Helene Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 The discussion of Sugarplumgate reflections has been moved to here: Link to comment
Kathleen O'Connell Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 (edited) 42 minutes ago, FayBallet said: Speaking of Ms. Ringer, Alastair Macaulay recently wrote a reflection on Sugarplumgate: OK - I've removed my comment here and will repost it to the new thread. Edited October 18, 2021 by Kathleen O'Connell Link to comment
KarenAG Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 2 hours ago, cobweb said: KarenAG, just wanted to say I'm so sorry this happened to you! I know I would be heartbroken too. I'm planning to get the COVID booster, but just in case I have an untoward reaction, I deliberately did NOT get it last week because I didn't want to be sick for the Kowroski retirement! It was a special afternoon as befits a great ballerina. I hope you are enjoying the reports and video. I will try to post a few more words later today. Dear Cobweb, thank you so much! I look forward to reading your insights and posts. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I was terribly disappointed but nothing could be done so my husband and I had our own tribute for Maria after dinner, watching various clips and interviews, as well as After the Rain and Tschaikovsky PDD ballets, all on YouTube. That video of After the Rain on WTC Tower 4 was so moving and so beautiful. 19 hours ago, Helene said: Alastair Macauley wrote a lovely homage post about Kowrowski on Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIwT7aoBND/ Thank you, Helene, it was lovely. Link to comment
KarenAG Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 2 hours ago, Barbara said: The lady in question was former principal Jenifer Ringer! I didn’t think it looked like Merrill, whom I recently saw coaching Tyler Peck on a Zoom session offered by City Center (?). Link to comment
KarenAG Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 15 hours ago, BalanchineFan said: I went to Maria's farewell this afternoon. The audience was quite full and if you look on Instagram, many notable former NYCB dancers were planning to attend. Jock Soto, Damian Woetzel, and Robert Fairchild all greeted Maria onstage. Kay Mazzo, Zachary Catazaro, and Savannah Lowery and probably many more were in the audience. The dancing was stellar. Just stellar!! Chaconne looked lovely. Russell Janzen and Maria aced the pas de deux. They have a great connection and it was her one Balanchine-pointe shoe ballet of the evening. Opus 19 with Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia looked beautiful, but has never been one of my favorite ballets. I confess, I dozed a bit. The excerpt from Wheeldon's Danses a Grande Vitesse was spectacular. The corps de ballet began and then Maria entered aloft, in a lift with Tyler Angle carrying her overhead, arms and legs in a narrow X. The duet was well chosen and had some of the most dynamic dancing of the evening. The audience clapped and showed their appreciation nearly every time she appeared onstage. People have written previously about Amaria. I'll say that it improved a bit on second viewing. It seemed to have a bit more substance. There are some recurring gestures that are developed. They dance together, she has a solo, Amar has a solo, they dance together again. In the bows you could see that she was moved, and perhaps struck by the realization that their professional partnership was over. Slaughter was a lot of fun. The audience roared in the coda when she starts high kicking and throwing her hair around. During the bows I think Abi Stafford came out first. Then Unity, Tiler, the rest of the principal women, the principal men, the former principals (Jock Soto wore a suit and... words fail me... a ...ceremonial... bow and train, perhaps. Amazing looking. He was festively dressed for the occasion), Jonathan Stafford and Wendy Whelan (who hugged Abi Stafford) the repertory directors, Stella Abrera, another woman I think was from ABT, ending with Maria's young son and her husband, Martin Harvey. The final curtain call went on for some time. The audience was buzzing with love and appreciation for her long career and many accomplishments. I was thrilled to be there. I think the first dancer to come out with flowers is Abi Stafford, followed by @unityphelan, @tilerpeck, @mfairchild17, @tessreichlen, @shyltin in costume, @saramearns, anthony huxley, jared angle, @andiev1, @dpulbricht , @josephgordon_nycballet_ @adrianclay, @rustlegj and many more. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVJhY7Eg5a4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Thank you so much for this report, BalanchineFan. Chock full of wonderful information. 14 hours ago, canbelto said: Curtain call for Maria: Thank you, Canbelto, this is wonderful. 15 hours ago, bellawood said: Oh and I saw Eddie Villella and Zach Catazaro on the way in. Thank, Bellawood, all those wonderful dancers. Link to comment
Helene Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 And Maria Kowrowski has a new job, as Acting Artistic Director of New Jersey Ballet https://www.njballet.org/maria-kowroski Link to comment
California Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 7 hours ago, cobweb said: I'm planning to get the COVID booster, but just in case I have an untoward reaction, I deliberately did NOT get it last week because I didn't want to be sick for the Kowroski retirement! I had the Moderna booster at 0.5 strength, which I see is often recommended now. Very tired the first day, but no other symptoms. My sister got the full 1.0 Moderna booster and had the same awful reactions she had to the earlier shots. Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 It was a lovely afternoon for Kowroski. It was a festive, buzzing atmosphere. The audience was packed with dedicated balletgoers, dancers current and past, friends and family. We were sitting a few rows away from Kowroski's husband and what appeared to be a whole related contingent; and just down the row from Robbie Fairchild. I thought the program was well chosen, showcasing her range as well as the range of the company, and the repertory. She appeared very well in all of them. The program opened and closed with Balanchine pieces, fittingly enough, and in between two pieces from contemporary choreographers, both created (I assume DGV was done for her and Tyler Angle, correct me if I'm wrong) on her. Like someone said up-thread, Amaria appeared better and more interesting on second viewing, against all my expectations. Three of the pieces (Slaughter, Amaria, and DGV) had her legs as their primary focus (and much appreciated!); in Chaconne she got to display other aspects of her technique. I'm not a huge fan of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, but it's a great vehicle for Kowroski and guaranteed to get the crowd whipped into an appreciative frenzy. (I also loved the moment when Aaron Sanz, as the gunman, whipped out a face mask. Great update; the audience loved it.) Then the heartwarming parade of her colleagues bringing tribute, concluded by her adorable little boy and husband. Thanks Maria for bringing so much enjoyment for so many years! Link to comment
canbelto Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 I wrote up a little appreciation of the retiring dancers of NYCB: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2021/10/nycb-waves-goodbye-and-says-welcome-back.html Link to comment
Susu_nyc Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 9 hours ago, BalanchineFan said: Thank you so much for posting this! Also, I saw Merrill Ashley a few weeks ago at In Balanchine's Classroom and that was not her onstage when you asked. I don't know who that woman was, but it was definitely not Merrill Ashley. She is not that gray and her body is a different shape. 20 hours ago, canbelto said: Does anyone recognize the woman at the 6:57 mark? I'm also struggling to place the woman with the long blond hair and the blue sweater. Janie Taylor, perhaps? Link to comment
FPF Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 55 minutes ago, cobweb said: The program opened and closed with Balanchine pieces, fittingly enough, and in between two pieces from contemporary choreographers, both created (I assume DGV was done for her and Tyler Angle, correct me if I'm wrong) on her. DGV was created on the Royal Ballet, but Maria was in the original NYCB cast. Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Thank you, @FPF. I should have looked that up. Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 3 hours ago, California said: I had the Moderna booster at 0.5 strength, which I see is often recommended now. Very tired the first day, but no other symptoms. My sister got the full 1.0 Moderna booster and had the same awful reactions she had to the earlier shots. Thanks for the info, @california. We’re veering off topic here, but like your sister I also had a terrible reaction to the second moderna shot. Haven’t been so sick in years! I want the booster but will be careful. Link to comment
susanger Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 (edited) On 10/17/2021 at 10:04 PM, canbelto said: Curtain call for Maria: Here's the list as I can figure: Abi Stafford, Unity Phelan, Tiler Peck, Megan Fairchild, Teresa Reichlen, Sterling Hyltin (in costume), Sara Mearns, Anthony Huxley, Jared Angle, Andrew Veyette, Daniel Ulbricht, Joseph Gordon, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Russell Janzen, Taylor Stanley, Ask la Cour (in costume), Tyler Angle (in costume), Gonzalo Garcia, Amar Ramasar, Justin Peck, Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whelan, Jock Soto, Christopher Wheeldon, Robbie Fairchild, Jenifer Ringer, Charles Askegard, Rebecca Krohn, Glenn Keenan, Craig Hall, Damian Woetzel, ???, ???, ???, Jean-Pierre Frolich, Stella Abrera, ???, Philip Neal, Edwaard Liang, Jason Fowler, her son, and her husband, Martin Harvey. Hmmm. No Ashley Bouder, Indiana Woodward, or Lauren Lovette. Edited October 19, 2021 by susanger Link to comment
GB1216 Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 (edited) 20 minutes ago, susanger said: Here's the list as I can figure: Abi Stafford, Unity Phelan, Tiler Peck, Megan Fairchild, Teresa Reichlen, Sterling Hyltin (in costume), Sara Mearns, Anthony Huxley, Jared Angle, Andrew Veyette, Daniel Ulbricht, Joseph Gordon, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Russell Janzen, Taylor Stanley, Ask la Cour (in costume), Tyler Angle (in costume), Gonzalo Garcia, Amar Ramasar, Justin Peck, Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whelan, Jock Soto, Christopher Wheeldon, Robbie Fairchild, Jenifer Ringer, Charles Askegard, Rebecca Krohn, Glenn Keenan, Craig Hall, Damian Woetzel, ???, ???, ???, Jean-Pierre Frolich, Stella Abrera, ???, Philip Neal, Edwaard Liang, Jason Fowler, her son, and her husband, Martin Harvey. Hmmm. No Ashley Bouder, Indiana Woodward, or Lauren Lovette. Heather watts posted a picture with Carla Korbes quoting that Maria had brought them all together. I think she was one of the dancers that we can’t identify. Not 100% sure of course. and yes curious about the three missing! I noticed that neither Bouder nor Lovette posted either. also what a long way Tiler Peck and Robbie Fairchild have come. I know Tiler did not come for Robbie’s farewell but they were on the same stage last night for Maria’s farewell. What a tangled web backstage - former marriages, former in laws, new gfs - all in the same place! Edited October 19, 2021 by GB1216 Link to comment
canbelto Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 I saw Heather Watts with Damian in the lobby. She was there, as was Eddie Villela. Ashley Bouder wasn't there but she might be rather immobile from her injury. I also saw Gillian Murphy in the lobby. Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 37 minutes ago, susanger said: Hmmm. No Ashley Bouder, Indiana Woodward, or Lauren Lovette. I had plantar fascitis for several years. Sometimes I’d cry on the street, three blocks from home, unsure how I was going to get back without further injury. It’s hard to get rid of. Attendance isn’t mandatory at the farewells. Why would they all be there? Link to comment
Marta Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 34 minutes ago, canbelto said: I saw Heather Watts with Damian in the lobby. She was there, as was Eddie Villela. Ashley Bouder wasn't there but she might be rather immobile from her injury. I also saw Gillian Murphy in the lobby. I also saw Villella in the lobby. I thought I saw Watts appear on stage. Was Wheeldon there also? Link to comment
KarenAG Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 10 hours ago, susanger said: Here's the list as I can figure: Abi Stafford, Unity Phelan, Tiler Peck, Megan Fairchild, Teresa Reichlen, Sterling Hyltin (in costume), Sara Mearns, Anthony Huxley, Jared Angle, Andrew Veyette, Daniel Ulbricht, Joseph Gordon, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Russell Janzen, Taylor Stanley, Ask la Cour (in costume), Tyler Angle (in costume), Gonzalo Garcia, Amar Ramasar, Justin Peck, Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whelan, Jock Soto, Christopher Wheeldon, Robbie Fairchild, Jenifer Ringer, Charles Askegard, Rebecca Krohn, Glenn Keenan, Craig Hall, Damian Woetzel, ???, ???, ???, Jean-Pierre Frolich, Stella Abrera, ???, Philip Neal, Edwaard Liang, Jason Fowler, her son, and her husband, Martin Harvey. Hmmm. No Ashley Bouder, Indiana Woodward, or Lauren Lovette. Thank you for this, it’s very helpful. 13 hours ago, cobweb said: It was a lovely afternoon for Kowroski. It was a festive, buzzing atmosphere. The audience was packed with dedicated balletgoers, dancers current and past, friends and family. We were sitting a few rows away from Kowroski's husband and what appeared to be a whole related contingent; and just down the row from Robbie Fairchild. I thought the program was well chosen, showcasing her range as well as the range of the company, and the repertory. She appeared very well in all of them. The program opened and closed with Balanchine pieces, fittingly enough, and in between two pieces from contemporary choreographers, both created (I assume DGV was done for her and Tyler Angle, correct me if I'm wrong) on her. Like someone said up-thread, Amaria appeared better and more interesting on second viewing, against all my expectations. Three of the pieces (Slaughter, Amaria, and DGV) had her legs as their primary focus (and much appreciated!); in Chaconne she got to display other aspects of her technique. I'm not a huge fan of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, but it's a great vehicle for Kowroski and guaranteed to get the crowd whipped into an appreciative frenzy. (I also loved the moment when Aaron Sanz, as the gunman, whipped out a face mask. Great update; the audience loved it.) Then the heartwarming parade of her colleagues bringing tribute, concluded by her adorable little boy and husband. Thanks Maria for bringing so much enjoyment for so many years! 13 hours ago, canbelto said: I wrote up a little appreciation of the retiring dancers of NYCB: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2021/10/nycb-waves-goodbye-and-says-welcome-back.html What nice reviews and thoughts! I found this on YouTube last night, Maria’s encore. Link to comment
abatt Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 10 hours ago, GB1216 said: Heather watts posted a picture with Carla Korbes quoting that Maria had brought them all together. I think she was one of the dancers that we can’t identify. Not 100% sure of course. and yes curious about the three missing! I noticed that neither Bouder nor Lovette posted either. also what a long way Tiler Peck and Robbie Fairchild have come. I know Tiler did not come for Robbie’s farewell but they were on the same stage last night for Maria’s farewell. What a tangled web backstage - former marriages, former in laws, new gfs - all in the same place! Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild will both appear in Twyla Tharp's program at City Center in November. However, they will not be dancing together. Link to comment
California Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 12 hours ago, cobweb said: Thanks for the info, @california. We’re veering off topic here, but like your sister I also had a terrible reaction to the second moderna shot. Haven’t been so sick in years! I want the booster but will be careful. As we all need these shots to go to performances, we're not TOO far off topic! My sister felt awful the next day, but fine after that. We all feel it's a price worth paying to feel safer going out in public. And you know it's working if your body is responding. I was afraid I hadn't actually got the shot properly, but with some searching on credible medical sites (they exist!), I found out my response to the 0.5 dose was normal -- fatigue for a day, then fine. Link to comment
vipa Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 2 hours ago, abatt said: Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild will both appear in Twyla Tharp's program at City Center in November. However, they will not be dancing together. They were both in Vale this summer. Not dancing together, but at the same festival. Link to comment
canbelto Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Another person I saw in the audience was Zach Catazaro. Lots of alumni and former members of NYCB. Link to comment
Helene Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 Most of the vaccine discussion has been moved to the "No vaccine, no show" thread: Link to comment
cobweb Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 I notice that the new website doesn't seem to have any mention of the Janice Levin award. They used to have a specific listing of past winners, I believe on the "Meet Our Dancers" page. Now I don't see it anywhere. Wonder why not! Link to comment
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