2023-2024 Season

[deanofdance]

A few thoughts on tonight’s performance:

1) DAAG - I forgot how long this ballet seems to go on — it’s the never ending ballet!   As time has gone by, I'm increasingly not a Robbins fan — and I know I am in the minority, but have never warmed to DAAG — and as Samuel Johnson wrote, “no man is a hypocrite in his pleasures” (and I add “displeasures”).  A few positive notes from this dance marathon — Tyler Angle looked in better shape, nice to see Alston given opportunities, Tiler and Roman had a sweet emotional connection in their pas de deux, and I sense Unity gradually growing in confidence and artistry (last 2 seasons I thought she was lacking both).

2) BSQ - It’s not that I forgot how wonderful this ballet was — it never registered as a wonderful ballet before — but tonight’s performance was delight and surprise after delight and surprise — beginning with Kitka — who was delightful and de-lovely, dancing with lightness and grace!  Emily seems to be cast every night this first week — and is riding a little crest — there’s a joy in her dancing,  the way she smiles at her partner, it’s infectious.  I can’t say I see Olivia endowed with great dance qualities, but she did pull off the tricky choreography in the second movement, and she was subbing for Indiana, so kudos to her.  Preston added a feline grace to his movement, which I hadn’t noticed before — hoping he’s cast in more later this season (Red Angels?) but I don’t see his name on the casts for the next 2 weeks… The last and biggest and most welcome delight and surprise was the dancing of Andrew and Sara — esp Sara — who more than made up not being cast in Errante — by dancing with an abandon and energy that only she can do — now that was joyous dancing!  Last season I thought she was beginning to look a bit matronly, but this season seems in better shape, and her technique and whiplash speed are still there.  At the end of the ballet, she was laughing — of course, I don’t know why — but it was good to see.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

7 hours ago, deanofdance said:

DAAG - I forgot how long this ballet seems to go on — it’s the never ending ballet!

Arlene Croce observed that she'd like DAAG to be 15 minutes shorter, but not the same 15 minutes every time.

[cobweb]

10 hours ago, vipa said:

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. 

LeCrone appears to be out so far, and I think she didn’t dance in the Winter season either. Ditto Brittany Pollack. No sign of Ashley Laracey so far this season either. 
I see Bouder and Veyette joined in 2000, Ulbricht in 2001, Laracey in 2003. Along with Fairchild and LeCrone, they are the company’s longest term veterans. Most of them continue to dance extremely well. 

Edited April 28 by cobweb
Adding veterans

[Fernie M]

 B.Pollack is pregnant, perhaps even delivered?

[bellawood]

From those who attended, did Mira dance both parts of Green last night or only the solo? 

[vipa]

2 hours ago, cobweb said:

I see Bouder and Veyette joined in 2000, Ulbricht in 2001, Laracey in 2003. Along with Fairchild and LeCrone, they are the company’s longest term veterans. Most of them continue to dance extremely well. 

It is truly remarkable how well Ulbricht's technique has held up. I've always complained that the rep he was given was too limited. Looking at it a different way, although his rep is difficult, the relative infrequency of his casting might have saved wear and tear on his body!

If Laracey and LeCrone are to be cast, I imagine Midsummer would be a good bet. The've both done roles in the ballet before.

[mille-feuille]

1 hour ago, bellawood said:

From those who attended, did Mira dance both parts of Green last night or only the solo? 

Only the solo; Megan did the “looking for a partner” section.

[Helene]

4 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Arlene Croce observed that she'd like DAAG to be 15 minutes shorter, but not the same 15 minutes every time.

That’s how I feel about “Who Cares?” .

[abatt]

1 hour ago, bellawood said:

From those who attended, did Mira dance both parts of Green last night or only the solo? 

MIra only did the solo again.  

Megan Fairchild also knows the Green role, so I'm not sure why they didn't give her Green.  They need someone young in Apricot.  I thought Emma VE would have been perfect for Apricot.  I felt Fairchild just seemed too old to be dancing the flirtatious role with the much younger Zuniga.  

 

Blown away by Roman Mejia in Brown.  But they have cast Brown with two short men (Mejia and Huxley), which means that only short women can do pink.  I thought Woodward would have been much more effective in Apricot than in Pink.  

 

Speaking of the Van Enck sisters, Claire is back and had a demi soloist role in BSQ - 3rd movement. 

Edited April 28 by abatt

[cobweb]

1 hour ago, vipa said:

It is truly remarkable how well Ulbricht's technique has held up. I've always complained that the rep he was given was too limited. Looking at it a different way, although his rep is difficult, the relative infrequency of his casting might have saved wear and tear on his body!

So true. When I saw Ulbricht in Stars & Stripes in January, I thought he looked better than ever. Not only is his technique as good as ever, but his artistry and attention to detail, always excellent, have continued to develop. Never before did I particularly, specifically, notice a dancer's landings, but somehow his landings in the men's campaign gave me a thrilling jolt. I can still picture those landings! And more recently, in Steadfast Tin Soldier, he brought great seriousness of purpose to the soldier's woodenness and inner psychology. In my mind this is a slender and painfully precious piece, but Ulbricht elevated it as much as could possibly be. 

[cobweb]

8 minutes ago, abatt said:

Megan Fairchild also knows the Green role, so I'm not sure why they didn't give her Green.  They need someone young in Apricot.  I thought Emma VE would have been perfect for Apricot.

Agree, Emma VE is an obvious choice. I'm also wondering why Joseph Gordon did not do DAAG, he has done it in the past and is wonderfully suited to it. He also did not do Liebeslieder Walzer in Winter. Both times, they debuted someone new. 

[abatt]

Yes, I wondered why Gordon was not in DAAG too. I forget which color he did previously.

[Helene]

Allegra Kent, the original Apricot, was a few months shy of 32 when DAAG premiered.

[Papagena]

17 minutes ago, cobweb said:

So true. When I saw Ulbricht in Stars & Stripes in January, I thought he looked better than ever. Not only is his technique as good as ever, but his artistry and attention to detail, always excellent, have continued to develop. Never before did I particularly, specifically, notice a dancer's landings, but somehow his landings in the men's campaign gave me a thrilling jolt. I can still picture those landings! And more recently, in Steadfast Tin Soldier, he brought great seriousness of purpose to the soldier's woodenness and inner psychology. In my mind this is a slender and painfully precious piece, but Ulbricht elevated it as much as could possibly be. 

Jumping on the Ulbricht praise wagon - he has this intangible quality of fluid and effortless technique, joy, generosity, introspection and lack of ego in his dancing if that makes sense. I can't quite pinpoint his magic on stage, but its there in abundance. He applies his entire career of knowledge into every step, no wasted movements. I really hope they make several programs around his best roles whenever it's time for him to retire. 

Edited April 28 by Papagena

[abatt]

Re Joe Gordon, I see that he is getting the Rubies lead with Emma V. E.  (which the sorely missed Furlan did so brilliantly). Gordon is also debuting in Other Dances.

[BalanchineFan]

4 hours ago, cobweb said:

LeCrone appears to be out so far, and I think she didn’t dance in the Winter season either. Ditto Brittany Pollack. No sign of Ashley Laracey so far this season either. 

Crone's IG often shows her taking barefoot classes. I can't tell if it's jazz or modern. I saw her at an open rehearsal last fall (or maybe it was the onstage class) and she was wearing a suit and tennis shoes, which made me wonder if she has some injury that prevents her dancing on pointe. Or maybe the IG posts are from classes taken awhile back. She looks GOOD in the IG posts.

[fondoffouettes]

The Saturday matinee was my first time seeing DAAG and overall I liked it but didn't love it. At times, I found myself admiring the concept of the ballet more than the actual choreography. The hour went by quickly for me, but I found that some sections wore thin, particularly some of the ensemble work. I did wonder what the ballet would look like with 10-15 minutes of the weakest choreography excised. But still, I'd be interested to see this ballet again with a different cast; not because I didn't enjoy Saturday's cast, but because I'd love to see what various NYCB dancers would do with the roles. 

Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet feels stuffed to the gills with choreography, not all of it terribly interesting, but I do particularly like the second and fourth movements. I think the third movement could be removed and I wouldn't miss it. Nadon was glorious in the second movement. She noted on Instagram that tall dancers don't usually get to dance that role, but thanks to Bolden, she was able to. I just wish that the jacket Bolden wears could somehow be adjusted; it looked all bunched up and somewhat awkward, and I found it visually distracting during some of the tricky partnering. I agree that both Maxwell and Miller were great in the first movement. Phelan wouldn't have been my first choice for the fourth movement, but it was a successful debut and I'm glad she was pushed out of her comfort zone. Angle's solo work was very muted, but I'm sure his rock-solid partnering was essential for Phelan's debut.

I'd also like to echo what others have said of Gerrity. I've never enjoyed her as much as I did this week in DAAG and Bourrée Fantasque; her dancing had a special something extra.

Edited April 28 by fondoffouettes

[California]

3 hours ago, vipa said:

It is truly remarkable how well Ulbricht's technique has held up. I've always complained that the rep he was given was too limited. Looking at it a different way, although his rep is difficult, the relative infrequency of his casting might have saved wear and tear on his body!

Your comment about Ulbricht's limited casting reminded me of the comment by the late David Wall that Mayerling shortened his career by five years:

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/arts/dance/david-wall-a-prince-among-dancers-is-dead-at-67.html

"No full-length male role had featured so much acrobatic partnering or psychological intensity as this; Mr. Wall, who danced the role on tour in the United States in 1978 and in New York in 1983, once remarked that it had shortened his career by five years."

[WLH]

1 hour ago, Papagena said:

Jumping on the Ulbricht praise wagon - he has this intangible quality of fluid and effortless technique, joy, generosity, introspection and lack of ego in his dancing if that makes sense. I can't quite pinpoint his magic on stage, but it’s there in abundance. He applies his entire career of knowledge into every step, no wasted movements. I really hope they make several programs around his best roles whenever it's time for him to retire. 

Add me to said wagon, please! I was blown away by Ulbricht in Tarantella in March. My heart was in my throat. A true artist. I would love to see him perform much more than I do at present.

[abatt]

Ulbricht has been unfairly overlooked and underutilized in my opinion.  Peter Martins used him a lot in his own works, but since Martins is gone that source of work is gone. Ulbricht would have been ideal for Rubies, for example.  I think he has finally found someone who appreciates his gifts in his appearances with Tharp's company.

[bellawood]

2 hours ago, abatt said:

Yes, I wondered why Gordon was not in DAAG too. I forget which color he did previously.

I’m pretty sure he debuted with Rust (there’s footage of him dancing with Lauren Lovette as Apricot) and then graduated to Green.

[cobweb]

Lovely matinee of DAAG--BSQ. Highlights were the men of DAAG, each of whom has his own special quality and star presence. I could easily feel I love Chun Wai Chan, Aaron Sanz, or Davide Riccardo the best -- but the truth is, whenever I see Anthony Huxley I just can't imagine ever seeing anyone better. For the women: Emilie Gerrity continues to have a wonderful season; after much skepticism on my part Olivia MacKinnon has won me over with her delightful expansiveness; Dominika Afanasenkov looks ready for more; and Indiana Woodward and Chun Wai Chan's pdd was beautifully moving. 

BSQ was chockablock with wonderful performances -- a spectacular Miriam Miller, also Alexa Maxwell, Nadon and Bolden, Mejia and Fairchild, and a surprisingly brilliant Unity Phelan rounding out the Rondo alla Zingarese. I've been listening to the original Brahms Quartet. Mr Cobweb has wondered why Balanchine felt the need to set this ballet to Schoenberg's orchestration, rather than the beautiful original quartet. If anyone knows if there's a story there, please share!

[dirac]

On 4/14/2024 at 9:32 PM, Quiggin said:

Liszt called his faux-Romani borrowings Hungarian Rhapsodies. Ravel borrowed from this and also from the Romani musical arrangements he heard the Hungarian violinist Jelly d'Aranyi play. There are dozens of opera and classical music pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries with variations of Zingara, Zigeuner, alla Zingarese (Brahms) in the title. Ravel's seem to be the last of the line.

Yes, Ravel didn't actually appropriate any genuine Romani melodies. 

The spirit of the piece is close to tongue-in-cheek IMO and judging by the old Dance in America video that's what Balanchine saw in the music as well, When Ravel brings in "Turkey in the Straw" Balanchine has Farrell, Martins, and the corps flap their bent elbows in a chicken dance.  Farrell's gypsy is a virtuoso and very American ballerina playfully sending up theatrical "gypsy smolder." (It would not be a good idea for the ballerina to play it straight.)

Casting my vote with all those who understand the name change but do not like the use of Errante. In addition to the sound reasons already cited, it doesn't tell you much about the ballet or evoke the spirit of the piece. As I think Dale suggested earlier, just return to another Balanchine practice and call it Ravel Rhapsody after its music and leave it at that. This was a mistake, it's not too late to fix it.

Martins wrote in "Far From Denmark" that he wasn't originally supposed to be in this. He complained to Balanchine that he hadn't been given much to do in the Ravel Festival. Balanchine said sorry, he just had this one little ballet for Farrell still in the works. Martins said fine, I'll just come in with the corps. and Balanchine went along with it.

 

[nanushka]

46 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Mr Cobweb has wondered why Balanchine felt the need to set this ballet to Schoenberg's orchestration, rather than the beautiful original quartet. If anyone knows if there's a story there, please share!

The piece was made as an early large-scale work for their new home and larger stage at Lincoln Center. It’s so rich and lush and (IMO) overstuffed, I don’t think it could possibly work with less than full orchestration. Stravinsky recommended the Schoenberg to Balanchine, I believe.

Edited April 29 by nanushka

[deanofdance]

A few thoughts on this afternoon’s performance:

1) DAAG — well, I do agree with Arlene Croce that DAAG would be better served if shortened by 15 minutes, though I’d go for 30 minutes.  First off, I thought the pianist, Hanna Kim, was brilliant — clear and expressive and dramatic.  Bravo.  And seeing a new cast from last night — I was struck by the different dance qualities between Roman and Anthony — who could not be more different — and how these differences led to different overall perfumes that then pervaded the performances.  I think NYCB is very fortunate to have such 2 very different types of male virtuoso dancers, both brilliant and sublime.  But Anthony has the advantage of being a mature artist, and his solos had more nuances and shades of emotion and thoughtfulness.  Beauty.  
Don’t quite know what should be said about Ashley Boulder — I remember when she first made principal — she could do anything — and it seemed that with the right development, I thought she may become an outlier in the best way — be given Farrell repertory — Diamonds, Mozartiana…  but that thought did not last long, as I don’t think she grew artistically, and some of her performances came across as mannered and repetitive (though I do recall a not that long ago 4T’s where her Choleric was fantastic).  Now it appears that she is an outlier in a sad, unfortunate way.  
2)BSQ — it shows the depth of NYCB that this is the first I am seeing Miriam — by golly — she is the loveliest of dancers — blazing across the stage.  Vision.  And it was good to see Alexa in a Balanchine role — as she is a Balanchine dancer — her speed and attack, her extension and line, her commitment and fearlessness — and she’s still growing. 
The most unfair comparison between last night’s performance and today’s matinee is between Olivia and Mira — it would be cruel to elaborate.