11/2022 at 12:14 PM, California said:

ABT opened their KC run with two nights of a so-so mixed bill, followed by five Don Qs. Is it a coincidence that NYCB opened with two nights of a disappointing mixed bill followed by MSND? I'm wondering if the KC management had something to do with this. Quite a coincidence otherwise.

It's one week for the DMV locals not another 7 shows out of 3 multi week seasons at the Koch in NYC. KC NYCB programming should be like Battle and Ailey- a mix of American classics with new and tight quality control.   It was highly unusual for the KC to program NYCB in MSND [more likely clamshell carters would have been MCB if programmed or Fatayeev]. 

The KC paid for a Tanowitz, Gustave Gray, done on DTH and MCB. Did either ever perform it again? Somehow it's migrated to NYCB.

Summerspace and Firebird were on NYCB Kennedy Center covid cancelled programs and never reappeared and should have been reprogrammed.    I saw Summerspace on pointe with NYCB a very long time ago.  Loved it and comparing my memories plus any video with/out pointe confirmed my preference for pointe extending the line and not grounding the birds.   

Edited July 13, 2022 by maps
Summerspace + Firebird

[tutu]

12 hours ago, maps said:

    I saw Summerspace on pointe with NYCB a very long time ago.  Loved it and comparing my memories plus any video with/out pointe confirmed my preference for pointe extending the line and not grounding the birds.   

Oh how I wish I could see this!!!