2023-2024 Season

[On Pointe]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:49 AM, volcanohunter said:

For my part, the first time I saw a Romani dance from Hungary, performed by a company that strove to present traditional European dances in a more authentic manner--rather than souped-up, audience-facing choreography--one of the thoughts that ran through my mind was that it looked nothing like Balanchine's Tzigane.

What's amazing is how much it resembles the Black American "Hambone".  Here's an example:

 

[griffie]

On 4/15/2024 at 5:49 AM, volcanohunter said:

For my part, the first time I saw a Romani dance from Hungary, performed by a company that strove to present traditional European dances in a more authentic manner--rather than souped-up, audience-facing choreography--one of the thoughts that ran through my mind was that it looked nothing like Balanchine's Tzigane.

That's Hungarian-style Roma dancing, which is popular in Transylvania area; the whole region of Transylvania, though mostly in Romania, is heavily influenced by Hungarian style. My understanding is that there are many regional styles of Roma dance. My first husband was from southern Romania, near Serbia and Macedonia, where the Roma dancing style was very different: very earthy for the men, bent knees, arms held wide, shuffling and stomping. Kind of reminded me of some Greek traditional dancing. And a LOT of hip isolations for the women. So when I saw the ballet Tzigane clips, I too couldn't figure out where Balanchine was getting his inspiration from!

[Fernie M]

Looks like a big opening week for A. Macgill- not only dancing in “Dances at a Gathering,” but now replacing Woodword in  fourth movement Symphony in C. Super excited for us &  for her!

[cobweb]

58 minutes ago, Fernie M said:

Looks like a big opening week for A. Macgill- not only dancing in “Dances at a Gathering,” but now replacing Woodword in  fourth movement Symphony in C. Super excited for us &  for her!

Agree, I look forward to seeing Alston Macgill blaze ahead. On the down side, it's discouraging to see both Indiana Woodward and David Gabriel replaced for the opening two weeks. Hope both of them recover quickly!

[nanushka]

 

5 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Agree, I look forward to seeing Alston Macgill blaze ahead. On the down side, it's discouraging to see both Indiana Woodward and David Gabriel replaced for the opening two weeks. Hope both of them recover quickly!

Woodward is still listed for this weekend (in Dances at a Gathering), at least in the cast list on the NYCB website. Are people seeing something different elsewhere?

Edited April 23 by nanushka

[cobweb]

Thanks @nanushka, I should have studied the casting list more closely. I see Woodward is replaced in Symphony in C both weeks, but is still doing Dances at a Gathering. 

[abatt]

Alston Mcgill is finally making her return to some excellent roles.  fingers crossed that she remains in  good  health.

Sorry to see Gabriel is being replaced.  He is an exciting dancer.  

 

[BalanchineFan]

49 minutes ago, abatt said:

Alston Mcgill is finally making her return to some excellent roles.  fingers crossed that she remains in  good  health.

Sorry to see Gabriel is being replaced.  He is an exciting dancer.  

Gabriel is still listed for the May 5th Bourree Fantasque performance. Maybe it's something small.

[volcanohunter]

The company has posted a lot of Dances at a Gathering rehearsal footage in its Facebook and Instagram stories.

[BalanchineFan]

1 hour ago, volcanohunter said:

The company has posted a lot of Dances at a Gathering rehearsal footage in its Facebook and Instagram stories.

It is just glorious. I saw at least one snippet of a rehearsal with Olivia McKinnon.

[Jacqueline]

I agree.  After having made peace with not getting to NYC for spring, I'm now having major FOMO.  So I will live vicariously through all of your reports and I thank you in advance!

[vipa]

3 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

The company has posted a lot of Dances at a Gathering rehearsal footage in its Facebook and Instagram stories.

I've seen that footage too, and it's great. However I will rely on everyone's reports on the performances of that ballet. I know I'm in the minority but I find Dances at a Gathering way too long. I love the opening, it's filled with wonder and promise but after about 20 minuts or so, I've had it. I enjoy excerpts way more that I enjoy the ballet. I look forward to all your reviews on individual performances

[matilda]

Thoughts on last night's performance:

Great start to the season, despite a few little blunders. Bourrée Fantasque isn't top-shelf Balanchine, and I can see why it was shelved for so long. However, it's charming and vintage like something out of a 1940s-50s musical. Lauren Collett took a bad spill at the very beginning, and Abreu (third-movement debut) didn't look totally comfortable with the partnering yet, but Kikta and Takahashi were a hoot (she absolutely towers over him), Gerrity and Bolden (subbing for LaFreniere and Chan) were lush and lovely, and Maxwell was a burst of joy.  

I was puzzled by Steadfast Tin Soldier's inclusion, and yes seeing the Christmas tree in late April was jarring, but the ballet complemented the overall "quirky" and eccentric feel of the first two thirds of the program. And, it was very well danced by Huxley and Pereira -- the paper doll is possibly her best role?  There are obvious overlaps with Nutcracker here, not just in the Victorian scenery but also the choreography for the soldier. 

Errante: woah! Nadon devoured the stage. She already has the complete "it" factor but whatever wisdom Suzanne Farrell was feeding her via coaching paid off. Another example of a second-rate Balanchine work, but with a ballerina like Nadon it was thrilling. The male lead doesn't do nearly as much as the woman but Aaron Sanz gave a sizzling performance -- maybe the best I've ever seen him dance. And, in a surprise ending, Farrell herself came out in the second curtain call to an enthusiastic audience reception. 

The program definitely needed a "masterpiece" as a closer and Symphony in C delivered. Fairchild was in great form in first movement and Joseph Gordon was powerful and elegant in one of his best roles (despite one botched pirouette, which he covered up well). Mearns/Angle were moving and dramatic as expected in the second movement, and Mejia and Von Enck were a total burst of energy in the third. Alston Macgill apparently got a surprise debut in the 4th movement (the casting sheet published only the day before still had Gerrity listed in that part), and while she could have danced "bigger" and more crisply, it was an exciting return to Symphony in C after her 2016 debut in the third movement while still an apprentice. This ballet never gets old and I never want it to end when I'm watching that epic finale. 

 

Edited April 24 by matilda

[California]

10 hours ago, vipa said:

 I know I'm in the minority but I find Dances at a Gathering way too long. 

Balanchine is widely cited telling Robbins, after watching 25 minutes of Dances at a Gathering: "Make more, like popcorn."

https://www.dancemagazine.com/the-lore-of-aeuroedances-at-a-gatheringaeur/

[cobweb]

I see casting for the first two weeks has been updated yesterday. LaFreniere is out for the first two weeks. That is very disappointing, as I thought the first movement of Symphony in C suited her particularly well. On the positive side, the replacements are Nadon in DAAG and Maxwell in the first movement of Brahms-Schoenberg. No complaints there! 

Week 3 casting is up as well. Lots of debuts. It's great to see so many opportunities for Alston Macgill, and also that David Gabriel is expected back. Unfortunately, the programming is so dull that I may miss this entire week. 

[bellawood]

I think the adrenaline was pumping last night because there was wonderful energy but sometimes a lack of control. as @matilda mentioned, Lauren Collett fell on her face (to no lasting ill effect) about 8 seconds into Bouree (I found Bouree really adorable and LOVED the "battle of the grand jetes" in the last movement). Then Victor Abreu almost dropped Alexa Maxwell when she jumped into his arms. In Symphony in C Janelle Manzi lost her arabesque in the 2nd movement, and Charlie Klesa did a Risky Business-style slide on his knees in the 3rd movement. I'm chalking it up to the excitement of the new season, the myriad casting changes already posted, and the thrill of having Suzanne Farrell in the house. 

It's too bad about Isabella LaFreniere's injury/illness -- I think she would be much more compelling than Emilie Gerrity in 1st movement Symphony in C and I was looking forward to watching her in Brahms and Dances. Not sure what's going on with Woodward? She was in the background in sneakers watching the Dances rehearsal on Instagram yesterday, but is out of Brahms and the new ballet that's going next week. 

The program was very fun, even though I was moaning and groaning about Steadfast before I watched it, I cackled meanly at the doll's immolation. Errante feels like a fragment of a larger ballet—an absolutely stunning and wild solo that Mira knocked out of the park and then a sort of odd ballet that gets tacked on at the end. I had seen snippets of this on YouTube but never the whole thing, and it's always been the solo.

I thought both Megan and Sara looked excellent in Symphony in C. Sara, in particular, looked "back" in a way she hadn't this fall/winter. Tyler Angle also looks more in form than he has recently. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:40 PM by bellawood

[MarzipanShepherdess]

An exciting start to the season.

Bourrée Fantasque was new to me. It's a fun one. The first section has some fun comic bits that KJ Takashi was excellent with, though Emily Kikta seemed a bit too serious. Felt like a role better suited to a Megan Fairchild-type who can be playful. Emilie Gerrity and Gilbert Bolden subbed for Isabella and Chun in the second movement. Alexa Maxwell came out eating up the stage in the third movement with so much speed and attack but Victor Abreu was not matching her tempo from go and his partnering was, honestly, frighteningly out of sync. He managed to save her from hitting the floor when he lost his grip on her in the final pose of their pas de deux but it was alarming. When they came out again she understandably and very reasonably toned her dancing with him WAY down, which was a shame.

Erica Pereira and Anthony Huxley were pretty pitch-perfect in Steadfast. I don't need to see this one as often as it's being programmed, but I do like imagining it as a little Nutcracker side plot.

Errante was exciting. It's not a resurrected masterpiece and the choreography is such that it really demands a super-charismatic ballerina to make it work, but Mira (and of course the great Suzanne herself) are indeed super-charismatic ballerinas. I liked how it built. The beginning is a bit pose-y and campy, but it takes off. I particularly liked the beginning of the pas de deux where the ballerina is facing away from the male lead and slowly proceeds backwards towards him as he proceeds forwards on a diagonal towards her, without her looking at him until their bodies meet. Because it's such a ballerina-vehicle it would be neat to see it with different leads. Sara Mearns could be great in this.

Symphony in C was wonderful. I cherish every time I get to see Sara and Tyler do the second movement together, especially, but everyone was great. 

[fondoffouettes]

I'm glad to have seen Bourrée Fantasque for the first time this evening. I thought it was a hoot, and I'd happily watch it again! Nadon was great in the first movement, and I think Zuniga did well for a debut, with room to grow; he lacked stage presence. Gerrity and Bolden were lovely in the second movement and pulled off all the tricky partnering very well. Abreu seems to have worked out the kinks; no mishaps between him and von Enck. The costumes for the women in the second movement are some of my all-time favorite Karinksa costumes I've ever seen -- wow. One detail I love is the little black bows where the straps connect with the back of the bodices.

Fairchild and Ulbricht were very good in Steadfast Tin Soldier, but I'd happily never see this ballet again. Luckily, it's short. It looked awkward when Fairchild climbed into the fireplace at the end. Is it ever executed in a way that makes it look like the ballerina has actually been blown into the fireplace? I haven't seen this ballet in maybe 15 years, so I'm just not sure.

Nadon was magnetic in Errante and commanded the stage in her solo. Her flexible back and slinky arms were gorgeous. One thing I really appreciate about Nadon is that you never really see her working to achieve an effect, and she doesn't overdo things (no vamping). Yet, she's endlessly fascinating to watch. It was so good to see Sanz back and looking so well; I really enjoyed him. Overall, it's not a great ballet, and the corps feels sort of superfluous, but it was a great vehicle for Nadon. The boho tops for the corps girls are so awkward! They are not flowy enough to look like real boho tops, so they just end up looking like ill-fitting baggy bodices. 

Tonight's Symphony in C felt off to me, almost dull (and I can't believe I'm calling a Symphony in C performance dull). The energy and incisiveness just wasn't there for me. Gerrity was just fine in the first movement, though I enjoyed her much more in Bourrée Fantasque. Chan was pretty good, though somehow I expected more from him. I was pretty disappointed with Phelan. She seemed rather tense for much of the adagio; there was no majesty, no depth, no individualized interpretation. I feel like management is putting her in these roles because of her look -- beautiful lines, very pretty face -- but she just doesn't bring any inner life to them. Knight was fine, though he made some of the partnering look effortful. I'm glad he's stopped bleaching his hair, but all the volume he has toward the back of his head just makes his proportions look weird; it makes him look shorter than he is. Takahashi seemed to lose steam toward the end of the third movement (I kept wishing Mejia were there to tear up the stage). It was great to see Macgill again. She danced very well, though during all the turns where she holds one arm above her head, I wished she'd shaped her arm and hand better; it just looked sloppy and not fully shaped. There was one time when she pulled off a really impressive multiple pirouette and did hold her arm above her head in a nice position, and it looked fantastic!

So, oddly enough, I enjoyed tonight's Bourrée Fantasque more than Symphony in C. Who would have thunk it?

Edited Thursday at 04:37 AM by fondoffouettes

[deanofdance]

Just a few thoughts on tonight’s and last night’s performances:

1) Errante: Mira was doubly more enchanting tonight than last night (and she was marvelous last night!) — but the first night was more a practice run — and now she is settling in and getting more comfortable with using her bag of tricks/ her arts of allurement/her inner life/her bountiful technique and dance qualities/call it what you will…. In an earlier post I compared Mira to a young Garbo ( well, Garbo with a dash of Merle Oberon) — as there is not only Mira’s preternatural beauty, talent, and imagination — but as Kenneth Tynan wrote, “What when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober.”  I think it’s symbolic that for the 5 performances of Errante she is the only dancer cast — in a role that belongs to Farrell — it’s the passing of the torch — it’s the passing of the repertory — anointment.  
2) Bizet:  thought it would be difficult to top opening night’s Bizet — but tonight’s performance by the second cast was just as wonderful — which was a nice surprise as I was expecting the opposite.  Then I began thinking — NYCB could do 4 casts of the Bizet and they would all be wonderful — that is the current depth of this company. 
3) Dancers shout out: Alexa (attack), Bolden (joy), Gerrity (warmth)  Takahashi (principal?!), Unity and Knight (finally).

Edited Thursday at 05:54 PM by deanofdance

[abatt]

Such a fantastic program last night.  Nadon was magnetic in Errante.  I thought Sanz faded in comparison to Nadon.  Now that I see all of the back bending required in this role, maybe that's why we are not seeing Mearns in this role.

Phelan and Knight have improved significantly in the Second Movement of Symphony in C since I last  saw them in this ballet in 2022.  However, there is still no emotional depth or resonance in their performance.   

What a spectacular company.  Amazing talent at all levels, from corps to the principals.   

 

[cobweb]

Unlike others here, I didn't love this program. It really dragged for me, until Symphony in C came along with a thrilling jolt. 

This was my first time seeing Bourree Fantasque. I could see it again and enjoy it, although I suspect it would wear thin quickly. I'm not sure why this was chosen for such a major revival. Highlights were Nadon of course, and Gilbert Bolden who dances with confidence and authority. 

Even with top-notch principals like Megan Fairchild and Daniel Ulbricht, Steadfast Tin Soldier felt painfully precious. (And I speak as someone who absolutely loves Nutcracker.) Errante (or Tzigane -- I agree it should have been given a more distinctive new name) is a spectacular vehicle for Mira Nadon. They must have someone else rehearsing it; the obvious, and only, other dancer I can think of here would be Sara Mearns. It was *great* to see Aaron Sanz back dancing again! It's been way way too long. 

Symphony in C. Good all around. Gerrity didn't bring the kind of expansive grandeur I would have expected from LaFreniere, but she was fine. Olivia MacKinnon looked good as one of the first-movement demisoloists. Phelan and Knight were kind of bland, but I just loved watching the patterns form and re-form around the stage. Beautiful. In the third movement Baily Jones looked good, but KJ Takahashi looked really, really good. He presents himself so well - with grandeur and confidence. Even his hair looks perfectly in place, whereas some of the other men let their hair get sloppy. Takahashi takes care to make a very good impression. Finally, Alston Macgill looked good in the 4th movement and Troy Schumacher is back after what seems like a long absence. (Speaking of which, that made me wonder, is Laracey on the casting sheets so far?)

I would like to see the Kikta/Takahashi Bourree Fantasque, so I may see this program again. Maybe. 

[Fernie M]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

They must have someone else rehearsing it; the obvious, and only, other dancer I can think of here would be Sara Mearns. It was *great* to see Aaron Sanz back dancing again! It's been way way too long. 

Interesting, the dancer I thought of that could really do something with this was Naomi Corti.😊

[volcanohunter]

A teeny clip from Bourrée Fantasque

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3o2TkacAwJtRPipa/?mibextid=qi2Omg

A clip from Errante

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6MgQWzOpdY/?igsh=MW9icjN3bzd1YTEwcw== 

[vipa]

Just back from tonight's show. Had a wonderful time. I enjoyed Bouree Fantasque more on this, my second viewing, than I did last season on my first. It has something of a 1940's musical sensibility in terms of the costumes, color scheme and overall look. This time as I watched I was taken with the formations and the way large groups of people were moved around. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it a third time, but I wouldn't avoid it if it was on a strong program.

Steadfast Tin Soldier was done by Pereira and Huxley. IMO it doesn't matter much who does it.  There's not much to it. 

Errante is a great vehicle for Mira Nadon. She knows how to hold the stage and create an atmosphere. Aaron Sanz was fine, but lacked the weight  and substance in his movements that Peter Martins brought to the role. If you've ever seen the video, Martins was a match for Farrell. Sanz was no where near a match for Nadon. I think this piece is worth keeping in the rep, now that it's been brought back.

Symphony in C is pure joy. Mearns and Angle were wonderful in the second movement, and Tyler Angle's solo dancing was the best I've seen from him in a while. Fairchild and Gordon were crisp and joyful in the first movement and Emma Von Enck and Mejia sailed through the third. In the fourth movement Alston Macgill looked like she was having the time of her life. Great dancing all around.

If I had to guess I'd say Macgill was a strong candidate for promotion to soloist and Emma VE for principal

What a great company!

[BalanchineFan]

11 hours ago, cobweb said:

whereas some of the other men let their hair get sloppy. 

[...]

I would like to see the Kikta/Takahashi Bourree Fantasque, so I may see this program again. Maybe. 

The tempo is super fast and there are a LOT of jumps and turns. I'm surprised all of the men's hair isn't blown back into an aerodynamic afro by the end!

Kikta and Takahashi were fabulous tonight. Very funny, well (mis)matched. I saw him do it with Mira last fall, and Kikta is better in Bourree, she works the comedy more seriously, more realistically. I LOVE this program. And I think I'm seeing it again. Mearns and Angle are literally breathtaking in the second movement of the Bizet, strong performances from Fairchild & Gordon and von Enck & Mejia in the Bizet.  Mira Nadon is amazing in Errante. Well worth seeing.

There was a lot of role/cast shuffling in the demi's in the Bizet. Alexa Maxwell was in for Alston Macgill when she got bumped up. I didn't enjoy Macgill in this quite as much as in 4T over the winter. Macgill is so quick it verges on brittle or clipped, at times. Savannah Durham danced in the corps of Errante, uncredited. I couldn't figure out who was out of that ballet, but it was definitely Savannah Durham onstage.

Edited Friday at 03:09 AM by BalanchineFan