Nutcracker 2021

[canbelto]

Here's a NY1 blurb about NYCB and Nutcracker and Sterling Hyltin:

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/entertainment/2021/11/29/new-york-city-ballet-s--the-nutcracker--returns-to-lincoln-center

[cobweb]

Wait, per that report Hyltin said the very first performance she had with NYCB was Nutcracker, "... and I danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy." The reporter must have gotten something confused. 

I won't get to see Nut this year for the first time in quite awhile, so please keep the reports coming! I really enjoy the two lead Flowers, so anyone who takes note of them, I'd love to hear. Also if anyone sees Chun Wai Chan's debut as Cavalier next week - please report!!! Glad to hear that Veyette looks so good!! 

[canbelto]

30 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Wait, per that report Hyltin said the very first performance she had with NYCB was Nutcracker, "... and I danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy." The reporter must have gotten something confused. 

I won't get to see Nut this year for the first time in quite awhile, so please keep the reports coming! I really enjoy the two lead Flowers, so anyone who takes note of them, I'd love to hear. Also if anyone sees Chun Wai Chan's debut as Cavalier next week - please report!!! Glad to hear that Veyette looks so good!! 

I think Hyltin has said in the past that her first "big" role was SPF. She says that the role is very dear to her for that reason.

[Marta]

47 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Wait, per that report Hyltin said the very first performance she had with NYCB was Nutcracker, "... and I danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy." The reporter must have gotten something confused. 

I won't get to see Nut this year for the first time in quite awhile, so please keep the reports coming! I really enjoy the two lead Flowers, so anyone who takes note of them, I'd love to hear. Also if anyone sees Chun Wai Chan's debut as Cavalier next week - please report!!! Glad to hear that Veyette looks so good!! 

I won't see it either so I'm hoping for many vivid reviews.

[cobweb]

... and for a specific review request, if anyone sees the 12/8 matinee featuring Laracey and Furlan, please weigh in on both. I'm wondering how Laracey looks at this point after a long maternity-COVID leave. And Furlan, a very very welcome recruit IMHO, had some trouble with the partnering in Serenade in the Fall. Wondering how he looks now. 

[canbelto]

Here's another interview with Hyltin about SPF.

https://sab.org/scenes/interview-with-a-sugar-plum/

[mille-feuille]

Casting for Week 4 is up: https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1638386102/Documents/Casting/NYCB-Casting_Dec-14-19-2021

Debuts for Mejia as Cavalier and Nadon as Dewdrop!

Edited December 1, 2021 by mille-feuille

[nanushka]

Have they always cast so broadly for Dewdrop? It seems like such a good role for smaller, jumpy spitfire turners. I'm surprised to see that they don't stay within a narrower range of dancers for whom that's a specialty. I know Nutcracker is, broadly, a production that gives many dancers many opportunities, but I've just been surprised by how little they've focused on that "type" this year. Maybe I've just been following the casting more closely than before, though.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

28 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Have they always cast so broadly for Dewdrop? It seems like such a good role for smaller, jumpy spitfire turners.

Taller NYCB ballerinas have danced Dewdrop over the years—Karin von Aroldingen, Kyra Nichols, Heather Watts, and Sofiane Sylve, off the top of my head. 

ETA - and more recently Maria Kowroski, Sara Mearns and Teresa Reichlen.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Kathleen O'Connell

[mille-feuille]

Tess Reichlen used to do it, and Sara Mearns as well. I read on Sara's IG that she retired the role, though.

[BalanchineFan]

On 11/25/2021 at 10:12 AM, canbelto said:

This is what I wrote about Phelans Dewdrop on bachtrack:

 

I saw that very same performance and I just don't agree. I thought Phelan was a lovely Dewdrop. Not my all time favorite, but quite lovely.

[BalanchineFan]

1 hour ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Taller NYCB ballerinas have danced Dewdrop over the years—Karin von Aroldingen, Kyra Nichols, Heather Watts, and Sofiane Sylve, off the top of my head. 

ETA - and more recently Maria Kowroski, Sara Mearns and Teresa Reichlen.

Dewdrop was choreographed on Tanaquil LeClerq. I never saw her dance, but she was pretty tall and leggy, they say. She danced Choleric in 4T as well, and I've always thought that role needed long legs.

[nanushka]

Was LeClercq actually pretty tall? I think I've heard she was actually more average height but looked leggy. (She'd always looked tall to me in videos.) What was her height?

[Helene]

I don't know how NYCB has been casting since the '90's, but I rarely saw a short, jumpy turner in the role:  I saw mostly Nichols, Ashley, Calegari, Lopez, Alexopoulos, Watts, and Kistler. If all weren't tall, all but Watts were leggy.  Towards the end, I saw Margaret Tracey, who might have been the shortest (?).  Occasionally between Christmas and New Year's Eve one of the younger and shorter dancers, like Kelly Cass (Boxing Day, 1988), danced it.   Sugar Plum Fairies ranged across heights: the first SFB I saw was McBride.

[vipa]

2 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Taller NYCB ballerinas have danced Dewdrop over the years—Karin von Aroldingen, Kyra Nichols, Heather Watts, and Sofiane Sylve, off the top of my head. 

ETA - and more recently Maria Kowroski, Sara Mearns and Teresa Reichlen.

Diana Adams also did it, on the other hand so did Suki Schorer. Seems to always have been cast with a range of types. I've also always found it interesting that many dancers are cast in both SP Fairy and Dewdrop. They are very different roles. Not a complaint, just an observation.

[On Pointe]

3 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Taller NYCB ballerinas have danced Dewdrop over the years—Karin von Aroldingen, Kyra Nichols, Heather Watts, and Sofiane Sylve, off the top of my head. 

ETA - and more recently Maria Kowroski, Sara Mearns and Teresa Reichlen.

I've never seen Heather Watts described as tall.  Height can be deceptive from the audience's view.  I believe that Tanaquil LeClerq was about 5'6".  I'm pretty sure Watts is around 5'5" at most.  I did two shows with Ann Reinking,  who had exceptionally long legs,  and was definitely thought of as tall,  but she was average height.

[Helene]

Watts was always described as a "medium," and mediums could be bypassed entirely for not being one or the other, or cast as both (short/tall) types.

I saw her dance regularly for over 15 years as a Principal Dancer, and, because she was thrown into everything, especially when other dancers were injured (from the cast inserts and cross-outs on the casting in the lobby), she danced all kinds of roles.  When she wasn't subbing, at the time she danced a lot of the "short" roles created by Patricia McBride, but also, starting in the mid '80's, being cast in new ballets by Peter Martins and maybe by visiting Festival choreographers.  I say "maybe," because I remember so few of those works.  She was regularly cast with Jock Soto, who wasn't exceptionally tall.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

7 minutes ago, On Pointe said:

I've never seen Heather Watts described as tall.  Height can be deceptive from the audience's view.

Watts once described herself as a "medium." She wasn't tall the way, say, Kowroski was tall, but she wasn't short, either.

And yes, I never cease to be amazed at how "not tall" some dancers are when I happen to find myself standing next to them. 

[BalanchineFan]

There's a picture of Melissa Hayden, Tanaquil LeClerq, Maria Tallchief, Diana Adams and Patricia Wilde dancing together in a ballet called Divertimento. They are all on pointe and lined up so that you can see their heights and proportions in relation to each other. Somehow I can't manage to link it here, but google it. You can make interesting comparisons (if you are so inclined). Diana Adams is clearly the tallest. Patricia Wilde the shortest. The differences in thigh length, torso length and overall proportions also fit well into this discussion. But really, imagine having a company where you could cast them all TOGETHER!

 

[nanushka]

For those who've seen the role performed by dancers who aren't really "jumpy spitfire turners" (not necessarily short — though there's often a correlation), have any made a strong case for the casting of the role in this way? Or is it generally those who are cast "to type" that really do best with it? 

[Kathleen O'Connell]

19 minutes ago, nanushka said:

For those who've seen the role performed by dancers who aren't really "jumpy spitfire turners" (not necessarily short — though there's often a correlation), have any made a strong case for the casting of the role in this way? Or is it generally those who are cast "to type" that really do best with it? 

I haven't seen that many NYCB Nutcrackers live, so I don't want to claim that my experience is representative, but every satisfying Dewdrop I've seen has radiated authority rather than mere technical chops. She's the queen of her realm: a Hippolyta, not a Butterfly. "Authority" is a quality any number of types can project.

[Marta]

2 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

There's a picture of Melissa Hayden, Tanaquil LeClerq, Maria Tallchief, Diana Adams and Patricia Wilde dancing together in a ballet called Divertimento. They are all on pointe and lined up so that you can see their heights and proportions in relation to each other. Somehow I can't manage to link it here, but google it. You can make interesting comparisons (if you are so inclined). Diana Adams is clearly the tallest. Patricia Wilde the shortest. The differences in thigh length, torso length and overall proportions also fit well into this discussion. But really, imagine having a company where you could cast them all TOGETHER!

Found the photo on Twitter but it can't be inserted ... try this image instead.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.pt%2Fpin%2F498492252481817768%2F&psig=AOvVaw0mmTcnwEhdgxrTqDZC6WTd&ust=1638549485114000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCPCjz9bGxfQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

[canbelto]

2 hours ago, nanushka said:

For those who've seen the role performed by dancers who aren't really "jumpy spitfire turners" (not necessarily short — though there's often a correlation), have any made a strong case for the casting of the role in this way? Or is it generally those who are cast "to type" that really do best with it? 

Tess Reichlen was a great Dewdrop. She isn't a whizbang allegro technician but she has big buoyant jumps and radiated authority.

[canbelto]

Sara has now been replaced by Ashley Laracey for next week's SPF assignment as well.

[GB1216]

6 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Sara has now been replaced by Ashley Laracey for next week's SPF assignment as well.

She’s been super quiet on social as well these past few weeks.  Hope everything is ok and it’s not too serious.