Vail 2023

[vipa]

After a plane delay and hitting heavy traffic  in Denver my husband and I got to Vail in time to drop our bags in our Airbnb and hurry to the opening night show. What an amazing festive atmosphere. It opened with a fun and engaging rhythmic piece called Laying The Groundwork. I can’t go piece by piece - so many. Outstanding were the BalletX dancers who all move so beautifully. They did a Justin Peck piece. Mira Nadon and Chun Wei Chan did black swan pas and coda (no variations). Not a perfect performance, the altitude here is a challenge, but they showed that a stunning performance is in them! Peck and Mejia did Tsai pas pulling out all the stops. She did fouetté combinations I’ve never seen her do before. Adji Cissoko and Calvin Royal lll combined sculptural beauty and dynamism in an Alonzo King piece. There was more!! An embarrassment of riches. Tonight all Graham company.

Edited July 29, 2023 by vipa

[cobweb]

Thank you for this report vipa! Glad you and mr. vipa made it in time, it must have been nerve-wracking. It sounds like a wonderful experience to be there. You are inspiring me to plan for next year. 

[vipa]

Last night at Vail the Graham company was fabulous. My favorite of the night was a 1947 Graham work Errand Into the Maze. Graham’s idea of Ariadne and the Minotaur. The emotional content, construction and clarity are genius.The dancer, So Young An blew me away with her purity of movement and projection of inner strength. Next was Canticle for Innocent Comedians. A Graham work of which most of her choreography has been lost. It was reconceived with 8 choreographers, each doing  a missing section.. Dancers looked great. I admit my mind wandered at times. Finally an explosive crowd pleaser, Cave.

Tonight will be all Balanchine hosted  by Heather Watts, Damian Woetzel and Jennifer Homans. Many dancers will be performing.I can’t wait!

[vipa]

Just got back from Balanchine event at Vail so excited. Low point Jennifer Homans reading excerpts from her book mostly descriptions of ballets. Not illuminating.

High points: Mearns opening section of Mozartiana, Mearns/Ben Rudisin Symphony in C excerpt, Mearns/ Chun WeiChan Diamonds excerpt. Tiler Peck Dewdrop excerpt (coaches by Heather Watts), Theme and Variations excerpt, Fascinating Rhythm and a small section of Mozartiana partnered by Damian Woetzel!  Also Peck/Mejia Rubies and Mejia in Prodigal. Then Loren Lovette/R Fairchild  pas from La Sonnambula. Phelen/Calvin Royal in Agon and Apollo pas. There was more! I’m reminded how much I’ve missed Mearns. Can’t wait for the NYCB season.

Edited July 31, 2023 by vipa

[cobweb]

This sounds so exciting. I can see how book excerpts would be dull when you have so many great dancers on hand. Thanks for the blow-by-blow reports, vipa. 

[abatt]

Thanks for the report.  Sounds great.  

[vipa]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Thanks for the report.  Sounds great.  

Just want to add that young NYCB corps member did an excerpt from Tarantella. She looked very nervous and very promising! 

[cobweb]

3 minutes ago, vipa said:

Just want to add that young NYCB corps member did an excerpt from Tarantella. She looked very nervous and very promising! 

WHICH corps member? 

[California]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

WHICH corps member? 

The on-line Vail festival program on the home page lists all the dancers in residence (pp. 50-51). I'm seeing three NYCB corps members: Olivia Bell, India Bradley, Christopher Grant

https://vaildance.org/

Unfortunately, the casting for last night (Sunday) only includes principals. Whiteside posted a brief rehearsal clip from Serenade yesterday -- the arabesque turning sequence.

https://vaildance.org/event/upclose-mr-b/

[vipa]

6 hours ago, cobweb said:

WHICH corps member? 

Sorry I meant to say - Olivia Bell

[cobweb]

29 minutes ago, vipa said:

Sorry I meant to say - Olivia Bell

Thanks vipa. Good to hear. I saw Bell a few years back in the SAB workshop in a featured role, and thought she had tremendous poise and presence for someone so young.   

[vipa]

LA Dance Project tonight. First piece by Tanowitz, second by Madeline Hollander. Both reminded me of the kind of experimentation modern dance choreographers did in maybe the 1980’s. They had a college dance department feel. The final piece Quartet for 5 was was much better. Movement was skillfully used to create drama. Bobby Jane Smith & Or Schraiber were the choreographers. It was the only work that really showed off the dancers IMO.

I keep thinking about last night’s Balanchine event. At the end of the program Heather Watts asked that all the dancers who had ever done Western Symphony return to the stage. A bunch of them ran out and Damian Woetzel joined them, Cameron Grant played piano and they did the closing moments of Western. Great fun. Damian clearly still loves to dance!

Edited August 1, 2023 by vipa
Lo

[vipa]

Last night’s show was a real grab bag. Some highlights- OGUM with Music From the Sole, a Brazil group of musicians and tap dancers that are amazing.
Olivia Bell and KJ Takahashi did Tarantella. They got through it step by step without adding much flavor or character. She had a youthful sweetness that was almost touching. It would be fun to see her do it with a partner who was more ready to play.

Phelan and Calvin Royal were dreamlike in the Chaconne pas (dance of the blessed spirits). They connected and moved together beautifully.

Peck and Chun Wei Chan breathtaking in Midsummer’s divertissement pas. The flow and musicality were magical. The setting of being framed by trees and mountains didn’t hurt.

Lil Buck with his version of The Swan and Adji Cissoko doing a traditional version, crossing, mingling ending as one. 

There was more including another fine Ballet X performance 

 

.

[vipa]

Have to write about a great event that took place in a Vail HS auditorium- Watching Dance with Heather. She introduced each dancer and spoke of how she found then. She found several on TicTok or Instagram. Savannah Green of Ballet X is her niece. Philip Duclos (Royal Danish Ballet) was the son of her veterinarian when he was a student at SAB! She sought out Ben Rudisin(National Ballet of Canada) because they needed a tall male dancer at the last minute. Others on the program were a NYCB connection- Miriam Miller, India Bradley, R Fairchild, Lauren Lovette,Olivia Bell, Gilbert Bolden III.

Heather gave a short barre and then coached excerpts: Miller/Rudisin Nutcracker pas, Lovette/Fairchild Nut pas coda & Sonnambula, Bell/Duclos/Mayfield Myers(Philadelphia Ballet) in a Bournonville trio, Bradley/Duclos opening of 4 T’s, Green and Myers in Dewdrop, Gilbert Bolden in Stars & Stripes coda. Then Heather spoke of Bolden’s interest in working on pointe and she coached him in White Swan variation on pointe.

We saw film footage of Damian Woetzel in Stars & Stripes, Heather and Damian in Nut pas,  and Heather and Peter Martins in a work by Richard Tanner. Lovette and Fairchild then did that piece. 

I could have watched all day! India Bradley looks very ready to be a soloist, and, l’m happy to say, Lovette is as radiant as ever. Ben Rudisin partnered Miller beautifully, and he partnered Mearns beautifully the other night. I wonder if NYCB is watching.

[Marta]

Thanks for your reviews, vipa.  They're so inspiring me to go next year!  I'm particularly enchanted by the all Balanchine, but every program you've seen would thrill me.

[cobweb]

29 minutes ago, Marta said:

They're so inspiring me to go next year! 

Agree, Marta! Same inspiration! vipa is doing wonders for Vail's advertising. 

[ABT Fan]

Thank you, vipa, for all of your reports. I’m living vicariously through you this week! I’d love to go to Vail someday, but having asthma I’m not sure I could handle it. I really love hearing about all of the “new” partnerships that these dancers get to explore. Phelan and Royal have danced together at Vail several seasons now and they really seem to be a wonderful pair. 

[California]

Lengthy clips from the Balanchine UpClose program:

https://fb.watch/mbRlkp0KDb/

[vipa]

Just got back from a very full performance. Things that stick out in my mind.

Boylston/Whiteside Spring Waters. They danced this Soviet style pas with joy and ease. The final 1 hand lift was splendid.

Phelan/Calvin Royal Agon pas. They delivered a heightened and edgy sense of tension/contest that can sometimes get lost.

Olivia Bell/Duclos/Mayfield Myers’s in La Ventana pas de trio Bournonville. I felt like I was seeing Bell for the first time. Beautiful, sustained lines, joyful presentation, clean quick feet. I look forward to following her in NYCB. I’ve become a big fan of Philip Duclos. 

An excerpt from a Cunningham piece CRWDSPCR. was interesting and witty with dancers connecting and separating in various ways. Stellar cast India Bradley/Patricia Delgado/Jobani Furlan/Miriam Miller/Whiteside.

Adji Cissoko (LINES Ballet) & Ben Rudisin . White Swan pas, Ioved this. Cissoko is very tall and strong. As white swan she was very unmannered. She presented as a strong Swan Queen who, by the end of the pas, was ready to give herself to the prince. I often find this pas over-coached. This was refreshing.

KJ Takahashi and Lil Buck had a fun street style dance off in sneakers!

The program ended with Mejia & Hurlin doing Don Q pas. He did some spectacular jumps and she did some nice fouetté tricks (unfortunately they didn’t end too great.) I’m not familiar with Hurlin’s dancing but tonight she was more attitude than substance with short balances and missed turns. Maybe an off night.

There are a few more things I want to share, so to be continued!

[mom2]

Thank you for your posts vipa.  I've been to the Vail Festival several times, and always feel a pang of sadness when it comes around and I'm not there!  I believe tonight Adji will dance with Lil Buck?  Do I have that right?  I would love to see that, and hope the Festival posts a video.

I first got to see her dance when she was with NBOC.  Her facility really stood out, but I never felt the company used her potential.  When I saw her dance with Lines at Vail a few years ago she was very clearly a star - so beautiful to see!  That particular night we had the opportunity to go to an after-performance party with LINES so I got to meet her - she was incredibly kind and gracious.

Oh wait - I see Lil Buck and Adji have already danced - for some reason I thought it was today.  Apologies!

[vipa]

1 hour ago, mom2 said:

Oh wait - I see Lil Buck and Adji have already danced - for some reason I thought it was today.  Apologies!

mom2 you are correct on both counts. Adji and Lil Buch danced Swan and will repeat it tonight.

Last night Teuscher/Sterns did a piece by Tiler Peck called Silent Woods to music by Dvorak. Teuscher’s upper body and arms were beautifully fluid and expressive. She started alone onstage introspective perhaps yearning before Sterns swept her into a romantic pas. He leaves and she’s alone again. I thought the opening section the strongest. After that it seemed over-choreographed as if Peck had too many ideas. Of course that’s better than no ideas!

R Fairchild/Lovette repeated the excerpt from LaSonnambula they did earlier in the week. It was stunning in this setting, after dark, outdoors. Lovette racing in out of the darkness, holding the lit candle and dressed in white was striking. She and Fairchild brought the drama to life. Lovette fell, at one point, but it didn’t break the spell and it seemed some audience members thought it was part of the choreography!

And there was more! Each of there International Dance performances has 13 or 14 pieces. Two shows tonight 

[California]

The NOW Premieres will be streamed live on Monday, August 7 (7:30 MDT; 9:30 EDT).

The program: https://vaildance.org/event/now-premieres-2023/

Edited August 5, 2023 by California

[California]

Lauren Lovette took a bad fall Friday night during La Sonnambula. I suppose it's a reminder of how difficult that ballet can be. Credit to her for posting this herself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvkExP3vMJa/

Edited August 6, 2023 by California

[vipa]

I've been bit surprised at Vail, by how much I'm seeing of Robbie Fairchild (not a complaint). His ballet technique is not as refined as it once was, lines and positions are not as clean, but he is still an excellent dancer, with a natural movement quality, and an ability to bring drama to a piece without being overly dramatic. He even sang once to accompany the ballroom dance couple Drozdruk and Skobina.

He and Lauren Lovette did a La Sonnambula excerpt 4 times (Balanchine night, Watching dance with Heather, and two different International evenings of dance). He and Devon Teuscher performed a Justin Peck piece called Furiant twice. It's an older Peck piece originally done on Fairchild and Teresa Reichlin to music by Dvorak. I enjoyed it and was happy to have seen it twice. It's much more straightforwardly romantic than Peck usually is. There is a moment that seems to be a homage to Duo Concertant, when the dancers stop for a moment to watch and listen to the musicians. It's a lilting, joyful, musical pas. Teuscher was radiant.

Tiler Peck and Cory Sterns did an excerpt from The Leaves are Fading by Anthony Tudor, that really brought out the softness of Peck's port de bras, and the use of her shoulders and head. Speaking of Cory Sterns - he and Unity Phelan performed the pas de deux and variation from Chaconne. I didn't know he could move that fast and musically, and she danced bigger and bolder than I think I've ever seen.

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia did a piece by Balanchine called Divertimento Brillante, music by Glinka. I had never seen or heard of it before. A fun piece that showed off the dancers. Anyone know when it was choreographed and where it's been?

I am randomly jumping from one program to the next as I remember pieces! There is so much dancing packed into each performance. We're heading back to NYC, and won't be able to stay for the NOW performance of all new pieces. A few of those pieces were previewed so I got a bit of it. I'm thinking about all that I've seen here, so I'll probably toss out some final thoughts tomorrow. It's been a great experience.

[cobweb]

43 minutes ago, vipa said:

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia did a piece by Balanchine called Divertimento Brillante, music by Glinka. I had never seen or heard of it before. A fun piece that showed off the dancers. Anyone know when it was choreographed and where it's been?

I have no idea if it's related, but several years back during the Balanchine celebration at City Center, I saw Miami City Ballet do Glinka pas de trois. I can't remember if it had a pas de deux or not. I thought it was a delightful piece. I've asked a couple of time on BA whether anyone knows the piece or why it's not in NYCB's rep, and no one answered. Mysteries of the repertory.