2023-2024 Season

[Brook703]

Mira was breathtaking in Errante tonight. The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a bit too cutesy for my taste and doesn’t have much substance. Still deciding how I feel about  Bourree and would like to see it again. 

Symphony in C is always a crowd pleaser. All four movement principals seemed on tonight. Emma and Alston both looked especially good - such energy and joy. I think Alston will settle in some as she dances more principal roles (keep them coming!). I find her so fresh and love the quality of her movement.

45 minutes ago, vipa said:

 

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

 

I agree with Vipa above. Think Alston and Emma are on track for promotions.

[deanofdance]

A few thoughts on tonight’s performance:

1) BF:  the more I see Alexa dance, the more I like her — and MT as well.  
2) STS:  for some reason — perhaps because Huxley doesn’t ham it up — he won me over with his understatement.  It’s a short ballet, quickly over — innocuous really — but there was a sweetness. 
3] Errante: can see a progression of Mira making this dance her own — she’s looser and freer with every performance — it’s as if Suzanne told her — do you — and yes Aaron comes in later as well as 4 couples, but really I don’t notice them…

4) the Bizet: I wasn’t taken as I usually am — perhaps I was in a mood — I don’t know, but why did I find Megan’s dancing more than usual clipped and abbreviated — nothing full out.  (Now if Alexa were cast in the first movement…)  And Sara seemed to be moving as if embalmed and I wondered if she’d asked the conductor to slow the tempo down.  And Alston’s lower body seemed relatively inflexible — there appeared to be no stretch in her line. 

Edited April 26 by deanofdance

[BalanchineFan]

Another thing I noticed is how often and how HIGH the men throw the women. Gilbert Bolden gave Gerrity serious air time in the 2nd movement of Bourree. Roman Mejia threw von Enck so high in the Bizet that one of his hands caught the underside of her tutu and flipped it up as he caught her. (Why oh why don't they reinstate the Karinska tutus??)

Tyler Angle, from Row F of the orchestra, seemed to be doing a disappearing act with Mearns. She was downstage right next to us one second, and 40 feet upstage the next. He just dragged her, running at quite a clip, time and time again. 

[abatt]

14 hours ago, deanofdance said:

And Sara seemed to be moving as if embalmed and I wondered if she’d asked the conductor to slow the tempo down. 

I saw Mearns and Angle Thursday evening and thought that their performance of the second movement was sublime. I was mesmerized for every second.  There was depth to that relationship.  In contrast, when Unity and Alec did it, it was just a bunch of steps - a very superficial reading of the pas.

[Royal Blue]

Why judge an artist only by their finest work(s)? Aren't an artist's best creations better understood and appreciated in light of the artist’s entire output? Not to mention any disagreements about what their highest achievements actually might be.

At the time Georges Bizet completed his Symphony in C he was only 17 years old. Although its other three movements are delightful, it is the second (Andante—Adagio) which stuns at the compositional skill of—and emotional beauty and truth expressed by—such a young composer. No doubt, the high point of Balanchine's Symphony in C is its second section, accompanied by Bizet's sublime music. This does not mean, however, that it should be performed separately on its own, or that the choreography of the other three segments does not appositely sparkle with joyousness and brilliance.

New York City Ballet has a large and varied repertoire. Those who attend its performances regularly cannot expect (or, frankly, should even want) to view only undisputed "masterpieces." Bourée Fantasque, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and Errante are lesser works, but the company's first program of the spring provided an eyeful of interest and beauty throughout Wednesday evening.

In addition to any loveliness one might perceive in Bourée Fantasque, its sheer energy and humor are—upon sober consideration—attributes which are always vital and welcome in this paradoxical world. And the same applies to the opportunity to hear the vibrant music of Emmanuel Chabrier performed live. (The gentle music heard during the middle portion of the ballet, tenderly led by Emilie Gerrity and Gilbert Bolden III Wednesday evening, provides an enchanting, glorious contrast.) Mira Nadon, Emma Von Enck, and the members of the corps were dazzling. One craves an optimal vantage point from which to witness all those thrilling grand jetés at the end of the work.

As expected, Megan Fairchild and Daniel Ulbricht were engaging and well-matched in The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

In addition to her other qualities as a woman and ballet dancer, Mira Nadon appears too bright not to have seized the opportunity to give a tremendous performance in Errante, especially working closely with such an illustrious predecessor at the company, and originator of the role in question. 

Graced by a majestic performance from Unity Phelan (partnered by Alec Knight) in its exalted fundamental core, Symphony in C featured alluring performances by its huge cast, inducing as often happens earnest reflection at its conclusion of the symbolism and significance of this work, this company, and the entire art form of ballet to the world at large.

[matilda]

Saw the Dances at a Gathering / Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet program last night.

DAAG was lovely with strong dancing by all, including Tiler Peck post-injury and the debuts by Mejia (brown), Macgill (blue), and Zuniga (brick). Macgill held her own sharing so much stage time with Peck and looked very comfortable with this free-moving choreography. I think she's due for a soloist promotion. Phelan gets a lot of criticism here but she was stunning as mauve girl. 

There was a funny blooper in the section where three women get thrown from one man's arms to another's. Fairchild (apricot) was supposed to take a dramatic dive but something went wrong and Tyler Angle just carried and placed her body into Coll's arms. People in the audience laughed and I'm sure many of them thought it was intentional given the ballet's playful tone. 

Mira Nadon stepped in for LaFreniere as the Green girl. She was good, but the role is so brief and I don't understand the point of the "character"? I can see why management cast Bouder in the matinee cast... brief stage time and no partnering. Really feels like they threw her a bone with that one.

In Brahms, Sara Mearns went full-on Sara Mearns in the fourth movement. This is a role where she does NOT have to tone anything down. She was thrilling and at times had a big smile. Her performance was worth the ticket alone. Veyette's dancing was a bit sloppy at times but he brought tons of energy and personality. 

As for the other movements, Gerrity was ravishing in the first movement; I'm often lukewarm on her but she really glowed. This is an odd role for Stanley, who doesn't really have the classical polish or clean double tours for this role -- at least not last night. Von Enck and Huxley were fantastic in the third movement; no issues with classical technique there, and Huxley danced even bigger and bolder than usual. MacKinnon was an epic mismatch for the second movement. The steps were there but the drama, detail, and musicality were not. I will cut her some slack though, because this was apparently a "throw in debut" (her words via Instagram). Too bad Woodward pulled out because she would have been perfect. 

Edited April 27 by matilda

[nanushka]

16 minutes ago, matilda said:

Mira Nadon stepped in for LaFreniere as the Green girl. She was good, but the role is so brief and I don't understand the point of the "character"? I can see why management cast Bouder in the matinee cast... brief stage time and no partnering. Really feels like they threw her a bone with that one.

There are some descriptions in Nancy Reynolds' Repertory in Review that I found interesting and that really captured what I saw in Mearns' performance of the role a few years back:

Quote

Verdy's solo, in which she 'almost' dances (but instead merely indicates steps in an extremely telling manner) was considered one of the most unusual and striking in the ballet. ... When the ballet was mounted in London, Nureyev wanted to dance that part, because there is something that even a man can find there, and that is complete self-absorption in a dance and a rhythm.

...

'And the story behind Violette's solo?''

[Sara] Leland: 'Violette is the mistress of the house, her big manor house. It's a suggestion of a dance. When she first comes on it's like, I own this house and you're all my guests, and did you know I used to dance? I used to do this step. I used to do a grand jeté. But Robbins says it's a marked grand jeté, a suggestion of one. And then she bows. The idea is that she's showing how she used to dance. And she says, 'Oh, I'll do one more step.'

'It's like thje feeling that's set by the opening solo.'

Leland: 'Yes, in a sense. And he does like that dance, Violette's dance, done by an older dancer.

 

[cobweb]

I was also at last night's program of Dances at a Gathering and Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. 

I have been a big fan of DAAG, but this performance didn't cast the usual magical spell. There were some fine performances, and it was especially wonderful to see Alston Macgill with so much confidence and presence. On the down side, Andres Zuniga dances with brightness and freshness, but the intricate lifts with Megan Fairchild needed more finesse. I feel Unity Phelan is totally miscast in this role. My partner kept asking me why she looked like the "odd woman out," he felt it had to do with her body type but couldn't really articulate how. For me, she didn't get the relaxed, casual idiom, and at times with a beautiful arabesque and rippling arms, looked like she was in a full-on classical piece like Swan Lake. She also looked more mature and way more reserved than her fellow free spirits.

Then there was the massive blooper at the end of "three men tossing three women." Somewhere between Adrian Danchig-Waring moving Megan Fairchild on over to Tyler Angle, something went very wrong, and Tyler just kind of took a few steps and handed her over to Harrison Coll who somehow contrived to maneuver her semi-upside-down. The audience groaned, and the sublime moment was totally smooshed. (My partner felt they covered it over well, and humorously imagined what could have happened if Megan had stamped her foot in anger or the men confronted each other about who was at fault. He felt the publicity could be good for the company, imagining a headline such as: "Brawl Breaks Out Onstage During Performance of Robbins' Paean to the Peace-Loving Sixties." LOL. ) 

I had the same question as @matilda about the Green Girl. Does she only appear in one section, aside from the finale? The fact that this is the one role Bouder appears to be doing this season, suggests to me that her technique may not be fully back where it should be, but we shall see!

Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet is so rich and lush in every way that it's overwhelming. Costumes, drapery, atmospheric lighting, a multitude of women in tulle and men in ribbons forming and re-forming all over the stage. Wow. Big big thumbs up from me and Mr Cobweb. In the first section, Emilie Gerrity looked as good as I've ever seen her. Beautiful and grand. Taylor Stanley, not so much. Lacking in presence and unable to get around a clean double tour. What is going on with the normally magnetic dancer? Presumably just an off night. The tall soloist, Emily Kikta, was dazzling. She has an intelligence and intrigue that few other dancers have. She dances so large the stage hardly seems big enough for her. In the second movement, Intermezzo, Preston Chamblee looked great. He's a big guy, but never before have I seen him dance as fully large as he can be, fierce and full of gusto. In the third movement, Andante, Emma Von Enck and Anthony Huxley dazzled. Great to see both of them. Finally, Rondo alla Zingarese, and wowza. Sara Mearns blazing forth in all her Sara-ness, and Andrew Veyette keeping up the pace and making me wistful picturing the company without him. He has been a stalwart for so long. On the other hand, I was noticing the corps guys lined up behind him and several (really, all of them!) appear noticeably taller than Veyette. That bodes well for the tall women in the company! All in all,  wonderful BSQ. 

On a minor note, can anyone help me out in my efforts to distinguish the younger corps guys from one another? Is it just me, or do Charlie Klesa and Owen Flacke look a lot alike? Which one is taller? And how about Noah McAuslin? I wish they would get those photos up on the website sooner. 

Edited April 27 by cobweb

[California]

1 hour ago, matilda said:

There was a funny blooper in the section where three women get thrown from one man's arms to another's. Fairchild (apricot) was supposed to take a dramatic dive but something went wrong and Tyler Angle just carried and placed her body into Coll's arms. People in the audience laughed and I'm sure many of them thought it was intentional given the ballet's playful tone. 

Several of you have reported on this "blooper" with Megan Fairchild. Today she posted one of those "throws" on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Q98tnu78n/

Edited April 27 by California

[Roberta]

re. DAAG: I believe that the Green Woman appears later in a pas de 4, in which she tries to get three men to partner her.

Question about this year's revival of Balanchine's Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet: Is NYCB showing the 1966 sets by Peter Farmer Harvey? They added a lot to the production, I feel - showing the outdoors of the Schonbrun Palace gardens in the first and third segments; a curtain lowers for the second segment in a room, for the romantic Intermezzo.  The Karinska costumes have always been used at NYCB, I believe, adding to the "pink romantic" mood of the first three segments...until the ballet goes "Tzigane" - uh, "Errante" - at the end.

Edited April 27 by Roberta
Wrong surname of designer Peter.

[matilda]

22 minutes ago, California said:

Several of you have reported on this "blooper" with Megan Fairchild. Today she posted one of those "throws" on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Q98tnu78n/

The botched throw was the difficult one seen here with Olivia MacKinnon rehearsing apricot. 

20 minutes ago, Roberta said:

re. DAAG: I believe that the Green Woman appears later in a pas de 4, in which she tries to get three men to partner her.

Question about this year's revival of Balanchine's Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet: Is NYCB showing the 1966 sets by Peter Farmer? They added a lot to the production, I feel - showing the outdoors of the Schonbrun Palace gardens in the first and third segments; a curtain lowers for the second segment in a room, for the romantic Intermezzo.  The Karinska costumes have always been used at NYCB, I believe, adding to the "pink romantic" mood of the first three segments...until the ballet goes "Tzigane" - uh, "Errante" - at the end.

Last night, Fairchild did that pas de quatre instead. I didn't realize it was supposed to be green woman. Sounds like Nadon didn't have enough time to learn both sections. For whatever reasons, management chose not to have Bouder (in the matinee cast) do all shows and instead they threw on Nadon. 

The current BSQ production does have the palace garden scene for movements 1, 2, and 4 and the ballroom curtain for movement 2. 

Edited April 27 by matilda

[California]

1 minute ago, matilda said:

The botched throw was the difficult one seen here with Olivia MacKinnon rehearsing apricot. 

Is the one Fairchild posted today the exit throw earlier in the ballet?

Looks like she'll be doing it again on Wednesday. 

[cobweb]

16 minutes ago, matilda said:

Last night, Fairchild did that pas de quatre instead

Yes, that confused me. I was sure I remembered Maria Kowroski doing that role, and yet I KNEW she could not be one of the "tossed" women who are all on the smaller side. 

[Roberta]

15 minutes ago, matilda said:

The botched throw was the difficult one seen here with Olivia MacKinnon rehearsing apricot. 

Last night, Fairchild did that pas de quatre instead. I didn't realize it was supposed to be green woman. Sounds like Nadon didn't have enough time to learn both sections. For whatever reasons, management chose not to have Bouder (in the matinee cast) do all shows and instead they threw on Nadon. 

The current BSQ production does have the palace garden scene for movements 1, 2, and 4 and the ballroom curtain for movement 2. 

Interesting change for the Green Woman not dancing the pas de 4 with three potential partners!

Glad that the sets are back. I saw them in the mid-1990s but not in more recent viewings at NYCB. They are by Peter Harvey, not Peter Farmer, as I mistook above,

[cobweb]

After seeing BSQ again and refreshing my memory of the various sections, I have to say that I simply cannot see Unity Phelan in the 4th movement. It's like when they cast her in MacDonald of Sleat -- to me these roles call for someone with a dynamic presence and a forceful physique, whereas Unity comes across (to me anyway) as flimsy and insubstantial. Great in some roles, but not really dynamic ones like Rondo alla Zingarese or MacDonald of Sleat, which call for all-out energy and impact. But, I'm thrilled that Alexa Maxwell is debuting the first movement! 

Edited April 27 by cobweb
minor typo

[bellawood]

2 hours ago, cobweb said:

Yes, that confused me. I was sure I remembered Maria Kowroski doing that role, and yet I KNEW she could not be one of the "tossed" women who are all on the smaller side. 

I thought I was losing my mind last night! I was concerned that Mira had somehow hurt herself in the Green girl solo appearance. I find it bizarre that they rather she go and only do half the role than have Ashley bouder dance it. 
 

I thought DAAC looked really ragged last night, though Tiler was radiant. Tyler Angle had some stumbles on top of the miscue with the toss. I thought the Giggle looked terrible, mistimed and sloppy. I think the original casting was David  Gabriel as Rust?

 

[cobweb]

42 minutes ago, bellawood said:

. I thought the Giggle looked terrible, mistimed and sloppy.

Hi Bellwood, think you had a typo here but curious about what you meant. I also agree overall DAAG looked sloppy. 

[Helene]

Over the years I've seen the roles in DAAG divvied up differently on occasion, which really surprised me at first.    It was ten years old or so after it's premiere that I first saw it, and I don't know how common that was in its earlier years, but Robbins was alive and with the company when this was done, and he controlled casting over his own ballets.

I have read in multiple sources, sometimes in quotes from the dancers themselves, and that Robbins didn't have it planned out when he was making it and the dancers learned different parts.  I think it was in Joseph Mazo's book "Dance as a Contact Sport," that I read that Robbins couldn't kept comparing the women unfavorably, as in Patty, why can't you do that like Violette, etc.  It may have been the author, but I would not be surprised if it were Robbins that wasn't said was, Eddy, why can't you do that like Helgi, etc.

[bellawood]

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

Hi Bellwood, think you had a typo here but curious about what you meant. I also agree overall DAAG looked sloppy. 

Hi Cobweb! I think the Apricot/Rust dance with the flying exit is colloquially known as “the Giggle” — but I defer to Helene and others who may know better!

I was at today’s matinee. It was a more successful (though not blooper-free) performance. I much preferred Gerrity to Phelan as Mauve. Emilie felt more natural, less studied. The men were uniformly excellent, particularly Chan as Purple. They did the catch properly today!

it was a big debut for Olivia MacKinnon as Apricot, and I thought she did well. This is such a youthful role and I think she captured it better than Megan who maybe should leave this role behind — she’s dancing so beautifully in so many other roles. 
 

I’m sorry to say that Ashley Bouder’s appearance was shocking. She is quite heavy, and has absolutely no flexibility in her back whatsoever. It was pretty mortifying to see her on stage. The “green girl can’t get a man” moments felt like a cruel joke as she pranced around a bunch of much younger men. I can’t pretend to know what decision-making led to her casting but this is really a sad situation. 
 

B-S was terrific today. Unity survived her debut and seemed to be having fun! She got through her turns. Mira was sublime in the 2nd movement, it was like a different ballet from last night. The burgeoning Nadon/Bolden partnership was in full effect. 

[BalanchineFan]

3 hours ago, Helene said:

I have read in multiple sources, sometimes in quotes from the dancers themselves, and that Robbins didn't have it planned out when he was making it and the dancers learned different parts.  I think it was in Joseph Mazo's book "Dance as a Contact Sport," that I read that Robbins couldn't kept comparing the women unfavorably, as in Patty, why can't you do that like Violette, etc.  It may have been the author, but I would not be surprised if it were Robbins that wasn't said was, Eddy, why can't you do that like Helgi, etc.

I've read similar things (or perhaps the same exact account, I have the Mazo book!). IIRC, Villela also said during one of the celebrations that he hid behind Patty McBride when they were called in to work on the duet that became DAAG, as Robbins got under his skin. Or something to that effect.

I did find it odd that Nadon only did the solo and the very last walking-looking section as the Girl in Green. It's better if that Girl dances just a bit more. And I now remember Violette in the pas where the men keep walking through.

I have decided that I do not particularly like BSQ, except for the Rondo a la Zingarese. Perhaps different casting would help. It just seems like random ballet step filler to me now.  Bourree Fantasque has more personality and more interesting groupings.

Edited April 28 by BalanchineFan

[Helene]

17 minutes ago, bellawood said:

I think the Apricot/Rust dance with the flying exit is colloquially known as “the Giggle” — but I defer to Helene and others who may know better!

I don't, but Megan Fairchild does

From the link from California above:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Q98tnu78n/

[cobweb]

Thank you @bellawood. I had not heard that phrase before. I always learn something new here!

Completely agree today's DAAG cast was way more successful than last night. Gerrity was a huge improvement over Unity in the mauve role. Gerrity is more natural and much more open and easy to read, whereas Unity was kind of a blank. Gerrity looks very good so far this season. Olivia MacKinnon was delightful in yellow, Dominika Afanasenkov had a very successful debut in blue, and Indiana Woodward was wonderful in apricot. (No noticeable sign of injury -- no idea what's keeping her out of her other roles.) The men were stellar. Anthony Huxley's clarity and purity are always thrilling. Aaron Sanz may not be completely at full form after being out for so long, but his dancing has a unique quality that is all his own, and I pray he stays healthy and we see a lot more of him. Davide Riccardo and Chun Wai Chan also have their own special and unique qualities and star presence, and really all the men were beautiful. A few words about Victor Abreu. He is a delight. He is bursting with energy, personality, and pizzaz. He could use a more elegant line, and he had even more trouble than Andres Zuniga did last night with that tricky lift where he pulls the Yellow girl off the floor and gets her up over the back of his neck. However, he has a ton of potential and I look forward to seeing more of him. The "three men tossing three women" went off well, a relief after last night. The audience seemed very appreciative of this piece. I realize I haven't mentioned Ashley Bouder. Yes, she looks heavy, and while she had some nice buoyancy and spring in her step, overall she did not look ready to be onstage. 

Unity surprised me in the Rondo alla Zingarese, with more energy and brilliance than I expected. Miriam Miller was huge and beautiful as the tall soloist in the first movement. Alexa Maxwell, debuting in the principal role in the first movement, was in command of the stage.  I like BSQ a lot. The music is beautiful, the costumes are dreamy, the atmosphere is so so lush, and the constantly-shifting shapes onstage are mesmerizing. 

 

[abatt]

A few thoughts. Mejia and peck were fantastic   last night in daag.  I definitely preferred Garrity in mauve compared to Phelan

.. hate to say it but Megan should stop dancing apricot. Loved Mackinnon in the rile.  Bouder looks too heavy but was successful in green. Aberu faltered in the lift described above

.

Nadon and Bolden were terrific in bsq

[BalanchineFan]

I thought Fairchild saved the moment of the failed lift on Friday night. She set her head on Harrison Coll's shoulder and people giggled. There's an advantage to having an experienced performer onstage.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Olivia MacKinnon in the role. Her IG clips look delicious.

[vipa]

This is a random question. In looking at the roster of NYCB I wondered if Megan LeCrone was being cast at all. It's interesting to note that LeCrone and Megan Fairchild both joined the company in 2002.