New York City Ballet 2022-2023 season

[nycvillager]

I was there on Thursday, and totally agree! During Square Dance, my eye kept going to Alexa Maxwell but also Claire von Enck. Huxley was fantastic. I do enjoy the See the Music and love having the orchestra raised up. It was not a long program, but I noticed many people running out as soon as the curtain went down on Donizetti. Maybe they had a train to catch. I've been unable to attend the spring season til this week and so while I was just happy to be there, it would have been a subdued, subpar evening had it not finished with Donizetti. I saw Veyette in this during the winter season and was pleasantly surprised with his performance then. This performance was just as good, if not better. 

[bellawood]

Second intermission—

Afternoon is a great ballet when it’s cast correctly — I think Christopher Grant and Dominika A. Did a wonderful job playing the roles, coltish, unsure, self-absorbed. Audience loved it.

I’ve now seen Haieff four times over two years and I think that’s enough. (Amazingly it’s been four different casts.) It is a nice showcase for corps members and Alexa Maxwell, who has danced corps roles in two ballets tonight despite her promotion. Corps standouts to me in this are Andres Zuniga and Jacqueline Bologna. 

[vipa]

1 hour ago, BalanchineFan said:

They should rethink that, if time is the issue. Just my opinion. A few hours in the studio and try someone else. They had a week.

Also, Merrill Ashley is pretty tall. Height should not be an impediment to Isabelle LaFreniere dancing Square Dance at some point.

I agree it's not height, it's an ability to do super fast and clean allegro work. Typically that's true of smaller dancers, but taller dancers like Merrill Ashely can have that quality. I haven't seen LaFreniere enough to know is she has the speed and footwork for Square Dance. From what I saw of Maxwell in various roles in Sleeping Beauty she seems to, as does Emma VE. I was surprised Erica Pereira ended up with all the Square Dance shows, but with a tight rehearsal schedule maybe it was the easiest path for management to take. I

[abatt]

I think they should do See The Music during the intermission.  Those who are interested can stay seated.  Those who are not interested can leave.  It's not that the talk are not interesting.  It's that people live far away and have big commutes. They have trains to catch.  Why not do these talks on the matinees on weekends instead of weekday evenings.  The whole point of starting at 7:30 on weeknights was to attract working people who have to get up for work early the next day or have big commutes home.  By adding an additional 15 minutes to these programs you are defeating the purpose of early curtains.  

[vipa]

15 minutes ago, abatt said:

I think they should do See The Music during the intermission.  Those who are interested can stay seated.  Those who are not interested can leave.  It's not that the talk are not interesting.  It's that people live far away and have big commutes. They have trains to catch.  Why not do these talks on the matinees on weekends instead of weekday evenings.  The whole point of starting at 7:30 on weeknights was to attract working people who have to get up for work early the next day or have big commutes home.  By adding an additional 15 minutes to these programs you are defeating the purpose of early curtains.  

Such good points. Does anyone understand why See The Music is scheduled when it is? I can't believe it sells tickets. On Thursday, when I was there, the 3rd rind wasn't open. 

[sappho]

5 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

Was See the Music focused on the Debussy or on another piece of music?

It was Debussy. Andrews Sill was on the podium Thursday night, though, and he's far less compelling than Litton as both a speaker and conductor. (Beyond the casting issues, his interpretation of Square Dance was extremely sluggish.)

To echo an earlier comment, Veyette was great in Donizetti. Even without his former speed or amplitude, he gave an assured and polished performance, full of warmth and just the right amount of hamminess.

Would love to see Kikta in Haieff.

[matilda]

I saw the performance last night and agree with others' impressions about Pereira in Square Dance. I spent most of the time watching Taylor Stanley, who was excellent and had just kind of torso liquidity and musicality that Pereira lacked, as well as the wonderful corps. I thought Pereira looked best in the finale when the tempo speeds up and the choreography becomes more about executing crisp footwork as fast as possible rather than filling space and connecting with the music and audience in an interesting way. The pas deux was just boring. Still, I enjoyed the performance. 

Afenesenkov and Grant were gorgeous in Afternoon of a Faun. He looked much, much more comfortable in the role than last year. I'm guessing management sees bigger things in Afenesenkov's future. 

I didn't care for Christina Clark in Haiff. She hit all of the poses and made no mistakes but the connections between movements were just not there. I saw Unity Phelan do this twice in the past and enjoyed her version much, much more. Clark does not have the smoothness and elegance of Phelan. The corps looked great in this, with Victor Abreu a real standout among the men. 

Woodward and Gordon were sensational in Donizetti. Both are technical virtuosos with artistry and refinement to match. I want to see them in everything. 

[abatt]

12 hours ago, vipa said:

Such good points. Does anyone understand why See The Music is scheduled when it is? I can't believe it sells tickets. On Thursday, when I was there, the 3rd rind wasn't open. 

Most people don't know that it is a See the Music program when they buy  tickets.

[Balletwannabe]

This is just a pet peeve of mine... But why don't they stick to their policy of not seating people late?  Why not just start on time?  Is this just how it works in the music and art world?  

[cobweb]

12 hours ago, abatt said:

It's not that the talk are not interesting.  It's that people live far away and have big commutes. They have trains to catch.  Why not do these talks on the matinees on weekends instead of weekday evenings.  The whole point of starting at 7:30 on weeknights was to attract working people who have to get up for work early the next day or have big commutes home.  By adding an additional 15 minutes to these programs you are defeating the purpose of early curtains. 

Totally agree. I am not there to hear the conductor talk, even though some of them are very interesting. I'm there to see dance. I feel very impatient when this happens on a weeknight, and especially now that I live much further from Lincoln Center than I used to. On the weekend, I'm able to enjoy the talk without thinking about what time do I have to get up in the morning. 

[BalanchineFan]

31 minutes ago, abatt said:

Most people don't know that it is a See the Music program when they buy  tickets.

They could definitely let people know earlier. At a certain point they know when they’re going to schedule See the Music. 
NYCB used to have more programs run by docents and volunteers. They would do 4th Ring talks during intermissions and talks before certain performances. I seem to remember they got rid of the staff person who ran these programs during the pandemic. Not sure they replaced them. 

[abatt]

I used to attend those 4th ring talks regularly.  Most speakers were not impressive, but Joan Quatrano was wonderful.  The depth and  scope of her insight was impressive.  I think she was the head of volunteer services in the 90s. 

[nysusan]

Watching last night's Square dance, I liked Pereira more than I did the first time I saw her, but she still doesn't do justice to this ballet. She was more lively and had more spring in her jumps but she was still too soft. I think my problem with her in this is her lyrical approach. She was floaty and looked lovely. Usually that would be a good thing but not here. I wanted a stronger attack and more syncopation and yes, I wanted to see her play with the phrasing. I just don't think she's right for this. I like Bouder's take no prisoners approach. The way she eats up space I would love to see LaFreniere cast in this but I think a problem is that the men who are tall enough to partner her probably can't pull off the male role.

 

I was lukewarm to Clark in the Haieff. Her limbs are beautiful but I wanted more and agree with Matilda that she didn't connect the steps. I also wanted more amplitude from her.

 

Grant and Afanasenkov were gorgeous in Faun. She's another one that I want to see in everything now.

[BalanchineFan]

8 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

8 hours ago, abatt said:

Most people don't know that it is a See the Music program when they buy  tickets.

Do they announce it at the beginning of the season? See the Music is certainly on the schedule by the time casting is announced. That's enough time to exchange your tickets, if that is of interest.

[bellawood]

Back again tonight. This is certainly a good ballet season for Joseph Gordon — Raymonda, Donizetti and La Source are all in his wheelhouse. He tosses off the variations in La Source like they are no big deal. This is a ballet that really suits Indiana. I’ve become more and more invested in her development as an artist — no longer B cast Tiler and Megan but her own person. She really has beautiful feet and legs, a playful spirit and brings energy to the stage. 

The soloist role was Olivia MacKinnon, who acquitted herself well barring a little wandering turn moment. Is it wrong to think that Mary Thomas is maybe the more interesting MacKinnon? The corps in this ballet was very young and someone slipped, but not badly. I’m trying to figure out everyone’s faces! 

[bellawood]

Namouna reminds me of why I am so excited to see what Ratmansky does with this ballet company — Alexei Ratmansky and Mira Nadon in the same room?!? — it will be a blast. I love this ballet. Débuts for both Roman and KJ, and they had a dance-off. So much fun. Sara looked incredible. Ashley was extremely commendable in the Wendy role, though Ashley/Roman is not the most natural pairing. Mira is just a phenomenon; we are lucky to watch her trajectory. The whole company energized. 

[vipa]

Does anyone know exactly what triggers the opening of the 3rd ring? I've looked at some dates that had a lot of unsold seats in the 2nd ring, with the 3rd ring open. I've also seen dates with a lot of unsold  seats in the 2nd ring with the 3rd ring closed. I find it depressing that the 3rd and 4th ring are closed so often.

[abatt]

13 hours ago, bellawood said:

Namouna reminds me of why I am so excited to see what Ratmansky does with this ballet company — Alexei Ratmansky and Mira Nadon in the same room?!? — it will be a blast. I love this ballet. Débuts for both Roman and KJ, and they had a dance-off. So much fun. Sara looked incredible. Ashley was extremely commendable in the Wendy role, though Ashley/Roman is not the most natural pairing. Mira is just a phenomenon; we are lucky to watch her trajectory. The whole company energized. 

Yes, Sara did a great job in her role.  The entire cast was wonderful, but the pairing of Mejia and Laracey was very odd. Also, I thought Takahashi was running low on energy towards the end of the ballet.  Mejia is a much stronger technical dancer than Taylor Stanley.

Another terrific performance by Gordon and Woodward in La Source.

[cobweb]

Mr cobweb and I decided to try the La Source-Namouna program last night, despite his hesitation about going out in the rain, and my doubts about the program. I had not seen La Source before, and although I enjoyed Namouna when I saw it years ago, I wasn't sure it would hold up.

First off, Indiana Woodward and Joseph Gordon were great in La Source. The very young apprentice and corps ladies all looked delightfully light and airy, aside from one nasty fall (the young lady who's very slender and very blonde -- as I try to get to know who's who, can anyone ID her for me?). Olivia MacKinnon in the soloist role was better than I've usually seen her, with more clarity in her dancing and a brighter, more pleasing facial expression. Still hoping for more specialness from her. My real issue with La Source is that it's all fluff, with no tension, no drama, and no overall cohesion. It's a series of disparate sweets. I might enjoy seeing this more in another context, most especially student performances, but I'm not sure it belongs on the main stage. 

Namouna was entertaining, but the cutesiness and knowing jokes get annoying after awhile. I don't need to see this again anytime soon. Mira Nadon, Sara Mearns, and Ashley Laracey all looked great, as did Roman Mejia. Agree with others that the pairing of Mejia and Laracey seemed very odd, but individually they both looked wonderful. 

As I look at the upcoming schedule, I just wish I could see LaFreniere and Chan in Raymonda Variations again!!

 

[MarzipanShepherdess]

Moving farewell today for Harrison Ball.

The program started off with Erica and Anthony leading Square Dance, but Harrison came out and performed the male solo that comes fairly late in the ballet. That solo has never lived large in my memory of Square Dance, but it will now. As Harrison danced it, it felt like he was doing a male waltz girl (from Serenade) with these deep deep surrendering backbends. He's such an emotive dancer. Gorgeous. (As was Anthony, Erica for me falls a bit flat in this). I love that Harrison was given the opportunity to dance the part of this that he could, even though unfortunately given his injuries the full ballet is beyond his current capability.

Then Donizetti Variations with Tiler and Andrew Veyette. Tiler just ate this up, so fleet and joyful and wow those turns. I love how she plays with the phrasing. Totally in command. 

Afternoon of a Faun: Harrison and Unity were both lovely. Unity can feel blank and remote to me on stage, and that works here, at least for me. I have enjoyed reading the varying interpretations of this ballet; today, with these dancers, it very much felt like a ballet about failure to connect,  with a sadness lurking at its heart. Despite this being a debut performance by Harrison, it felt fully realized. I really admire Harrison's decision to learn a new role and commit to it so wholly and beautifully for just one single performance.

Haieff Divertimento: What will stay with me from this performance is the final image of Harrison, going down to his knees in front of the ballerina (Indiana) and the springing up to freeze with an arm outstretched reaching with such yearning towards his departed partner, as the curtain came down. Felt like a very poignant last moment on stage for a performer who's having to say goodbye to his dancing career far too soon.

Edited May 1, 2023 by MarzipanShepherdess
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[MarzipanShepherdess]

Also saw the La Source/Namouna program last night.

La Source: Indiana and Joe Gordon. Great roles for them both which they both nailed. More and more, Indiana has the quality I like so much in Tiler's dancing: the blend of technical authority with this light, sparkling, playfulness. 

Namouna: Such a joy to see Sara Mearns back on stage in the role she originated, dancing full-out and fearlessly. I've missed her so much. Mira was fantastic in the "smoking girl" role, so witty and quick and just mesmerizing. Very, very excited to see what Ratmansky choreographs on her in the future. Ashley Laracey was lovely, but felt a little overshadowed by Sara and Megan: she is not as vivid and bold of a presence on stage. Roman was great in the main sailor role, easy breezy with big big jumps. I was impressed by how well KJ Takahashi held the stage with him, especially in those "dance off" bits of the choreography between the two men. He seems to have developed a lot as a dancer even just in the past few months, since winter season.

Count me in the Namouna fan club, for me it holds up to repeat viewings. The choreography is so fun and intricate and I love all the solos. 

[abatt]

26 minutes ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:

.

Harrison came out and performed the male solo that comes fairly late in the ballet. That solo has never lived large in my memory of Square Dance, but it will now. As Harrison danced it, it felt like he was doing a male waltz girl (from Serenade) with these deep deep surrendering backbends. He's such an emotive dancer. Gorgeous. (As was Anthony, Erica for me falls a bit flat in this). I love that Harrison was given the opportunity to dance the part of this that he could, even though unfortunately given his injuries the full ballet is beyond his current capability.

 

Sorry to have missed this.  If the company posts any footage of this please post.

 

Who came out at the end?  Was Zac Posen there?

[meunier fan]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Was Zac Posen there?

 

Yes.  It was an extremely apt fare-thou-well.  Each element tastefully unfolded with a warm and benevlovant demeanour.   

[MarzipanShepherdess]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Who came out at the end?  Was Zac Posen there?

Yes, Zac Posen was in the audience and then came out on stage at the end. Megan LeCrone came out first, others were Maria Kowroski, Sterling Hyltin, Georgina Pazcoguin, Tiler Peck (in some very fabulous shiny silver heels), Indiana Woodward, Unity Phelan, Alexa Maxwell, Megan Fairchild, Ashley Bouder, Wendi and Jonathan. I think Sara Mearns too, can't remember everyone! 

[Drew]

2 hours ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:

 

The program started off with Erica and Anthony leading Square Dance, but Harrison came out and performed the male solo that comes fairly late in the ballet. That solo has never lived large in my memory of Square Dance, but it will now. As Harrison danced it, it felt like he was doing a male waltz girl (from Serenade) with these deep deep surrendering backbends.

The solo in Square Dance was created for a dancer with "deep deep surrendering backbends" and a notable Melancholic in Four Temperaments--Bart Cook. Having seen Cook in the role--and also later, in a rather different performance, Peter Boal--it has always felt to me an incredibly important part of the ballet. I'm glad you got to see a performance that could bring that home to you--even if only as a one time event.