Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×
Support Ballet Alert! Year Round through the Amazon Affiliates Program by Clicking Here to Order from Amazon.com
The 2024 Fundraiser Is Over! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!

New York City Ballet 2021 Season

Buddy

By Buddy
in New York City Ballet

Recommended Posts

Balletwannabe

Balletwannabe

Posted
Posted (edited)

My first time seeing any of the ballets that were on the program last night.  I was surprised at how much I loved La Valse- kept me entertained- but I didn't know the story, so to me it was very exciting and the costumes were gorgeous. 

I loved how Tiler danced effortlessy- and silently. I love pointe work, and she doesn't make a sound, which I know is extremely difficult. 

I love the nude look in After the Rain, the aesthetics of the piece were more interesting to me than the actual dancing. 

Agon...I expected more...energy? Chemistry between the dancers on stage?  I don't know...  I still enjoyed it and didn't want it to end.  

Edited by Balletwannabe
Link to comment
abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted (edited)

Roman Mejia soared last night in Other Dances.  He and Peck made a great couple and had wonderful chemistry.  Mejia's elevation and positions in the air were breathtaking.  More More More of him please. 

Unity had great depth in After the Rain.  Lovely lines and extensions.   It was a very strong debut.  She and Chamblee worked well together.

Megan LeCrone had a mishap.  The mishap was In the section where she has to remain on pointe unsupported while her two male partners change places for a brief second. She managed to fall over to her right side.  I've seen a lot of Agon over the years, and I've seen women come off pointe in this section, but completely falling down is definitely a first.  Run the blooper reel.

 

Edited by abatt
Link to comment
nycvillager

nycvillager

Posted
Posted

Although Agon wasn't perfect last night, I didn't want it to end. I love, love Maria K and Ramasar dancing Agon together. I tried to savor seeing those beautiful lines from Maria with her endless flexibility and grace one last time. Ramasar was my favorite male dancer at NYCB for years and although we missed him the last few years, Agon is one in which he really shines. I thought he still performed well. Anthony Huxley is just wonderful in every aspect and I just don't get to see him dance enough! The rest of the cast, especially Ashley Hod, Sara Adams and Sebastian Villarini-Velez, looked great as well. I don't pull out my phone to record during the applause, but wish I had last night to capture that moment.

I agree with posters above re: After the Rain. It does need a break. Beautiful dancers but it just didn't have the same effect on me as it has in the past. 

I enjoyed Other Dances with Mejia and Peck, as they both felt like a good fit with each other and the piece. I tried to imagine seeing Bouder there instead of Peck with Mejia, and I think this pairing was better. Mejia really deserved his promotion, and I'm excited to see where his career goes. He appears joyful and so full of enthusiasm, so I hope they continue to give him more.

I had not seen La Valse before and it was pleasantly surprised. It was good to see Lauren King once more, as well as Andrew Veyette. I'd barely seen him in years.

Link to comment
bellawood

bellawood

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, abatt said:

Megan LeCrone had a mishap.  The mishap was In the section where she has to remain on pointe unsupported while her two male partners change places for a brief second. She managed to fall over to her right side.  I've seen a lot of Agon over the years, and I've seen women come off pointe in this section, but completely falling down is definitely a first.  Run the blooper reel.

 

Wow. she fell off her left leg to the right? Maybe one of her partners accidentally knocked her off her leg? In any case I'm ready for someone new in this role. My pet peeve in this section is when that plie on pointe isn't deep enough. Wendy always had these insane plies which were so satisfying to watch.  Here it is on Kurt Froman's instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpWROcJVqp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I am very jealous of those who got to see Tiler/Roman. She was using him a bunch for projects during the pandemic -- some fluffy stuff (some waltzing around in a wedding gown in California, that homage to Center Stage) but also in the Forsythe she did. 

Link to comment
cobweb

cobweb

Posted
Posted

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia gave a treasure of a performance. They look great together, are incredible dancers, and this piece is a great vehicle for both. After not seeing Mejia for a year and a half, I notice a more mature, adult quality about him, that is very attractive. 

I liked Unity's understated approach to the After the Rain pdd; for once it didn't seem overwrought to me. Still don't need to see this again.

Megan LeCrone's mishap was bad. She totally crashed onto the floor in what looked like a tripping, clumsy drop. The audience was relieved to see her appear again looking fine. I wasn't watching closely enough to be sure of what happened, but it seemed like more than just her losing her balance. 

I've also had enough of La Valse for awhile. I have at ticket to tomorrow's matinee, mostly because I want to see Agon again (and getting to see Peck and Mejia again is a bonus I didn't expect). But I'm thinking I might arrive late and just slip in during the pause between La Valse and Other Dances. 

Link to comment
cobweb

cobweb

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, abatt said:

Exactly what I did last night.

Good to know I'm not the only one! What was the timing on that, how long is La Valse?

As I finish up a long week of work and multiple performances, I'm actually thinking that the only thing I really need to see tonight is Chaconne, so I might do the same thing, and slip in after Rotunda. 

Link to comment
abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Good to know I'm not the only one! What was the timing on that, how long is La Valse?

As I finish up a long week of work and multiple performances, I'm actually thinking that the only thing I really need to see tonight is Chaconne, so I might do the same thing, and slip in after Rotunda. 

I think La Valse ended at abut 8:05 last night.

Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Thanks for pointing that out. That is a lovely photo of the three women, and their stunning dresses, on the repertory page. I wish NYCB more clearly listed timing for the programs. 

Yes, it'd be nice if they included this info elsewhere for program listings. I always look up the times and note them before performances.

Link to comment
griffie

griffie

Posted
Posted

I saw the mishap with Megan Crone; it looked as though, when she was in an attitude balance and the two men each holding her hand switch places, that Villarini-Velez changed sides and took hold of her hand as expected. The other partner, Andres Zuniga, also switched places and from my view, never reached for her other hand at all. Not reached and missed - it appeared he simply didn't do it at all. The momentum from V-V's taking her hand, without the counterforce of the other partner, made LeCrone slowly rotate. She struggled to hold the balance but slowly veered off center as she turned and eventually fell, with V-V keeping her from collapsing on the floor, in an ungainly way that couldn't be covered or disguised. I felt terrible for all of them.

Despite this disconcerting early mishap, LeCrone danced full-out and splendidly, reminding me of a gymnast getting back on the beam and nailing the rest of the routine. It was an especially long-leggedy Agon - glorious and space-eating. Agree with others, Unity Phelan and Preston Chamblee were spectactular in After the Rain. Someone upthread wrote that it's best if it's a taller ballerina in this piece, for the joy of seeing long limbs unfolding , & she delivered.

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia match each other wonderfully. He still seems very young onstage, but he already has impeccable timing and musicality like Tiler. The lifts and drops were so beautifully timed that I heard the woman next to me actually gasp at the final shoulder-sit lift that closes the piece. It's not a showy lift but they delivered maximum impact! And they were having so much fun in the last pas de deux, it seemed they both knew by then they were "on" and that his debut was a smashing success. His jumps are high, clean and soft. A promising debut.

I think I am not a La Valse fan, though I loved the costumes and it was nicely danced. 

Link to comment
cobweb

cobweb

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, griffie said:

I saw the mishap with Megan Crone; it looked as though, when she was in an attitude balance and the two men each holding her hand switch places, that Villarini-Velez changed sides and took hold of her hand as expected. The other partner, Andres Zuniga, also switched places and from my view, never reached for her other hand at all. Not reached and missed - it appeared he simply didn't do it at all.

My partner saw something similar. He says that the guy who wound up on LeCrone's right (Zuniga, that is) failed to reach for her hand - then suddenly lunged for it. My partner's impression is that either Zuniga forgot what he was supposed to do (that seems impossible) then suddenly remembered and lunged for her hand; or he just got his timing wrong. 

Link to comment
nycvillager

nycvillager

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, cobweb said:

My partner saw something similar. He says that the guy who wound up on LeCrone's right (Zuniga, that is) failed to reach for her hand - then suddenly lunged for it. My partner's impression is that either Zuniga forgot what he was supposed to do (that seems impossible) then suddenly remembered and lunged for her hand; or he just got his timing wrong. 

To me it looked like he was just too late and by the time he did, she was already falling. 

Edited by nycvillager
Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, On Pointe said:

Even nicer are the comments,  from the stage crew member and the public.

Before I even clicked on them, I just knew the comments would be warm and lovely! That story from Whelan about Apollo was no surprise, given Kowroski's stage presence.

Edited by nanushka
Link to comment
cassieallison

cassieallison

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, bellawood said:

Oh that’s terrible. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

this is terrible, Ashley's is such a talent. but I feared this would happen with dancers who took too much time off during quarantine and spun up too fast. their bodies aren't used to that whiplash. speedy recovery to Ashley, I hope to see her soon!

Link to comment
volcanohunter

volcanohunter

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, nanushka said:

I'd love to hear how LaFreniere and Danchig-Waring do in their Chaconne debuts tonight, if anyone's there! 

They were confident debuts, very well received by the audience. I enjoyed Danchig-Waring in particular: the rapid changes in direction, emphatic croisés and elaborate style were all there. I'm at a loss to understand why he hadn't danced the part a lot sooner.

Link to comment
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...