Nutcracker 2021

[canbelto]

For the record I was at Nutcracker last night. I thought Unity and Joe had some partnering problems, including the second shoulder lift. Unity seemed to be slipping on his shoulder. Phelan's sequence of pique-turn-to-arabesque-penchee was a bit wonky too. Tiler Peck's Dewdrop is pretty much incomparable.

[Susu_nyc]

Did anyone see Ashley Laracey as Dewdrop this week?  She expressed nervous anticipation on Instagram.

[abatt]

This morning Mayor DeBlasio instituted new rules for vaccination, including for kids entering theaters. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/nyregion/nyc-vaccine-mandate-deblasio.html

Starting December 14  kids ages 5 to 11 have to have at least one dose to enter a theater.  I'm not sure what NYCB was requiring before this mandate, but now management will be required to enforce this mandate.

 

Just now, abatt said:

This morning Mayor DeBlasio instituted new rules for vaccination, including for kids entering theaters. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/nyregion/nyc-vaccine-mandate-deblasio.html

Starting December 14  kids ages 5 to 11 have to have at least one dose to enter a theater.  I'm not sure what NYCB was requiring before this mandate, but now management will be required to enforce this.

 

 

[DaniGirl]

Forth week casting up.

Excited to see Nadon as Dewdrop.

I would really like NYCB to put Laine Habony in as Sugar Plum Fairy this year - finally.  As we all know from IG, she started rehearsing that with Martins before his departure.  I saw last year she danced this with Steven Loch (he has left PNB and is now a principal dancer with Miami City) and looked literally royal.  I miss the days when Martins gave us SFP debuts and Habony has surely earned it, waiting in the wings for years and years.  She has an incredible maturity and feminine strength that has been sidelined for years.  Let's all cheer for her this year!  Why not cheer for the dancers?  They surely deserve the support!

Edited December 7, 2021 by DaniGirl

[JanLevNYC]

17 minutes ago, DaniGirl said:

Forth week casting up.

Excited to see Nadon as Dewdrop.

I would really like NYCB to put Laine Habony in as Sugar Plum Fairy this year - finally.  As we all know from IG, she started rehearsing that with Martins before his departure.  I saw last year she danced this with Steven Loch (he has left PNB and is now a principal dancer with Miami City) and looked literally royal.  I miss the days when Martins gave us SFP debuts and Habony has surely earned it, waiting in the wings for years and years.  She has an incredible maturity and feminine strength that has been sidelined for years.  Let's all cheer for her this year!  Why not cheer for the dancers?  They surely deserve the support!

Habony does have an incredible feminine strength.  For the life of me, I have never understood why this dancer has been overlooked since the interim team took over.  Yes, when Martins was there, she was cast with purpose.  Every dancer at the NYCB is special but Habony is not a corps dancer, never has been.  Her training/opportunities were not a corps dancer - Youth America Grand Prix 1st place winner, Patricia McBride, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Peter Boals,  Julie Kent, Michael Vernon, Marco Perins - there is a raw article early experiences and about her full-merit scholarship by Katrina Killian at a summer audition to SAB on the internet.   And she has been on-stage night after night at NYCB since her apprenticeship, giving us incredible technique and style.  Regardless, let's hope her year is coming - between the admin changes and COVID every dancer in the industry deserves so much.  There is so many wonderful ballerinas at NYCB - Kitka is another one that has been waiting for years.  With recent retirements, Woodward and Phelan were given much deserving promotions. But Habony has the technique and star-quality - Martins was a monster in many areas but he knew talent.  It's time the current team gives this dancer the opportunities she is capable of rising to.

Edited December 7, 2021 by JanLevNYC

[Chballetfan]

9 hours ago, DaniGirl said:

 

I would really like NYCB to put Laine Habony in as Sugar Plum Fairy this year - finally.  As we all know from IG, she started rehearsing that with Martins before his departure.  I saw last year she danced this with Steven Loch (he has left PNB and is now a principal dancer with Miami City) and looked literally royal.  I miss the days when Martins gave us SFP debuts and Habony has surely earned it, waiting in the wings for years and years.  She has an incredible maturity and feminine strength that has been sidelined for years. 

 

8 hours ago, JanLevNYC said:

Habony does have an incredible feminine strength.  For the life of me, I have never understood why this dancer has been overlooked since the interim team took over.  Yes, when Martins was there, she was cast with purpose.  Every dancer at the NYCB is special but Habony is not a corps dancer, never has been.  Her training/opportunities were not a corps dancer - Youth America Grand Prix 1st place winner, Patricia McBride, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Peter Boals,  Julie Kent, Michael Vernon, Marco Perins - there is a raw article early experiences and about her full-merit scholarship by Katrina Killian at a summer audition to SAB on the internet.   And she has been on-stage night after night at NYCB since her apprenticeship, giving us incredible technique and style.  Regardless, let's hope her year is coming - between the admin changes and COVID every dancer in the industry deserves so much.  There is so many wonderful ballerinas at NYCB - Kitka is another one that has been waiting for years. 

I have mentioned my admiration for Laine Habony on other threads but in light of her reference here it bears repeating. She is, in my opinion, a technically and musically flawless dancer who has stayed completely humble and hardworking for the years she has been overlooked. her movement quality is just so special. I'm shocked she has not been offered a dewdrop or a marzipan at least but I agree, it would be great if she could just do sugar plum and be recognised. I do not understand why dancers like Ashley Hod, Baily Jones and Alexa Maxwell are being given opportunities over dancers likely Habony and certainly Kikta. Alston Macgill is another dancer who has lost out over the Martin's scandal - her coquettish musicality and superior technique had already been recognised but she is now back to middle ranking corps dancing. it's such a shame. 

 

I do think a huge clear out of the upper ranks is needed at NYCB. there are so many talented dancers who are going to have wasted careers because certain people will not accept that they are coming to the end of their career. the current too generation have been at the top for years, many of them have been principals for fifteen twenty years. even if this new generation does eventually get promoted, their solo careers are going to be much shorter. it's a shame. 

[FPF]

 I went through the list of principal dancers, omitting those already retired/scheduled to retire. Principal dancers for at least 15 years include Megan Fairchild and Ashley Bouder (since 2005), Sterling Hyltin (2006), and Jared Angle (2005). Everyone else has been a principal for <15 years or is already scheduled to retire. 

[volcanohunter]

I am categorically opposed to "clearing out" anybody. I adore veteran dancers. What they bring to the stage is irreplaceable and precious. I am certainly not ready to part with Bouder, Fairchild or Hyltin. It's essential to develop new talents; it would be a crime not to do it. But there are ways of bringing up younger dancers without throwing those who have probably devoted 30 years of blood, sweat and tears to their art form onto a scrap heap. They deserve to be treated with enormous respect and gratitude.

[FPF]

I meant to imply (maybe too subtly) that none of the dancers I listed above should be considered deadwood. Although I can think of a few dancers who probably should have retired before they actually did, I can think of more who I wish had danced longer, I think that artistry often deepens with age and experience.

[cobweb]

Megan Fairchild is a prime example of someone who has become better and better as the years have gone by. She is dancing with a polish and authority that I, at least, didn't see in her a few years back. For me as an audience member, I enjoy veterans like Fairchild because she has developed, but when I see a veteran dancer who does not seem to have grown as much, eventually I get tired of seeing them do the same roles, and wish that I could see someone newer. This may be brutal, and I have tremendous gratitude to the dancers for dedicating their lives to this art and bringing so much pleasure to my life, but sometimes I want to see someone new. 

As a dedicated corps-watcher, I have not been especially struck by Laine Habony, but I will pay more attention next time. What roles was she getting under Martins and has she not gotten to dance them again? I agree about Alston Macgill, who impressed me a few years back (I forget in what role) by dancing with an authority way beyond her pipsqueak size and tender age. So much is a matter of personal taste. Many people on here love Ashley Hod, who I find physically beautiful but uninteresting otherwise, and on the other hand, I love the sprightly, forthright Alexa Maxwell. I think there's a consensus on here about the merits of Emily Kikta, and after seeing Isabella LaFreniere in Chaconne in the Fall, I am praying to see her in more, bigger roles, PLEASE. Other standouts are Emma von Enck, Kristen Segin, and of course Mira Nadon. I could go on with others. There's a lot of talent, and only so many roles.

At the soloist level, I could imagine there's going to be some shifting before too long, with some moving up and some perhaps out. 

[vipa]

21 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Megan Fairchild is a prime example of someone who has become better and better as the years have gone by. She is dancing with a polish and authority that I, at least, didn't see in her a few years back. For me as an audience member, I enjoy veterans like Fairchild because she has developed, but when I see a veteran dancer who does not seem to have grown as much, eventually I get tired of seeing them do the same roles, and wish that I could see someone newer. This may be brutal, and I have tremendous gratitude to the dancers for dedicating their lives to this art and bringing so much pleasure to my life, but sometimes I want to see someone new. 

As a dedicated corps-watcher, I have not been especially struck by Laine Habony, but I will pay more attention next time. What roles was she getting under Martins and has she not gotten to dance them again? I agree about Alston Macgill, who impressed me a few years back (I forget in what role) by dancing with an authority way beyond her pipsqueak size and tender age. So much is a matter of personal taste. Many people on here love Ashley Hod, who I find physically beautiful but uninteresting otherwise, and on the other hand, I love the sprightly, forthright Alexa Maxwell. I think there's a consensus on here about the merits of Emily Kikta, and after seeing Isabella LaFreniere in Chaconne in the Fall, I am praying to see her in more, bigger roles, PLEASE. Other standouts are Emma von Enck, Kristen Segin, and of course Mira Nadon. I could go on with others. There's a lot of talent, and only so many roles.

At the soloist level, I could imagine there's going to be some shifting before too long, with some moving up and some perhaps out. 

I so agree with Cobweb in all of this. The soloist ranks are thin with Phelan & Woodward moving up and King leaving. I expect some promotions. The new regime didn't really have much time to settle in and show casting patterns before the pandemic hit, so I'm in wait and see mode. Personally I'm disappointed in some of the Balanchine rep chosen for the winter season. I've had enough of La Valse, and more than enough of Slaughter. But I'm still in wait and see mode, while recognizing that opportunities for dancers come with the rep that's put out there.

[tutu]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

I could go on with others. There's a lot of talent, and only so many roles.

Truly — I agree with you on all of these, and have at least a dozen others in mind as well.  The depth of talent in this company…

[canbelto]

I saw Sterling Hyltin as SPF a week ago and her portrayal if anything has gotten more technically secure than she used to be. 

I am not ready to part with Sterling, Tiler, Tess, Sara and other veteran dancers.

[cobweb]

33 minutes ago, vipa said:

Personally I'm disappointed in some of the Balanchine rep chosen for the winter season. I've had enough of La Valse, and more than enough of Slaughter.

Agree, I don't need to see either of these again anytime soon. Wishing they would bump up Divertimento No. 15 from the spring (I can definitely see that multiple times!) and repeat Chaconne from the Fall. I think the audience would be indulgent about changes in the programming. 

With Kowroski gone, they are going to need some new casting for Diamonds and Mozartiana. I'm guessing that Miriam Miller will get Diamonds, since she did it at Saratoga to great reviews. I look forward to this. Mozartiana, not sure. Some time ago, someone on here suggested Emily Kikta for Mozartiana, and that sounds good to me! Also seems likely that LaFreniere will be cast in Walpurgisnacht Ballet - isn't that the role she did to acclaim at the SAB workshop? I imagine Rubies will be Kikta, Nadon, Kretzschmar, and maybe LaFreniere (who missed her debut a few years back). Any other ideas on new casting for Winter or Spring?

[Helene]

Divertimento No. 15 is such a great ballet for showcasing a range of ballerinas and the three men.  So many opportunities in one go.

[cobweb]

3 minutes ago, Helene said:

Divertimento No. 15 is such a great ballet for showcasing a range of ballerinas and the three men.  So many opportunities in one go

Yes, it is such a great showcase for multiple dancers, not to mention just beautiful. With multiple dancers and multiple casts of up-and-coming dancers, I would be there multiple nights. Come on, NYCB, the audience would much rather see this than Slaughter on 10th Ave!

[sunshine67]

14 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Yes, it is such a great showcase for multiple dancers, not to mention just beautiful. With multiple dancers and multiple casts of up-and-coming dancers, I would be there multiple nights. Come on, NYCB, the audience would much rather see this than Slaughter on 10th Ave!

One of my favorite ballet for so many reasons.  Circling back to Isabella LeFreniere and Laine Habony .  SAB performed Divertimento No. 15 for Workshop and both dancers were in the ballet.  Habony was a principal cast in Divert- I believe Tani LeClecq's spot  (and Tiler Peck) and LeFreniere was the lead in Walpurgisnacht Ballet.  Let's bring those dancers and Mimi Staker back for those ballets.  I was at those performances because one of my students  and I did have such high hopes for both of those dancers!  Both LaFreniere and Habony were the only two new corps members in Snow and Flowers that same Nutcracker season.  And I can remember Habony has been through in ballet after ballet - learned Concerto Barocco from a video according to IG and on stage in an hour.  It seems with Maria's retirement there will be more opportunities for LaFreniere.  But I believe Habony could also do those same roles.  She is not as tall but she is not a short girl, either.   Her classical training would do well for those tall girl roles.  Regardless, I want to see someone new at NYCB and I do not mean these younger corps dancers.  I want to see LaFreniere, Habony, Bologna, Staker, Claire Von Enck, Olivia Boisson in principal roles (all SAB Workshop featured dancers).  I do love Emma VonEnck and Mira Nadon but I am still heartbroken for those dancers who were lost in the transition years.  I cannot imagine forgoing other opportunities to commit my life to NYCB to only be passed over during by the transition team.   What a toll on their spirit.  As a teacher, I have seen dancers lose heart.  It is hard to give your heart on stage when you are repeating Snow and Flowers year after year.  Come on NYCB ... give us the 'lost generation' please.

[cassieallison]

I wonder if do to COVID not as many of the tenured principals are guesting and are taking up more casting spots at the top. Hopefully we will see some new blood in the later week, but I feel like they were all cast a lot less is past years. I imagine due to tenure they could request time for guesting, if feels like Megan Fairchild is on almost every night this year

[California]

13 hours ago, cassieallison said:

... it feels like Megan Fairchild is on almost every night this year

With three babies at home, I imagine guesting for other companies is a bridge too far for Fairchild!

[vipa]

23 hours ago, cobweb said:

Yes, it is such a great showcase for multiple dancers, not to mention just beautiful. With multiple dancers and multiple casts of up-and-coming dancers, I would be there multiple nights. Come on, NYCB, the audience would much rather see this than Slaughter on 10th Ave!

I'd be there for different casts too. I have no feel, so far, for the new regime and programing because COVID created so may challenges. There seems to be an emphasis on new works, perhaps an over-emphasis IMO. I'm still in wait and see mode. Sell tickets, develop an audience and develop dancers are the three things that have to be done. Not easy!! Meanwhile Nutcracker casting seems to have broadened some with Dewdrop particularly.

[abatt]

Any info on why Sara Mearns  is not cast and was replaced in all of her early Nut assignments?

[cobweb]

They have posted Week 5 of casting, but someone made a mistake - the posting is just a duplicate of the Week 4 casting. Come on NYCB, let's get the Week 5 casting!

[canbelto]

I reviewed the December 7 performance for bachtrack:

https://bachtrack.com/review-nutcracker-balanchine-woodward-huxley-coll-new-york-city-ballet-december-2021

[cobweb]

Week 5 of casting is up. Nothing new, no debuts. Kind of disappointing! Maybe for Week 6?

[Susu_nyc]

On 12/9/2021 at 10:42 AM, abatt said:

Any info on why Sara Mearns  is not cast and was replaced in all of her early Nut assignments?

No information on Sara.  She has been silent on Instagram since early November where she often provides personal and professional updates.