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Grim and limited offerings ahoy:
 

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Complexions Contemporary Ballet / Center debut / September 16, 2023
“a matchless American dance company” – the Philadelphia Inquirer
Making their Segerstrom debut with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of 16 stunning dancers, Complexions has been hailed as “game changing” by London’s The Guardian

Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends / Center debut / November 4–5, 2023
“The most magical dancer of our time” – Vanity Fair
After its sold-out world premiere in New York, the award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck arrives with some of today’s most exciting dance artists for a virtuosic and innovative program!

Alonzo King LINES Ballet / January 20, 2024
Quickly having become an audience favorite, Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns with King’s latest work, which features a dynamic collaboration with acclaimed photographer Richard Misrach and Grammy-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer.

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo: Coppél-i.A. / March 7–10, 2024
For their triumphant return to SoCal, the always magnifique Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will be performing Coppél-i.A., Jean-Christophe Maillot’s stunning new vision of this classic ballet!

American Ballet Theatre / April 10–13, 2024
You know it is spring when American Ballet Theatre is home at Segerstrom Center with a never-before-seen program. A new production of Balanchine's Ballet Imperial and premieres choreographed by ABT's Gemma Bond and Kyle Abraham are this season's highlights.

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker / December 8–17, 2023
No dance season is complete without the Nutcracker! SoCal's favorite holiday tradition returns to enchant audiences of all ages with vibrant costumes, elegant dance, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic music played by Pacific Symphony.

 

 

 

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I guess we can look forward to Ballet Imperial at the Met in 2024. Interesting they use that name instead of the current Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. 

The absence of  the Russian companies for the indefinite future is going to be felt for many of these dance series - Kennedy Center, Segerstrom. 

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Pre-Covid, Segerstrom brought us the Hamburg Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, La Scala Ballet, and the Stuttgart Ballet.  At a certain point, Segerstrom seemed to lose interest  or became oblivious as to what was going on internationally in major ballet companies, and started relying on a certain agent and we got Eifman Ballet (not a favorite of mine, but excellent dancers) and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo too many times.  I have heard repeatedly from the Music Center Dance Association (or whatever it is currently called) that many ballet companies are currently making up contracts that could not be honored due to Covid and, so I am hopeful that things will improve in the 2024-2025 season.  In spring of 2022, when Los Angeles had the extraordinary Hamburg Ballet, it involved a co-production with LA Opera that was set up several years in advance,  and it was a godsend to have them here for two weeks and see those beautiful dancers. I saw St. Matthews' Passion five times and Bernstein Dances three times. 

Here in Southern California, we very much need a dose of Swan Lake as we are starved for classical ballet, and it does not have to be a Russian ballet company to be worth attending.   I wish that an arrangement would be made to have San Francisco Ballet in Southern California for a weekend each year.  Tamaro Rojo said in an interview that I attended in Los Angeles this past winter, that she hoped to create relationships with other cities to bring SFB to perform.  

 

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2 hours ago, California said:

I guess we can look forward to Ballet Imperial at the Met in 2024. Interesting they use that name instead of the current Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. 

The absence of  the Russian companies for the indefinite future is going to be felt for many of these dance series - Kennedy Center, Segerstrom. 

Actually, I think there are some differences in the choreography between BI and Tsch Piano Concerto 2.  Certainly, the decor and costumes are entirely different.  Maybe some people on the board know  more about the distinction.  Looking forward to Ballet Imperial coming back to ABT.

 

So it looks like ABT has jumped on the Kyle Abraham bandwagon.  If NYCB has hired him twice, we need to hire him too is the apparent thinking at ABT.

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Totally agree Josette--there are so many companies who perform classical ballet that could be sought after and I have many fond memories of the companies you list at SCFTA. They seem like so long ago at this point. I get the problems with Covid and they are obviously longer reaching than just the immediate theatre shutdowns but there are many other companies I would love to see and who are not Russian--we got San Francisco a few times a few years ago and it was great. I am not clear why ABT can only bring "new" shows to SCFTA ("home at Segerstrom Center with a never-before-seen program"). It seems like it would be better to do the old-style tours for ABT, at minimum: a few days of mixed rep and then a 3 act ballet over the weekend. That would certainly be more attractive. With this line up, it seems like they'll be forced to only open the orchestra.

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3 hours ago, California said:

 

The absence of  the Russian companies for the indefinite future is going to be felt for many of these dance series - Kennedy Center, Segerstrom. 

I think the touring to the US of the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi was in part funded by oligarch money. 

We have not seen the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet or the major German companies here because, in part, there is no funding available for it.  

 

 

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4 hours ago, California said:

The absence of  the Russian companies for the indefinite future is going to be felt for many of these dance series - Kennedy Center, Segerstrom. 

I don't see why. It was only the Mariinsky that was touring the US regularly, and ballet series need a lot more than one company. The Bolshoi last visited Los Angeles in 2012 and Washington in 2014. Besides, these days the Royal Ballet does a much better job of La Bayadère than the Bolshoi.

If proximity is an issue, the National Ballet of Japan or Korean National Ballet would be very fine choices.

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7 hours ago, abatt said:

Actually, I think there are some differences in the choreography between BI and Tsch Piano Concerto 2.  Certainly, the decor and costumes are entirely different.  Maybe some people on the board know  more about the distinction.  Looking forward to Ballet Imperial coming back to ABT.

I'd also be very interested in differences between Ballet Imperial and Tsch Piano Concerto 2. 

Interesting that NYCB has the Piano Concerto on its fall schedule under All Balanchine III (October 4-6-7-8) -- so there will be an opportunity to compare with ABT's BI, if not this fall then next year at the Met. 

In the ABT archive, they list BI, but not Piano Concerto. So perhaps this is a way to distinguish itself from NYCB? https://www.abt.org/people/george-balanchine/?type=archive

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17 hours ago, California said:

I guess we can look forward to Ballet Imperial at the Met in 2024. Interesting they use that name instead of the current Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. 

The absence of  the Russian companies for the indefinite future is going to be felt for many of these dance series - Kennedy Center, Segerstrom. 

When I saw Ballet Imperial in the ‘40s with Marie Jeanne and Mary Ellen Moylan alternating in the ballerina role--it took me many decades to see the “imperial” in the ballet until I saw Ananiashville with ABT,  For the first time I saw what Balanchine had in mind.--better stick  with the “Piano Concerto” title and not seek out the ‘Imperial"

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1 hour ago, atm711 said:

When I saw Ballet Imperial in the ‘40s with Marie Jeanne and Mary Ellen Moylan alternating in the ballerina role--it took me many decades to see the “imperial” in the ballet until I saw Ananiashville with ABT,  For the first time I saw what Balanchine had in mind.--better stick  with the “Piano Concerto” title and not seek out the ‘Imperial"

As I've done before, I recommend Nancy  Goldner's discussion of Ballet Imperial and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (More Balanchine Variations, pp. 5-13). BI was made in 1941 for the South American tour (the same tour when Concerto Barocco premiered). Balanchine thought the conservative audiences would expect something in the traditional imperial style, with tutus, mime, and a bit of a narrative. NYCB performed BI starting in 1964. In 1973, the name was changed to Tchai Piano Concerto No. 2, the tutus were dropped in favor of chiffon dresses, and the mime was eliminated. The set that placed them in St. Petersburg was dropped. Many changes in the choreography have also been made over the years. Goldner quotes Balanchine on modernizing: "There isn't imperial anymore. Only the Empire Hotel." 

Now I have to wonder just what version ABT will be reviving next year! 

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17 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

Given the conservative reputation of ABT audiences, I'm guessing there will be classical tutus and tiaras.

It's going to be interesting to see what choices ABT makes!

Miami City Ballet uses chiffon dresses and tiaras:

Mariinsky uses chiffon dresses and very small tiaras/head pieces:

Perm uses chiffon dresses and tiaras:

 

Royal Ballet uses tutus, tiaras, and an elaborate scenery backdrop:

 

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19 minutes ago, Josette said:

Is there any more to watch online of The Royal Ballet in Ballet Imperial

That's all I could find on YouTube. This ballet is not included in the Royal Opera House Stream either. Not seeing it in Medici or Marquee. Perhaps a little too obscure for those sites.

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According to the online archive of the Royal Opera House, which is nowhere near complete, Ballet Imperial has not been performed there recently.

https://rohcollections.org.uk/work.aspx?work=620

The video came from a gala performance to mark the reopening of the theater after a lengthy renovation and only an excerpt was performed. (I remember there was also an excerpt from a Forsythe ballet that someone booed loudly.)

https://apnews.com/article/642ab4a5dc77b9bef0d91630304ba57c

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I saw it a few years ago danced by NYCB and before that by Los Angeles Ballet, as Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, but don't have a firm memory of it aside from the corps groupings. 

It's always interesting to see the cast lists. 

 

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